To say this site has been a long-time coming would be an understatement. Rising to 49 storeys, this tower – at 225 Marsh Wall – proposed by Cubitt Property Holding will provide 336 residential units, 272 of them private. That’s if and when it gets past Tower Hamlets’ planners, which as this sites planning history (below) will attest, remains a big ‘if’.
Original plans for the site were first submitted in 2008, with it and every other subsequent application being withdrawn, due to the developer’s assumption of a refusal. This is now fifth time lucky, albeit just the second with the current applicant, which acquired the site in December 2013 for £17m from Angel House Developments after it went in to administration.
To summarise
- September 2008: Application (300 resi units, 43 storeys)
- July 2009: Withdrawn
- September 2009: Application (265 resi units, 43 storeys)
- December 2010: Withdrawn
- October 2012: Application (250 resi units, 47 storeys)
- August 2013: Withdrawn
- August 2015: Application (426 resi units, 56 storeys)
- June 2016:Withdrawn
- September 2016 – Application (336 resi units, 49 storeys)
The developer states: “The scheme has been developed as a direct response to comments and feedback. This lengthy process of refinement has resulted in a high-quality proposal that we believe is the best possible solution for the site.” If these plans are of much greater quality then the three-year process would have been for the better, as this tower, when built will be standing for many more years to come.
The main changes since the previous withdrawn scheme are a 15% reduction in the towers height, as well as a 16% reduction in its width, creating a more slender and elegant form. A total of 58% of the site is given over to public realm and affordable housing remains virtually the same with a slight reduction from 20% to 19%, but overall numbers have decreased from 84 to 64.
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