Go-ahead for Tate tower

Residents of blocks of flats near Tate Modern today lost their last-ditch bid to stop the construction of a 20-storey tower in the shadow of the gallery.

The residents claimed the block of flats would knock as much as £50,000 off the value of their homes and was therefore a breach of their human rights.

But the Court of Appeal rejected their case and upheld the planning permission granted by John Prescott following a planning inquiry.

Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota, who supported the objectors, said: "This is a sad day for Bankside ... the tower will have a detrimental impact on the quality of space that surrounds it."