British Land has submitted some further changes to the planning application for the Canada Water Masterplan (ref. 18/AP/1604), which include most significantly, an increase in the provision of affordable housing.

Southwark Council is carrying out statutory consultation on these amendments between 27 June and 17 July.

Revised Affordable Housing Offer

Delivering more homes, including affordable homes, is a key issue for local residents, and we recognise how important it is that we provide homes that support local community needs. Following our ongoing discussions with local residents, Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority (GLA), we are now committing to:

• Delivering 35% affordable homes across all phases of the Masterplan, not just in the first phase;
• A policy compliant housing mix, with 70% of the affordable homes provided at social rent levels (set by Southwark Council) and 30% as Intermediate affordable homes (in line with GLA household income caps).
• Providing homes suitable for families with 60% of the affordable homes having two bedrooms or more;
• A Local Lettings Agreement which will prioritise a proportion of affordable homes for qualifying local residents.

We have also assessed the likely impact that the revised housing proposal would have on other aspects of the Masterplan, such as play space and demand for school places and health facilities, to ensure that appropriate social infrastructure is also provided.

Other changes and additional information

Following ongoing discussions with Southwark Council and Transport for London (TfL), we have conducted some further testing on the potential impact of the Masterplan on the local road network. This includes three potential future public highway schemes currently being developed by the Council and TfL which are:

• Cycleway 4 (formerly Cycle Superhighway 4) (Jamaica Road to Evelyn Street corridor);
• Lower Road gyratory including Cycleway 4;
• Rotherhithe to Peckham cycle route (Future Route 12).

British Land remains committed to ensuring a sustainable development focused on maximising the number of journeys made by non-car modes of transport including walking, cycling and public transport.

We have also made some minor amendments to the proposals for the Interim Petrol Filling Station (IPFS), which is one of four detailed plots to be considered when the scheme comes before the planning committee.

What happens now?

You can send your comments on these amendments to Southwark Council, who are undertaking statutory consultation between 27 June – 17 July 2019. A full summary of the changes can be found in the Planning Resubmission Cover Letter here, and all the planning application documents relating to these changes are available on Southwark Council’s Planning Register here. Planning application documents can also be viewed upon request at Canada Water Library.

Further information on these amendments can also be found in the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section of our website here

Following the statutory consultation period (taking place between 27 June and 17 July), we are expecting that the application will be heard at Southwark Council’s Planning Committee which is now likely to be after the summer holidays.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any points in relation to this letter or other aspects of the Masterplan then please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team here.