Tower Hamlets council has approved the construction of a tower on the site of the old City Pride pub in Westferry Road, on the Isle of Dogs. At 239m tall it will be the UK's second tallest building, outdone only by the Shard.
The scale here is immense: the 75-storey building will contain a total of 952 flats, comprising 84 serviced apartments, 72 for shared ownership and 752 for private sale. Each unit will have a winter garden (or enclosed balcony, as non-estate agents might prefer to call them) while three levels will be given over to amenities including a gym, cinema and a large play area for children. The developer, Chalegrove Properties, will also finance the construction of a separate low-rise residential estate to fulfil its requirement of providing 'affordable' homes along with the prime properties in the tower.
The tower has proved controversial: Tower Hamlets' planning committee deferred a decision last month over concerns for its height and the lack of mixture among the types of housing on offer. Having now been ticked off by the council, the development awaits the Mayoral imprimatur.