City of London towers to be built to discourage suicide

SKYSCRAPERS will be expected to have hedges and nets to discourage suicide attempts, as part of plans voted through by the City of London Corporation.

The City’s policy document said: “strategically placed thorny or prickly plants will delay and deter an individual trying to gain access to a dangerous location.” Barriers and nets were also suggested as a means of stopping anyone jumping from height.

The document also detailed ways of encouraging intervention in suicide attempts, such as having fewer blind spots and more CCTV in vulnerable parts of buildings. Training courses for staff were also encouraged, along with increased foot patrols to areas that could become hotspots.

The Corporation signed off the new set of guidelines to “design out suicide” from tall buildings in the capital’s Square Mile after proposals were initially put forward last week.

The plan has been launched to support London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s effort

‘Strategically placed plants will deter an individual trying to gain access to a dangerous location’

to cut suicides by 10pc by 2023, in a fiveyear plan initially signed off in 2018.

According to planning documents, the strategy will be used to liaise with developers building skyscrapers in the Square Mile.

The City of London Corporation declined to comment.