The proposed building Apple wants to open its store in would be ten stories high, and protesters have said it would fall foul of a law that prevents buildings from blocking out sunlight.
The City of London, which owns the land on which the building would be erected, has asked for approval to override the law.
The proposed building would feature 87,000 square feet of office space and 13,000 square feet of retail space, where the Apple store would be located.
Reuters has reported that eight property owners are seeking an injunction against the building and that London’s transport and police committees will vote later in the month.
Apple itself has refused to even comment on whether it is indeed planning a new store for the capital or not.
Meanwhile, Apple recently announced that it will construct a brand new headquarters campus in Cupertino, California.
Apple says the building will be shaped like a giant spaceship and will aim to be one of the most eco-friendly offices in the world.
Once completed in 2015, the building will boast 2.8 million square feet of office space and will have walls of clear glass, allowing employees to view the 6,000 trees to be planted in the surrounding landscape.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s iconic co-founder and long-time CEO, recently resigned from his position leading the company. Jobs has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last several years.
Editor’s notes: As of July 2023, Apple did not have a store in the City of London confirming that its attempts to override sunlight rights laws were not successful.
The largest company in the world by market capitalisation at the time, its most recent store opening was at Battersea Power Station.
It was announced in 2022 that Apple would also be renting 495,000 square feet over 6 floors at the scheme. In July 2023, Apple was in the process of moving its 1,400 London-based staff into the brand-new scheme to consolidate its London office base in order to efficiently facilitate in-office collaboration between team members.
In June 2023, it was announced that Regus would be opening ‘The Engine Room’ at Battersea Power Station on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the historic Boiler House, later in the year.
The 40,000-square-foot space would provide beautifully designed meeting spaces, high-end hybrid workspaces, individual offices, co-working spaces, and a members’ lounge to meet growing demand from hybrid-working companies in London.
In September 2026, it was reported that Battersea Power Station had submitted a planning application to deliver the final 16 acres of the ongoing £9 billion regeneration project.
The latest phase would deliver 3.2 million square feet of commercial, leisure and residential space on the remaining undeveloped brownfield site, completing the riverside neighbourhood.
The final phase would deliver 800,000 square feet of office space.