Delivering up to 3,000 new net zero homes, office space for an estimated 20,000 workers and up to one million sq. ft. of leisure, cultural and education facilities, the 53-acre Canada Water masterplan is a once in a generation opportunity to reimagine a 21st century town centre for London.

Located in the heart of London – on the intersection of the Jubilee and Overground lines, just an 11-minute tube ride from the West End, 9-minute overground ride to Shoreditch and a short tube, bus, bike or walk to the City – yet surrounded by over 160 acres of green spaces, park, woodland and some of London’s most historic docks, Canada Water’s location is truly unique. The masterplan will add 12 acres of new parks and squares for the local community and visitors to enjoy, as well as green corridors linking everything together.

The masterplan will deliver the right mix of homes, shops, offices, and things to do and see that will appeal to everyone from all walks of life - from pubs, shops and restaurants to a new leisure centre with a swimming pool, gyms and sports facilities. With more people under 35 living within a 45-minute commute than any new regeneration scheme in London, Canada Water is easily accessible to London’s huge and diverse pool of talent.

Emma Cariaga, Joint Head of Canada Water, British Land, said, “We have an incredible opportunity at Canada Water. The chance to reimagine an entire town centre – in the heart of London, surrounded by parks and waterways – comes once in a lifetime.

“A truly unique place, Canada Water is central, but has a local, leafy feel. It is the sort of place where you’ll know your neighbours and feel part of a real community, where businesses can grow and where people will put down roots. A diverse area that is already home to people from all walks of life, the development will not only preserve but enhance all of the local history, character and biodiversity that’s already here.

“Canada Water will be the perfect place for people that want to live and work in green, healthy spaces with a real sense of community within walking distance of a range of amenities – themes that have become increasingly important since the pandemic.”

All of this will be achieved in the most sustainable way, not just in terms of the environment but also the local community. Canada Water will be a net zero neighbourhood by 2030, delivered through materials innovation and a ‘sustainability first’ approach to all elements of design and construction.¹ In addition, British Land has spent the last decade getting to know the local community and establishing initiatives that lay the foundations for local people to benefit from the opportunities the development will generate.²

Councillor Helen Dennis, cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable development at Southwark Council, said: “We are seizing the unique opportunity to transform a historic London docklands location into a distinctive, new waterside town centre in partnership with British Land and AustralianSuper.

“With easy links to central London and all that Southwark offers, Canada Water will have something for everyone. From thousands of new homes, particularly hundreds of much-needed social rent homes, to new shops, offices, open spaces and a brand-new public leisure centre.

“Thanks to ongoing collaboration with the local community, we are bringing forward a vibrant, diverse neighbourhood with a strong connection to the area’s rich heritage. We recently approved planning for a 1.5 million sq. ft commercial scheme at Canada Water Dockside that will further strengthen our exciting plans with British Land to create a thriving business destination and new town centre for Southwark and London alike.”

The masterplan is being brought to life through a 50:50 joint venture between British Land and AustralianSuper, Australia’s biggest profit-to-member pension fund. The joint-venture, which was announced in March 2022, has resulted in additional funding to progress the major regeneration scheme. Phase 1 of the masterplan is already under construction and is expected to be complete in Q3 2024.

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Additional quotes

Peter Murray OBE, Chairman of New London Architecture

“From Belgravia to Bedford Park to Kings Cross, London is host to a wide variety of well-designed neighbourhoods that are great places to live, to work and to play. They have good masterplans, appropriate architecture and welcoming squares and spaces. Canada Water is shaping up to be one of those exemplary places. With a first class design and development team, it is creating a new active centre in place of suburban shopping sheds. At NLA we celebrate London’s polycentric nature: its historic towns that create a many-centred city. It is a key part of the capital’s DNA and Canada Water is a continuance of that tradition, designed to take account of the changing nature of cities and the way we work. The idea of the 15 minute city has been much publicised as a response to COVID. Canada Water is a perfect example of that concept with all the amenities that people want and need within easy walking and cycling distance but with speedy links into the centre when required. Wellbeing and sustainability are a given as part of the design brief, making Canada Water a model post-pandemic urban environment.”

Paul Eaton, Partner, Allies and Morrison

“It has been a pleasure to work with British Land, the wider team and the local Rotherhithe community to design Canada Water's evolution into a piece of city. This masterplan is a genuine and exciting opportunity to create a place that is characterful, well-connected and diverse. A distinctive network of streets, lanes, cycle paths, walkable routes and green spaces will knit Canada Water into its surroundings while the plan builds on the site's historic dockland and riverside qualities. Our aspiration is to create enduring and adaptable spaces and buildings that can facilitate sustainable growth for the long-term."

Sandra Ferguson, CEO, Tree Shepherd

“British Land is working closely with the Rotherhithe community to ensure that local people and businesses benefit from the regeneration of Canada Water. Our partnership with the project team on Thrive, for example, has successfully repurposed disused space to bring new low-cost workspace, skills-based training and mentoring to residents and small business owners. Our ambition is to ensure the entrepreneurs and start-ups that make Canada Water the great place it is today can grow with the development and be part of the Canada Water of the future.”

Appendix

Environmental sustainability credentials

• Canada Water will be a net zero neighbourhood by 2030. This will be achieved through materials innovation and a sustainability first approach to all elements of design and construction. From earth friendly concrete to an all-electric energy strategy which uses 100% renewable electricity, to heat sharing between offices and homes, to finding new ways to give old buildings a new lease of life.
• The regeneration project was the first in the UK to use cement-free concrete, ‘Earth Friendly Concrete’, in permanent works for one of the first phase plots, cutting embodied carbon by 45%. This material is now being explored across the masterplan
• Each of the 35 to 40 new buildings will have its own low temperature heat network, avoiding the heat loss associated with district heating networks, while excess heat from the commercial elements of the scheme will be rediverted for use within the residential space, further minimising heat and energy loss.
• The low temperature networks will use combined air and water source heat pumps, widely used in Scandinavia but new to the UK, powered solely by electricity generated from renewable sources.
• To future proof the buildings and ensure they operate as efficiently as possible, technology will be installed to monitor usage patterns and the data will be used to optimise energy output, drive efficiencies and cut carbon.
• Public transport improvements will increase train frequency at Surrey Quays overground station, boost capacity at Canada Water underground station and deliver two new bus routes and 1,000 new electric car charging points.
• Over 1,200 trees will be planted and captured rainwater will be used to reinstate water levels in the surrounding docks, helping to revive and enhance the local ecology.
• Cycle parking for 10,000 bikes will be provided to encourage sustainable travel, and a network of pathways and cycle ways stretching 3.8km across the site will connect the Canada Water masterplan to surrounding areas.

Social sustainability credentials

• British Land has spent the last decade getting to know the local community and establishing initiatives that lay the foundations for local people to benefit from the opportunities the development will generate.
• We aim to embed social sustainability across all of our activities, from what and how we design, the construction process, and how we manage our places.
• We have sought to leverage social impact from across the design and planning process, by asking our consultants to get involved in the local area through volunteering and pro-bono. Through this programme two senior team members from key consultants have taken on trustee roles with local charities.
• All four of our main contractors have developed and are implementing a detailed community and skills plan setting out their targets and actions to support local employment, apprenticeships, business and social regeneration throughout their contract period. To date we’ve helped seven local residents into sustained employment as part of the enabling works.
• We have an ongoing community investment programme which seeks to support the local community to be part of the development and benefit from the opportunities created. Key examples include:
  • The Paper Garden is a learning and growing space set up by Global Generation and supported by British Land, that’s helping to work out what local people – especially children – want to see from their new public spaces and parks. Ideas that began in the Paper Garden have gone on to become part of the masterplan. Over 1,200 people have taken part in their ecology and arts workshops already and helped design new public sculptures as part of the new interim petrol station development.
  • Thrive in partnership with Tree Shepherd was launched in February [2019]. Thrive combines creating a new low-cost workspace – with meeting rooms, makerspace and super-fast Wi-Fi, with a business support hub which provides local residents with access to free professional business advice and mentoring, networking events and start-up training workshops. Our aim is to grow local businesses that become part of the future development. More information can be found here.
  • Shaping Southwark’s Youth was established by British Land, United St. Saviour’s Charity, Construction Youth Trust and Southwark Construction Skills Centre. Working with Southwark schools, the partnership helps local young people reach their potential through world-of-work skills development and by promoting real opportunities within construction and the wider built environment. The pilot phase has supported over 100 young residents into further education or employment and allowed many more to connect to the re-shaping of their borough through work experience and site visits.
• See our website for further details of our community programme: https://www.canadawatermasterplan.com/community/education

Notes to Editors

About the Canada Water Masterplan

The Canada Water Masterplan is a 50:50 joint venture between British Land and AustralianSuper, working in partnership with Southwark Council to create a new town centre for London.

The Masterplan is a 53-acre, mixed-use scheme that will deliver around two million sq ft of workspace to accommodate approximately 20,000 jobs, around one million sq ft of retail, leisure, entertainment, education and community space, and around 3,000 new homes, of which 35% will be affordable.

With wellbeing embedded into the masterplan, and buildings to support low carbon living, the project will also create 12 acres of new open space, including a 3.5-acre park, a new Town Square, the first new high street in London for 100 years and 16 new streets.

The Masterplan was granted permission in late 2019. In March 2022 British Land entered into a 50:50 joint venture with AustralianSuper, Australia’s biggest profit-to-member pension fund, providing additional funding to accelerate the major regeneration scheme, with Phase 1 expected to complete in Q3 2024.

¹See Appendix: Environmental sustainability credentials for more detail
²See Appendix: Social sustainability credentials for more detail