PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION!

Stop the Paddington super-tower!

A 72-storey skyscraper - nick-named the Paddington ‘Pole’ – is proposed immediately adjacent to Brunel’s Grade 1 listed Paddington Station.  This tower will shatter London’s historic skyline, blight protected views and alter forever local character.  At 254m (830ft) tall it is not far short of the Shard - Western Europe’s tallest building, built by the same developer -and is on track to become London’s fourth tallest building.

Sited right at the heart of an area that is mainly 5-6 storeys in height, the Pole will be hugely visible for miles across London, and spectacularly intrusive in relation to many of the city's most cherished Conservation Areas, including neighbourhoods nearby, such as Bayswater, Little Venice, Maida Vale, and as far afield as St John’s Wood, Primrose Hill, Knightsbridge and Kensington.

In exchange for short-term cash for infrastructure improvements, Westminster Council is prepared to dismiss its own planning policies, disregarding the fact that the damage to the capital as a whole will be permanent.  If consented, the Pole is certain to usher in a cluster of towers in the Paddington area and create a precedent for an unsustainable number of other skyscrapers in North West and Central London.

This proposal does not comply with Historic England’s advice, nor with the interests and will of local residents and businesses, or of those of many concerned Londoners and visitors who are waking up to the recent proliferation of poorly conceived towers in the capital.

The planning application for this tower is being rushed through the system. The official online PUBLIC CONSULTATION period, deliberately held over the holidays, will expire at the end of January  2016, though comments can still be made after this date. 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT - AND WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED - IF YOU COULD "OBJECT" TO THE PROPOSAL ON THE WCC PLANNING PORTAL , POSTING YOUR COMMENTS AT: http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=NYQJD0RP27T00

WE CALL ON WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL TO COMPLY WITH ITS OWN LONG-STANDING AND ADMIRABLE CONSERVATION POLICIES, AND WITH HISTORIC ENGLAND'S GUIDANCE, DECISIVELY REFUSING THIS APPLICATION.

This petition is promoted by The Skyline Campaign:

The Skyline Campaign was formed in early 2014 when it emerged that more than 230 new towers had either received planning consent in London or were in the pipeline. There are now 436.   The Skyline Campaign is not against tall buildings, but aims to raise awareness of the irreversible consequences for London of the current unbridled tower construction, much of which has happened without adequate public awareness or planning policy. The Skyline Campaign is lobbying for a major public debate regarding a new vision for the capital; it also demands well-considered and effective policy change, to bring much greater scrutiny and control to the construction of tall buildings across the city.