Construction activity

Plot A1 and A2, Canada Dock, Surrey Quays Shopping Centre car park and surrounding area

Plot A1 

Plot A1 will provide a new 35-storey building which will provide residential homes, alongside retail and office space. Expected completion is in winter 2024.  

Wates, the main contractor building Plot A1, current phase of works includes construction of the reinforced concrete structure. The office block of the building is now structurally complete, and the residential tower is taking shape now the core is complete. The façade of the building and the internal the fit out have begun. Wates has produced a helpful note which provides more detail on how we monitor and record construction activities on Plot A1.  

The working hours at Plot A1 allow an additional hour either side of standard working hours to enable the use of the two passenger hoists on the main tower. One hoist is located along the Deal Porters Way side and another along the Surrey Quays Road side, both are within the site boundary. This work has been approved by Southwark Council and the working hours of the hoist are as follows:

Monday to Friday: 7am to 7pm, with standard construction works only permitted from 8am to 6pm

Saturday: 8am to 3pm, with standard construction works only permitted from 9am to 2pm

The hoist will run no earlier than the agreed limit of 7am. During the additional time each day, only hoist related activities will take place. This will also include the required safety checks on each hoist. Wates will continue to monitor all site activities to ensure permittable noise threshold levels are not exceeded.

Plot A2 

Plot A2 will include Canada Water Leisure Centre at ground and basement level, retail and food outlets along the new High Street, and workspace at the upper levels. Expected completion is in autumn 2024. 

Mace, the main contractor building Plot A2, continues to install the steel frame and precast concrete slabs. For this element of the work, large steel frame components are transported to site and lifted into place using both tower and mobile cranes. Precast slabs are then fitted to the steel work to create the floor slab on each level. This is completed with the concrete topping of the floor slabs which requires concrete to be poured from mobile pumps that are visible above the hoarding line.

Mace is erecting scaffolding to the perimeter of the building, to allow for cladding installation. The scaffolding will be full perimeter scaffolding (excluding the elevation facing Canada Dock) and up to the full height of the building and fully encased in branded monarflex (a scaffold sheeting). As the cladding works progress, the scaffolding will be removed in sections. The cladding is installed internally, within the encased scaffold, and is programmed to complete in early 2024.

Internally, the blockwork wall construction is progressing well and the first mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements are being introduced throughout the building.

All work is carried out in accordance with industry standards and the levels set by Southwark Council’s environment team. Mace has produced a helpful note which provides more detail on how we monitor and record site impact and the limits we work within on Plot A2. 

One tower crane is in operation at Plot A2. The crane will not oversail residential properties at any time during operation.

Haul road and vehicle access

The entrance to the haul road is on Lower Road. Traffic marshals are located on Lower Road to ensure there is no traffic build up and to ensure safety for all. Construction vehicles access the site via the haul road and leave site via the pit lane along Surrey Quays Road or Deal Porters Way. On occasion, construction traffic will be required to exit onto Lower Road via the haul road. There will also be occasions where vehicles will need to reverse into the haul road due to safety reasons. 

Between Monday 11th - Friday 22nd December, the haul road will be closed to accommodate a mobile crane for Plot A1. Throughout the closure, traffic management will be in place and construction vehicles will access Plots A1 and A2 via the south of Deal Porters Way.

Transport for London (TfL) works 

TfL are undertaking improvement works to Surrey Quays Station including a new station entrance, providing step free access, improve station capacity and accessibility. The next phase of work will involve investigative excavation works within Lower Road and there will be some traffic management in place during this time. TfL have written to close by neighbours to inform them of the work. 

Surrey Quays Shopping Centre car park

Borehole investigation work has commenced in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre car park and within Mace's site compound. The work involves breaking out the pavement to conduct geotechnical and environmental assessments. To conduct the work, a small number of parking spaces will be suspended as each borehole is carried out. The work is not expected to impact on pedestrian or vehicle movements and we will aim to minimise disruption as far as possible. The work is due to complete in mid-December. 

Canada Dock

Work to revitalise the dock continues, including laying foundations for the southern steps, boardwalk construction and landscaping. The new 170-metre boardwalk is scheduled to complete in summer 2024 and landscaping is scheduled to finish in late summer 2024. Works in and around the dock include: 

• Boardwalk construction is ongoing. The frame of the boardwalk is built first which is then followed by the installation of timber. To facilitate this there will be timber and steel deliveries to the dock site compound. You may notice an increase in vehicles in the area during this time and to allow movement of the delivery vehicles, a limited number of car parking spaces will be restricted temporarily.
• Hoarding along the southern edge of the dock will be in place until autumn 2024. Due to construction the footpath width along the southern edge of the dock has been reduced to 3m temporarily. We expect this restriction to be in place until summer 2024.
• Earthworks and deep soil mixing to lay the foundations for the southern steps are ongoing and are due to complete in early 2024.
• Landscaping is taking place in phases as construction progresses. In December, trees will be planted along the Deal Porters Way edge of the dock. 

Galldris have permission from Southwark Council to continue deep soil mixing works until 7pm and a 30-minute shoulder period after work has completed for cleaning of their piling rig using a jet washer, and for closing down and leaving site. All associated work will be finished by 7:30pm. No other construction work will take place in this period, and we will aim to minimise disruption as much as possible.  

To enable work in the dock, the Deal Porters Sculpture has been safely removed and stored in a specialist sub-contractor warehouse in Bristol where it will be refurbished. Refurbishment works include the repair and replacement of oak elements, the cleaning and repair of the steel arc and the treatment of cast figures. In early 2024 following the completion of the work to the sculpture, the sculpture will be reinstated in the same position in the dock, although at a slightly higher elevation to provide a better view and interact with the new walkway. 

Galldris is working closely with environmental specialists, including an Ecological Clerk of Works who visits the site daily, to make sure that the works cause minimal disturbances to the current environment and its inhabitants as possible. Mitigation measures include the provision of a silt curtain which runs to the full depth of the dock and prevents the spread of water containing sentiment. Monthly water quality testing is being carried out which has met the required standards.
 

Quebec Way and surrounding areas 

Below ground substation (Zone L)

The new below ground substation, located at the rear of the Printworks, on Quebec Way, will supply power to the Canada Water development as well as the wider community. UKPN are currently undertaking the fit out/installation section of works to allow for the main works to take place. Galldris will return in 2024 to install covers over the transformer bays, before UKPN return to continue with the fit out/installation. The site will reach full operation by late 2025.

Works being undertaken by UK Power Networks 

UK Power Networks will be installing state of the art electricity equipment in the newly built substation in stages. 

In early November, UK Power Networks began delivering large electricity equipment to site. Works included the delivery and positioning of two transformers into the substation via a 500-tonne crane. A third transformer will be delivered and positioned by the early 2024. You may notice an increase in vehicular movement along Quebec Way during this time. Notice has been provided ahead of the works and UK Power Networks will aim to minimise disruption where possible. 

UK Power Networks started cable installation works within Southwark last year. These new cables will supply the electricity for the new substation. Later in the year, UK Power Networks will begin cable route works around New Cross Substation by installing cable ducts underground. Notice will be provided by letter ahead of the works conducted by UKPN.

Zone H

Enabling works for Printworks Street and Reel Street (working names)

Construction of new access roads and the installation of new below ground infrastructure, to facilitate the development is ongoing in the Printworks area. All works are now taking place within the site boundary and include installation of drainage and service infrastructure and tarmacking of the new roads. Construction of the new roads is anticipated to complete in summer 2024. We will aim to minimise disruption as much as possible and noise barriers will be installed around the area of works. 

The Printworks building

Works to the existing Printworks building are ongoing. Under the conditions of British Land's 2022 Reserved Matters Application (RMA), planning permission was granted by Southwark Council to begin these enabling works on the Printworks building. This work will help make way for the new public routes and destinations, including the 3.5-acre Park. The works will continue until autumn 2024 and are outlined below.

• From Monday 11th December, Wates will begin the removal of cladding, roofing, internal floor slabs and the building's adjacent warehouses. You may notice the presence of larger machinery on site to facilitate this. 
• Increased vehicle movement within the site compound and along Surrey Quays Road to deliver materials. 
• The steel frame structure of the building will be kept for the construction stage.

          Works will take place within standard working hours: Monday – Friday (8am-6pm) and Saturday (8am-2pm (no noisy works before 9am). When necessary, excessively noisy works will take place for 2 hours, and then pause for 2 hours, to minimise disruption. During the 2-hour break, other less noisy construction  activity may still take place. Wates will aim to minimise disruption as much as possible. 

Paper Yard

From 30th November, Thames Water are due to complete drainage works along the footpath outside Paper Yard. Cones will be used to mark out the work area and pedestrian barriers will be in place for the duration of works. We will aim to minimise disruption as far as possible.