Unesco in a clash with GLA over South Bank high-rises

Global heritage body Unesco is on collision course with the Greater London Authority after demanding a crackdown on high-rise development on London’s South Bank, it emerged today.

Unesco has asked the Government for sign-off on any major schemes being proposed on the South Bank, in order to protect sight lines from the Tower of London and Parliament Square, according to Property Week.

This would potentially scupper new buildings around the Shard and Waterloo station.

While Unesco has no statutory powers it can ultimately remove World Heritage status if new developments do not meet its strictures.

Planning authorities heed its comments, because of the potential impact of obtrusive developments on tourism and London’s reputation globally.

A report drawn up after last month’s World Heritage Committee in St Petersburg seen by the magazine calls on the government to “regulate” build-up of the area around the Shard and asks to review “major projects” such as Elizabeth House above Waterloo station before any “irreversible commitment” is made.

Deputy mayor for planning Sir Edward Lister said that, depending on the severity of the formal instructions it receives from Unesco during the autumn, the GLA would “fight” for growth.

He said: “They want to be very restrictive on any development in certain viewing corridors. We understand their concerns but have to balance them with the demands of an expanding city. It’s all about moderation from both sides.”

A monitoring mission last December, which included delegates from nearby local authorities, such as City planner Peter Rees, said the “visual integrity” of the Tower of London had been compromised as a result of the Shard, and that further towers would worsen the problem. Lister said: “We see the area around the Shard as a cluster.”

Unesco’s view puts the government in a difficult position. Being forced to add fresh layers of planning bureaucracy by allowing Unesco’s sign-off, on top of the contentious London View Management Framework, would run contrary to its economic growth agenda for the capital.

A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, which is charged with responding to Unesco, said: “We will be talking to the world heritage centre at Unesco about exactly what the decision means.”