During angry exchanges with Christopher Katkowski, counsel for the tower's developer, Davies said height and bulk were only its two most obvious flaws. "There are other considerations, particularly the cross-bracing and the scale of the northern elevation," he said.
The objection is significant because it was thought that EH's concerns centred on whether the 183 m tower would interfere with views of St Paul's Cathedral; the quality of Kohn Pedersen Fox's design has been taken largely for granted.
Katkowski attacked EH for not raising the design issue earlier. Davies responded: "Discussion of the detailed form would have been a waste of time when we had fundamental objections to the principle of the proposal."
His comments raise the possibility that design changes will have to be made even if the tower intended height is approved.
Davies disputed the existence of a split, saying: "Our clear view is that it must be opposed."