黑洞社区

The City of London has announced that chief planning officer Annie Hampson is to retire after more than three decades overseeing development in the Square Mile.

She will step down from her role at the helm of the corporation鈥檚 40-strong development management team at the end of March.

Hampson joined the City in 1989 after stints at Surrey County Council, Islington and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

She has been particularly closely involved with the development of the City鈥檚 eastern tall buildings cluster 鈥� including PLP鈥檚 22 Bishopsgate, RSHP鈥檚 122 Leadenhall Street, Foster & Partners鈥� 30 St Mary Axe, and William Whitfield鈥檚 Paternoster Square redevelopment.

Last year Hampson (pictured) gave her endorsement to Fosters鈥� Tulip tourist tower, only for the City鈥檚 support to be blocked by mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

Her time at the City has also included the rebuilding of St Ethelburga鈥檚 and other buildings following the 1993 bombings, and the refurbishment of listed buildings such as the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England, Midland Bank, the Guildhall and the Port of London Authority building.

Alastair Moss, who chairs the corporation鈥檚 planning and transportation committee, said Hampson would leave the authority with a 鈥減roud and long-standing legacy鈥� that deserved the capital鈥檚 gratitude.

She took over from former planning chief Peter Rees, who stepped down in 2014.