Planning inspector rejects 29-storey riverside tower near Battersea Bridge

Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Felicity Kendal have helped secure the rejection of plans for a 29-storey, 100-metre apartment tower next to Battersea Bridge on the River Thames, ending a two-year legal and planning battle over the impact of the proposed development on views and the character of the riverside area.

The scheme, put forward by Rockwell Property, would have replaced a six-storey office building and delivered housing and commercial space. The application was first refused by Wandsworth Council, with the Greater London Authority subsequently backing the decision. Rockwell then appealed, arguing the project met an urgent need for new housing and formed part of broader regeneration plans along the Thames.

A planning inspector, Joanna Gilbert, rejected the appeal, concluding that the tower would have adverse effects on the character and appearance of the local area. In her decision, she said the proposal would cause harm to townscape character in identified views from different directions and distances, adding that the building would be taller and bulkier than surrounding structures and would be highly noticeable. She also wrote that it would cause a dramatic change to...