planning report D&P/3469a/01 19 July 2017 6-8 Bishopsgate/150 Leadenhall Street in the City of London planning application no.17/00447/FULEIA Strategic planning application stage 1 referral Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008. The proposal The demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment to provide a part 10, 25 and 51 storey building (rising to 220 metres AOD), to provide offices (Class B1), flexible shop/ cafe and restaurant uses (Class A1/ A3) and roof top pavilion (sui generis) with public access to a viewing gallery at level 50 from a ground floor entrance; the provision of hard and soft landscaping; and other incidental works. The applicant The applicant is MEC London Property (General Partner)/MEC London Property/ MEC London Property 2, and the Architect is Wilkinson Eyre. Strategic issues Principle of development: The principle of an office-led development with ancillary retail use is strongly supported. Urban design: The proposed scheme is of the highest design quality and has been carefully considered. LVMF/WHS: The applicant has undertaken a full analysis of impact on LVMF viewpoints and the minor/moderate impacts are acceptable. Sufficient analysis of heritage impacts and on the Tower of London WHS has been provided to accept the assessed minor/moderate impact. Energy: The applicant should ensure the short fall in carbon dioxide reductions, equivalent to 109 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum, is met off-site. Transport: The applicant should fully respond to issues raised in relation to trip generation/transport impact and highways works. A construction management plan (CMP), deliver service plan (DSP) should be secured by condition and a travel plan should be secured in the s106 agreement. Recommendation That the City of London Corporation be advised that while the application is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 55 of this report; but the possible remedies set out in that paragraph could address these deficiencies. 6-8 Bishopsgate/ 150 Leadenhall Street page 1 Context 1 On 7 June 2017 the Mayor of London received documents from the City of London Corporation notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. Under the provisions of The Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor has until 17 July 2017 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, and his reasons for taking that view. The Mayor may also provide other comments. This report sets out information for the Mayor’s use in deciding what decision to make. 2 The application is referable under Category 1c of the Schedule to the Order 2008: “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of one or more of the following descriptions: (b) the building is more than 150 metres high and is in the City of London.” 3 Once the City Corporation has resolved to determine the application, it is required to refer it back to the Mayor for his decision as to whether to direct refusal; take it over for his own determination; or allow the Council to determine it itself. 4 The environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 has been taken into account in the consideration of this case. 5 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 6 The development site is approximately 0.34 hectares and is currently occupied by two office buildings on the corner of Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street. The first building is 150 Leadenhall Street which was completed in the 1970s and comprises 5,296 sq.m of office floorspace within an 8 storey building that has frontage to both Leadenhall Street and Bishopsgate. It is currently under multiple occupancy. The second building is 6-8 Bishopsgate completed in 1980 and is 20 storeys with a frontage to Bishopsgate and has been vacant since March 2017. 7 The site is bounded to the south by Leadenhall Street, to the west by Bishopsgate, to the north by the 22 Bishopsgate site, to the east by existing commercial uses and the 122 Leadenhall Street development site (‘The Cheesegrater’). 8 Bishopsgate forms part of the A10 and is part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), for which TfL is the highway authority. The site is highly accessible by public transport, with underground services on the Central, District, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines available at Bank, Monument and Liverpool Street stations, all within a five minute walk from the site. National rail services are also available at Liverpool Street as well as Moorgate, Fenchurch Street and Cannon Street stations which are within a 12 minute walk from the site. Within 640 metres of the site (an eight minute walk), 28 bus services are also available. As such, the site records the highest possible public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6b. There are no cycle hire docking stations immediately adjacent to the site, the nearest being available approximately 300 metres away to the north, east and west, and all are oversubscribed at peak times. 6-8 Bishopsgate/ 150 Leadenhall Street page 2 Details of the proposal 9 The proposal involves the demolition of existing buildings at 150 Leadenhall Street and 6-8 Bishopsgate and redevelopment to provide a new building comprising lower ground and basement levels (including part basement mezzanine), ground and mezzanine levels plus part 10, part 25 and part 51 storeys plus plant to a height of 221.2 metres AOD. In comparison the heights of the completed buildings in the eastern tall buildings cluster are 122 Leadenhall Street ‘Cheesegrater’ (239.4 meters metres AOD), 30 St Mary’s Axe ‘Gherkin’ (195 metres), Heron Tower (217 metres AOD), Tower 42 (199.9 metres AOD) and Walkie Talkie (177 metres AOD). Recently consented schemes are 22 Bishopsgate (proposed 270.9 metres AOD), 1 Undershaft (304.9 metres AOD) and 1 Leadenhall (182.7 metres AOD). 10 The development will provide office (Class B1) use (70,053 sq.m. GEA), flexible shop/cafe and restaurant (Class A1/ A3) uses (418 sq.m. GEA) at part ground floor and mezzanine levels and flexible shop/cafe/restaurant/office (A1/ A3/B1) uses (644 sq.m. GEA) at part ground floor and mezzanine levels; and a publicly accessible roof top pavilion at level 50 (sui generis) (819 sq.m. GEA); and the provision of hard and soft landscaping. Key features of the development design are as follows: • A floorplan that fits the full extent of the site with tallest portion of the building located on the northern boundary as it steps down to the southern edge; • Four overlapping volumes of different character; • A building that reinforces the overall composition of the Eastern tall building cluster where the rectilinear appearance balances with buildings of similar height and form either side of the Leadenhall building and planned 22 Bishopsgate; • Cantilevering blocks on the west elevation with the facades of each volume are orientated so as not to be parallel or align with those to the blocks either directly above or directly below; • A pavilion located above the upper level block set back on the southern side; • A lower corner on the southern block that in height, scale and appearance aims to fit with the context of existing surrounding buildings; and • A stepping form that incorporates roof terraces at levels 11 and 26. Case history 11 The application proposals were subject to the GLA pre-application meeting and a report (D&P/3469a/JA pre-app) was issued on 14 April 2017. 12 The site is subject to an extant consent which was considered by the former Mayor of London at Stage 2 (D&P/3469) on 1 September 2015 for office (Class B1) use (70,053 sq.m. GEA), flexible shop/cafe and restaurant (Class A1/ A3) uses (418 sq.m. GEA) at part ground floor and mezzanine levels and flexible shop/cafe/restaurant/office (A1/ A3/B1) uses (235 sq.m. GEA) at part of the ground floor and mezzanine levels; and a publicly accessible roof top pavilion at level 40 (sui generis) (795 sq.m. GEA); and the provision of hard and soft landscaping (totalling 71,501 sq.m. GEA).’ 6-8 Bishopsgate/ 150 Leadenhall Street page 3 Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 13 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: • Mix of uses London Plan • Employment London Plan; Land for Industry and Transport SPG • Economic development London Plan; the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy; Employment Action Plan • World city role London Plan; London Planning Statement • Urban design London Plan; • Tall buildings/views London Plan, London View Management Framework SPG • Historic Environment London Plan; World Heritage Sites SPG; • Access London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; • Regeneration London Plan; the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy • Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy • Crossrail London Plan; Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy; Crossrail SPG • Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy • Sustainable development London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy; Mayor’s Water Strategy 14 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area is The City of London Local Plan (January 2015) and The 2016 London Plan.