Developer SevenCapital plans to redevelop the historic Archway Hospital site in Archway Road.
Plans include 178 new homes, half of which would be affordable, as well as 242 student accommodation rooms in the tower and one of the existing buildings.
SevenCapital would repurpose some of the old hospital buildings, while also constructing three new housing blocks and an 85m tower for student accommodation.
However, planning officers at Islington Council have refused planning permission, listing 14 reasons why the plans should not go ahead.
These include the scale, height, footprint and location of the new buildings.
The draft planning decision notice report said: “The proposal would introduce a tall building to a site not allocated for a tall building and by reason of its excessive height, scale and location it would result in unacceptable visual, functional and environmental impacts.”
A failure to provide 50% on-site affordable housing was also an issue, as was the size of the rooms and bathrooms, accessibility and whether the whole design was fire safety compliant.
Daylight and environmental issues were also raised, including the health of trees around the site.
Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, warned the plans could “set a precedent” for overly tall buildings in the borough.
A spokesperson for Islington Council said the application has now been referred to the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The GLA has powers to either call in the application for determination by the Mayor of London or to allow the council to go ahead and make a decision.
The spokesperson added: “The application has not been referred to the planning committee at this stage because the officer recommendation is to refuse planning permission.”
