Committee: Date: Planning and Transportation 17 November 2015 Subject: Public 22 Bishopsgate London EC2N Construction of a building arranged on three basement floors, ground and 61 upper floors plus mezzanines and plant comprising floorspace for use within Classes A and B1 of the Use Classes Order and a publicly accessible viewing gallery and facilities (Sui Generis); hard and soft landscaping works; the provision of ancillary servicing and other works incidental to the development. (200,527sq.m GEA). Ward: Lime Street For Decision Registered No: 15/00764/FULEIA Registered on: 24 July 2015 Conservation Area: St Helen's Place Listed Building: No Summary The planning application relates to the site of the previously approved 63 storey 'Pinnacle' scheme (304.9m AOD) which was implemented by the construction of basements up to ground floor slab level together with a 9 storey core. This planning permission has been implemented and is extant. The current scheme is for a tower comprising 62 storeys above ground (294.94m AOD) with 3 basements. The building would provide offices, retail at ground level, a viewing gallery with free public access at levels 58 and 58M (mezzanine) and a public restaurant and bar at levels 59, 60 and part 61. The development would include a new covered publicly accessible east-west pedestrian route through the site linking Bishopsgate to Crosby Square and Undershaft. The gross floor area would be 200,527 sq.m (gea), comprising: 188,875 sq.m offices, 553 sq.m retail (Class A1/A2) 4900 sq.m public viewing gallery (sui generis) 5485 sq.m restaurant/bar (Class A3/A4) 901 sq.m shared ClassA3/A4 and viewing gallery floorspace. An Environmental Statement accompanies the scheme. Similar to the Pinnacle, 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 Corporation to promote the City as the leading international financial and business centre. The public realm benefits, most particularly the free public viewing gallery, are critical to the acceptability of this major development. The Mayor of London supports the scheme in strategic planning terms subject to matters of detail but emphasises that the public gallery with free access must be appropriately secured. Historic Royal Palaces, Royal Parks and the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Islington have objected to the scheme on the grounds of its impact on the World Heritage Site and on views from the Royal Parks and from locations in the respective boroughs. Objections have also been received from members of the public relating principally to the architectural form of the building, its size and to its impact at street level.. The Leatherseller's Company has 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 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 to achieve the development but also the release of land back to public highway. Alterations to pedestrian crossings in Bishopsgate in connection with the development are being discussed with the City and with Transport for London and if required would be pursued under S278 of the Highway Act. It is concluded that the proposal accords with the development plan as a whole, tthat it 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 cover 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. (3) That your Officers be instructed to negotiate and execute obligations in respect of those matters set out in "Planning Obligations" under Section 106 and any necessary agreements under Section 278 of the Highway Act 1980. Main Report Site 1. The site is located on the east side of Bishopsgate and is bounded by Bishopsgate to the west, 42-44 Bishopsgate and Great St Helen’s to the north, Undershaft and the building at 1 Great St Helen’s to the east and 6-8 Bishopsgate to the south. The site includes Crosby Square, an area of public highway accessed from Great St Helen’s and by steps from Undershaft. 2. The site was previously occupied by Crosby Court (38 Bishopsgate), 22- 24 Bishopsgate and 4 Crosby Square. These were demolished and works begun to implement a scheme granted planning permission in 2007, for a building which became known as the ‘Pinnacle.’ Foundations, three basements and the first 9 floors of the core were built before construction stopped in early 2012. The hoarded site has remained in this condition since then. 3. The site context is varied in character comprising a number of significant listed buildings including St Helen’s Church (Grade I) Gibson Hall, Bishopsgate (Grade I), the Lloyd’s Building (Grade I), St Andrew Undershaft Church (Grade I), St Peter upon Cornhill Church (Grade I) as well as a number of Grade II listed buildings on Bishopsgate and Threadneedle Street to the north and west of the site. A small part of the site falls within the St Helen’s Place Conservation Area to the north and Bank Conservation Area adjoins immediately to the west. 4. The site falls in the Eastern Cluster and is in the immediate vicinity of prominent buildings at 30 St Mary Axe, 122 Leadenhall Street, 1 Undershaft, Tower 42 and the proposed development at 6-8 Bishopsgate. 5. Bishopsgate is a Local Distributor Road in the TLRN, a Red Route and is managed by Transport for London. Environmental Statement 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. 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. Relevant Planning History Approved ‘Pinnacle’ scheme 10. Planning permission was granted on 7 December 2006 (app no. 05/00546/FULEIA) and followed by a revised scheme granted on 30 November 2007 (app.no. 06/01123/FULEIA) for demolition and redevelopment to provide a building comprising 3 basements, ground and 62 upper floors for use within Class B1 office and Class A retail, together with public realm and other works incidental to the development. 11. The approved building would be 304.9m AOD in height and would provide 149,834sq.m of floorspace comprising: Offices 146,013sq.m Retail at lower levels 1,122sq.m Restaurant/bar at upper levels 1,614sq.m Air intake in annexe building 1,085sq.m 12. The ground floor of the approved scheme would contain retail accommodation on all sides, comprising shops and cafe/restaurant uses and a public restaurant, bar and a VIP lounge (and related kitchens) were proposed on the top four floors of the tower (levels 59 - 62). 13. The tower would taper as it rises and the top third would spiral to a point. At the base the cladding would fan out into a “skirt” that projects over the public footways and Crosby Square at a height that varies from approximately 6m to 15m.