London Mayor Sadiq Khan announces big renovation plans for land around City Hall
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has announced new plans to transform land near the new City Hall at the Royal Docks in East London.
Previously housed in a building near London Bridge referred to by former mayor Boris Johnson as the ‘glass gonad’, the Greater London Authority vacated that site in 2022 and moved City Hall to a new, smaller office at the Royal Docks.
Khan said moving his headquarters to the new site is saving the city £58 million, which it is using to help stimulate growth across the city.
The mayor has now unveiled new plans to transform two key sites adjacent to City Hall, creating opportunities for a new workspace hub and an event space near the building.
As part of this initiative, Greater London Land & Authority (GLAP) has begun the search for partners to deliver regeneration opportunities for each of these sites.
The first site is cleared brownfield land bound by the DLR railway line and the Silvertown Tunnel. It is 0.5 hectares and is planned to accommodate 15,000m2 of office space.
The second site is a larger 0.7-hectare space under the Silvertown Way flyover, which City Hall said provides a unique opportunity for event space.
In addition to enabling the regeneration of sites near City Hall, Khan said the relocation of the GLA’s headquarters to the Royal Docks is a catalyst for the wider development of the area, facilitating the creation of more than 36,000 homes and 55,000 jobs in the area.
“The relocation of City Hall to the Royal Docks is acting as a springboard for the regeneration of this historic area, just as the opening of the previous City Hall did for its London Bridge surroundings,” Khan said.
“The sites close to City Hall offer a unique opportunity to build on this momentum – creating new spaces where people can work, businesses can grow, and communities can thrive.”
“Bringing these sites to life will support local regeneration, create jobs and deliver lasting benefits for local people as we continue to build a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone,” he said.
