Historic England protest new building to protect ‘ancient burial’

The burial is currently covered, but is thought to be around 800 years old.

Transcript

00:00Historic England has warned that plans for a 46-storey building near the Gherkin in central

00:07London would lead to the total destruction of a suspected 13th century burial ground

00:13currently concealed beneath paving slabs. The organisation also stated that the proposed

00:19development that will be in the borough of the City of London would negatively impact views of

00:25the Tower of London which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. AXA Real Estate Investment Managers,

00:33the property arm of the insurance company, is seeking to demolish the existing office block

00:40and replace it with a larger structure. Historic England has impressed concern that the development

00:47might result in significant harm that would not be justified by the heritage benefits of exposing

00:54part of the Roman wall. But the possibility of uncovering older remains beneath the site

01:00are still possible dating all the way back to the Roman period. Historic England said the project

01:05would diminish the outstanding universal value of the Tower of London and thereby harm its overall

01:12integrity as one of the main attractions in the capital. AXA Real Estate Investment Managers submitted

01:18its planning application back in February and proposed development that includes a public park, an

01:24auditorium, various food and drink venues and the partial opening of the ancient Roman wall. The company

01:32states that the proposals strike a balance between the need for office space but also heritage preservation

01:40while delivering significant public benefits to the people of London.