THIS is the striking tower set to become one of Southampton’s tallest buildings after councillors gave it unanimous backing.

The landmark £30m hotel and apartment building will rise 25 storeys into the air next to the Itchen Bridge as a “gateway” to the city centre.

Developer Orchard Homes want to build it on the Cedar Press site between Royal Crescent Road and Saltmarsh Road after the printing firm moved to Romsey.

An operator is already in “advanced negotiations” to take the lower six floors building for a three or four star hotel and a restaurant.

The upper floors will contain a mix of 122 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for sale on the open market.

Daily Echo: Click below to see a video of today's headlines in sixty seconds

>

Residents will enjoy stunning views across south Hampshire and the waterfront, Isle of Wight and the New Forest.

A total of just 56 car parking spaces are planned for the flats and hotel. The entrance will face Royal Crescent Road.

Orchard Homes’ planning agent Alan Sayle said the “highly dramatic building”

was a “statement of confidence in Southampton as a location to develop.”

However, even at 77m high the tower could be pipped for the title of the city’s tallest building by the £150m extension to Southampton’s WestQuay shopping centre, where councillors have approved a tower block up to 27 storeys soaring to 95m. A 21-storey Radisson SAS Hotel earmarked for East Park Terrace could reach 83m thanks to a metal spire. And over the river in Woolston the development of the former VT site, dubbed Centenary Quay, proposes a 25-storey tower stretching 82m into the air.

Millbrook Towers at 25 storeys and 73m remains the tallest building to date.

Councillors yesterday gave the goahead for the Orchard Homes development, praising the modern striking design by Southampton-based Tony Oldfield Architects.

Planning panel chairman Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry said: “It’s a very iconic building. My only hope is it gets further than other tall buildings we have approved recently.”

Work is due to start at the end of next year.

Orchard Homes managing director Ken Lake cautioned: “We are, of course, in a very challenging market at the present time. However, when conditions improve we will then be ready to provide an exciting and iconic development for Southampton.”

The tower will go up behind Solent Sky Museum, which itself is awaiting redevelopment.

Cllr Royston Smith Cabinet Member for Economic Development said: “Exciting ideas like this are the lifeblood of the city and we are encouraged that Orchard Homes have put forward an exciting proposal in these difficult times.

“It demonstrates that developers have confidence in the city’s future. Gaining planning consent is an important first step towards Orchard Homes ambition to complete this impressive building in the not too distant future and help transform the city’s skyline.”