New London Architecture’s annual London Tall Buildings Survey reveals a rise in the number of towers planned and under construction in the capital.

The report shows that there are

• 263 tall buildings over 20-storeys proposed, approved or under construction within Greater London.
• 76 proposed or in the planning system
• 117 with planning approval but are not yet started on site
• 70 under construction – a rise of 36% on last year.

However, there was only a small rise of 3% in the number of planned towers and a fall of 6% in the number of towers with planning approval but not yet on site.

Booming population drives growth

London’s population has recently hit an all-time high of 8.6 million people,  leading to a housing crisis in the capital.

Reflecting the growth in demand for residential properties, 62 of the 70 towers currently under construction are for residential use.

The new towers could bring around 14,800 new homes into use. In fact, 80% of the 263 towers planned are primarily aimed at residential use, with some having commercial use on the ground floor only.

Of the 64 residential towers that have been submitted for planning approval this year, 27 (37%) have been granted planning permission, 4 (6%) were refused and the remaining 41 (57%) are still undecided.

Mark Dorman, Head of Strutt & Parker London Residential Development & Investment, said: “In London, towers are still a novelty – and I don’t believe that we will reach saturation point with these sort of buildings in the capital in my lifetime.

"This will mean towers stay exciting and original. In the current cycle of towers being built, I think the Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie are epic buildings; from the last cycle the Gherkin is an iconic landmark.

"London’s skyline is certainly changing. Up until 2009-2010 there were virtually no residential towers in London. Now there are a number to choose from, and people are starting to understand the premium attached to tower views.

"People from other parts of the world like Sydney, New York and Hong Kong already understand high-rise living. They have been living in towers for decades and can see the benefits of a sky high lifestyle. This gives developers in London comfort and confidence to build skyscraper projects here.”

Towers play key role in housing Londoners

Deputy Mayor of London for policy and planning, Sir Edward Lister says towers will play a key role in housing Londoners in the future as the population is expected to grow to 10 million by 2030.

He is calling for sensibly managed and well-designed tall buildings that sit well within their surroundings to help fight the growing housing shortage.

The mayor’s office says it is working closely with local boroughs to find the best locations for ‘carefully planned clusters’ of tall buildings.

It is hoped that strong planning rules, top quality design and rigorous scrutiny will keep London as a leading world city while also offering homes and an evolving skyline.

North and west miss out

The north and west of London will have the lowest number of towers built, according to the figures.

In total, 93% of the towers being built are in the east, central and south  of London and 96% of this year’s planning applications are in these areas.

Tower Hamlets will see its skyline change the most with 18 tall buildings under construction, 27 approved and 14 in planning.

Towers gaining planning permission or practical completion in the last year include:

• Fielden House - a 25-storey tower next to the Shard designed by Renzo Piano (granted)
• 40 Leadenhall Street - a 36-storey office tower in the City of London by Make Architects (granted)
• Taberner House - a 32-storey residential block in Croydon designed by Make (granted)
• 20 Fenchurch Street and The Leadenhall Building in the City of London (completed)
• 250 Blackfriars Roads in Southwark (completed)
• One Commercial Street in Tower Hamlets (completed)
• The Tower, One St George Wharf in Lambeth (completed)
• Unite Stratford in Newham (completed)