Rethink ordered for Canary Wharf skyscraper Columbus Tower
DEVELOPERS behind a controversial 63-storey skyscraper plan have gone back to the drawing board.
Commercial Estates Group (CEG) has appointed architects Squire and Partners to review the proposal for Columbus Tower at the end of West India Quay.
The original plan was granted approval in 18 months ago by London Mayor Boris Johnson after it had been rejected by Tower Hamlets Council.
But it now appears CEG is having second thoughts about the scheme to demolish the existing Hertsmere House and build one of Britain’s tallest buildings.
“Columbus Tower is a good solution for the site, but we want to explore whether or not it can be improved,” said Nick Lee of CEG.
You may also want to watch:
“The economy has been through some major upheavals recently, so it’s a good time to re-evaluate. We need to ensure that the final building is the right one for the site as it will be with us for generations.”
Mayor Johnson exercised new powers for the first time to ‘call in’ the decision back in October 2009, claiming the skyscraper would be “hugely beneficial to the whole of London”.
Most Read
- 1 Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Whitechapel this morning
- 2 Fury as family homes vanish when Isle of Dogs landlord converts to bedsits
- 3 Two men arrested after police officers assaulted in Limehouse rave
- 4 Man sentenced after teenage boy groomed on Snapchat to sell heroin
- 5 Airbnb house party violence leaves police officer with broken finger
- 6 Police hunt after stabbing in Cable Street: One man hurt
- 7 'Racist consultation' protest rejected on Tower Hamlets street closures as Labour sticks to its manifesto
- 8 Teenager found dead in Victoria Park
- 9 Council fined for Alexia Walenkaki's playground death in Mile End and says sorry to family
- 10 Covid vaccination hub opening in Westfield next week
CEG was also required to contribute �4 million to the Crossrail project being built nearby and �1 million for affordable housing.
Michael Squire of Squire and Partners added: “This is the most significant site in Docklands outside the Canary Wharf Estate.
“Squire and Partners’ involvement in the original West India Quay masterplan makes this a scheme which is very close to our hearts.”
