黑洞社区

Outgoing City of London planning officer Peter Rees has sought to allay fears his departure will lead to more development schemes in the Square Mile being rejected.

Rees 鈥� who during his 29-year tenure at City of London Corporation was defeated at planning committee on less than 1% of occasions 鈥� leaves next month to take up a professorship at architecture school The Bartlett.

The City鈥檚 development director Annie Hampson steps up to the role vacated by Rees.

Market sources told 黑洞社区 they were concerned Rees鈥� departure could be linked to a perceived strengthening of the City of London鈥檚 planning committee, which has recently recruited a QC and a planning committee member from neighbouring authority the City of Westminster, with one developer saying the committee was 鈥渇lexing its muscles鈥�.

But in an interview with 黑洞社区 this week Rees said his departure was due to City 鈥渃utbacks鈥�.

He acknowledged the City鈥檚 planning committee 鈥渕ay be stronger鈥� but said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see why that should lead to more schemes being rejected.鈥�

He said Hampson had been a 鈥渢our de force鈥� in running the City鈥檚 development department and 鈥渨ill be in a stronger position鈥� to answer questions at committee, having previously supervised the content of planning reports.

Rees admitted some 鈥渁wful鈥� buildings had been approved during his time at City, including an office tower block built by Barclays on Gracechurch Street he likened to 鈥渕ating robots鈥�, and British Land鈥檚 Plantation Place development on Fenchurch Street, which he regards as 鈥済ross over-development鈥�.

鈥淎 doctor can bury his mistakes, I can鈥檛,鈥� he said.

He named Broadgate, the Gherkin and the Royal Exchange buildings among his project highlights from his time at City

To read the full interview click .