the pLans

see the application documents

Planning application for redevelopment of one silk street with siamese twin towers submitted

Lipton Rogers has submitted a planning application for two tall buildings of 20 and 21 floors on the site, a building more than 63% larger than the present one, and in parts at least twice its height. This over 80.5 metre high wall, visible from a wide number of vantage points, will smother the world-renowned Grade II listed Barbican Estate with its arts centre and conservatory. It will loom over its Grade II* listed landscape and gardens to the south, as well as the Brewery Conservation Area to the north. It will spoil London’s iconic Barbican skyline.

The Barbican is London’s Grade II listed Brutalist masterpiece, with the trinity of towers at its heart.

A visionary, prize-winning building is needed at 1 Silk Street that enhances and works with its surroundings, complementing the Barbican. A building everyone can be proud of, good enough to be listed in its own right someday.

The anticipated proposal, based on Lipton Rogers’ last public consultation, is an oversized bulk of an office building squeezing out space and light. The sheer scale will cause substantial harm to its setting. It will fundamentally change the character of Silk Street. It will visually intrude and overshadow all its surroundings.

The key grounds for objections

  • The proposed scheme is NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH the DEVELOPMENT PLAN

  • HEIGHT & MASS, SCALE & GRAIN

  • HARM TO HERITAGE

  • HARM TO RESIDENTIAL AMENITY

  • IGNORES “RETRO-FIT” FIRST

  • CUMULATIVE HARM NOT OUTWEIGHED BY PUBLIC BENEFITS

HERITAGE harm

  • BARBICAN AND GOLDEN LANE CONSERVATION AREA

  • GRADE II LISTED BARBICAN ESTATE AND BARBICAN CENTRE

  • GRADE II* LANDSCAPE AND GARDENS

  • BREWERY CONSERVATION AREA and Chiswell Street Conservation area

  • GRADE II AND GRADE II* LISTED BUILDINGS

AMENITy harm

  • LOSS OF DAY AND SUNLIGHT - HOMES AND SPACES

  • OVERLOOKING FROM OFFICES AND TERRACES - PRIVACY

  • NOISE FROM PLAZA AND TERRACES - QUIET ENJOYMENT

  • SENSE OF ENCLOSURE - OUTLOOK / OVERBEARANCE

objecting

to submit an objection online, click HERE. Please click the OBJECT button when commenting online.

Alternatively, you can send your objection by email to the following address: plncomments@cityoflondon.gov.uk, quoting the application references: 25/00829/FULEIA and 25/00830/LBC.

submit your objection

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The developer

The developer Lipton Rogers is working with US architects SOM on this speculative office development for investment manager La Salle, on behalf of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the Malaysian fund management company and current owner of 1Silk Street.