Murray is wrong on tall towers, says Historic England boss

Historic England has said developers and architects need to draw up more plans for lower buildings if London is not to be overwhelmed by “hopelessly generic” tall buildings.

Chief executive Duncan Wilson (pictured) criticised New London Architecture chairman Peter Murray’s insistence that it was “inevitable” more tall buildings will have to go up in the capital if it is to meet an expected population boom.

The heritage body was one of a number of groups to oppose Renzo Piano’s 72-storey Paddington Pole – later withdrawn by the developer Irvine Sellar – and Wilson said: “Peter Murray says shorter and fatter buildings aren’t the answer to London’s need for growth. Denser, well-designed and lower developments are exactly the way we can continue the essential architectural traditions of London, while delivering greater capacity for housing and workplaces.”

London’s population is expected to hit 11 million by 2039 – an increase of 2.5 million on the current number – and last week Murray said “accommodating these sorts of numbers will inevitably demand more tall buildings”.

But in a letter to the Evening Standard, Wilson responded: “Our city deserves a meaningful response to its character and history but many of our tall building are hopelessly generic.”

He also criticised plans for a string of towers along the Thames “meaning our oldest and arguably most important public pace could be cut off from Londoners”.

Wilson said not enough thought was going into where tall buildings were being proposed. “Tall buildings in the right places can make exciting contributions but they should be planned for strategically, for the whole of London, and should not be springing up in the wrong places.”

Sellar is formally expected to unveil plans for the redesigned tower, which also includes plans to redesign the nearby Bakerloo tube station, in the next few weeks.