Canary Wharf Group North Quay unveils 3.8m sq ft development proposals

Canary Wharf Group has set out plans for a 3.8 million sq ft development on the North Quay site at Canary Wharf.

The proposals, master-planned by leading architects Allies and Morrison, have been submitted to the local planning authority, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

The site, which is immediately adjacent to Crossrail’s new Elizabeth Line station on the north side of Canary Wharf, will create a vibrant mixed-use district and accommodate up to 2.5 million sq ft of commercial office space and up to 1.6 million sq ft of residential space, within a flexible framework to suit the demands of future London.

North Quay is the largest undeveloped site remaining at Canary Wharf and one of the largest development sites in London. New public realm in the form of streets and squares will be at the heart of the scheme creating connections between Canary Wharf and South Poplar and integrating with the key transport hubs of the Elizabeth Line and DLR. Previously inaccessible dockside will form the backbone of the design providing a 250-metre-long east-west waterside promenade. The flexible framework will enable a campus of buildings with a mix of uses, integrated with ground level amenities, retail and open space providing a vibrant, urban feel.

The project will incorporate CWG’s commitment to sustainable development with all new homes net zero carbon and climate-resilient. Office buildings will target BREEAM Outstanding level for sustainability.

The development plans at North Quay are in addition to a further 2 million sq ft CWG has underway in construction projects and a further 2.5 million sq ft in design.

Sir George Iacobescu CBE, Executive Chairman of Canary Wharf Group, said: “North Quay is a unique location and one of the largest single development sites in London.  Our plans offer a great new place to work and to live, with extensive public realm, high-quality retail, and new connections, next to a brand new railway station.

“This will be a fantastic addition to the Canary Wharf estate and offer an exceptional environment for a range of occupiers and sectors including health and life sciences, technology, media, financial or business services organisations.

“In a dynamic and unpredictable world, the extensive flexibility in this plan will enable us to respond quickly to market demand within a framework agreed with the local authority.”

This outline planning permission has been designed to allow for flexibility in the same way as Canary Wharf Group’s Wood Wharf project, which is currently being built.

The flexible framework set out in the planning application includes options for:

• Between 1.6 and 2.5 million sq ft of business space
• Up to 1.6 million sq ft of residential apartments
• Up to 640,000 sq ft of retail and / or leisure and / or community uses

Other options for uses on site include student housing, hotels and serviced apartments and co-living space.