The developers originally submitted their planning application to both Councils in July 2014 but they received various queries and objections from the Councils and local campaign groups. Following an 18 month consultation period, the developers have considered the responses and have now made several changes to the proposal.
The main changes include a 13,000 square metre increase in office space, 108 fewer homes, a change in the mix of homes with fewer studio and one bedroom flats, a reduction in the height of several residential towers and additional community spaces. The revised design also replaces some of the glass exterior with bricks to ensure the redevelopment fits in with the surrounding buildings.
The proposed redevelopment also contains retail space, a doctor's surgery, public amenities, public car park, improvements to road networks and restoration of existing heritage. It is expected the project will also create over 7,000 jobs.
Planning expert Richard Ford of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said: "These revised development proposals are clearly a strong attempt to respond to consultation feedback. Affordable housing, daylight/sunlight, heritage, townscape impact, and transport issues promise to be amongst the key planning areas to be focused upon. Hopefully swift progress can be made."