The development will eventually see 3,000 homes built alongside transport improvements
Less than a ten minute Tube ride from London Bridge, a 53-acre site is undergoing a huge transformation that is set to become London’s first new town centre in 50 years. British Land’s multi-billion pound vision for Canada Water in South East London includes the delivery of 3,000 homes, new culture, retail and entertainment space as well as workspace for up to 20,000 workers.
Also included in British Land’s ambitious plans are dozens of new open spaces including a park set to match the size of Leicester Square. A cash injection of more than £33million is also going towards transport improvements including step-free access and a new entrance for Surrey Quays station.
After gaining outline planning permission in May 2020, British Land began the construction of the very first buildings in mid to late 2021. The development is being delivered phase-by-phase, and planning permission will still need to be secured at each stage. The entire development spans a 10 to 15-year timeline which could take the completion date all the way up to 2036.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) was invited for a tour of the development site to see the progress so far.
What’s being delivered in phase one?
Just this month, the long-awaited Canada Water Leisure Centre opened to the public for the first time as part of the first phase of the development and will replace the Seven Islands Leisure Centre after serving the community for 60 years.
Last month, the LDRS took a look inside the new leisure centre and had an exclusive tour of the site’s future office space. The LDRS also spoke to those at the heart of the mixed-used development, including Michael Delfs who is Development Executive at British Land.
“One of the nicest things about the Masterplan is that it’s a really unique site, we have great transport connectivity but it’s also surrounded by all these incredible assets,” says Mr Delfs. “You’ve got Russia Dock Woodlands which is a 35-acre woodlands so if you walk around in there you don’t feel like you’re in the city – you just feel like you’re surrounded by trees.
“To the south of our site is Greenland Dock which is a 30-acre dock and is a massive body of water where you can go sailing and stand-up paddle boarding.”
Mr Delfs, who has been working on the Canada Water Masterplan for the last decade, added: “We had the opportunity when we were doing the Masterplan of being able to respond to a very specific context; sometimes these big Masterplans are plonked in the middle of some massive industrial area and you kind of have to make up everything.
“But we are very lucky to be here, there’s a really strong local context already and a very strong character to the area and a sense of quiet. Rotherhithe is a bit of an oasis in a very busy city so we wanted to be able to build out a dense, active urban centre but still retain elements of that quality of quiet and peace.”
As part of phase one of the development, British Land is delivering 35per cent ‘affordable’ housing, including a 79-home building with 60 council homes that Mr Delfs has described as “the nicest affordable housing block in London”.
Phase one has also delivered The Founding, a huge, glossy 35-storey tower consisting of 186 homes which boasts panoramic views of the city. All of the homes are private, and prices start at an eye-watering £700,000, with some properties being sold beyond the £2million mark.
Like many recent visitors to Canada Water, the LDRS got to take in the development’s surroundings by enjoying a pleasant stroll along the red curved bridge which was created and designed by local architect, Asif Khan. The wooden walkway is in the shape of an S and opened to the public last year and is noticeably popular with passers by. You can often spot herons in the new wetland below it.
The LDRS also toured the development’s future office space which will no doubt become a source of envy as a place to work thanks to impressive views of London’s skyline. This space hasn’t opened up yet but gives off a light and airy feel.
Building controversy
Despite these enormous prices, British Land insists buyers include local people. However some critics argue that very few local people are likely to be able to afford them, given Southwark Council’s housing waiting list of more than 18,000 people.
Concerns have also been raised over the project’s future, as British Land now wants to make changes to the original Masterplan which includes reducing the total number of affordable homes from 35per cent to just 10per cent through a Section 73 application. The application was validated by Southwark Council last month, but a decision is yet to be made by its Planning Committee.
The application has attracted more than 1,100 objections from people online, with many people unhappy over the new heights for the remaining buildings and arguing the Section 73 is being used to make “sweeping revisions” of the original Masterplan.
British Land argues the alterations are needed due to changes in building regulations including the Building Safety Act, but housing campaign group, the 35% Campaign, does not believe the local community should be having to foot the bill and miss out on affordable housing.
A 35% Campaign spokesperson told the LDRS: “If the development isn’t going to deliver all the 35per cent affordable housing that was promised then it certainly will be a missed opportunity – a huge, missed opportunity. It beggars belief that we can have a development of this size with 3,000 new homes and we’re going to get homes that large numbers of Southwark households won’t be able to afford either to buy or rent – that can’t be right.
“It’s no good building housing that no one can afford to rent or buy, on major sites like Canada Water, but it looks like that is what we might be getting, if the Section 73 is approved. We will never solve the housing crisis this way.”
In response to the concerns raised by the local community, Helen Denis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development at Southwark Council, said: “All planning applications in Southwark must meet the needs of our borough, including our policies and requirements for green space, local business, transport and genuinely affordable housing.
“We are especially focused on the need to deliver homes that Southwark residents can afford, and that has been conveyed to the applicant in the strongest terms.”
She added: “We are aware of the viability challenges which have underpinned this current planning application but delivering a scheme that meets the needs of the local community is paramount, and indeed, the very basis of the Canada Water Masterplan. The planning process is still in motion, but we hope to convey our final position in the coming months.”
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