GREENWICH Council's Planning Board has backed the O2 Skywalk planning application.
Councillors gave their unanimous support to the development which will create a dramatic new walkway across the top of the iconic dome in North Greenwich.
Similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge walkway, members of the public will be able to traverse the roof of the O2 in guided groups of thirty.
The "challenging" experience, expected to take about 50 minutes to complete, will be approximately 380m in length and rise to a gradient of 28 degrees.
Mike Davies, a founding partner at the Richard Rogers Partnership and one of the original driving forces behind the dome, has returned to Greenwich to work on the Skywalk.
Wearing his familiar red suit, he told Thursday night's meeting of the Planning Board that the Skywalk was "exciting" and "meant to be an adventure."
The dome was "the only structure in London still clean after fourteen years", he said, and the Skywalk would be a "perfectly handsome addition."
Those brave enough to tackle the walk may be disappointed to learn they won't be able to take a photo of their endeavours. Under questioning from councillors, it emerged that no loose items, including cameras, will be allowed on the Skywalk.
The colour of the tensile fabric walkway has not yet been decided but blue has been used in illustrations submitted with the application.
The proposal received written backing from the Greenwich Society and the Greenwich Conservation Group.
Councillor Hayley Fletcher said the project was "incredibly exciting". All councillors at the meeting of the Planning Board at the town hall in Woolwich voted to support the application.
The Skywalk, first reported on by Greenwich.co.uk last month, will create 30 full time jobs. Discounts for the Skywalk, which has permission to open from 0800 to 2300 each day, will be available for Greenwich Card holders.
[…] The same planning meeting also endorsed the construction of a “skywalk” at the O2 in Greenwich – for news of that, read greenwich.co.uk. […]