Light reflected from the Walkie Talkie skyscraper has been blamed for melting parts of a Jaguar car parked on Eastcheap, EC3.
The owner of the Jaguar, Martin Lindsay, claimed parts of his car, including the wing mirror and badge, had melted two hours after he parked it in the City on 29 August.
A spokesman for Land Securities, which owns the tower with Canary Wharf Group, said: “We are aware of concerns regarding the light reflecting from 20 Fenchurch Street and are looking into the matter. As a precautionary measure, the City of London has agreed to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected while we investigate the situation further.”
The owners are also in talks over repair costs to the car, Lindsay told the BBC.
The 690,000 sq ft tower, due for completion next year, is 56% prelet.
A spokesman for Land Securities and Canary Wharf said: “We are taking the issue of light reflecting from 20 Fenchurch Street seriously, and are looking into the matter as a priority.
“The phenomenon is caused by the current elevation of the sun in the sky. It currently lasts for approximately two hours per day, with initial modelling suggesting that it will be present for approximately two to three weeks.
“As responsible developers we are making every effort to keep local businesses informed and we have communicated with them regularly since the issue first appeared. While we investigate the situation further we have liaised with the City of London to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected.
“In addition, we are consulting with local businesses and the City to address the issue in the short-term, while also evaluating longer-term solutions to ensure the issue cannot recur in future.”
joanna.bourke@estatesgazette.com
