Plans for Tate tower halted

A planned £55million, 32-storey apartment tower next to Tate Modern has been withdrawn by developers.

The tower, one of the "overblown phallic structures" deplored by Prince Charles, was designed by a former partner of Mayor Ken Livingstone's architectural adviser, Lord Rogers. In private meetings, Mr Livingstone had urged the developers to make it taller.

However, the plan outraged its neighbours, with Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota calling it "an opportunistic attempt to cash in for private gain" which "will inevitably diminish the quality and value of the public space for millions of visitors".

Last month, English Heritage told Southwark council that the tower, known as 44 Hopton Street, should not be approved until the council had produced an "Urban Design Framework for this area".

After meetings with Southwark planners, developer London Town decided to withdraw the application. A spokesman said: "We are considering the options. No decisions have been taken yet."

Although Tate Modern is not listed and is not in a conservation area, English Heritage said it enjoys "iconic status following its successful and imaginative conversion to a gallery".

Grave concerns were also expressed about the height of the proposed tower and its impact on views. London Historic Buildings Inspector Malcolm Woods said: "The Government's Strategic Planning Guidance for the River Thames states that there are views across or along the river that are important in the local scene. We are worried about the impact of this building on London-wide and local views and panoramas."

Although the tower was made taller after advice from the Mayor, the authority's local plan states that "Southwark is not a suitable location for tall buildings".

Sir Nicholas said: "We are delighted that London Town have withdrawn their application. Many local people on both sides of the river were concerned about the impact of such a tall tower of luxury apartments in this location. We hope that any future proposals will take their views into account."

Ruth Rattenbury, of action group Bankside Residents Against Tate Tower, said: "It would have been total madness to build a huge glass tower on such a constricted site. It was a monstrous idea which would have obliterated views of Tate Modern, St Paul's, even the sky, from Hopton Street and Square."

Jonathan Davis, of Bankside Lofts, said: "The tower would have loomed over the public space at the Tate's main west entrance, creating a wind tunnel effect and casting shadows over neighbouring buildings and the riverside."

Owen Pringle, of Falcon Point, a council block nearby, said: "Within 10 years it would simply have been labelled the first architectural blunder of the 21st century."

However, resident Theresa Towle warned that the developers are unlikely to walk away. "We believe they will resubmit an application for something, possibly a few storeys lower," she said. "This is all part of the planning dance and we shall continue to oppose any tall building that has a detrimental effect on the townscape of Southwark and on the quality of life of local residents."