Controversial London skyscraper gets the go-ahead at last

A distinctive 550ft-high tower which will include a 261-room hotel was given the final go-ahead by the Government today.

The green light from Communities Secretary Hazel Blears means work can start on the project called One Blackfriars Road at the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge in London.

After objections, the tower's developer the Beetham Organization has had to reduce the height of the slender building from around 740ft to just under 560ft.

The building, which will also house 64 apartments and contain a public viewing gallery, has been the subject of a planning inquiry.

The hotel will include a ballroom, meeting rooms and a spa. At the foot of the tower will be a plaza with cafes, restaurants and shops. The building is expected to be completed in time for the 2012 London Olympics.

Beetham chairman Hugh Frost said today: "This is a much-needed boost to London. The development is a vital part of the regeneration of the south bank of the Thames, creating an iconic landmark and tourist destination, as well as providing jobs and a total transformation for the area."

The tower (initially known as 'The Boomerang' because of its shape) was originally proposed with 68 storeys, but was eventually scaled down after concerns about its impact on the area. A revised planning application for the 52-storey tower was submitted in September 2006.

There were also other design changes as the developer and architect responded to the complaints from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) with the much-criticised overhang on the corner of Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street being removed. There were also substantial changes to the integration of the development into the streetscape.

Two affordable housing blocks previously surrounded the southern half of the plot and these have now been reconfigured and the proposed new public space they and the tower would overlook removed and replaced with a podium with roof garden.

The tower was granted planning permission by Southwark Council in July 2007, despite objections from a number of quarters including English Heritage, Lambeth Council, Westminster Council and the Royal Parks.

Although planning permission was granted on the basis of the original tower, by September 2007 English Heritage had strongly criticised Southwark Council for not adopting a policy for tall buildings in the north of the borough and then suggested that they might object to the planning decision by appealing to the secretary of state.