黑洞社区

London mayoral hopeful Rory Stewart has attacked Sadiq Khan for failing to meet his housebuilding target, while agreeing with his rival鈥檚 decision to turn down permission for Foster + Partners鈥� proposed Tulip observation tower in the Square Mile.

The scheme, financed by billionaire banker and Gherkin owner Jacob J Safra, was rejected by Khan last summer 鈥� just months after the City鈥檚 planning committee had given it the go-ahead.

Safra and his team have appealed against the decision and housing secretary Robert Jenrick is set to make the final call on the 拢350m project. But Stewart told 黑洞社区: 鈥淧ersonally, I am very concerned about the Tulip. I agree with the mayor.鈥�

>> Interview: 黑洞社区 speaks to Rory Stewart

A former Conservative minister and party leadership hopeful, Stewart is standing as an independent in May. He told 黑洞社区 that Khan had 鈥渦tterly failed to build the homes [he had] vowed to deliver鈥�.

If elected in May he has pledged to use the 5,500 acres of brownfield sites that are owned by the mayor and Transport for London to build 250,000 homes within five years.

He wants the design style to be overseen by a committee that would prioritise the 鈥済entle density鈥� developments that were recommended by the recent 黑洞社区 Better 黑洞社区 Beautiful report.

Stewart also told 黑洞社区 that the ongoing development of Nine Elms was 鈥渙ne of the worst in London that we鈥檝e seen in 40 years鈥�. He said that Nine Elms was 鈥減oorly designed, [had] poor public space [and] poor facilities鈥�.