Mayor overrules council to approve skyscraper
The Mayor of London has approved a planning application for a huge high rise block of flats, hotel rooms and office space in Tower Hamlets.
Boris Johnson approved the application for Columbus Tower saying that the application would be ‘hugely beneficial to the whole of London’.
The scheme will see the construction of a 63-storey building with 74 apartments and 192 hotel rooms.
As a condition of getting planning approval the developer will have to contribute more than £1 million towards affordable housing in the area and £4 million towards the development of Crossrail.
More than £2 million will also be invested by the developer into the local community.
Mr Johnson said: ‘As well as being suited to the Canary Wharf district with its distinctive tall buildings, the overall size of the development means that it will deliver a huge contribution to the cost of Crossrail, which is central to the continued success and prosperity of both Canary Wharf and the entire capital. Considerable sums will also be invested to bring lasting benefits to the local community and therefore I have no doubt that this development must be allowed to go ahead.’
The decision came after Tower Hamlets Council decided on 4 August to refuse a planning application for Columbus Tower. However, the Mayor exercised his new planning powers to ‘take over’ the planning application so that he could determine it himself.
Under the Mayor’s planning powers, which came into effect in April 2008, Mr Johnson can decide to ‘call in’ an application that has been refused by a borough for his own determination. These powers, exercised for the first time on this case, can be used where the Mayor believes that the application is of strategic importance to the whole of London.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (5)
Joe Halewood | 08/10/2009 12:13 pm
So Boris has overturned the decision of a labour controlled council - not a big surprise really .... but another story today on this site is that the Tories are promoting what they call "Localism" - Subsidiarity in any other other name, though of course the Tories cant use that term can they especially as Thatcher called that the scourge of the Maastricht Treaty. Subsidiarity is devolving power to the lowest level.
Inside Housing story today:-
"Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman told delegates at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week that her party would sweep away top-down decision making if it wins the next election. ‘We want to revive democracy with the oxygen of localism,’ she said.
So sweeping away top-down democracy is overturning a decision of a council then Ms Spelman? Or does that principle only apply to Labour-run councils? Or havent you told Boris?
Seems while Tories have been oop North they've been eating pea soup in breweries
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Richard | 08/10/2009 1:22 pm
A sensible decision Boris - well done.
You (and the party) are doing so much more in the short time you have held office than Livingstone did in the years he was "in power"
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Melvin Bone | 08/10/2009 1:37 pm
Boris was elected by the 'people' to make the big decisions for them.
As for the pat phrase 'We want to revive democracy with the oxygen of localism' please remember we are entering the period when all parties will be spouting soundbites for the General Election...
C'mon Gordon call it now! Lets get it over and done with.
PS: Did Tower Hamlets say why they turned it down originally?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Sancho | 08/10/2009 5:15 pm
They turned it down as it involves demolition of a grade 2 listed building, in a conservation area ,and is adjacent to grade 1 and 2 listed buildings.
A perfect example of economics overriding planning policy. Begin the debate over what's right and wrong here....
Incidentally, £1m towards social housing in Tower Hamlets is, what, 5 units?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Joe Halewood | 09/10/2009 11:46 am
Sancho - very illuminating.
However, i wish to concentrate on a single point. If the Torie are now so committed to their version of subsidiarity called "Localism" - that means the decisions are kept at the lowest acceptable level, then why did they make a complete U-turn on this one?
Im sure the planners of Tower Hamlets and decison makers know what is best for Tower Hamlets - surely the key point or principle in the Tories "Localism" - yet here the (higher) office of the Mayor overturned this.
Sanchos information places this in even more context, 74 apartments for sale, a hotel, the demolition of heritage buildings for a 5 unit social housing bung.
And lets not forget the people of Tower Hamlets also elected their local leaders too who have been usurped all for the sake of this economic decision. The oxygen of democracy or the rancid smell of short-term profit Mr Johnson?
And 5 social housing units for 74 new build (conveniently ignoring the hotel) isnt this way below the targets set for proportions of mixed communities?
The BT tower is 620ft high. This development is 63 storeys and is presumably higher than this - all in the middle of a conservation area?
This is one huge development that has obvious implications to the locale and how convenient it is a Labour-run council that will have to bear all of these consequences.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment