A development at 40 Leadenhall Street in the City of London by Henderson Global Investors, dubbed 'Gotham City' when plans were initially unveiled, has secured a resolution to grant planning permission.

The 910,000 sq ft scheme will vary in height between seven and 34 storeys and will be split between 890,000 sq ft of office space and 20,000 sq ft retail.

Nick Deacon, Director of Property, Central London Offices, Henderson Global Investors, said: "We are delighted to have achieved a resolution to grant planning permission for what will be a very exciting addition to the London skyline and a valuable contribution to the City's ever evolving tower cluster. This is a significant step forward for the project. We are committed to progressing the scheme and have begun to explore a number of options to achieve this."

The buildings will be formed of vertical slices arranged around the listed building at 19-21 Billiter Street, which was built in 1865 and will be restored and integrated into the proposed scheme. The tallest part of the building is positioned at the northern end of the site to take account of neighbouring tall buildings and steps down in height toward the River Thames and Tower of London to the south.
The ground floor entrance and retail frontages are set back to create generous pedestrian zones, wider pavements and spaces along key pedestrian routes on adjacent Leadenhall Street, Fenchurch Street, Billiter Street and Fenchurch Buildings.

Paul Scott, Make partner and lead project architect at Make, said: "We are thrilled our scheme has achieved a resolution to grant planning permission and look forward to delivering a world class 21st century building that will both enhance the City's insurance district and reinforce its premier global position. The design breaks new ground and will join the City of London's iconic portfolio of modern buildings."

Henderson acquired the 'Leadenhall Triangle' site on behalf of clients in May 2011.