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Four firms are in the running for the first two buildings on the first phase of British Land’s huge scheme to redevelop Canada Water in east London.

Mace, Wates, Kier and Laing O’Rourke are all competing for the buildings, known as A1 and A2, which have been designed by Allies and Morrison.

According to plans submitted to Southwark council back in May, A1 – which is located at the corner of Deal Porters Way and Surrey Quays Road – will run across six and 34 storeys and will include retail and offices as well as 186 residential units.

A2, which is next door to A1 and includes the Surrey Quays shopping centre, will include a leisure centre, retail and workspace in a building that will reach a maximum height of six storeys.

No value has been given on the job but it is understood to be north of £100m.

A third building in the first phase, designed by Morris + Company, the new name for Duggan Morris which disbanded last year, has not yet drawn up a contractor shortlist. Known as K1, this will run across six storeys and feature 84 flats.

Consultants working across all three buildings include project and cost manager Aecom, structural engineer AKT II and services consultant Sweco.

The Canada Water scheme will eventually turn 53 acres of rundown land in south-east London into a new town centre and 3,000 homes.

The site, which sits between the City and Canary Wharf and is close to Canada Water Underground station, includes the abandoned Daily Mail printworks and the disused Rotherhithe police station.

Subject to planning approvals, construction of the first phase will begin early next year.

The overall first phase covers 1.8 million sq ft of mixed-use space, including one million sq ft of workspace and 250,000 sq ft of retail and leisure.

The developer hired Roger Madelin, the man behind Argent’s revamp of King’s Cross, back in 2016 to lead the project.

A decision on the wider masterplan for Canada Water by Allies and Morrison, also lodged with Southwark back in May, is due to be made by next January.