Government approval has been granted for The Shell Centre to be redeveloped meaning that the £1bn project will start in the next couple of months, undertaken by Canary Wharf Contractors. The 1.45 million sq ft. project will be a mixed use scheme comprising offices, residential and retail units.

The project sets out to deliver local benefits with new jobs and employment programmes, hundreds of new homes including much needed affordable housing, together with open spaces and a park. Working closely with local stakeholders they hope that the commencement of the construction phase is as considerate as possible to the local community, so that the area gets the regeneration the area needs having been neglected somewhat in recent years. The priority is to get the construction moving so that businesses, residents and visitors to the local area are able to reap the benefits as soon as possible.

The redevelopment is seen as making a positive contribution to the South Bank and the wider area around Waterloo. The 27-storey Shell Tower will remain the centerpiece of the project, and will allow Shell’s London staff to be based in one location for the first time. Eight new buildings will be added which will see a total of 800,000 sq ft of office space, with around 60,000 sq ft of new retail units, restaurants and cafes. Alongside this will be around 800,000 sq ft of residential space incorporating 877 new homes.

The construction will take place over the next six years and will employ an average of 700 workers on-site, which will rise to 1,600 at the peak of the construction. So plenty of opportunity for local employment during and after construction and it means that hi-vis clothing and hard hats are going to be a common sight around Waterloo for the next few years.