Full steam ahead at Canary Wharf’s North Quay expansion

Could it be? Really?

After a decade of regularly passing a vast wasteland extremely close to DLR stations and now an Elizabeth line station that building is really underway on a major expansion of Canary Wharf?

In lethargic UK PLC yes it seems things are finally moving at North Quay. No rush. It’s only been a generational wait.

After a quite frankly ludicrous delay of many, many years activity is now evident on the site which will bring homes, offices and shops – one day.

For now we have work starting on a life sciences block? What is that you may ask?

It’s a bloody big block used for scientific purposes to study organisms and hopefully improve all of our existences.

And the building is not grey which always helps.

Of course this being the UK we are chronically short of lab space in large part due to NIMBYs opposing new builds for scientific research across the country – despite Britain being at the forefront of research across the world.

Hopefully that’s something this government can change to stop miserable farts blocking improvements for the rest of us.

The tower now underway is a mere part of a wider project that will stretch close to Billingsgate market and when complete provide far better links on foot between the DLR station at Poplar and Elizabeth line at Canary Wharf.

So there’s any positives. And once again, now there’s a new government can we stop pandering to privileged knobs who’d rather see the country buried with their “I’m alright Jack” attitudes rather than new homes and making the most of what this country is great at?

We have excellent universities and so many skilled people. More labs are desperately needed – and this goes a tiny bit towards meeting that demand.

Fingers crossed work will move onto adjacent land soon as when it does it’ll offer much better link for pedestrians from Poplar (such as those travelling from Woolwich) towards all the shops and jobs at Canary Wharf.