The developer behind the City of London’s rejected Tulip tower has urged the government to green-light the controversial Foster & Partners scheme to give the capital a post-covid boost.

Richard Harris QC, representing Luxembourg-based developer Bury Street Properties, suggested that approval for the 305m tall visitor attraction, dubbed the Tulip because of its resemblance to the flower, would give the Square Mile a shot in the arm in the years following the pandemic.

The comments came on the first day of a virtual public inquiry into the scheme following an appeal to the secretary of state Robert Jenrick launched by the developer after London mayor Sadiq Khan rejected the proposal last summer.

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