The mayor of London Boris Johnson today directed Newham Council to refuse planning permission for St Modwen’s plans to redevelop Queen’s Market in Upton Park.
St Modwen plans a scheme at the market which includes the construction of a 96m high residential tower block. The scheme includes a new Market Hall, including 164 market stalls, as well as more than 60,000 sq ft of new shop units. It also includes 350 new homes, a library and a 20,000 sq ft office.
The developer, which today announced it planned to raise £102.1m of equity, worked with the National Market Traders’ Federation and the Queens Market Traders’ Association on the plans.
Newham Council approved the plans last month after five years of consultation.
However, the mayor’s office today said the plans failed to ‘address the mayor’s concerns on the appearance and, in particular the attractiveness of the proposed tower. The plans also failed to demonstrate that a tall building of the design proposed would be appropriate on the site’.
Johnson said: ‘I have carefully considered this application. However, it is obvious that a tower of this size, so much higher than any existing tall buildings in the area, is neither attractive or in proportion or suited to any of the surrounding buildings, streets or the general urban realm of Newham.
‘I am not opposed to the improvements to Queen’s Market, but I am against this inappropriate tower and have, therefore, instructed Newham not to approve these current plans.’
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