Developer British Land and an Urban Catalyst–Multiplex joint venture head a longlist of eight for the £400m redevelopment of Canada Water in south-east London.
Southwark council intended to whittle the 12 initial bidders down to four but decided that it did not have enough information to decide a shortlist. Southwark property team member Adam Faulkner said: “At a meeting, the Canada Water quality panel decided that it needed to introduce another step. The 12 bidders were cut to eight by judging financial capability and development record.”

Two of the teams dropped were a Tesco–Slough Estates joint venture and a consortium put together by Danish firm Foreign Properties APS, both of which are landowners at Canada Water and have drawn up masterplans for the site in the past. Tesco–Slough Estates submitted its vision for the site to council planners last week. The consortium owns roughly half the 16 ha site.

The other six runners, in addition to Urban Catalyst and British Land, are Wimpey–Countryside Properties, St George, Persimmon Homes–Barratt Developments, Allied London Properties, London & Amsterdam and Taylor Woodrow. ARC Studios–Murphy Phillips and Federal Developments also failed to make the cut.

We want to create a new town centre for the peninsula

Stephen Platts, Southwark council

The longlisted bidders received notification this week that they must submit detailed drawings for the scheme by the end of next month. Interviews will follow on 9 and 10 December. A preferred bidder is expected to submit an outline planning application by the middle of next year.