Islington Councils planning committee refused the scheme, which is backed by Seven Capital, late last month (24 March). The application featured 178 homes designed by GRID and 242 student beds designed by McLaughlin, of which 60 are earmarked for social rent.London Mayor Sadiq Khan will now take a decision on the proposals, City Hall announced this week (31 March), removing the final decision from Islington. A public hearing on the development will now be held.Planning officers at Islington had laid out 14 reasons for refusal of the heavily opposed scheme, which includes a GRID-designed revamp of the locally listed former 19th-century infirmary building on site.AdvertisementFormer Stirling Prize-winner Nall McLaughlin Architects is designing the controversial 82m-tall tower and lower-rise blocks providing affordable homes.In their report, planning officers said that McLaughlins proposed buildings would cause harm to the surrounding conversation area and heritage assets due to the height of the planned tower, as well as the footprint and location of new buildings on the site.The same officers added that the Archway Campus site was not designated for a tall building and that the scheme fails to provide 50 per cent on-site affordable housing without public subsidy or other options. Officers also cited insufficent information on biodiversity net gain or evidence the scheme would meet the highest standards for fire safety. Source:Niall McLaughlinNall McLaughlin and GRID's Archway Campus scheme (October 2024)Around 450 letters of objection were received before Islington rejected the scheme last month. Local Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn had also weighed in on the opposition to the development last year, citing concerns over the scale of the tower and what he said was a lack of provision of homes for social rent.Nall McLaughlin Architects said in planning documents that the tower needed to be around 30 storeys if it is to acquire elegant proportions and sufficiently differentiate itself from its surroundings, which are up to 18 storeys tall.AdvertisementThe team had previously likened the skyscraper to Richard Seiferts Centre Point tower, describing it as a singular object that stands out from its surroundings [which] needs to be significantly higher than nearby buildings to achieve this character.The submitted scheme is eight storeys shorter than proposals for the site put to consultation last year for a 35-storey student accommodation skyscraper.Seven Capital snapped up the site from Peabody in 2021 after plans drawn up by Haworth Tompkins for 400 homes were not progressed.The AJ understands that Historic England is currently assessing the former infirmary for listing.A timeline for the mayors decision is unknown.Seven Capital declined to comment.Site View: