Westminster stands by rejection of BL’s Paddington tower

The City of Westminster Council has reiterated its rejection of British Land’s 5 Kingdom Street plans after the developer put in revised proposals for the scheme last month. After the council rejected initial plans for the tower in January on the basis that the scheme would “harm the character and appearance” of the surrounding area, British Land lodged revised plans for the site. Affordable workspace was increased to 42,000 sq ft and British Land also increased its contribution to Westminster’s affordable housing fund to £14.3m from £1.75m. Although the council’s planning committee welcomed some of the revisions including the affordable housing contribution and increase in affordable workspace, it still voiced concerns over the scheme’s height and scale, which could “dominate” nearby local conservation areas and Royal Parks. The committee was also disappointed the scheme had slightly increased in height, with levels 18 and 19 increased by over 6,000 sq ft. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will make a final decision on the scheme when it goes to a hearing at City Hall on 29 October. To send feedback, e-mail lucy.alderson@egi.co.uk or tweet @LucyAJourno or @estatesgazette Image © thisispaddington.com