Storm over 'hideous' Cutty Sark tower

Plans to build a 32-foot glass and steel tower beside the historic Cutty Sark have been branded "hideous" and "visually intrusive".

The Grade I-listed tea clipper, which was ravaged by fire in 2007, is in the final stages of a £51 million restoration and is due to reopen next spring with an exhibition area beneath the vessel.

But the modern access tower, which will loom over the ship in a dry dock within Greenwich's World Heritage Site, has been condemned by English Heritage and local conservation groups.

It has been designed by one of the UK's leading practices Grimshaw Architects, the firm behind the Eden Project. The Cutty Sark Trust said the tower was crucial to allow disabled access.

But English Heritage said in a letter to Greenwich council: "There is no doubt that a tower of the dimensions proposed will have a significant impact upon the designated heritage assets in the area and their settings and especially upon local views, not least the view of the ship from within the precincts of the Old Royal Naval College." Councillor Hayley Fletcher described the tower as "hideous", while the Greenwich Foundation, which runs the Old Royal Naval College, found the proposal "very disappointing".

"The tower represents a significant visual intrusion on the profile of the ship," said a spokesman. The Greenwich Society and the Greenwich Conservation group both said that it was too high and would spoil views of the ship from King William Walk.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: "It is principally to enable disabled access on and off the ship, which historically we have not been able to do. There will be double lifts from the weather deck (top deck) to the ground.

"We have worked in very close consultation with our stakeholders to come up with a design which has minimum impact on the gardens. We will continue to work to ensure the detailing of the structure is the best it can be. We are looking to use as much glass as possible, but at the end of the day we need to have lifts and stairs."

The proposals were approved by Greenwich council's planning board this month. A report by officers stated: "The overall size of the access tower has been kept to a minimum and will provide much needed access for people with mobility difficulties."