Custom House, 20 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6EE

the refurbishment, extension and conversion of Custom House (including works of demolition) from office (Use Class B1) to a hotel (Use Class C1) with flexible ground floor retail floorspace (Use Classes A3 & A4), leisure facilities (Use Class D2) and ancillary riverfront public realm and works to the Custom House River Wall, Stairs and Crane, hard and soft landscaping, cycle parking, coach and taxi vehicular drop off bay, servicing, and refuse and recycling storage’. Appeal B: APP/K5030/Y/21/3281258 Custom House, 20 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EE

Authority: City of London Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: other · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Griffiths P

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the impact of the development/works proposed on the special architectural and historic interest (and/or significance) of the Custom House itself, and its setting, and the associated River Wall, Stairs and Cranes, and the setting of that group
the effect of those proposals on the setting and thereby the significance of Old Billingsgate, the Monument to the Great Fire, and Tower Bridge
the overall approach to design, and the impact of what is proposed on various Strategic Views
the scale of any harm to the significance of the various designated heritage assets identified, and the weight to be attached to any public benefits that the scheme would bring forward, including questions of viability and 'optimum viable use'
the impact of the proposals on the living conditions of occupiers of nearby residential properties, including Sugar Quay in particular, through noise and disturbance and/or overlooking
whether the provisions for pedestrian and vehicular access to and around the building are acceptable

What decided it

the harm caused to the significance of the Custom House by the loss of Laing's west wing plan-form, particularly the closing off of the central lightwell, which outweighed the heritage and public benefits of the scheme.

the significant heritage benefits (optimum viable use, enhanced public access, removal of the car park/security fence) and wider public benefits (economic, employment, public realm) were weighed against the severe but less-than-substantial harm to the significance of the Grade I listed Custom House, and the balance tipped against the proposals.

Framework references: 199, 201, 202

Plan policies cited: London Plan Policy HC1, Local Plan Policy CS12, Policy DM 12.1, Policy DM 12.3

Judgments cited: London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust v Minister of State for Housing and others [2022] EWHC 829 (Admin); Bramshill; Bedford judgment

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.