Lipton Rogers Developments
A £450 million development at London’s Barbican Estate faces being derailed after two nesting peregrine falcons were discovered at the location.
The birds of prey have been spotted using towers near the 1 Silk Street site as a breeding ground, with authorities warning developers the discovery could jeopardise the entire project.
Under British wildlife protection laws, peregrine falcons receive the maximum level of safeguarding, making it a criminal offence to disturb them while breeding.
City of London authorities submitted an environmental report instructing developers to confirm whether the birds are nesting before any construction begins.
The setback presents another challenge for Labour, which has pledged to confront “the bats and the newts” standing in the way of its construction boom ambitions. The party has promised to reduce environmental regulations to accelerate building projects.
Wildlife protection has increasingly frustrated planners, particularly after revelations that HS2 was spending £100 million on specialist netting to safeguard bats.
While peregrine falcons rarely bring projects to a complete standstill, their presence typically triggers significant additional expenses and lengthy holdups for construction firms.
The £9 billion Battersea Power Station redevelopment saw developers spend over £100,000 constructing a temporary “nesting tower” nearby, hoping to entice falcons away from the chimneys and prevent delays.
Recent years have witnessed peregrine falcons hampering repair operations at Britannia Bridge, a listed Welsh structure, alongside engineering activities at a transmission tower in South Lincolnshire.
Bodies like Natural England must issue special licences for any work potentially disrupting the birds.
Other major schemes blocked by environmental concerns include Ebbsfleet new town, which was scuppered after discovering a rare spider species in the vicinity.
Last week revealed that plans for constructing the next generation of nuclear submarines in Cumbria experienced substantial delays because a slow worm colony required relocation first.
The Barbican scheme proposes two 20-storey towers on land previously occupied by law firm Linklaters.
Yet over 1,000 objections have already been submitted, with one resident calling the design an “eyesore” and another labelling it a “light and sky guzzling monstrosity”.
Opposition includes sculptor Sir Antony Gormley and Stirling Prize-winning architect Amanda Levete.
Representatives for the development have been contacted for comment. The City of London Corporation declined to comment.
