Comment: Pledge is a tall order for Boris

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The sheer scale of deciding which of these towers is "inappropriate" is huge.

It would be bold but difficult to confine all new towers to the "clusters" of the City, Canary Wharf and Croydon and would mean stopping dozens of proposals in their tracks. It also raises problems of definition: how many existing towers does it take to make a "cluster"?

The easier decisions facing the Mayor concern the more highprofile skyscrapers such as the 1,000ft funnel proposed for next to Battersea Power Station.

Middle-sized towers of 20 to 30 storeys in less glamorous locations raise murkier questions, compounded by the differences between boroughs. In planning terms it is harder to argue against a tower in Newham, where there are few conservation areas and listed buildings, than in Westminster.

We can expect many more controversies like the one over Queens Market. But Boris has made his promise and now needs to find a way of making it work.