Tall Buildings in the City of London

Data: 31st March 2019

Published by the City of London Corporation, Department of the Built Environment

November 2019

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Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 3

Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4

National guidelines for Tall Buildings produced by Historic England ...................... 4

Regional Policy Guidelines set out in the London Plan ................................................ 4

The City of London policy framework ............................................................................. 4

Section 2: Tall Buildings Policy Considerations in the City of London ........................... 7

Identification of inappropriate areas for tall buildings ................................................. 7

St Paul’s Heights .................................................................................................................. 8

London View Management Framework (LVMF) ......................................................... 12

Monument Views .............................................................................................................. 16

Heritage Assets .................................................................................................................. 18

Tall buildings in Conservation Areas ............................................................................. 19

Areas Inappropriate for new Tall Buildings ................................................................. 21

Section 3: Tall Buildings Development History ................................................................ 23

Introduction to the Tall Buildings Development History ........................................... 23

Pre-1970 ............................................................................................................................... 25

1970-1989 ............................................................................................................................. 26

1990-1999 ............................................................................................................................. 26

2000-2009 ............................................................................................................................. 27

2010-2019 ............................................................................................................................. 27

Tall buildings in the planning pipeline as at 31st March 2019 ..................................... 27

Section 4: Tall Buildings Spatial Distribution .................................................................... 28

The spatial distribution................................................................................................. 28

Spatial Distribution of Tall Buildings – as at 31st March 2019 ..................................... 31

Contacts .................................................................................................................................. 32

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Executive Summary National guidelines for tall buildings produced by Historic England (Historic England Advice Note 4, 2015) set out that site specific policies need to be drawn up through effective engagement with local communities, relevant parties such as Historic England, and with proper regard to national planning policies and heritage protection law. The City of London has set out a policy framework for tall buildings since the 1986 version of the Local Plan which identified areas inappropriate and sensitive to tall buildings. The draft version of the City Plan 2036 policy framework builds upon this background, identifying areas that are inappropriate for tall buildings and identifying the City Cluster for the delivery of tall buildings on appropriate sites. The inappropriate areas are based upon the strategic views policies of the London Plan, local views policies of the St Paul’s Heights and Monuments Views, plus consideration of the heritage assets of Conservation Areas, Historic Parks and Gardens, Scheduled Ancient Monuments and listed buildings. Based on this approach, most tall buildings within the City have been developed within the:

• The eastern area of the City focussed in the City Cluster. This has been identified as the area most appropriate for the development of a cluster for tall buildings in the Local Plan (as the Eastern Cluster) and the Draft City Plan 2036.

• Northern area of the City in the vicinity of London Wall and northern section of Bishopsgate.

Applying this spatial policy concept, the City of London has delivered a significant number of tall buildings over 75 metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). These have been primarily delivered in localities not considered to be inappropriate for tall buildings. In terms of the timeframe of development completions, with the exception of a number of historic churches, the first tall buildings were constructed in the 1970s. In the period 2000 to 2019 the number of new tall buildings delivered increased significantly. As at 31st March 2019, there were 63 tall buildings within the City of London of which 6 tall buildings are over 150m AOD in height. There are a further 8 tall buildings over this height threshold under construction and projected to be delivered within the period through to 2023. There are a further 5 tall buildings with planning permission but yet to commence.

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Section 1: Introduction

National guidelines for Tall Buildings produced by Historic England

National guidelines for Tall Buildings produced by Historic England (Historic England Advice Note 4, 2015) set out that site specific policies need to be drawn up through effective engagement with local communities, relevant parties such as Historic England, and with proper regard to national planning policies and heritage protection law. These guidelines then refer to the management of strategic views policies set out in the London Plan. Guidance states that the appropriate scale and form of development is to be assessed as well as a local height definition and the identification of appropriate locations for tall buildings as part of the formulation of the local plan.

Regional Policy Guidelines set out in the London Plan

The adopted London Plan (and draft new London Plan) sets out the planning policy approach to tall buildings in Greater London. Full details of London Plan Policy D5 can be found in Appendix 1. Visual impacts detailed in the adopted policy include those from both local and strategic views, taking account of and avoiding harm to London’s heritage assets and their setting, preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage Sites and avoidance of a canyon effect in the Thames Policy Area. The Mayor’s London View Management Framework Supplementary Planning Guidance explains the London Plan’s policies in more detail.

The City of London policy framework

The concept of areas inappropriate for tall buildings was first formally set out in policy in the 1986 version of the Local Plan, which predated the national and regional policy approach summarised above. The policy framework has evolved over time with the key focus on identifying inappropriate and suitable locations. Analysis of the evolving policy framework is set out in Appendix 2. The City of London Local Plan Policy CS14 outlines the City’s tall buildings policy. Local Plan Policies CS12-14 recognise the unique environment and built heritage of the City and its sensitivity to the development of tall buildings. Within the City of London all locations are considered to be sensitive to tall buildings with some areas considered to be inappropriate. The City of London Local Plan Policy CS7 sets out the planning policy approach to the Eastern Cluster, which contains the greatest

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density of businesses and jobs in the City and has fewer constraints on the development of tall buildings compared to other locations in the City of London. Full details of the Local Plan Policies CS14 and CS7 can be found in Appendix 1. The Draft City Plan 2036 evolves the policy with greater consideration of the impact on public realm and on the capacity of the City’s streets and spaces to accommodate development. The Draft City Plan 2036 identifies the City Cluster (equivalent to the Eastern Cluster in the adopted Local Plan) as able to accommodate a significant growth in office floorspace and employment including the delivery of tall buildings on appropriate sites. The concept of areas inappropriate for tall buildings takes into consideration a range of Protected Views and evaluation of heritage assets. This is analysed in depth in Section 2.

Pre-1970 there were only a small number of tall buildings and buildings of significant height in the City. Since this period there has been an evolving scale in terms of height and number of tall buildings delivered above 75m AOD. This is analysed in Section 3: Tall Buildings Development History. The spatial distribution of tall buildings is focussed within the Eastern Cluster. There are a limited number located in areas identified inappropriate for new tall buildings. This is analysed in Section 4. Technical details are set out in the appendices:

• Appendix 1 sets out in detail the relevant policy context. • Appendix 2 analyses the timeline of tall buildings policy evolution in the City

of London. • Appendix 3 provides a catalogue of tall buildings in the City of London above

75metres AOD detailing: 1. Address, 2. Key City Place, 3. Planning Permission, 4. Height above ground level (m AGL), 5. Height above Ordnance Datum in metres (m AOD), 6. Number of Floors, 7. Year of Completion,

Draft London Plan Policy D8 indicates that development plans should define what is considered a tall building based on local context, the height of which may vary in different parts of London. Draft City Plan 2036 Strategic Policy on tall buildings defines tall buildings as over 75m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD).

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8. Details, 9. Architect.

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Section 2: Tall Buildings Policy Considerations in the City of London

Identification of inappropriate areas for tall buildings

Guidance issued in 2015 by Historic England on tall buildings states that the appropriate scale and form of development is to be assessed as well as a local height definition and the identification of appropriate locations for tall buildings as part of the formulation of the local plan. Whilst the guidance provided is considered to be a sound approach to the development of a tall buildings policy in an area where there are few existing tall buildings, the City of London has developed a longstanding policy approach to tall buildings in response to the unique circumstances of the Square Mile. The policy relating to the height of buildings goes back to 1938 with the inception of the St Paul’s Heights policy which set out height constraints for the local views of St Paul’s Cathedral. Specific planning policy for tall buildings (high buildings) has evolved since the adoption of the Local Plan in 1986. This is summarised in Appendix 2, which sets out the policy background and the evolution of relevant policies relating to views protection and heritage assets. The historic focus in the City of London has been based upon identifying inappropriate areas and areas identified as being sensitive to tall buildings. Building on this policy history the principal issues to consider within the City of London are set out in Local Plan Policy CS14: Tall Buildings and in the Draft City Plan 2036. This includes refusing planning permission for tall buildings in inappropriate areas. The inappropriate areas are derived from consideration of a range of views and heritage asset policies including:

• Local views of St Paul’s Cathedral set out in the St Paul’s Heights policy, • St Paul’s Cathedral protected vista viewing corridors and the Tower of

London protected vista background assessment area and protected silhouettes as set out in the London Views Management Framework,

• Local views from the Monument, • Conservation areas, • Consideration of other heritage assets.

This section analyses each of these views and heritage asset criteria and then creates a composite of the relevant policy areas to identify areas inappropriate for tall buildings with all other areas of the City identified as being sensitive to tall buildings.

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St Paul’s Heights

The St Paul’s Heights have been in operation since 1938 to protect local views of the Cathedral from the South Bank and Bankside (Photo 1), the Thames bridges (such as Waterloo Bridge, Photo 2), and along key streets such as Fleet Street and Farringdon Road. Map 1 shows the area protected by the St Paul’s Heights Policy and the indicative viewing points/areas with protected views towards the Cathedral. Examples of the full range of views can be found in the St Paul’s Heights Study which is a technical document that looks at the historical context of the Heights, analysing the form of the Heights, evaluating the existing views and summarising the issues that arise. The Heights policy is incorporated into Local Plan Policies CS13 and CS14 and the Draft City Plan 2036. The policy originated in the 1930s in response to the construction of buildings such as Unilever House and the Faraday Building which blocked cherished views of the Cathedral. Several of the views are from sites located in the London Borough of Islington. The City of London and the London Borough of Islington cooperate on the protection of these views and Islington’s view protection policy is conformant with St Paul’s Heights. The City Corporation also cooperates with the London Boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth to protect views from the South Bank.

Map 1: Viewing locations protected by the St Paul’s Heights

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Photo 1: View location from the South Bank at Bankside

Photo 2: View location from Waterloo Bridge

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The Heights policy area consists of a grid of squares each with a building height limit given for the centre of the square in metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). In addition, there are ‘set-backs’ defined to protect slot views along certain streets and the immediate setting of the Cathedral. Taken together, the Heights describe a series of planes sloping up from viewpoints to the Cathedral with height limits varying from 8m to 52m AOD. Map 2 illustrates the spatial pattern of the relevant grid height limits.

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Map 2: St Paul’s Heights grid of building height limits - A more detailed grid of maximum building heights is available in the City of London

Interactive Mapping

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London View Management Framework (LVMF)

The Government’s Strategic Views were defined in 1991 to protect long-distance views crossing borough boundaries. They included eight views of St Paul’s Cathedral from Richmond Park, Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, Kenwood, Alexandra Palace, Westminster Pier, Greenwich Park and Blackheath Point. The views were protected by viewing corridors, wider setting consultation areas and background consultation areas. Strategic Views protection was subsequently devolved to the Mayor of London. The Mayor’s London View Management Framework was published in 2007 and revised in 2010 and 2012. The 2007 Protected Vistas defined by the Mayor were significantly narrower in width than the old Strategic Views, but the 2010 revision widened them again as a compromise between the two previous widths. The 2012 revisions were minor clarifications. In the City, the 2012 Protected Vistas comprise the original eight views of St Paul’s Cathedral and an additional view of the Tower of London from the Queen’s Walk (Map 3). For more details, see the Mayor’s London View Management Framework Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Map 3: The LVMF Protected Vistas

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The LVMF Protected Vistas are defined geometrically based on the locations and heights of the Assessment Points and the Strategically Important Landmarks (St Paul’s Cathedral and the White Tower of the Tower of London). Threshold planes (defined in metres AOD) can be calculated for any given site within a Protected Vista based on the geometry set out in the LVMF. The Protected Vistas are made up of a number of elements. The Landmark Viewing Corridors have the strongest protection as proposed development exceeding the threshold height should be refused. A more flexible approach is taken in the Wider Setting Consultation Areas (includes the background) where proposed development should preserve or enhance the viewer’s ability to recognise and appreciate the Strategically Important Landmark. The threshold planes for the Viewing Corridors vary within the City. From the south they generally rise from around 51m AOD at the City boundary to 52.1m AOD at St Paul’s Cathedral. From the north they fall from 55m AOD at the City boundary to 52.1m AOD at the Cathedral. The Background Wider Setting Consultation Area threshold planes vary within the City. From the south, they rise from 52.1m AOD at the Cathedral to 83m AOD at the City boundary for the Westminster Pier view, and from 52.1m AOD at the Cathedral to 53m at the City boundary for the Greenwich Park (Photo 4) and Blackheath Point views. All other Background Wider Setting Consultation Areas of the St Paul’s Cathedral vistas have flat threshold planes set at 52.1m AOD. Map 4 shows an example of the threshold planes in the vicinity of St Paul’s Cathedral for the Greenwich Park Protected Vista. The view is shown in Photo 3. The City of London Local Plan 2015 and the Draft Version of City Plan 2036 do not include the Background Wider Setting Consultation Area of the Tower of London view from Queen’s Walk in the evaluation of the areas inappropriate for tall buildings. For the purpose of this study this view is included as the planes rise from around 25.7m AOD at the White Tower to 66m AOD at the City boundary. A Protected Vista is included from Assessment Point 25A.1 and a Protected Silhouette is applied to the White Tower between Assessment Points 25A.2 and 25A.3. The Protected Silhouette of the White Tower from viewpoints 25A.1 and 25.3 increases marginally the footprint of areas inappropriate for tall buildings in the City westward of the Protected Vista Background Wider Setting Consultation Area. The LVMF identifies several additional views of the Tower of London as well as designating a number of Townscape Views and River Prospects along the Thames that are subject to qualitative visual assessment. These viewpoints are shown in Map 5. Photo 4 shows an example of the view of the River Prospect from Gabriel’s Wharf

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Map 4: Threshold plane near the Cathedral for the Greenwich Park Protected Vista

Photo 3: Protected Vista 5A.2 from Greenwich Park

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Map 5: Viewpoints for River Prospects and Townscape Views affecting the City

Photo 4: River Prospect 16B.2 from Gabriel’s Wharf

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Monument Views

The Monument to the Great Fire of London is a listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument. Local Plan Policy CS13 and the Draft City Plan 2036 protect and enhance significant local views of and from the Monument. The Monument’s immediate setting is defined as the four street blocks surrounding the Monument. Local Plan Policy CS14 states that the area of the Monument Views and setting (Map 6) are inappropriate for tall buildings. The same concept applies in the Draft City Plan 2036. The five protected views from the viewing gallery are:

1. South East to the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, River Thames and HMS Belfast (Photo 5),

2. South to St Magnus Church and the River Thames, 3. South West to London Bridge and Cannon Street Railway Bridge, 4. West to Waterloo Bridge and Victoria Embankment, 5. North West to St Paul’s Cathedral (Photo 6).

Map 6: Monument Views

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Photo 5: View 1 from the Monument, to the South East

Photo 6: View 5 from the Monument, North West to St Paul’s Cathedral

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Heritage Assets

The National Planning Policy Framework advises that local planning authorities should seek to identify and assess the significance of elements of the historic environment that may be affected by a development proposal, including the setting of a Heritage Asset. The designated Heritage Assets within the City of London (Map 7) are Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Historic Parks & Gardens as well as the setting of the Tower of London World Heritage Site. Local Plan Policy CS14 and the Draft City Plan 2036 state that Conservation Areas are inappropriate for new tall buildings. Many other Heritage Assets have a strong spatial correlation with Conservation Areas. The majority of Listed Buildings and all Historic Parks and Gardens are within Conservation Areas. The policy seeks to conserve and enhance the significance of the City’s Heritage Assets and their settings.

Map 7: Heritage Assets

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Tall buildings in Conservation Areas

There are currently (March 2019) 27 Conservation Areas in the City of varying size and character. The first areas were designated in 1971 and they have been reviewed periodically. Conservation Areas are designated to protect the special character of an area rather than protect individual buildings. The development of a tall building in a Conservation Area could be harmful to the Conservation Area, and so Local Plan Policy CS14 states that it is inappropriate. It is the statutory duty of the City Corporation to consider whether it should designate conservation areas, which are defined as ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. The City Corporation designated the Golden Lane Estate and Barbican Estate as a Conservation Area in 2018. The Golden Lane and Barbican Estates are iconic, neighbouring post-war estates both of which are listed in their entirety and include tall buildings within their design concepts. Thus, the tall buildings within these estates are an integral part of their design and contribute to the massing of tall buildings in the City of London. Other than the listed historic skyline features, which include St Paul’s Cathedral, there are a range of tall buildings within Bank Conservation Area (which was initially designated in 1974 followed by subsequent revisions). The tall buildings in the Bank Conservation Area are primarily on sites that contained tall buildings prior to the Conservation Area designation, except for one site which was an exceptional piece of architecture contributing to the views of a neighbouring Listed Building. The details of these tall buildings are set out in Table 1.

Tall Building Date Completed Details

12 Throgmorton Avenue (Photo 7) 2010

Redevelopment, replacing an existing tall building developed before the designation of the Conservation Area

1 Angel Court 2017 Includes the refurbishment and recladding of Angel Court tower which was originally developed in 1974-80

125 Old Broad 2009 Development incorporating the refurbishment of an existing tower developed in the 1970s.

New Court 2011

An exceptional piece of architecture which creates a view of St Stephen Walbrook from St Swithin’s Lane. This was weighed against the fact that the building would be out of context with the scale and design of the Conservation Area.

Table 1: Tall buildings in the Bank Conservation Area

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Photo 7: 12 Throgmorton Avenue in the Bank Conservation Area

There is an additional tall building under construction in the Bishopsgate Conservation Area located at 150 Bishopsgate. The height and design of the proposed building provides a stepping down in height and massing from the tall buildings to the south and facilitates a transition between the Conservation Area and the City Cluster to the south. Thus, in relation to tall buildings, the City’s 27 Conservation Areas that can be categorised as:

• Conventional low-scale buildings (most Conservation Areas), • Conservation Areas which exceptionally contain tall buildings (Bank and

Bishopsgate), • Barbican and Golden Lane, where tall buildings within the estates are an

integral part of their design.

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Areas Inappropriate for new Tall Buildings

Local Plan Policy CS14 and Draft City Plan 2036 define those areas of the City which are considered to be inappropriate for new tall buildings where proposals will be refused. Map 8 sets out the individual policy areas inappropriate for new tall buildings comprising:

• St Paul’s Heights Policy Area, • LVMF Landmark Viewing Corridors, • LVMF Background Wider Setting Consultation Area from the Queen’s Walk

and Protected Silhouette of the White Tower. • Monument Views Policy Area, • Conservation Areas

Map 9 shows a composite of all areas inappropriate for new tall buildings. All other sites in the City are considered to be sensitive to tall buildings.

Map 8: Individual policy areas inappropriate for new tall buildings

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Map 9: Composite of all policy areas inappropriate for new tall buildings

Section 3 builds on this assessment analysing where tall buildings have been developed.

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Section 3: Tall Buildings Development History

Introduction to the Tall Buildings Development History

Building on the context of tall buildings policy considerations, this section analyses the development history of tall buildings in the City of London in seven phases:

• Pre-1970 (divided into pre-war and post-war sub-phases) • 1970-1989 • 1990-1999 • 2000-2009 • 2010-2019 • Tall buildings in the planning pipeline as at 31st March 2019.

Map 10 shows the spatial distribution of tall building completions over time. Graph 1 shows the timeline of tall building completions by year.

Graph 1: Tall Buildings Development Timeline as at 31st March 2019

Tall buildings in the City of London are primarily in the height range 75m to 150m AOD. As at 31st March 2019, there were a total of 63 completed tall buildings (over 75m AOD) including six buildings over 150m AOD. There were a further 13 development schemes with planning permission for buildings over 75m including 9 schemes over 150m AOD. This will add significatly to the profile of tall buildings in the City of London.

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

275

300

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Heig

ht (m

etre

s AO

D)

Tall Building Completions by year

Completed Development

Projected Development for Schemes with Planning Permission

Pre-1970

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Map 10: City of London Tall Buildings distribution - see the Appendix 3 for further details on individual buildings

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Based on the phasing set out above, the height of tall buildings is assessed within the context of the development timeline. Further details of each tall building can be found in Appendix 3, reference is made to the Map Reference e.g. (22).

Pre-1970

Pre-1970 is divided into two sub-phases. Pre-war: Until the early twentieth century, the only tall buildings in the City (over 75m AOD) were St Paul’s Cathedral (22) and a small number of other historic skyline features including several Wren churches (49, 68, 69) and the Old Bailey cupola (51). St Paul’s Cathedral has been the tallest and most dominant building in the City for most of its history since its completion in 1711. Other than church spires and towers, the only other buildings over 50m AOD were the Monument and the tower of the former Port of London Authority Building (10 Trinity Square). A new building scale was introduced in the City with the construction of Faraday Building and Unilever House in the 1930s. Although neither fits within the modern definition of a tall building, their construction caused public outcry as their significant height and bulk obstructed some of the views of St Paul’s Cathedral from the River Thames. In response, a local view protection policy, the St Paul’s Heights, was implemented by the City Corporation in 1938. Post-war: The post-war decades presented significant opportunities for reconstruction, including the growth of tall buildings in suitable locations to support the growing financial sector. The reconstruction of the area around London Wall was a comprehensively planned scheme with a number of office towers linked by pedestrian highwalks to the adjacent buildings and the Barbican Estate which was developed between 1965 and 1976 to provide additional housing in the City. The towers along London Wall were privately built of similar designs at 17-20 storeys in height. The tallest in this area was Britannic Tower to the north of London Wall, since redeveloped as City Point (20). Other tall buildings completed in the 1960s include Sudbury House*, Drapers’ Gardens in what would become the Bank Conservation Area, Lime Bank House and the original 20 Fenchurch Street, all of which have since been demolished and in the case of Sudbury House & Drapers’ Gardens, replaced with lower buildings more appropriate to their location. * Within the St Paul’s Heights Policy Area – Ministerial approval following a Public Inquiry.

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1970-1989

This period saw the completion of the Barbican Estate, including three residential towers which became the City’s tallest buildings (17, 18, 19). The focus for tall building development then shifted east, with a new cluster of tall buildings emerging in this part of the City. Examples of tall buildings include the Stock Exchange Tower (25 - now 125 Old Broad Street) and 99 Bishopsgate (24), both of which have since been renovated. Tower 42 (7) became the tallest building in London when it was completed in 1980 as the NatWest Tower and it was complemented with the landmark Lloyd’s Building (31) completed six years later. The proliferation of tall buildings during this period stimulated greater appreciation of the need to balance development pressures with view protection and other heritage considerations. Conservation Areas were introduced in the City from 1971 with a policy presumption to refuse further tall buildings within these areas as a means of preserving their special architectural or historic interest. The Local Plan 1986 set out the policy context for High Buildings.

1990-1999

In 1991 the Secretary of State for the Environment issued planning guidance and directions for protecting 10 Strategic Views in London including 8 key views of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Viewing Corridor component of the Strategic View was subject to strict height limits which prevented the construction of further tall buildings in these areas. The north and east of the City were unaffected by these Viewing Corridors although parts fell within the wider setting and background consultation areas where controls were more flexible. In the 1990s, the Broadgate Estate was developed as an office-led mixed-use estate of mostly mid-rise buildings, although the Bishopsgate side was developed to over 75m AOD. Several tall buildings along London Wall were also developed including Alban Gate (32) and 200 Aldersgate Street (27). The only new tall buildings in the east of the City were the buildings at Minster Court (37, 55) and 1 America Square (64). Several other tall buildings have been replaced by buildings lower in height more suitable to their location. As well as Sudbury House* in the Paternoster Square redevelopment, these also included Vincula House (which obstructed the view of the Tower of London from the Monument) in the Tower Place development.

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2000-2009

In 2007, the Government’s Strategic Views were replaced by the Mayor’s London View Management Framework which had significantly narrower Viewing Corridors but also introduced new qualitative visual assessment from River Prospects and Townscape Views. In the 2000s, two new tall buildings over 150m AOD in height were completed in the east of the City at 30 St Mary Axe, commonly known as The Gherkin, (8) and Broadgate Tower (10). Other tall buildings completed include 51 Lime Street (16) as well as several tall buildings that have been replaced or refurbished, particularly those older towers around London Wall such as City Point (20), Moor House (34) and 5 Aldermanbury Square (39) as well as 125 Old Broad Street (25).

2010-2019

Following a mayoral change, the LVMF was reviewed in 2010. The balance was deemed to have tipped too far against view protection, and the Protected Vistas were widened in 2010 and reviewed again in 2012. In the 2010s, three tall buildings over 150m AOD in height were completed at 110 Bishopsgate (3), the Leadenhall Building (4) and 20 Fenchurch Street (11). Fourteen other tall buildings between 75m AOD and 150m AOD were completed (See Appendix 3 for further details).

Tall buildings in the planning pipeline as at 31st March 2019

As at 31st March 2019, there were 8 tall buildings (over 75m AOD) currently under construction in the City (See Appendix 3 for further details). Of these, five are over 150m AOD in height. The prime location for these buildings is the Eastern Cluster. A further 5 buildings were permitted not commenced (See Appendix 3 for further details). Of these, 3 are over 150m AOD in height.

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Section 4: Tall Buildings Spatial Distribution

The spatial distribution

The spatial analysis shown in Map 10 is based upon three types of spatial area:

• Areas inappropriate for new tall buildings. The areas inappropriate for new tall buildings were analysed in Section 2. An example of the landscape in this zone illustrating the protection of views from the River Thames Southbank set out in the St Paul’s Heights policy is shown in Photo 8.

• The Eastern Cluster Key City Place revised and renamed as the City

Cluster Key Area of Change in the Draft City Plan 2036. The Eastern Cluster is identified in the Local Plan Policy CS7 and (as the City Cluster) in the Draft City Plan 2036 as the area most suitable for tall buildings and accordingly they will be permitted on suitable sites in this policy area where there are fewer constraints, thereby reinforcing the existing tall buildings cluster. This area is characterised by the dense spatial distribution of tall buildings in the eastern area of the City of London shown in Map 10. Photo 9 shows a view of the Eastern Cluster from the South Bank between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Southwark Bridge.

• Areas sensitive to new tall buildings.

Tall buildings in those areas identified as sensitive to new tall buildings shown in Map 10 area in areas such as London Wall and the northern section of Bishopsgate. Photo 10 illustrates the view along the section of London Wall from Moorgate to Wood Street.

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Photo 8: Areas inappropriate for new tall buildings showing the example of the St Paul’s Heights

policy

Photo 9: Tall Buildings in the City Cluster Key Area of Change

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Photo 10: London Wall - an area sensitive to tall buildings

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Spatial Distribution of Tall Buildings – as at 31st March 2019

Table 2 summarises the number of tall buildings over 75m AOD in the City as at 31st March 2019 within the context of the spatial policy relating to tall buildings. As at 31st March 2019, there were a total of 57 completed tall buildings (over 75m AOD) in the City. Of the 57 tall buildings:

• 12 are within areas inappropriate for new tall buildings, • 14 are within the Eastern Cluster, and • 31 are within other areas sensitive to tall buildings.

Development Status / Height

Areas inappropriate for new tall buildings

Eastern Cluster

Other areas sensitive to tall buildings

City TOTAL

Completed 75-150m AOD 150m+ AOD TOTAL

12 0

12

10 4

14

29 2

31

51 6

57 Under Construction 75-150m AOD 150m+ AOD TOTAL

0 0 0

0 6 6

2 0 2

2 6 8

Permitted Not Commenced 75-150m AOD 150m+ AOD TOTAL

0 0 0

2 2 4

0 1 1

2 3 5

Table 2: Number of tall buildings 75m+ AOD by area, development status and height as at 31st

March 2019

Of the 6 tall buildings over 150m AOD in height, 4 are within the Eastern Cluster, 2 are within other areas sensitive to tall buildings (20 Fenchurch Street and Broadgate Tower) and none are within areas inappropriate for new tall buildings. As at 31st March 2019, there were 8 tall buildings (over 75m AOD) under construction in the City. Of these, 6 are within the Eastern Cluster and 2 are within other areas sensitive to new tall buildings. 6 of the 8 tall buildings are over 150m AOD in height - all within the Eastern Cluster. As at 31st March 2019, there were 5 tall buildings (over 75m AOD) permitted not commenced in the City. Of these, 4 are within the Eastern Cluster and 2 are within other areas sensitive to new tall buildings. 3 of the 5 tall buildings are over 150m AOD in height, and all except one (2 - 3 Finsbury Avenue) are within the Eastern Cluster.

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Contacts General planning enquiries: 020 7332 1710 Email: pln-moninfo@cityoflondon.gov.uk Internet Site: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/plans Queries regarding this report can be made to: Tel: 020 7332 1720/020 7332 1843 E-mail: pln-moninfo@cityoflondon.gov.uk Contact Address: Department of the Built Environment Guildhall PO Box 270 London EC2P 2EJ Maps are reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright and database right 2019. OS 100023243. The City of London Corporation is the Local Authority for the financial and commercial heart

of Britain, the City of London.

Carolyn Dwyer BEng (Hons), DMS, CMILT, FCIHT Director of the Built Environment