The Tulip

Not in bloom: Khan rejected The Tulip in July

An appeal has been made to the secretary of state against the decision by mayor Sadiq Khan to reject the 1,000ft tourist attraction from getting the go-ahead. 

A letter seen by Property Week shows that a public inquiry on the issue will be held in the week starting 2 November, sitting for an anticipated 3-4 week period. 

The proposed development is now in ‘a recovered appeal’, meaning it is one where instead of the appointed inspector making the decision, the inpsector will write a report that makes a recommendation on how the appeal should be determined. 

This will then be passed to the secretary of state to make the decision after taking into account the inspector’s recommendation. 

If approved, the development would become the second-tallest structure in the capital.  

Designed by architects Foster + Partners, the skyscraper would stand next to the Gherkin and havea viewing platform at the structure’s apex, with proponents arguing that it could attract 1.2 million visitors a year.  

The project was given the green light by the City of London’s planning and transportation committee in April 2019, subject to Sadiq Khan’s sign-off.  

However, Khan instructed the committee to reject the proposals, citing concerns about how it could affect the capital’s skyline and views of the Tower of London.  

In January this year the Tulip’s project team, backed by billionaire financier Jacob J Safra, launched an appeal against the rejection.