LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - A Qatari-backed plan to redevelopa central London site next to the River Thames has been giventhe go-ahead by the British government, ending months ofuncertainty about the project after it was subjected to areview.
The start of building had been delayed after the governmentintervened to consider how the project would affect views of theHouses of Parliament and Big Ben - a UNESCO world heritage siteon the opposite side of the Thames.
Braeburn Estates, a joint venture between Qatari Diar andCanary Wharf Group which will fund the development, saidbuilding would now start later this summer, having earlier beenscheduled to start in late 2013.
Under the plan, eight new buildings will be constructed inthe area around the 1960s British headquarters of oil companyShell, near to the landmark London Eye wheel on thesouth bank of the Thames, creating a 1.45 million sq ft complexwith shops and offices and 877 homes.
Shell will stay in its current 27-storey building and alsotake more space in one of the new buildings, with constructionto place over the next six years.
Canary Wharf Group is majority owned by Songbird Estates, while Qatari Diar is the real estate arm of Qatar'ssovereign wealth fund.
Qatar has built a significant presence in London's realestate market in recent years. The Shard, Western Europe'stallest skyscraper at about 310 metres (1,016 feet), was fundedby Qatar's royal family and opened in 2012. (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)