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1 Undershaft: Decision on skyscraper as tall as The Shard delayed after public square concerns raised

The chair of Lloyd's of London had written to the Corporation stating it ‘would rob the City of a really important convening space’

An artist’s impression of 1 Undershaft towering above the City of London

Ben Lynch, LDR Reporter

3 July 2024

A decision to approve London’s largest skyscraper has been delayed amid fears the 74-storey building would “rob” office workers of vital outdoor space.

The 1 Undershaft office tower scheme, which would be the tallest building in the City of London, had been expected to be rubber stamped when it went before planners yesterday.

But the decision was deferred by officials owing to a row over its impact on workers in the Square Mile.

Members instead voted to send it back to the applicant Stanhope to enable “minor adjustments” before returning to the committee.

Doubts about whether “minor” changes would address key concerns were raised by a handful of councillors.

It is not known how long it will take for any revisions to be made, though a City spokesperson said it is hoped the proposal will return “ASAP”.

The 309m-high tower, next to the Leadenhall Building, would be the tallest structure in a remarkable cluster of skyscrapers on the eastern side of the City, which includes the “Bishopsgate sisters” at 22 and 8.

It would sit next door to sit next door to 122 Leadenhall Street, known as the Cheesegrater building.

Designed by architect Eric Parry, It would match the height of The Shard and include a viewing platform on the 73rd floor, an educational space for the Museum of London and a public sky garden on the 11th floor.

The sky garden woould replace the current St Helen’s Square area, where many City office workers congregate at lunchtime.

Justin Black, Head of UK Development at CC Land which is the lead investor in the Leadenhall Building, told committee members the proposal is “flawed”, and requested the decision be pushed back due to concerns including the loss of space at St Helen’s Square and the massing of the building.

“I am speaking today to remind the committee that this harm, irrecoverable if progressed, is entirely avoidable,” he said.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the Chair of Lloyd’s of London Bruce Carnegie-Brown had written to the Corporation stating it “would rob the City of a really important convening space”.

A 1 Undershaft spokesman said: “We have listened carefully to the comments made regarding the public space at ground floor which were raised at the planning applications sub-committee today.

“We will be working closely with the City of London Corporation and our neighbours in the insurance industry to consider these through minor revisions to the scheme.”

Shravan Joshi, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s planning and transportation committee, said the decision had been deferred so developers could consider “minor adjustments in relation to the ground floor public realm”.

He added: “This is not a message to industry that we are against development, or that we do not need to densify the eastern cluster.”

‘We have listened carefully to comments regarding public space at ground floor.”

If the proposal is agreed when it comes back to the committee, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will still have the opportunity to consider it before final approval can be granted. It will also be required to be referred to the next Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary.

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1 Undershaft: Decision on skyscraper as tall as The Shard delayed after public square concerns raised

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