The English Heritage/CABE criteria for evaluating tall buildings proposals are as follows:

(i)  The relationship to context, including both topography and built form and effect on skyline. Tall buildings should have a positive relationship, including both topography and built form and effect on skyline. Tall buildings should have a positive relationship, including both topography and built form and effect on skyline. Tall buildings should also have a positive relationship with relevant topographical features and other tall buildings.

(ii)  The effect on the whole existing environment, including the need to ensure that the proposal will conserve, or not damage or detract from:

—  Scheduled Ancient Monuments and their settings

—  Listed buildings and their settings, including backdrops to landmark buildings and their settings

—  Archaeology

—  Historic parks and gardens, landscapes and their settings

—  World Heritage Sites and their buffer zones

—  Other open spaces, including rivers, their settings and views from them

—  Other important views, prospects and panoramas

(iii)  The relationship between transport infrastructure and particularly public transport provision.

(iv)  The architectural quality of the building including its scale, form, massing silhouette, facing materials and relationship to other structures. The design of the top of the tall building will be of particular importance when considering the effect on the skyline.

(v)  The contribution that the development will make to the external and internal public spaces and facilities in the area, including the provision of a mix of uses especially on the ground floor of towers and the inclusion of these areas of part of the public realm.

(vi)  The effect on the local environment including the micro climate, overshadowing, night-time appearance, vehicle movements.

(vii)  The contribution made to the permeability of the site and a wider area, opportunities to offer improved linkages on foot and where appropriate the opening up or effective closure of views.

(viii)  To improve the legibility of the City and the wider townscape

(ix)  Function and fitness for a purpose; the provision of a high quality environment for those who use the buildings.

(x)  The sustainability of proposal; any tall building proposal must be sustainable in the broadest sense, taking into account its social and economic impact, based on whole life costs and benefits.