‘Most sustainable’ London office tower gets green light

Local authorities have approved a 27-storey office tower next to London Bridge which is set to be the most sustainable of its kind in the capital. Edge London Bridge, a 255,000 sq ft redevelopment by Dutch developer EDGE, was approved by Southwark Council planners last night, paving the way for a building which could house up to 1,900 workers. The £450m scheme is EDGE’s first in the capital and will involve demolishing the seven-storey Becket House at the site on St Thomas Street, SE1, a Home Office immigration centre which EDGE bought for £50m in 2019. The approval comes months after EDGE made its second major London office play, buying the London Stock Exchange’s £150m development site at 1 Earl Street, EC2, as part of a consortium with Mitsui Fudosan. The two projects have established the Dutch company as a major player in the London market, and represent two of the biggest office projects currently in development across Southwark and Shoreditch. Planning officer Terence McLellan told councillors that the existing Becket House was “of no architectural and townscape merit” and that the new scheme would bring “significant urban design benefits”. However, Toby O’Connor of the Old Bermondsey Neighbourhood Forum told the committee to object to the scheme. Among other issues he cited “inappropriate scale and massing” and “loss of local character” in demolishing Becket House. The council’s decision was initially delayed from a planning meeting earlier this year, when the government department lodged a last-minute objection to the scheme because plans to relocate its civil servants had fallen through. However, that was withdrawn after EDGE agreed to give it more time to find new premises. Sustainability credentials Designed by architecture firm Pilbrow and Partners, the tower is set to be delivered by 2024 and will include a publicly accessible ground floor and 26 floors of offices. Edge London Bridge has been designed to achieve both BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certification, which would make it the only office tower in London to receive both accreditations at that level. EDGE will incorporate a new public park next to the building for use by tenants and the wider community. The developer has held discussions with homelessness charity St Mungo’s about continuing its involvement in the maintenance of the reworked gardens. The planned façades aim to balance internal daylight with shading and closed elements to avoid unwanted thermal gains or losses. This will contribute to a reduction in regulated carbon emissions above 50% on-site. Underfloor air supply and natural ventilation will provide optimal air quality, which, together with good natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows and radiant cooling, will provide a healthy environment for the building’s users. The building will include a tenant’s club with a large terrace, gym, bike parking and a publicly accessible coffee bar on the ground floor. Edge London Bridge will follow in the footsteps of some of EDGE’s other developments with a show-stopping staircase – in this instance it will be wooden and will extend through the entire triple-height entrance area. Speaking to EG about the scheme in 2019, EDGE chief operating officer Boudewijn Ruitenburg said: “When you come to a big market like London you have to deliver a showcase… In a city like this, all eyes will be on us so we will definitely be bringing something completely new to the market.” To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Images from EDGE