Residents furious that £4billion redevelopment The Canada Water Masterplan is putting schools and nature reserve in the shade

Residents are furious a £4billion redevelopment will literally put their homes in the shade.

The Canada Water Masterplan, was approved by Southwark council in September 2019.

But in two locations the project will cause harmful shading to residential flats, schools and nature reserves.

The construction of a 34-storey development outside Canada Water Tube station will put the Columbia Point Estate into shade between 7am and midday all year round. (picture below)

British Land PLC, the developer behind the master plan, were informed of the effect on residents but said the scheme has ‘policy compliance’.

Less than one kilometre away, the master plan will also build a social housing block. But this, it’s claimed will shade two junior schools and a nature reserve called The Stave Hill Ecological Park.

The shading is expected to cover both school playgrounds and the schoolchildren’s apple orchard.

It will also put the nature reserve’s hop garden and butterfly sanctuary into shade – potentially killing both.

Rebecca Clark, is the Treasurer of friends of Stave Hill Ecology Park.

She has worked in the area and maintained the park for 15 years.

She said: “This ecology park is a healthy ecosystem with rare species.

For example, it has 93 species of fungi and one type of bee that is very rare to London. These all need to be carefully managed.

“It’s got to be a sustainable development that works with what is already here. Not cut and paste development.”

At the pre-planning stage, this development was agreed to be only 28 flats in size and a low-level building to protect both schools and the reserve.

But residents were furious when it emerged that the development would be a six-storey building with 80 flats.

Frustrated residents who oppose the Canada Water Masterplan have begun to raise funds through a community funding platform to take on British Land PLC and the Southwark council.