Architects oppose listing of Broadgate
A POLL of architects suggests that most in the industry are against protecting buildings on the Broadgate estate from redevelopment.
An online survey by the Architects’ Journal yesterday showed that 68 per cent think that Broadgate Square near Liverpool Street should not be the second-ever postwar City building to be given listed status, as recommended by watchdog English Heritage.
A number of senior City figures have joined City A.M.’s campaign to allow redevelopment at Broadgate, as planned by the site’s owners Blackstone and British Land and tenant UBS.
Lord Mayor of the City of London, Michael Bear, has backed calls to let the group build a £340m headquarters for the bank on the site of 4 and 6 Broadgate.
Morgan Stanley’s chairman of European real estate investment banking Jonathan Lane has also supported this newspaper’s view that new purpose-built office projects in the City send an important message to firms looking to move or remain in London.
Stephen Greenwood, chief executive of HB Markets, a stockbroker based at nearby Finsbury Pavement, also lent his support.
English Heritage has advised the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to protect Broadgate as an architectural gem, adding extra bureaucracy to any alterations and potentially putting the brakes on new work altogether. Hunt is expected to make a final decision in July.
Other figureheads backing the new build on Broadgate so far include Merchant Securities Group chief Patrick Claridge; David Tait, managing director of macro directional trading at UBS; and London Bridge Capital chairman Adam Hart.