Committee: Date: Planning and Transportation 28 November 2016 Subject: Public 1 Undershaft London EC3P 3DQ Demolition of the existing buildings and construction of a ground plus 72 storey building (304.94m AOD) for office use (Class B1) [131,937sq.m GEA], retail (Class A1-A3) [2,178sq.m GEA] at ground and lower ground floor, a publicly accessible viewing gallery (Sui Generis) [2,930sq.m GEA] at level 71-72 and a restaurant (Class A3) [1,220sq.m] at level 70. Public Realm improvement works, ancillary basement cycle parking, servicing and plant. [Total 154,100sq.m GEA] Ward: Lime Street For Decision Registered No: 16/00075/FULEIA Registered on: 3 February 2016 Conservation Area: No Listed Building: No Summary The proposed development is for a tower comprising 73 storeys above ground (304.94m AOD/289.94m AGL) with 4 basements. The building would provide offices, retail (lower ground/basement 1), a publicly accessible viewing gallery (levels 71-72), public restaurant (level 70) and ancillary basement cycle parking, servicing and plant. The gross floor area would be 154,100sq.m (GEA), comprising: 131,937sq.m offices, 2,178sq.m retail (Class A1-A3) (lower ground and ground) 2,930sq.m public viewing gallery (sui generis) (levels 71-72) 1,220sq.m restaurant (Class A3) (Level 70) 15,835sq.m ancillary areas and plant An Environmental Statement accompanies the scheme. The building would be the tallest in the City and the focal point of the Eastern Cluster, and would provide a significant increase in flexible office accommodation, supporting the strategic objective of the City of London Corporation to promote the City as the leading international financial and business centre. The public realm benefits include bringing St. Helen's Square up to grade, raising the building above the ground plane to enable the public realm to extend across the site and under the building, provision of an 'open to the air' lower concourse level similar in function to Broadgate Circle or the Rockefeller Centre in New York and, the provision of a free public viewing gallery at levels 71 and 72 (to include classrooms at level 71) with an aspiration for this space to be curated by the Museum of London. These public benefits are critical to the acceptability of this major development. The Mayor of London supports the scheme in strategic planning terms. Historic Royal Palaces has objected to the scheme on the grounds of its impact on the World Heritage Site. St. Helen Bishopsgate Church and the Parochial Church Council have objected to the proposals in relation to potential impacts on the ability of the Church to continue its ministry by reason of noise during demolition, construction and operation. They also objected to the impact on the setting of the grade I listed Church and potential impacts on its structural stability. The applicant has agreed with the Parochial Church Council to provide noise mitigation measures within the church to ensure that during the operational phase of teh development noise levels within the church are no worse than currently exist. Obligations in respect of these matters will be secured through the S106 agreement. An objection was received from a member of the public relating to the historic significance of the existing building, the height and scale of the proposed building and its impacts on views, particularly the lift core's visibility in views from the south and south west, the lack of sky between the buildings in this part of the Cluster and the impact on the 'crown' of 22 Bishopsgate. The Leatherseller's Company objected to the scheme's impact on lighting to their freehold properties in the vicinity, on the character of St Helen's Conservation Area and on the setting of the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral. The impact of the scheme on the setting of conservation areas and listed buildings, on strategic views and on the settings of St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London World Heritage Site has been assessed and is considered acceptable. To enable satisfactory servicing of this building it will require a freight consolidation operation. There would be some stopping-up of public highway and dedication of private land associated with the northward realignment of Undershaft due to the removal of the existing vehicle ramps on the north side of Undershaft and the northward extension of the building line. There would be a net gain of 155.66sq.m in public highway. It is concluded that the proposal accords with the development plan as a whole, would preserve the setting of listed buildings and preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the St. Helen's Place Conservation Area, and that it is acceptable subject to the imposition of conditions and to a Section 106 agreement and any necessary agreements under Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980 being entered into to address the matters set out in the report. Recommendation (1) That planning permission be granted for the above proposal in accordance with the details set out in the attached schedule subject to: (a) the Mayor of London being given 14 days to decide whether to allow the Corporation to grant planning permission as recommended, or to direct refusal, or to determine the application himself (Article 5(1)(a) of the Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008); (b) planning obligations and other agreements being entered into under Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 and Section 278 of the Highway Act 1980 in respect of those matters set out in the report, the decision notice not to be issued until the Section 106 obligations have been executed; (2) That you agree in principle that the land affected by the building which are currently public highway and land over which the public have right of access may be stopped up to enable the development to proceed and, upon receipt of the formal application, officers be instructed to proceed with arrangements for advertising and making of a Stopping-up Order for the various areas under the delegation arrangements approved by the Court of Common Council. Main Report Environmental Statement 1. The application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES). The ES is a means of drawing together, in a systematic way, an assessment of a project’s likely significant environmental effects. This is to ensure that the importance of the predicted effects and the scope for reducing them are properly understood by the public and the competent authority before it makes its decision. 2. The Local Planning Authority must take the Environmental Statement into consideration in reaching its decision as well as comments made by the consultation bodies and any representations from members of the public about environmental issues. 3. Representations made by anybody required by the EIA Regulations to be invited to make representations and any representations duly made by any other person about the environmental effects of the development also forms part of the environmental information before your Committee. 4. The Environmental Statement is available in the Members' Room, along with the application, drawings, relevant policy documents and the representations received in respect of the application. Site 5. The site is located on the south side of Undershaft and is bounded by Undershaft and the church of St. Helen Bishopsgate to the north, the piazza of St. Helen’s square and Leadenhall Street to the south, St. Mary Axe to the east. The construction site of 22 Bishopsgate and the buildings of 1 Great St. Helen’s and 122 Leadenhall Street are to the west and southwest. 6. Further to the west is the major thoroughfare of Bishopsgate, a Local Distributor Road in the TLRN, a Red Route managed by Transport for London. 7. The site is currently occupied by a 28 storey office building, known as the Aviva Tower, with an area of publically accessible open space, St. Helen’s Square, to the south, east and west. The existing tower is 118m tall and has five levels of basement beneath. The basement areas contain ancillary office space, a loading bay, car parking, storage and plant areas. A small public house (now closed) is located in the basement on the eastern side of the site. To the north of the building and located to the north of Undershaft is a vehicle service ramp that provides access to the basement level loading bay. 8. The building, designed by architects Gollins Melvin Ward Partnership as part of a set piece composition with its neighbour at 122 Leadenhall Street, was completed in 1969. The bold rectilinear geometry and detailing was heavily influenced by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 9. The principal interest of the building was its method of construction (an early hung steel structure) and its bronze finished ‘Miesian’ cladding. However, in 1992 the building was heavily damaged in the Baltic Exchange bombing which resulted in the replacement of the external cladding. Recent alterations to the lower storeys have further altered the appearance of the building. 10. The building, because of the degree of alteration, is not considered to be of sufficient architectural or historic interest to be identified as an undesignated heritage asset. The loss of its set piece partner (122 Leadenhall Street) further diminished its significance and in 2012 a ‘Certificate of Immunity from Listing’ was granted by English Heritage (now Historic England). This expires on 15th April 2017. 11. The site context is varied in character comprising a number of significant listed buildings including the church of St. Helen Bishopsgate (grade I), the Lloyd’s Building (grade I), St. Andrew Undershaft Church (grade I), Leadenhall Market (grade II*) as well as a number of grade II listed buildings on Bishopsgate to the north west and Leadenhall Street to the south west of the site.