A 55-storey tower for residential use has been approved in East London after an appeal was recovered by the Secretary of State.
Original plans for the tower were rejected in 2022 when Chalegrove Properties Ltd sought permission for the building from Tower Hamlets Borough Council. The decision was appealed, but in the meantime, Chalegrove Properties Ltd started work on a 48-storey tower on the same sight, which was a permitted development. When the inquiry was underway, the building had been constructed to 40 storeys.
The Inspector determining the appeal recommended that the appeal be allowed and planning permission granted subject to conditions. The inspector outlined that "the impact of the proposed building on the existing and proposed skyline of relevance (however considered) will not be a harmful one".
The key issue was around proposal's impact on the CWTBZ and the Canary Wharf Skyline of Strategic Importance (CWSSI). The inspector outlined that "the proposed building, at a height of about 185 metres, would be just another tall building in the CWSSI and would not, in the panoramic view from Greenwich Park, be intrusive or have any adverse effect on the distinctiveness of the area".
The inspector also pointed out that the "proposed building would have a better relationship to The Madison and to Dollar Bay than the building currently under construction. The visual relationship between these three buildings would, in fact, be enhanced by the additional height of the proposed building."
During March 2023, the appeal was recovered under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by the Secretary of State and given to Simon Hoare for determination.
The Secretary of State agreed with the Inspector's conclusions and agreed with his recommendation. He allowed the appeal and granted planning permission on 28 March 2024.
The decision to recover the appeal has been criticised, and Russell Harris KC commented that "the Secretary of State simply agreed with all of the inspector's conclusions including the conclusion that the application complied with the development plan and engaged the presumption in favour of development and thus ironically should be "granted without delay". . . and 11 months after the receipt of the recommendation he granted permission".
