The City of London Corporation has supported to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of City Place House, near to London’s Guildhall.

The plans by Great Portland Estates will see a new 13-storey office-led development constructed, consisting of more than 44,500 sqm of flexible office space (including some affordable space to support small businesses and start-ups) and in excess of 1,000 sqm of floorspace for vibrant active retail and hospitality uses.

The building of high architectural quality, which is expected to reach a BREEAM rating of 'Outstanding', will see a 64% increase to publicly accessible areas within and around the site, including a new landscaped pedestrian route between Basinghall Street and London Wall.

Several urban greening elements are imbedded within the design including a green roof and planted terraces for use of the building occupiers. There will also be a re-landscaped public terrace and a contribution of £200,000 towards the enhancement and landscaping of the nearby Brewers’ Hall Gardens.

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An off-site consolidation centre will be used to reduce the number of service vehicles delivering to the building and improve the safety of City streets. It is estimated this will remove up to 30 vehicle journeys each day.

The development supports active travel, in line with the City Corporation's Transport Strategy, and includes 831 long stay and 88 short stay cycle parks which exceeds the London Plan cycle parking requirements for a development of this size.

Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, Alastair Moss, said: "The new plans for City Place House are another striking example of the future of the Square Mile and the ongoing confidence in the City by urban developers.

"Ambitious office developments which consist of high quality, flexible office floorspace and which make exemplary contributions to the public realm are helping to cement the City’s role as the world’s leading business centre as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

"This development also gives back to all City residents, workers and visitors through its strong sustainability credentials including urban greening to support air quality and biodiversity and a commitment to improving access and conditions for pedestrians and cyclists."