Newspaper tycoon Richard Desmond has kicked off demolition at Northern & Shell’s Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs where more than 700 homes are to be built.
Mace is acting as development manager for the 15-acre waterside residential scheme, which will provide a mix of private and affordable homes.
Demolition contractor Erith will clear the Northern & Shell printworks site
The scheme will see nine blocks built, ranging from four to 30 storeys high — along with a secondary school and offices — on the edge of the Millwall Outer Dock.
Desmond said: “My company, Northern & Shell, was the first owner, developer and occupier in 1982 in London Docklands and we moved our publishing business and headquarters there. This helped our small business then to expand and we have been proud to be associated with the regeneration of London Docklands for 35 years. This connection was reinforced with our acquisition of the Express Newspapers group in 2000 together with its ground-breaking printing operation – Westferry Printworks which provided hundreds of jobs for the people of Docklands and the surrounding area. I am therefore delighted to be implementing our vision for the next generation of Docklands residents with our new neighbourhood here in the centre of London’s Docklands, just minutes from Canary Wharf.”
