Corporation of London's City Surveyor joins our 'Sustainable Cities and Tall Buildings forum'

Above: Walbrook Square in the City of London with the Mansion House on left, St Stephen Walbrook, New Court the N M Rothschild Building behind and the Bloomberg Building on right

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Paul Wilkinson, City Surveyor at the Corporation of London will be contributing to our March forum on sustainable cities and tall buildings at EY.

The City Surveyor and Executive Director of Property, Paul Wilkinson, is responsible through his department for the management of the City Corporation’s property investment and corporate real estate portfolios and major property/construction projects. In addition, Paul is responsible for the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and the three wholesale markets at Billingsgate, New Spitalfield and Smithfield.

The City Corporation has significant property ownership in the Square Mile, with other investment ownerships in Westminster, Camden, Southwark and beyond, covering Inner and Outer London Boroughs.

The income generated on these assets helps support the public value goals of the organisation. Therefore, the City Surveyor is focused on maximising rental income and delivering long-term performance across the organisation’s investment property estates. It is also developing long-term redevelopment opportunities close to the City.

The City Surveyor’s Department oversees the asset management functions in relation to the City Corporation’s operational property portfolio, including flagship assets such as the Guildhall, Barbican Complex, the three wholesale markets and the Central Criminal Court. It provides repairs and maintenance, and facilities management services to all non-housing City Corporation property, including leading on the buildings element of the Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy (CAS).

It provides strategic management to the City’s significant heritage portfolio, including scheduled monuments, listed buildings, historic open spaces, churchyards and cemeteries, public statuary, ceremonial furnishings, and historic carriages. 

It jointly oversees the Markets Co-location programme, Salisbury Square development, Museum of London relocation and Barbican Renewal project.

At its discussion forum in March, Future Cities Forum will be looking at best practice in making districts within cities sustainable and the benefits of vertical buildings to help with density.

In October last year, the BBC reported on a new glass-walled "jewel like" tall building is set to join the skyscraper cluster in the Square Mile, after it was approved by the City of London Corporation:

'The current vacant office block at 130 Fenchurch Street, external, known as Fountain House, will be demolished to make way for two new towers, one with 31 storeys and the other 34.

'Designed by architects WilkinsonEyre, it will include 58,000 square metres of office space, a publicly accessible cultural space and external garden terrace.

'The chairman of the City of London Corporation's planning and transportation committee, Tom Sleigh, said the building would deliver on "jobs, public space, and best-in-class offices".

'The new glass and steel building will neighbour the "Walkie Talkie", Scalpel and Leadenhall "Cheese Grater" skyscrapers.

The proposed development will include new food and drink spots, and a pedestrian route connecting Cullum Street to Fen Court.'

Ben Littman, Head of development at Aviva Investors, one of the developers behind the tower, said it was a "bold and thoughtful scheme that will bring a long-vacant site back into positive use.

"It reflects the best of what the City can offer; ambition, culture, sustainability and inclusivity."'

Image: view towards Cannon Street Station from the Bloomberg Building on Watling Street, City of London