Hundreds of new flats will be built in Rotherhithe after the next two stages of the Canada Water Masterplan got approval last night (Tuesday, July 26).
The two stages – called Zone L and Zone F – are to the east of the dock, covering part of the shopping centre and the north-eastern Printworks site respectively.
Zone L will have 237 homes in three buildings. Some 137 of the flats will be for social rent and 37 will be intermediate – 80 per cent of market rates. The remaining 63 will be for private sale. Zone L will also have offices, shops and spaces for community use, and open courtyards for everyone to use.
Zone F will have 410 homes in two buildings, all of which will be for private sale. This part will also have offices and shops, as well as public roof terraces.
The three buildings in Zone L are nine storeys, nine storeys and eight storeys respectively. The two buildings in Zone F are 37 storeys and 34 storeys.
The entire Canada Water masterplan, which is already being built in part by British Land, got outline planning permission – meaning the development is given the green light in principle – in May 2020. Each stage is now being put to the planning committee for full permission.
Speaking at Southwark Council’s planning committee meeting on Tuesday night, Rotherhithe councillor Kath Whittam pointed out that Zone L’s urban greening factor – which shows how much planting and green space a development includes – was lower than the London development guidelines.
Officers replied that the outline planning permission for the development was agreed before urban greening was introduced into the London Plan, but that British Land would meet the guidelines across the entire masterplan, if public space was also included.
The social rent and intermediate homes in Zone L will be separate from the private homes. The social rent homes will be split across the nine-storey L1 block, with the nine-storey L2 block containing social and intermediate flats. All of the private flats will be in the eight-storey L3 building.
Committee chair Cllr Richard Livingstone asked if the social rent and private blocks would be maintained to different standards, but officers said the difference between the buildings would be “imperceptible”.
Meanwhile, the current Odeon cinema in the Surrey Quays shopping centre is in Zone F, and will be knocked down. British Land have agreed to find a new cinema provider to replace the Odeon somewhere in the masterplan area, but there may be a gap where there is no theatre.
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Councillors at the committee asked how long British Land have to look for a cinema provider before we say ‘we’ll let you off’.
Officers said the plan was to check nine months after outline planning permission, then a further eighteen months after that. British Land told them after nine months that they couldn’t secure an operator, but said they “remain committed” to finding someone to open a cinema.
Another concern with Zone F was the windiness that the high buildings would cause. Cllr Whittam told planning officers: “You say that nothing has changed since the outline planning was passed, but we didn’t know the shape of the building, adding that she was worried about the microclimate that would “swirl around”.
The officers’ report warns that “there would be locations with occurrences of strong winds with the potential to be a safety concern to more vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists”.
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Cllr Whittam added: “That cannot have been known fully at the outline planning so it should be a material consideration for us to determine tonight, and I would argue that planting a few trees and putting a few pots in does not mitigate against vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists being blown away.”
Officers said that “wind mitigation” measures like trees would make conditions more comfortable, and added that British Land would have to submit a detailed wind strategy.
The proposals are car-free, and officers said that meant that the developments would not increase parking demand in the area. But Southwark Council has already introduced a controlled parking zone on the Rotherhithe, meaning you have to pay to park. One objector to Zone F said that the paid-for parking permits were brought in “not because we local residents need them but because the Council want to accommodate significant development with inadequate parking provision.”
Officers said that “the development seeks to maximise sustainable modes of transport and has made provision for walking and cycling in the design. Further, substantial contributions would be paid towards increasing public transport infrastructure.”
Zone L got unanimous approval from the six members of the planning committee. Zone F was approved by four, with Cllr Whittam and her fellow Rotherhithe Labour councillor Bethan Roberts abstaining.
A spokesperson for British Land said: “Zone L and Zone F offer really exciting opportunities to provide much needed new homes and office space for local people. We are really pleased to have received planning permission for both schemes, that will see 174 much needed affordable homes delivered.”
“The vision for Canada Water is to deliver a new town centre, connected with the local community; a place where everyone living, working, and studying in the local area truly belongs and can access the opportunities that it will bring, sharing in its success.
“The delivery of a significant amount of new affordable homes, the majority at social rent, alongside new public spaces, marks a significant step in delivering this, and we’re grateful to everyone locally who viewed and commented on the plans prior to their approval.”