A LONG-RUNNING BATTLE by the Grand Union Canal in Paddington has resulted in a 600 bed Baltic Wharf student towers project being built.
This however will leave the Grand Union Canal running in a canyon, Roger Fox reports.
Unacceptable light loss
The £147m scheme on a former builders’ merchant site had been repeatedly blocked by councillors who claimed the twin-tower block would cause unacceptable light loss and harm nearby conservation areas.
And that the 20 storey building would create a canyon effect across Paddington Basin.
But deputy mayor Jules Pipe ruled the now extensively redesigned project met the London Plan, arguing the student beds, canal-side upgrades and economic benefits outweigh the acknowledged design impacts.
This now allows Unite to demolish the current depot and deliver two linked towers containing 605 rooms.
Mooring improvements
The scheme also brings a new towpath along the Grand Union Canal, mooring improvements, canal-side landscaping.
However, as the artistes' impression of the building shows, it will create a canyon for the waterway.