The RICS has questioned the ability of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and English Heritage (EH) to comment authoritatively on the acceptability of proposals for tall buildings.
In a response to the consultation draft of the organisations’ joint Guidance on Tall Buildings the RICS states that, while it supports the document’s general thrust, it disputes whether CABE or EH can assess if a tall building is viable.
The criteria on which these decisions should be taken, the institution argues, are not “within the competence” of either organisation. “The debate surrounding high-rise urban buildings is not only a matter of design and strategic views,” the RICS claims.
The institution added that it “would be concerned if EH or CABE withheld support for development proposals on grounds that are not usually considered relevant to the application process. RICS also doubts that a comprehensive evaluation of viability by CABE or EH would be possible given the information that would be available to either organisation.”
The response has been timed to coincide with the publication of Mayor Livingstone’s guidance on tall towers last week, and the public inquiry into Gerald Ronson’s Heron Tower, which starts tomorrow.
The RICS echoes the Mayor’s guidance by supporting tall towers both in clusters and as stand-alone landmarks.
EGi News 22/10/01
