Great Portland Estates, the central London office specialist, has expanded its holdings south of the Thames in Southwark.

In two separate moves it has submitted plans for a large mixed-use development in Blackfriars Road and bought a block in Bermondsey Street, south east of London Bridge station.

The planning application is for a 188,000 sq ft (17,465 sq m) scheme at 240 Blackfriars Road following the £3m purchase of the last remaining part of the island site from housing charity Novas.

The proposed 15-storey office building, designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, will incorporate 12,000 sq ft (1,110 sq m) floors and 2,300 sq ft (214 sq m) of retail and restaurant space. An adjoining residential building will provide 10 apartments.

The purchase of the 38,300 sq ft (3,560 sq m) Delfina Studios in Bermondsey Street cost Great Portland £8.1m.

The buildings comprise 38,000 sq ft (3,530 sq m) of B1 studio and warehouse space on a 0.6 acre (0.2 ha) site. A planning application will be submitted shortly to for a refurbishment and partial new build development to provide 49,000 sq ft (4,550 sq m) of offices, retail and restaurant space with completion scheduled for autumn 2008.

Great Portland chief executive Toby Courtauld said: ‘240 Blackfriars Road, an important part of our medium-term development programme, will play a key role in the regeneration of this part of the Southbank.

‘Delfina joins the group’s extensive near-term programme and provides us with an opportunity for some creative redevelopment, from a low entry cost, in this rapidly improving part of the capital.’