Tower Hamlets Council’s strategic development committee has voted against planning officer recommendations to reject plans for a tall tower in Whitechapel, despite their contravention of the council’s Local Development Plan.
Following a site visit after the issue was deferred at the committee’s last meeting on 9 December, councillors voted 6-0, with one abstention.
Speaking in favour of the plans, councillor Iqbal Hossain said he recognised the efforts of planning officers but the proposals would nonetheless use the land at 101 Whitechapel High Street, E1, in a “meaningful way.”
Councillor Amin Rahman agreed, pointing in particular to reported use of the site for antisocial behaviour, which he said the plans would address.
Officers will now prepare a report with a list of terms for the for committee’s next meeting on 12 March, on the basis that councillors have voted to indicate they are “minded to approve” the application.
While the councillors wanted to approve the application in the 15 January meeting, they need to be presented with a report with recommended terms relating to issues such as s106 agreements before a decision can be made.
A rejection would have been third for the planned 17-storey tower proposed by Malaysian company Alliance Property Asia, after earlier refusals in 2018 and 2021.
The plans propose 433,624 sq ft of office space and a 1,076 sq ft community hall on the site.
Image © Foster + Partners
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