The controversial 1,000 foot-tall tower planned for the City of London should be moved to Canary Wharf “where they could do with it”, a planning expert has said.
Plans to build the ‘Tulip’ next to the Gherkin in the City of London caused uproar when put forward but were thrown out by the government on November 12.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities blocked the tower after concerns were raised about the impact the Tulip would have on the London skyline and its environmental impact.
If built, the Tulip would have been the tallest building in the City and the second tallest in London – just five metres shorter than the Shard on the other side of the Thames.
Read more:London ‘Tulip’ viewing tower rejected and people all think the same thing
But most of its 305-metre height would have been concrete surrounding a lift shaft, topped by a 12-storey dome.
The upper floors were to feature observation decks, bars, restaurants and glass balls moving on the outside of the building for visitors to take in the view of London.
Professor Peter Rees, who was the City’s chief planning officer for 30 years, said that he opposed the Tulip being built in the area and that it should be moved if it were to be constructed.
Critics condemned the ambitious project as an ‘ego trip’
(Image: DBOX for Foster + Partners)
He told Building Design: “Thank God. I’m delighted. I would have recommended it for refusal. There’s little enough land [in the City] as it is without wasting it on someone’s ego trip. The City is not an amusement park.
“I’m quite amazed he [DLUHC minister Michael Gove has] done something sensible.”
Professor Rees added that the Tulip could instead be built somewhere else like Croydon or Canary Wharf. “Where they could do with it,” he added.
But a councillor representing Canary Wharf said that the arguments against the huge tower being built in the City also applied to the East London town.
Councillor Andrew Wood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that land in Canary Wharf was badly needed for new homes as the population rapidly grows.
The Tulip was planned to give visitors panoramic views of London from its bars and observation docks, as well as the movable glass orbs on the outside
(Image: DBOX for Foster + Partners)
He said: “I doubt it would work in Canary Wharf, in part because the land is more valuable for residential and I think for tourism.
“But the other issue we would have is the view from Greenwich – part of the argument against this was the impact on views, especially from the Tower of London, it would also be an issue from Greenwich because it’s a protected view.
“The arguments against it being in the City would be the same arguments against it being in Canary Wharf as well.
“If the council saw this coming forward, their argument would be well, ‘we’ve got this big housing target and we’re going to reject it, because it basically makes it more difficult to build houses wherever they try to build it’.”
A spokesperson for the Tulip said: “We are disappointed by the UK Government’s decision to refuse planning permission for The Tulip.
“In our opinion, this project represented a unique opportunity to reaffirm London’s world-leading reputation in architecture, culture, education, and tourism.”
Tower Hamlets Council was contacted for comment.
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/tulip-tower-should-moved-canary-22172154
