Thread by @sarahsackman

Just finished speaking for @bevismarksuk to @cityoflondon Planning Committee. Made the case that 31 Bury St will
1. Harm Tower of London World Heritage Site. Historic England agrees!
2. Harm to Bevis Marks' setting. Its eautiful courtyard will be overshadowed by the office block

3. Loss of daylight/sunlight
4. Officer's accept the scheme conflicts with the City's own policies. That harm is not outweighed by benefits are modest, generic and mainly private. The stuff about a new "village hall" in the office and sustainability credentials all looks thin.

Now just being asked to wait while city deliberates....

Troubling to hear the developer's speaker suggest that the majority of objections came from "international Jews". First its untrue. There's been a huge volume of objections from British Jews and non-Jews alike and in any case, what exactly is he getting at???

Cllr Harrower brilliant just now on hollowness of developer's public "benefits". Sticking in community space in lower floors of a 48-storey tower is a "fig leaf" to justify the harm to historic buildings. "I pity the school children who will dragged out of school to come here"

Natasha Lloyd Owen on top of her brief and v impressive in challenging the public benefits, interrogating the sustainability credentials of the office tower and explaining why in her view the modest benefits doesnt outweigh the harm to the World Heritage Site

Cllr Henry Pollard: speaks emotively and powerfully about the "immense" symbolic importance of Bevis Marks and why he will be voting to refuse. Most pleasingly he urges the City that in future it must take greater care and sensitivity about how it plans around Bevis Marks

Really good to hear Cllrs Upton + Barrow recognise the sensitivity of Bevis Marks and the impact that a 48 storey building will have taking from its sky, its light and its setting. Sounds like the City is learning some real lessons here about conservation and community relations!

A number of cllrs recognising that Bevis Marks is not just another listed building, 1 of 600 in the City, but something very very special to British Jewry

I cant believe it - we did it!!
Planning permission refused 7 votes in favour 14 against!!! Im so proud of all our team and all our supporters

Really moving to see the outpouring of support for our community on this - from Jews and non Jews alike, planners, architects, historians, Londoners - great to see!

I should say that today - whilst a big win - is not the end of it. Watch out for a developer appeal + there are more planning applications for office towers right next Bevis Marks in the pipeline - thats why your support matters so much!