The scheme is being brought forward by Barratt London in joint venture with land owner Morrisons supermarket and will see the homes delivered across eight buildings alongside 300,000 sq ft of shopping space and a small amount of office space for business start-ups.

Allies and Morrison is the overall masterplan architect and designer of five of the eight blocks, with the remaining three blocks by Piercy & Company and Niall McLaughlin Architects.

The existing Morrisons supermarket and petrol filling station on the site will be demolished and replaced as part of the 3.3ha redevelopment plan.

The whole of the supermarket site will be heated by a communal heating system, with the main gas-fired heating plant located in a dedicated Energy Centre located in the undercroft of Block A.

Block B, designed by Allies and Morrison, will contain a mix of shops and flats

Block C is primarily a residential building with gym on the ground floor

Tide Construction, with funding from investor Greystar, is planning to build the 44 and 38-storey scheme on the former Essex House site near to East Croydon station.

The 546-flat towers scheme will be worth over £150m and will be a trailblazer for modular construction methods.

Presently, the tallest prefabricated building in the world is a 32-storey block in New York.

Tide is both a development and contracting company, and has delivered several projects in recent years using its off-site manufacturing system, Vision Modular Systems.

Enabling works for the twin tower scheme are already underway at the Essex House site in East Croydon

VMS has delivered factory built homes for both Pocket and Greystar in recent years. Tide claims its modular based building programme often results in a 60% time saving, compared with conventional construction schemes.

Christy Hayes, chief executive of Tide Construction said: “This project is a huge milestone for both us as a company and for modular developments as an innovative, modern method of construction.

“This development emphasises the true potential of modular construction as a genuine solution to the UK’s housing crisis, where high-quality homes can be delivered at pace in sought after urban areas. Both the government and industry are realising the benefits of modular construction, with 101 George Street being a pivotal moment for modular construction in the UK.”

Tide developed the 28-storey Apex House, featuring 558 rooms, in less than a year. That development, in Wembley, is currently the tallest modular tower in London.

It means work on the ambitious twin-tower project can begin construction in summer 2018.

Developer Guildhouse Rosepride in conjunction with Chinese skyscraper specialist, the China Building Technique Group Company, have been working up the One Lansdowne scheme for several years.

Khan signed off the plans enabling the Section 106 to be signed and the formal Consent to be issued.

The south London council’s planning committee had already unanimously approved the development, which will feature two towers of 68 and 41 storeys, linked by an 11-storey podium structure.

If all goes to plan the Piers Gough of CZGW Architects designed tower will be completed in 2022.

David Hudson, chief executive of Guildhouse UK, said: “Peaking at 288m high, One Lansdowne will be visible from Piccadilly to Brighton, and will be a world-class building which really puts Croydon on the map.”

One Lansdowne will feature 794 residential units, 380,000 sq ft of offices, and shops.

It will also feature  a swimming pool and gym and public viewing gallery offering panoramic views across the capital and Surrey, and the highest bar and restaurant facilities in London.

The skyscraper will be around 12m shorter than the Shard, which still ranks as Britain’s and Europe’s tallest building. It will just edge out 22 Bishopsgate in London’s Square Mile, which is presently under construction and will rise to 278m.

“We are grateful for the trust being placed in us both by the London Borough of Croydon and the Greater London Authority to deliver this scheme,” added Hudson.

“The great challenge for Croydon has always been to change perceptions in its own right and this will help the town to put the town on the map.”

The firm confirmed this morning that it was working with Hammersmith and Fulham to raise the number of proposed homes for the site by 2,500 to 10,000.

The rethink comes amid local criticism that the affordable housing provision was insufficient on the vast 77-acre site.

Capco gained planning for 7,500 new homes across four new residential districts in West London nearly four years ago.

Proposals also include include offices, leisure, hotel and retail space, as well as a new primary school, library, an integrated health centre and 5-acre public park.

This plan involved demolition of the West Kensington and Gibbs Green housing estates, which the council has now said it wants to take back into its control.

In a statement this morning, a spokesman for the developer said: “Capco notes the recent press speculation and confirms that it remains in discussions with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to bring forward an enhanced masterplan for the Earls Court Opportunity Area.

“An enhanced masterplan would seek to deliver an increased number of homes across all tenures throughout the wider Earls Court Opportunity Area, and could involve LBHF taking the lead on future plans for the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates.

“In the event that an enhanced masterplan does not progress or agreement is not reached, the Conditional Land Sale Agreement ( a binding agreement in relation to the Estates) will remain in place.”

Their firm Dukehill, which has net assets of around £88m, will pay £13.8m for Carillion’s 67% stake in Ask Real Estate and a 50% interest in Ask Carillion Developments.

The Richardson family property business, founded by twins Roy and the late Don who came to prominence as the developers of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, was already partnering Carillion on schemes in Durham and Worcester.

The development business is now run by by sons Lee, Carl and Martyn Richardson.

The latest deal brings disposals in the the last week to nearly £64m following the sales of prime healthcare FM assets to Serco.

Carillion is aiming to raise £300m from the sale of its assets as it battles to reduce its forecast £1bn debt mountain at the end of this year.

Keith Cochrane, Interim Chief Executive, said: “We are pleased to be able to announce further progress.

“Much remains to be done, and we are continuing to execute our plans to refocus the business, reduce cost and strengthen our balance sheet.’

Ask has several developments on the go including a £300m mixed-use tower block scheme in Manchester for a 1.74 acre site next to the Beetham Tower and Manchester Central convention centre.

The firm is also joint venture development partner with German property firm Patrizia for Gateshead Council’s planned £200m conference centre for a site next to the Sage Centre.

The firm run by the Livingstone brothers will act as the Greater London Authority’s partner on the 10 ha site at the eastern end of the royal docks.

Details of its plans have yet to be revealed but the GLA masterplan for the site includes development of a commercial boatyard, redevelopment of the existing marina in the northern part of the site and housing around the southern part facing the Thames.

L&R Properties said: “We are very excited to have been chosen and are looking forward to working on this project with the local community, the GLA and the London Borough of Newham.

“There will be much more information available shortly”

Camden Council’s planning committee approved the deal last night.

Main contractor Lendlease will start on site next year on a contract believed to be worth around £350m.

The 11-storey building will be more than one million square feet of which Google will occupy 650,000 sq ft.

The State-owned Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, which owns the land and exhibition space, has formed a joint venture partnership with Mount Anvil’s recently launched Royal Docks West development.

Royal Docks West was granted planning permission in February for 105 homes, including 26 affordable homes for local key workers,  amenity space for residents and commercial space.

Now Mount Anvil can expand its ambitions for the area and is working up plans for more housing.

Royal Docks West plan

Killian Hurley, chief executive at Mount Anvil said: “We are developing a compelling design, which we will continue to evolve in partnership with LIEC, London Borough of Newham and the GLA, and stakeholders in this area.”

Phil Dowson, chief financial officer at ExCeL said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Mount Anvil to deliver this exciting project, given the company’s strong track record for working collaboratively to create design-led schemes.”

Under the £500m plan targeting mid-market housing Grosvenor will provide homes on a range of discounted market rents, reaching a wider spectrum of people.

The plan to develop a 12-acre former biscuit factory site has been designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and also includes a new 600-place secondary school at its heart, over 110,000 sq ft of new public spaces and almost 20,000 sq ft of new playspace.

Grosvenor is testing its latest proposals after two years of local interaction and discussion.

Craig McWilliam, Chief Executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said: “London’s housing shortage is too often creating polarised outcomes, with homes for the few who can afford to buy them, and those allocated social rented accommodation.

“We are sharing our ambitions in Bermondsey to meet the needs of many on low and middle incomes who are locked out of London’s housing market.

“We want to help create one of London’s greatest neighbourhoods for people of mixed incomes, backgrounds and life stages. We want to manage these rental homes for the long term, responding to changing needs and extending Bermondsey’s rich history at the heart of a growing, global city.”