Summary of Requests to Lambeth, and our Key Concerns

Below can be found the key points in OUR SUBMISSION to Lambeth's consultation (the SADPD). 

(Note: Brixton councillors have also requested that individuals SUBMIT their own submissions too - you can directly copy from the below if you wish.)

Our Requests To Lambeth Council:

Lambeth Council must show it is listening to the local community and present a new draft of the SADPD policy that:

1. Delivers much needed affordable housing, without unnecessary and inappropriate tower blocks.

2. Offers genuinely affordable housing without constructing a massive new development that will overshadow nearby low-rise family homes. We advocate for low-rise family-sized housing on this site, in harmony with the surrounding area.

3. Addresses the issue of families leaving Lambeth, which has caused an education crisis, with local primary schools facing closure or merger. While we acknowledge the Lambeth Plan's overall goal of providing a mix of housing, we believe this site should prioritise family-sized homes due to its proximity to other family residences and nearby primary schools.

4. Includes green space for new residents. We want Brixton homes to be desirable and sustainable. The current plans lack green areas and prioritise maximising the number of units, which does not benefit existing or future residents. Only a profit-seeking developer ultimately wins in the scenario that is currently proposed.

5. Limits the maximum height of the development to no more than 12m (which is still taller than surrounding houses).

We want new housing on the Tesco site, but we want Lambeth Council to work with us on a sensible and proportionate development. Work with us, not against us!

Our Key Concerns with the Brixton Tesco development proposal are:

1. The plans want to put too many homes (210) in one place, and we're deeply concerned that the land owners/developers might actually want to build more than twice that number!

2. Originally, the council suggested fewer homes, between 120-170. We're deeply concerned that now, based on the proposed calculations, it can almost double that number

3. Even though the plans say the tallest buildings will be 32m high, there's nothing stopping them from being as high as 45m (which is considered very tall). But even 32m is too tall. It would tower above compared to the nearby streets with only 2-3 storey houses.

4. The concerns we raised about how the plans would affect our neighbours, like being overlooked or losing light, have been completely ignored, even though Lambeth has rules about this in their plan.

5. The plans want to change a rule made in 1985, that protects the privacy of people living near the site, to change the current boundary wall height.

6. Parking and pollution is already a big problem around Brixton, one of the highest in London, so it's very important that the new homes don't get parking permits, except for a limited number of people who need them because of a disability.

7. The size of the new buildings would harm the areas nearby that are supposed to be kept special because of their history or beauty.

8. The delivery route for deliveries to the supermarket safely isn't being fixed in the current plans and is currently unsafe.

9. We're missing a chance to build more homes for families, which Lambeth really needs right now, especially since families are leaving and schools are closing.

10. The site will have too many buildings on it, and there won't be enough space for parks or other open areas, even though Lambeth wants to make more green spaces. In Lambeth, Brixton ranks second lowest for tree canopy cover, trailing only Waterloo, often described as a 'concrete jungle'. This deficiency exacerbates pollution issues, leading to heightened health concerns. Moreover, the scarcity of trees and green spaces leaves ample space for the proliferation of housing units, compounding the problem further.