Mayor calls in London Fruit and Wool Exchange application in Spitalfields

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets' planning committee refused the application by developer Exemplar for a 300,000 square feet office and retail redevelopment earlier this month against the recommendation of planning officers to approve the scheme.

A letter sent on behalf of the Mayor said he would now "act as the local planning authority" in deciding the application, according to a Planning Resource report.

"[The development] would generate employment and contribute to the increasing offer presented by (London’s) Central Activities Zone, serving to increase London’s world city status", the letter said. It added that this is a "key economic objective" of the capital’s strategic planning document, the London Plan.

Planning offices at Tower Hamlets Council had recommended that the committee approve the scheme and said that the committee should accept that a refusal of the scheme could be difficult to defend.

In his letter the Mayor said the development would contribute to the Crossrail scheme via the Mayor’s Crossrail development tariff, according to the report. He said that Tower Hamlets had seen a recent fall in the delivery of new office floorspace which could be contrary to London Plan policies.

The determination of the application is likely to take place over the next two to three months.