By Anna Highfield
Architects have proposed significant changes to the £4bn Canada Water masterplan.
Construction News’ sister title Architects’ Journal reports that Allies and Morrison has proposed changes to the heights, uses and massing of a number of the buildings in the high-rise scheme – partly to meet second staircase requirements.
Between 1 and 13 additional storeys are proposed across 11 of the buildings. All residential buildings over 18m (seven storeys) would increase in height to accommodate second staircases.
The British Land-backed masterplan, which was approved by Southwark Council in 2020, promises a ‘new town centre’ for the borough, including more than 3,000 homes, 40 new buildings, and three clusters of high-rise towers.
British Land says the changes, proposed via a Section 73 planning application and under consultation, would ‘adapt the project to the changing regulatory and economic environment’, responding to both the Building Safety Act 2022 and the increase in building costs of recent years.
A company spokesperson said: ‘We are in discussions with Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority to amend the original Canada Water Masterplan.
‘The proposed changes allow us to continue delivery of significant community benefits while responding to changes to building regulations including the Building Safety Act, as well as macro-economic factors such as steep construction cost inflation and sharp interest rate rises.’
The masterplan covers the former Daily Mail printworks, the Surrey Quays Shopping and Leisure Centre, the Dock Offices and the former Rotherhithe Police Station.
Plans were originally submitted in 2018 but the scheme was later reduced in height after Historic England argued that seven tall buildings in the proposal would harm views of some of the capital’s most famous landmarks.
The approved scheme still generated a high level of concern over building heights, with 233 objections (compared with 48 supporting letters), and a 330-signature petition from the Canada Water West Resident Action Group calling for building heights to be limited to that of the existing Ontario Point tower (87m).
The latest planning documents for the project say tall buildings will ‘play a significant role in transforming Canada Water into a new town centre’.
The Canada Water masterplan secured a £39.1 million GLA grant in 2019 and is being built in phases. Phase 1 remains on track for completion this year, according to British Land.
Completed elements include 79 council homes, which were occupied last year, and Dock public realm upgrades by Townshend Landscape Architects which opened in November, including a wetlands area, dock steps and an Asif Khan-designed bridge.
British Land says a new leisure centre will be completed and delivered in spring, and a further 186 more homes will be complete by May.
The 2020 approval includes 35 per cent affordable housing with 25 per cent social rent and 10 per cent intermediate.
Alongside the outline, detailed proposals were submitted for three plots with 265 homes, approximately 93,000m² of workspace, a leisure centre and ‘enhancements’ to Canada Water dock.
The first plot, A1, is also designed by Allies and Morrison and includes a 35-storey tower providing 186 homes and 10,700m² of office and retail in an adjoining six-storey building.
The practice has also designed a second building, A2, which overlooks Canada Water, with 15,800m² of flexible workspace, wide planted balconies and a public leisure centre beneath, complete with an eight-lane swimming pool.
Architects involved in subsequent phases include Hawkins\Brown and Maccreanor Lavington. The public realm elements of were designed by Townshend Landscape Architects.
The entire masterplan is expected to take about 15 years to deliver.
