‘Tulip’ skyscraper plans blocked by London mayor Sadiq Khan
Written by News on 16/07/2019
London mayor Sadiq Khan has blocked plans for a new skyscraper dubbed The Tulip to be built in the city.
The proposals had originally been approved in April 2019, despite a backlash from groups such as Historic England.
But the build has been turned down by the mayor, who said it would not “constitute the high standard of design required for a tall building in this location”.
The tower would have been the second tallest building in Western Europe after The Shard in London, standing at 305.3 metres high.
The Tulip’s proposed “bud” was due to be 12 storeys including a viewing platform with rotating pods, a bar, and a restaurant.
It would have also featured classroom space “offering 40,000 free places per year for London’s state schoolchildren”, according to the project’s website.
But Mr Khan said: “The proposal… would cause harm to the historic environment, the wider skyline and image of London, strategic views as well as the public space surrounding the site.
“The public benefits of the scheme are limited and would not outweigh this harm.”
The Tulip Project team told Sky News, “[We] are disappointed by the Mayor of London’s decision to direct refusal of planning permission, particularly as The Tulip will generate immediate and longer-term socio-economic benefits to London and the UK as a whole.
“We will now take time to consider potential next steps for The Tulip Project.”
Duncan Wilson, chef executive of Historic England, welcomed the mayor’s decision saying the design was “essentially a tall lift shaft with a bulge on top”.
“We have long been of the opinion that this is the wrong building in the wrong place.
“[Its height and design] would cause permanent and irreversible damage to the setting of the Tower of London, and in turn, the image and identity of the capital.”
(c) Sky News 2019: ‘Tulip’ skyscraper plans blocked by London mayor Sadiq Khan
