‘Send Bishopsgate skyscraper plans back to councils’ says Hackney mayor Jules Pipe

The mayor of Hackney has called on City Hall to give the final decision on the controversial Bishopsgate Goodsyard scheme back to the boroughs that rejected it.

Jules Pipe fiercely opposes the Shoreditch scheme for its lack of affordable housing and the scale of the proposed buildings, which he says would cast a shadow over the area.

He also claims the workspace would impact negatively on the neighbouring Tech City UK and believes developers should work with Hackney and Tower Hamlets – which also opposed the plans – on a more suitable development.

Despite the objections from the two councils, petitions signed by thousands of locals and businesses, advice from financial experts in the city, advice from light experts and even his own staff, outgoing London mayor Boris Johnson called in the plans and was set to make an executive decision on them in April.

But he deferred the announcement at the last minute, giving developers the chance to change their proposals while he left his post.

This week, his replacement Sadiq Khan’s housing deputy James Murray told Property Week there was a lack of affordable housing and said the mayor would have “limited options” when it comes to changing the plans.

Mayor Pipe, said: “James Murray is absolutely right to say that the Bishopsgate scheme has nowhere near enough affordable housing. Along with this key priority for the new Mayor of London, the two boroughs and local residents are deeply concerned about the sheer scale of this development; the height and massing would completely dominate and overshadow Shoreditch.

“Even the workspace they offered is ill-conceived and would do nothing to support Tech City or the creative industries that have made Shoreditch the success it is today.

“This proposed development is utterly wrong for Shoreditch and there is a lengthy list of reasons to reject it beyond the narrow set of issues that the previous mayor was considering.

“James was right to say that there are limited options to amend this proposal. The developers should be sent back to work with the boroughs to devise a new scheme that will enhance the area, rather than blight it, and provide the mix of homes and workspace that Shoreditch so desperately needs.”