The City of London Corporation’s planning committee has rejected Welput’s plans for a 43-storey office block next to one of Britain’s oldest synagogues.
The decision from Friday morning’s meeting follows a recommendation of approval from planning officers, which sparked a campaign of opposition and more than 1,400 objections – most notably from secretary of state Angela Rayner, who instructed the City “not to grant permission without specific authorisation” late last month.
Welput had been looking to move ahead with the plans submitted earlier this year, which proposed 366,000 sq ft of office space at Bury House, 31 Bury Street, EC3, after plans for a taller tower were refused in 2022.
A spokesperson for Welput said: “We are surprised and very disappointed by the decision of the City of London Corporation planning and transport committee. We believe this project would address the increasing demand for sustainably designed, high-quality business accommodation and would play a crucial role in enhancing the City’s attractiveness and ensuring sustained growth and prosperity for its diverse business community. We are currently considering all our options.”
Welcoming the refusal, rabbi Shalom Morris of Bevis Marks Synagogue said he was “very pleased” the committee had “rejected the flawed and inaccurate advice presented by the City planning officer to grant permission for a tall building in a conservation area, contrary to the adopted local plan.”
He added: “Now that this totally inappropriate tower proposal has been rejected for the second time in two years, we urge the applicant to abandon this project in its current form and not to lodge an appeal, which, we are advised by Lord Banner KC, has little chance of succeeding.”
Image © Stiff + Trevillion Architects
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