British Land has unveiled early plans for what would be one of London’s most important new districts.
Its 46-acre Canada Water, SE16, masterplan envisages as much as 7m sq ft of development, for which draft proposals were put out to consultation on 5 February. The developer is aiming for the area to become a hub for business, education and shopping, with 3,500 homes.
The rough proposal includes as much as 2m sq ft of offices and 500,000 sq ft of shops and leisure space. It will take around 15 years to build.
BL is working with Southwark Council, which owns the freehold to around two-thirds of the site.
Elements of London’s next neighbourhood
Residential 3,500 homes
The sizeable commercial element will create an office hub in a traditionally industrial and residential area. It will be concentrated in the west of the site, close to Canada Water and Surrey Quays stations. The Jubilee Line connection towards Canary Wharf is expected to make the area attractive to corporate tenants, while the overground line to Shoreditch and Peckham connects to tech and creative bases. King’s College London is working on plans for a new campus at Mulberry Business Park to the north, which could prompt demand from associated tenants.
Retail & leisure 500,000 sq ft
Residential development will predominantly be concentrated on the eastern portion of the site, which is currently occupied by the former Daily Mail printworks and Surrey Quays retail park. British Land is working with Southwark Council to determine the level of affordable housing which will be provided – its standard policy is 35%. Sellar Properties is working on plans for a residential-led scheme to the north of the site, which include a 40-storey tower. British Land is considering a cluster of taller residential buildings close to that rival scheme.
Retail & leisure 500,000 sq ft
A new high street running from Canada Water station in the north-west of the site to the existing retail parade at Lower Road in the south-west will be created as part of the masterplan. Shops will occupy the ground floors of a series of low-rise and mid-rise office buildings and will be designed to attract occupiers which complement the existing retail offer in Rotherhithe. A separate parade aimed at independent retailers and designed to capture the feel of areas such as Brighton Lanes – famous for its small shops and narrow alleyways – is also being considered.
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British Land has unveiled early plans for what would be one of London’s most important new districts.
Its 46-acre Canada Water, SE16, masterplan envisages as much as 7m sq ft of development, for which draft proposals were put out to consultation on 5 February. The developer is aiming for the area to become a hub for business, education and shopping, with 3,500 homes.
The rough proposal includes as much as 2m sq ft of offices and 500,000 sq ft of shops and leisure space. It will take around 15 years to build.
BL is working with Southwark Council, which owns the freehold to around two-thirds of the site.
A protected viewing corridor cuts across the western portion of the site, which will restrict heights to around six storeys. Other parts of the site will have taller structures.
A significant proportion of the scheme will be open space, with a “ladder” of green spaces running from Southwark Park in the west to Russia Dock Woodland in the east. Waterways, built over in the 1970s, will be reintroduced.
The developer wants the project to have the same transformational impact as Argent’s King’s Cross, N1.
Roger Madelin, who led that development, joined BL this week and Allies and Morrison, which designed the scheme, has also been brought on board at Canada Water.
An outline application is expected by the end of the year following further rounds of consultation. If approved, work could begin by the end of 2017.
Elements of London’s next neighbourhood
Residential 3,500 homes
The sizeable commercial element will create an office hub in a traditionally industrial and residential area. It will be concentrated in the west of the site, close to Canada Water and Surrey Quays stations. The Jubilee Line connection towards Canary Wharf is expected to make the area attractive to corporate tenants, while the overground line to Shoreditch and Peckham connects to tech and creative bases. King’s College London is working on plans for a new campus at Mulberry Business Park to the north, which could prompt demand from associated tenants.
Retail & leisure 500,000 sq ft
Residential development will predominantly be concentrated on the eastern portion of the site, which is currently occupied by the former Daily Mail printworks and Surrey Quays retail park. British Land is working with Southwark Council to determine the level of affordable housing which will be provided – its standard policy is 35%. Sellar Properties is working on plans for a residential-led scheme to the north of the site, which include a 40-storey tower. British Land is considering a cluster of taller residential buildings close to that rival scheme.
Retail & leisure 500,000 sq ft
A new high street running from Canada Water station in the north-west of the site to the existing retail parade at Lower Road in the south-west will be created as part of the masterplan. Shops will occupy the ground floors of a series of low-rise and mid-rise office buildings and will be designed to attract occupiers which complement the existing retail offer in Rotherhithe. A separate parade aimed at independent retailers and designed to capture the feel of areas such as Brighton Lanes – famous for its small shops and narrow alleyways – is also being considered.
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