The green light has been given to Canary Wharf Group to redevelop the iconic Shell Tower on London’s Southbank.

Its Braeburn Estates joint venture with the Qatari government has been given planning permission for the 1.45 million sq ft ‘mixed use’ scheme on the Thames waterfront by Waterloo Bridge, next to the London Eye.

The famous 27-storey 1960s office tower is being retained as Shell International’s HQ, with another eight buildings added to accommodate 877 new homes—including low-cost ‘affordable’ housing—an open public square and 80,000 sq ft of shops, restaurants and cafés.

Canary Wharf Group starts the building work at the end of the year, employing up to 1,600 at the peak of construction, after getting planning consent from Lambeth Council.

Around 6,000 people will work at the complex after it is completed in 2019, including Shell’s 4,000 London head office staff being located in the same location for the first time.