Real Estate

City drafts plans to stop new skyscrapers creating dangerous wind tunnels

Construction of some of Square Mile’s largest buildings has created troublesome conditions for pedestrians and cyclists

Tuesday 20 August 2019 at 06:35

A brave but confident cleaning contractor abseils from 20 Fenchurch Street aka the Walkie Talkie building in the capital's oldest financial district aka The Square Mile
A brave but confident cleaning contractor abseils from 20 Fenchurch Street aka the Walkie Talkie building in the capital's oldest financial district aka The Square Mile Photo: Getty Images

New Square Mile developments will be subject to wind guidelines after the construction of some of the area’s largest skyscrapers formed wind tunnels that pose a danger to cyclists and pedestrians.

The guidelines, launched by the City of London Corporation, the financial district’s local authority, provide developers with a framework to measure the impact new buildings might have on wind conditions in surrounding areas.