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Go-ahead for £600m tower with hotel and flats
Evening Standard21 Dec 2007
A 52-storey tower has been approved by Southwark planners.
The £600 million skyscraper, containing 64 flats and a 261-bedroom hotel, will be built next to the Thames at One Blackfriars Road.
The developer, the Beetham Organization, was forced to reduce the height of the tower by 33ft following protests by English Heritage, which wanted to protect views from St James's Park.
The hotel will feature a public viewing platform at the top of the tower while at the base will be a plaza, with cafÈs, restaurants and shops. To meet the Mayor's target for half of all new housing to be affordable, the developer will build a block next door with 32 affordable flats.
Hugh Frost, chairman of the Beetham Organization, said: "One Blackfriars Road is destined to become a major landmark and will boost the South Bank as one of the capital's leading destinations."
Reader views (4)
What's with the height decrease? The tower still looks great and will be even better with a few more talls around it to form a nice south bank cluster. Don't let EH or the usual nimby crowd fool you, decent modern high rise architecture will come to London and will compliment the historic and modern panarama of the greatest city in the world. EH, please spend more time protecting the fabric of thousands of buildings you choose to forget about while wasting your time trying to stunt the growth of London. Do your job, as for Minimee oh dear oh dear!
- Steve Crew, London, 09/01/2008 09:50
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Re Minime's comment: Show me exactly what is beautiful or even historic about the area around one Blackfriars Road? I think this tower looks stunning - my only regret is that it is not 33ft taller.
- Andrew, Cambridge, 08/01/2008 15:52
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Fantastic tower, but it's a shame English Heritage were so petty and forced the developer to cut 10m off. The height came off the public viewing, and now the top appears more stumpy...
At least it will get built now though, it is still great. The current area is awful, so this will be a huge boost. This could be the next Swiss Re. London needs to move forward!
- Leslie Ferris, Newcastle, 07/01/2008 00:44
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YEUK! Another monstrosity that has no place in the City. These building should go out to Canary Wharf with all the others. I am all for progress but the City of London used to be a beautiful historic place and now it is overshadowed by these awful buildings. Where is the beauty in a tower of glass - nowhere. A child could have drawn that.
- Minime, South East England, 21/12/2007 13:07
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