by Duncan Lamb
Trinity Tower Property Co — formed jointly by Swedish construction giant Skanska International and the Stockholm-based Windborne Developments — have revised their proposals for a £450m mixed-use scheme at Thomas More Street, London E1.
The most striking alteration to the project is the reduction of the proposed office content from 750,000 sq ft (net) to 480,000 sq ft. The tallest building would now rise to 14 floors instead of 24 floors. Overall, the size of the Sheppard Robson-designed scheme — which will also provide 18,000 sq ft of retail space and 20,000 sq ft of sports facilities — has been reduced from 1.1m sq ft to 800,000 sq ft.
A spokesman for the developers said that, after consultations with local groups and consideration of the impact of the scheme, it was decided to “bring the development in line with the existing outline planning permission and to ensure that the office blocks are constructed in sympathy with the environment, particularly as the site is close to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.”
Last year, St Martins Property Corporation were refused permission for the second phase of their London Bridge City scheme on the south bank of the river near Tower Bridge. On that occasion, the London Docklands Development Corporation — which will also consider the Skanska plans — cited the height and bulk of the 1.25m-sq ft scheme as the main reasons for refusal. They have since revised the bulk of the project.
Skanska, who are being advised by Grimley J R Eve, hope to be on site by the summer with completion to shell and core by early 1990.
