Plansfor Hammerson Plc's£800 million BishopsgateGoodsyard project are at risk after London Mayor Boris Johnson'splanning officials recommended a rejection of the proposed development.
Themayor will hold a public hearing April 18 before making a decision on the siteat the edge of the City of London, according to the Mayor of London website.
Theproposal was deemed "unacceptable" according to an April 8 documentreleased by the mayor's office.
"Thedensity, height, massing and layout of the scheme are not appropriate for thissite," it said.
Theplans have been criticized for their scale as well as the allocation ofaffordable homes. Hammerson and co-developer Ballymore amended their originalapplication in June 2015 to increase the affordable homes share from 10% to15.8% and reduce the heights of some buildings after negotiations with CityHall and in response to criticism from local campaign groups.
| A mock-up of Bishopsgate Goodsyard Source: Goodsyard |
Themayor's office tookover responsibility for the planning application from the boroughsof Hackney and Tower Hamlets after the developers complained that the localauthorities were taking too long to decide, the Financial Times reported April 9.
The developers hope to build 700,000 square feet of officespace, more than 1,350 new homes and 5.5 acres of public space, among otherthings.
Work is slated to begin in 2017 on the 4.4-acre site ifpermission is granted. The FT said itwould not be complete until after 2030.
The Goodsyard websitecalls the site "fiendishly complicated to develop" because of itsproximity to train lines and other factors.