Having been perched proudly on the banks of the River Thames for the best part of a millennium, the Tower of London is one of those buildings that’s pretty much synonymous with the capital city. But the much-loved medieval fortress could be at risk of being added to UNESCO’s list of ‘World Heritage in Danger’ sites unless the city’s prospective skyscraper plans are reassessed.
The Tower of London earnt its World Heritage Site status back in 1988 due to its significant historical importance. Having played a pivotal role in British history, the Tower sits as a reminder of London’s lengthy backstory – but Historic England has aired some ‘serious concerns’ about the negative impact that upcoming development plans could have on the legendary landmark.
The development plans in question form part of the City of London Corporation’s draft ‘City Plan 2040’ (an official planning document that outlines the future development plans of the Square Mile). The plan has been in the pipeline for almost a decade, and sits at the centre of this ongoing dispute regarding the Tower of London’s historic integrity.
Historic England wants the plan to be amended to create ‘a larger uninterrupted gap of clear sky’ between the Tower and the ‘City Cluster’ of skyscrapers that sit to the east of the city. The heritage body believe that this would better protect the Tower of London’s ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ (the reasons it was awarded World Heritage Site status in the first place), whilst still allowing for plenty of additional office space.
The City of London Corporation, however, believe that the amendments would have minimal impact on the Tower’s protections but a negative effect on the city’s economic growth. Historic Royal Palaces (the charity which is responsible for the Tower of London – and five other unoccupied royal palaces in the UK) is reportedly backing Historic England, and Tower Hamlets Council has also supposedly agreed that the proposed amendments to the draft plan would help reduce potential harm to the famous fortress.
