British Land has submitted some minor changes to the Canada Water Masterplan planning application. These have been received by Southwark Council, who are undertaking statutory consultation between 14 March and 3 April 2019.

These minor changes are being made following further detailed design work by the project team. However, the key benefits of the Masterplan remain as follows:

• 3,000 new homes in total. This includes 265 homes in the first phase of the development with 35% affordable housing (at a split of 70% social rent and 30% intermediate affordable);
• A wide range of significant community benefits, including a new police hub, space for a health centre and a replacement leisure centre for Seven Islands;
• Expansion of an existing primary school, space for a Sixth Form, aspiration for higher education offer;
• 2 million square feet of workspace (equivalent to More London) and c. 1 million square feet of retail, leisure, entertainment and community space, including a new relocated Tesco store;
• 15 acres of open space, including a new town square, a new high street, ecological enhancements to the western edge of Canada Water Dock and a new park;
• 20,000 new jobs when completed;

We are continuing to work closely with Southwark Council and expect the application to be heard at Planning Committee in the coming months.

A summary of the minor changes to the detailed plot proposals is below. A full summary of the changes can be found in the Planning Resubmission Cover Letter here

This covers the four plots known as A1, A2, K1 and C. A location plan of these plots can be found here.

Plot A1 – A 35 storey building providing 186 new homes, five storeys of office space and new shops and restaurants at ground floor level.

• We are proposing to increase the size of the internal residential communal space at first floor level.

Plot A2 – A six storey building, stepping down to five storeys towards Lower Road, which will house the new leisure centre, shops and food outlets at ground floor level, and new offices on  the upper levels.

• A new roof terrace at the fifth floor for use by the office workers based in the building. The terrace has been positioned and designed so that users can’t overlook neighbouring houses or gardens.
• We have also changed the proposed material on the back of the building (when viewing the building from Lower Road) from timber to terracotta. The terracotta cladding will be light and warm in tone, similar to the previous timber proposal.

Plot K1 – A five to six storey residential building providing 79 much needed affordable homes (compliant with Southwark Council’s affordable housing policy and including social rented and intermediate tenures).

• We are making some minor changes to the internal layouts of the proposed eight wheelchair accessible homes in the building to ensure that they fully meet Southwark Council’s design standards.

Plot C – Interim Petrol Filling Station – The existing Tesco petrol station is being relocated to the southern section of the existing Surrey Quays Shopping Centre car park.

• The underground fuel tanks beneath the petrol station forecourt have been repositioned and the structural columns which support the roof of the filling station have been redesigned.

 Outline Masterplan Proposals – This covers the plans for the remainder of the site:

• We have increased the depth of the basement beneath Zone L (located on the Printworks site adjacent to Quebec Way).

In response to feedback from local stakeholders, we have reviewed the overshadowing impact of the Masterplan, and specifically K1, on Russia Dock Woodland and Stave Hill Ecology Park. We have provided additional information which indicates that there are no additional environmental impacts as a result of the proposals, and that the findings of the Environmental Statement remain valid. The report can be viewed here.

What happens now?

You can send your comments on these changes to Southwark Council, who are undertaking statutory consultation between 14 March and 3 April 2019. All of the documents relating to the changes are available on Southwark Council’s planning register here, and more information on the planning application can be found on our website here. Planning application documents can also be viewed at Canada Water Library, and if you would like to get in touch with the Canada Water Masterplan team, please contact team@canadawater.mc-staging.net.