© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
A retired couple is suing developers over claims that a £35 million, 19-storey office building obstructs natural light into their £1 million South Bank apartment, making it difficult to read in bed. Stephen and Jennifer Powell, residents of Bankside Lofts for over two decades, assert that the recently constructed Arbor tower, part of the £2 billion Bankside Yards development, significantly diminishes light in their sixth-floor flat.
Joined by their seventh-floor neighbour, Kevin Cooper, the Powells are seeking a court injunction to either modify or demolish the Arbor tower to restore their light access. Alternatively, they are pursuing substantial damages, potentially amounting to millions of pounds.
The developers, Ludgate House Ltd, contest the claims, arguing that the reduction in light is minimal and suggesting that the Powells could simply use electric lighting for reading. They also accuse the residents of attempting to extract a "ransom" payment and contend that demolishing the building would result in a significant waste of resources.
This legal dispute follows a 2023 Supreme Court ruling favoring residents against Tate Modern over visual intrusion, highlighting ongoing tensions between urban development and residents' rights.
Arbor, completed in 2023, is a 223,000 sq ft office building designed with high sustainability standards, including net-zero carbon operations and terraces on every other floor.
It is the first building completed in the Bankside Yards development, which aims to connect London's South Bank and Bankside for the first time in 150 years.
The case is currently being heard in London's High Court, with both sides awaiting a judicial decision.