Joint venture partners Hammerson and Ballymore have been attempting to develop the 10-acre site at Bishopsgate Goodsyard in Shoreditch for a number of years. However, previously proposed plans — for a 1,356-home scheme with 883,000 sq ft of office and retail space — have been met with strong opposition from local residents since they were first submitted in 2014, predominantly due to the height of the planned residential towers. In 2016, Greater London Authority planners recommended that permission for the development should be refused; however, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan agreed to defer the decision to give the JV companies the opportunity to rethink their designs.
After years of delays, the firms have finally announced that they plan to submit revised plans, with “an increased focus on workspace and the creative industries whilst retaining more of the site’s heritage”.
Development manager at Hammerson Tony Coughlan explained: “We have been carefully considering the feedback on our planning applications and are now proposing an updated approach for the site, which allows for lower building heights and an increased emphasis on workspace to complement Shoreditch’s importance to London as a vibrant and dynamic hub for the tech and creative industries. We now look forward to hearing from local people about our revised approach.”
This was echoed by Nicola Zech-Behrens, senior development manager at Ballymore, who said: “We have listened to what the local community has told us and following constructive conversations with the teams at the Greater London Authority and the boroughs are pleased to present updated proposals for this vitally important site in the heart of Shoreditch. We want as many people as possible from across the community to take part in the consultation and share their views on our updated proposals.”
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