There is a “medium-high” risk from unexploded World War II bombs in the redevelopment of the Mulberry Business Centre at Canada Water, according to a threat assessment submitted to Southwark Council.
King’s College London will next week hold a public exhibition of its plans to build new student accommodation, offices and housing on the site opposite Alfred Salter Primary School.
An Explosive Ordnance Threat Assessment carried out last year by BACTEC International has been submitted to Southwark Council.
The report notes that the site – which was alongside the now-infilled Quebec Dock – was bombed several times during World War II as part of wider Luftwaffe attacks on the Surrey Commercial Docks. During the war the site was occupied by a series of timber sheds which had all been demolished by 1946.
According to the assessment, a 500kg bomb would have had a maximum bomb penetration depth of up to 10 metres below WWII ground level.
BACTEC recommends that all workers carrying out excavations on the site should be briefed on the possibility of finding unexploded ordinance. It also recommends that a bomb disposal engineer should be on-site to supervise all open excavations.