A 30-storey apartment block in Paddington that campaigners warn will “open the floodgates” to a new wave of skyscraper building in central London has been given the go ahead.
The tower is part of a £1 billion development on a 2.7 acre car park site just north of the Westway Marylebone flyover that has stood vacant since 1989.
Westminster planning chiefs voted three to one to approve the West End Green scheme from developer Berkeley despite hundreds of objections. Those opposed to the plans included local Labour MP Karen Buck, 10 councillors, Historic England and bodies as diverse as Royal Parks, Sport England and the Metropolitan Police.
The development at 285-329 Edgware Road will have 652 apartments — with 126 classed as affordable — in the tower and eight lower rise mansion block-style buildings, as well as a residents garden and piazza with public art.
More than 600 people signed a petition against what they described as “a monstrosity”. It said: “If allowed, this would become a dangerous precedent for further extra tall buildings in the borough and central London.”
Architect Barbara Weiss, co-founder of the Skyline campaign, said she was “hugely disappointed by this naive and inappropriate decision, that will no doubt open the floodgates to more similar unsympathetic tall buildings.”
She said the tower would intrude on views from Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Marylebone and Little Venice.
Berkeley bought the site for £180 million last summer and work is expected to start later this year. It trimmed the height of the tower from 38 storeys to 30 in the light of objections.
West End Green has been subject to planning battles for more than a decade, with former deputy prime minister John Prescott intervening over a previous proposal in 2005.
Angus Michie, divisional chairman of Berkeley St Edward, said: “Berkeley Homes are delighted by Westminster city council’s decision. This site has blighted the area for 30 years and these proposals will transform it.”
