Many of us might consider taking it easy for a while after pulling off two of the era’s most significant regeneration schemes. Clearly, Roger Madelin is cut from different cloth. Two-and-a-half years ago, he surprised the property world by announcing he was leaving Argent to join British Land. During his almost 20 years with Argent he had overseen the regeneration of Birmingham’s Brindleyplace and the transformation of London’s King’s Cross.

Madelin was lured across to British Land to take charge of its long-planned redevelopment of Canada Water, the chunk of London’s Docklands that is south of the River Thames. After being offered the job, he says, he spent three hours walking around the site with his wife before making the decision to take it. 

Last month, the project reached its first major landmark when British Land submitted an outline planning application to Southwark council for a masterplan for Canada Water. On the same day, the FTSE 100-quoted property company announced that it had secured a master development agreement with Southwark council for the 53-acre site. 

“That’s Roger’s genius: he does things for rational commercial reasons as well as for all the other good ones”

Chris Brown, Igloo

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