Planning officers recommend approval of £600m Waterloo tower

The planning officers said that the scheme would provide a "public benefit to not only Waterloo but the role of the London city as a whole".

The scheme will include demolition of the existing Elizabeth House, a 1960s office block, and the creation of two new buildings ranging between 11 and 29 storeys in height. The buildings will comprise 142 homes and 88,649 square metres of office space.

The developer behind the project is Elizabeth House Ltd Partnership, a joint venture between Chelsfield and London and Regional Properties.

The planning officers said in their recommendations (82-page / 739KB PDF) to the Council that the proposed development "would provide a significant uplift in employment floorspace which would create jobs and training apprenticeships during the construction phase of the development". The scheme would "provide economic activity to local businesses after the construction and legacy phase of the development, creating further jobs in the Waterloo area," the report said.

One of the principal issues was the scheme's design which is "unapologetic" and engages a "marmite response", the report said. However, the National Planning Policy Framework "makes the case that particular architectural tastes should not be imposed, nor innovation and initiative stifled" and the design accords with "good townscape principles", it said.

English Heritage raised concerns about a previous application for the scheme. It said that the buildings would affect the view from the Westminster World Heritage Site across the River Thames. The planning officers said, though, that the developers had "actively responded" to those concerns and the current plan "allows Big Ben to be uncompromised in protected views" and does not "compete with its internationally recognisable silhouette whose only competitor for attention is the London Eye".

The scheme is part of the wider regeneration of the Waterloo area as set out in the Council's supplementary planning document (SPD), which is currently being consulted on. Other initiatives include the reopening of Waterloo International Terminal, level access to Waterloo Station from the South Bank and improvements to the station facade.  

The Council's planning committee will make a decision on the application today. Final grant of permission will be subject to a section 106 agreement, conditions and approval of the application by the Greater London Authority.