Letter: Tower a threat to St Paul's skyline
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: In 1934, a previous Surveyor to the Fabric of St Paul's, Godfrey Allen, foresaw that the changing skyline of London could threaten the world-famous image of St Paul's Cathedral rising above the city ("Will Sir Norman Foster's building be the tallest in Europe, or just pie in the sky?", 10 September).
He devised a set of guidelines, known as the "St Paul's Heights", which limit the height of development within a certain area around the cathedral. These guidelines have been administered by the City planning authority ever since. More recently, protection has been given to long-distance views of the cathedral from as far away as Richmond Park and Greenwich.
Norman Foster's proposed London Millennium Tower does not lie within the area protected by the St Paul's Heights, nor does it infringe any of the selective long-distance views. Nevertheless, it introduces to London a quantum leap in scale which raises questions about the value that Londoners, and indeed the nation, place on the image projected by the skyline of the city.
It is understandable that in the absence of a unitary authority for London, the City should wish to encourage a building which expresses its dominance over adjoining areas; but all who value the potent image of the dome of St Paul's rising above the rooftops of London should be aware of the full extent of the height from which the Millennium Tower building will, if built, look down on Wren's masterpiece.
The respective heights are 385.5 metres (Millennium Tower) and 111.5 metres (St Paul's Cathedral).
MARTIN STANCLIFFE
Surveyor to the Fabric of
St Paul's Cathedral
York
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments