Canada Water
If you have not been down to Canada Water recently, the change is starting to feel far more real than a long term plan. The Canada Water Masterplan is moving through a phase where residents can actually use some of the headline improvements, not just read about them. As of January 2026, two of the most talked about lifestyle additions are now firmly on the map, the new Canada Water Leisure Centre, plus a growing leisure and retail offer that is bringing more reasons to stay local for food, culture and day to day convenience.
At Alex and Matteo Estate Agents, we work with buyers and renters across SE16 every day, including Canada Water, Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays. So, this update focuses on what people are asking us about most, what has opened, what is next, and how this regeneration could shape the area for people looking to move in 2026 and beyond. You can also view our recent Tik Tok video on Canada Water here.
The Canada Water Masterplan is a major regeneration project that aims to create a new town centre for London around Canada Water. It is a 53 acre mixed use scheme delivered as a joint venture between British Land and AustralianSuper, working with Southwark Council. Plans include new homes, workspace, retail, leisure and community facilities, plus new public spaces including a new town square and a new high street.
Canada Water Masterplan
The key point for residents is simple. This is not just new blocks of flats. The Masterplan is designed to add everyday infrastructure, places to meet, exercise, shop, eat and spend time outdoors, which is often what makes an area feel properly liveable rather than purely convenient on a map.
One of the most significant changes is the opening of the new Canada Water Leisure Centre, delivered in partnership with British Land as part of the Masterplan. It replaces the older Seven Islands Leisure Centre and is located within the Dock Shed development.
The new centre includes a 25 metre eight lane swimming pool, a teaching pool with a moveable floor, a large gym with functional fitness zones, specialist fitness studios and a multi-use sports hall, alongside modern changing facilities and accessibility features. The building has also been designed to meet a BREEAM Excellent standard for efficiency.
Canada Water Leisure Centre
For anyone considering a move to Canada Water, this matters more than it might first appear. A strong local leisure centre is a genuine lifestyle anchor. It reduces the need to travel for training, swimming lessons and group classes, and it adds another community focused destination that can strengthen the feel of the neighbourhood across the week, not just on weekends.
Another visible change is the opening of Corner Corner, a new leisure destination that has taken space within Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and overlooks the refurbished Canada Dock. British Land describes it as a multi-use entertainment venue curated by Broadwick and KERB, combining food, culture and live music, plus a large integrated vertical farm.
The Canada Water Masterplan team has also highlighted Corner Corner as a place to work, play and relax, with open plan seating and free WiFi, plus a food hall element led by KERB.
This is the sort of addition that helps an area feel more complete. For residents especially, lifestyle factors like this can be the deciding detail, because it changes what you can do locally after work and at the weekend without defaulting to London Bridge, Canary Wharf or Shoreditch.
Corner Corner is also home to Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, an immersive attraction that has been operating at Canada Water and is advertised as running until 1 February 2026.
From a family perspective, pop up attractions add something fun and engaging for children and parents alike, giving local households more reasons to spend time together in the area. They can help bring life to quieter retail spaces, creating a more welcoming and vibrant environment while longer term regeneration phases continue. As part of the Canada Water Masterplan approach, these interim uses offer families new experiences close to home and show how the neighbourhood is evolving into a more community friendly place to live.
Regeneration is not only about buildings, it’s also about how an area feels to walk around. One of the simplest but most noticeable changes is around the water itself. The Canada Water Masterplan construction updates note that a new 170 metre boardwalk known as Rafter Walk is complete and open to the public at Canada Dock.
For residents, that means more usable waterside space for walking, meeting friends, and getting a bit of open air without leaving the neighbourhood. It also adds to that increasingly sought after London lifestyle mix, access to green space, water, and a sense of breathing room, while still being in Zone 2.
A big part of the Masterplan story is the gradual introduction of retail, food and drink at ground level, which is what turns a development into a proper place. On the residential side, the Masterplan site has reported that Plot A1, the 35 storey building known as The Founding, includes space for shops and restaurants at ground level. You can view our Tik Tok video on The Founding here.
The construction updates for plots A1 and A2 also reference retail and food outlets along the redesigned Deal Porters Way as part of Plot A2, alongside the leisure centre.
In plain terms, this is the direction of travel residents want. More active streets, more convenience, more reasons to stay local. These additions tend to build slowly, unit by unit, and they are one of the areas we expect to see ongoing change across 2026 as the early phases move from construction to everyday use.
Transport is already a key advantage here, with Canada Water station providing Jubilee line and Overground access. But there is more coming that should improve day to day convenience and accessibility.
Canada Water Transport
The Masterplan’s construction updates state that Transport for London is continuing work to build a new station entrance at Surrey Quays station, intended to provide step free access and larger platforms, with the new entrance due to open in summer 2026.
For many residents, step free access is not a nice to have. It can be essential for pushchairs, mobility needs, heavy luggage, or simply a more comfortable commute. Improvements like this can quietly increase an area’s appeal, because they make the routine parts of life easier.
From a property perspective, regeneration can influence both demand and how people value different parts of a neighbourhood. When the improvements are tangible, like a new leisure centre, more leisure venues, better public realm and station upgrades, the area becomes more attractive to a wider range of buyers and renters.
In our experience, Canada Water appeals strongly to:
If you are buying or renting, the key is to think about how you want to live week to week, not just how the flat looks on viewing day. A neighbourhood that is adding gyms, pools, culture and new retail tends to be easier to settle into, because you can build routines locally.
At the same time, it is worth being realistic. As an area improves, demand can increase costs for both renting and buying, particularly for homes close to new facilities and transport.
The Canada Water Masterplan is now at a stage where the benefits are becoming visible, not just promised. A flagship new leisure centre is open, Corner Corner has brought new food and culture into the area, dockside public space has improved, and transport upgrades are on the way with the new Surrey Quays station entrance due in summer 2026.
If you are considering a move to Canada Water, Rotherhithe or Surrey Quays, we can talk you through which parts of SE16 best fit your lifestyle, commute and budget, and help you understand how different developments perform for buyers and renters.
Get in touch with Alex and Matteo Estate Agents to discuss properties in Canada Water and the wider SE16 area, and to register for new listings as they come to market.
