A huge new skyscraper next to Liverpool Street station has been given the go ahead by the City of London Corporation. The 54 storey tower at 99 Bishopsgate was approved by the Corporation’s Planning Applications Sub-Committee. The green light for the scheme from developers Brookfield means defeat for groups that opposed it including the Government’s heritage body, which has warned of the impact on historic assets such St Paul’s Cathedral.

The building will deliver almost 100,000 sq m of office and other commercial space making it one of the biggest developments of its kind in the Square Mile. It will provide more than 8% of the proposed City Plan target for new floorspace by 2040. It will also generate around 7,500 jobs. As well as offices there building will include a visitor destination, with a new six storey pavilion building space, planned to be occupied by ‘Intermission Youth’, a charitable company “that uses Shakespeare to empower underrepresented voices and foster inclusivity in the arts.”.

There will also be a “City Market” retail and food hub on the ground floor in a new public space. Shravan Joshi, chair of the Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, said:” “A much-needed office development has been approved in the City of London and it speaks to the confidence that global investors have in the local real estate market, as well as the UK economy, more widely.”.

“The 99 Bishopsgate scheme will also give the Square Mile one of the largest public realm upgrades from a single planning application, in recent history, increasing the ‘walkability’ of the City, so that it becomes a safer and more pleasant place to travel through.”. The application for 99 Bishopsgate was filed with the Corporation last summer on behalf of Brookfield Properties. A total of 37 objections letters were received. Among those writing against the submission was the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams, due to concerns over the impact on the nearby Grade-I listed church St Ethelburga’s.

Lord Williams, who is a patron of the St Ethelburga’s Centre, wrote the loss of natural light and building works ‘all combine to make this a wholly undesirable move’. Historic England, one of the statutory bodies consulted on the proposed tower, also flagged fears about the potential impacts on the medieval church alongside other assets it anticipates will be affected, including St Paul’s Cathedral.

“It writes the proposed building would ‘erode’ the clear sky backdrop above the Heron Tower by the Cathedral, impacting its significance. The Cathedral also submitted an objection, arguing that the height of the proposed tower would affect strategic views and harm its heritage significance. Dan Scanlon, President at Brookfield Properties, said: “We are delighted with today’s decision from the City of London to approve our plans for 99 Bishopsgate, affirming our continued commitment to invest and develop in the City.

“Our proposals for 99 Bishopsgate will be transformational, delivering a scheme of exceptional design quality which aptly combines best-in-class office space with newly created pedestrian routes and significant public and cultural amenity. “As the demand for high quality commercial space intensifies, we look forward to delivering 1 million sq ft of desirable, well-being focussed office space to support employment growth in London’s globally competitive financial district.