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Historic England has said plans for a 33-storey tower at 70 Gracechurch Street in the Square Mile should be turned down because the design is not good enough and will blight views of the Tower of London.

In a letter to the City of London鈥檚 senior planning officer Kurt Gagen, the government鈥檚 heritage advisor warns that KPF鈥檚 design will also harm views of St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral as well as lead to such a loss of light at nearby Leadenhall Market that 鈥渋t could have a negative effect on the market鈥檚 future sustainability鈥�.

But in its letter, Historic England鈥檚 principal inspector of historic buildings and areas, Michael Dunn, reserves his harshest criticism for the quality of KPF鈥檚 design.

He writes: 鈥淭he prominence of the proposal at No. 70 Gracechurch Street and its consequent high potential to affect a high concentration of important heritage assets and the wider historic character of the City, demands a very high quality design response to its context.

鈥淲e question whether the proposed design is of such quality. Its massing, the relationship between podium and upper levels, and the relationship between the proposed building and its surroundings, and particularly Leadenhall Market all give grounds for thinking otherwise.鈥�

Dunn tells Gagen that permission should not be granted 鈥渦nless you are persuaded that the harm caused by the proposals has been minimised, that there is clear and convincing justification for the proposals and that the harm they would cause would be outweighed by public benefits鈥�.

It is the second tower on the same stretch of road that Historic England is objecting to on heritage grounds.

Fletcher Priest鈥檚 plan for a 32-storey building at 55 Gracechurch Street has also come under fire from neighbouring offices who have complained it will blight their daylight and damage their occupiers鈥� health.

Both schemes are being developed by Hong Kong firm Tenacity.