Two 1960s housing estates in Lambeth have been saved from demolition and redevelopment following Cabinet approval.
Central Hill in Crystal Palace and Cressingham Gardens, next to Brockwell Park are no longer under threat of demolition in what has been more than a decade of uncertainty for residents.
The two housing estates have been removed from the council’s estate redevelopment programme, while Knights Walk in Kennington is no longer part of the New Homes Hexagon Portfolio.
Lambeth Council’s Cabinet formally reversed the previous plans during a meeting last Wednesday (October 21).
Cllr Scott Ainslie, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, Built Environment and Public Realm, said: “For too long, regeneration in Lambeth has meant years of uncertainty for the people it was meant to help.
“Residents have lived under the threat of demolition, unsure whether they could stay in the place they call home – well that ends now.”
He added: “We promise to govern alongside residents, not over them. So at Cressingham Gardens and Central Hill, with this decision tonight, we are ending the threat of demolition, unreservedly. These homes will be kept, maintained properly, and repaired.
“Residents can finally plan for their future with confidence that we will support them with that work.”
According to a cabinet report, council officers found comprehensive redevelopment of both Central Hill and Cressingham Gardens, which would involve demolition and rebuilding, to be financially unviable.
Meanwhile, the completed first phase of Knights Walk has reportedly left the second phase of the site inaccessible and unviable. The council says it will focus on delivering ‘genuinely affordable homes’ while respecting the borough’s architectural heritage by avoiding demolition of these sites.
Cllr Pete Elliot, Cabinet Member for Housing and a previous Central Hill resident, said: “I am so happy that we’ve got here today. It’s an important day not just for this Cabinet but for the residents of these three estates, who have spent years fighting to be heard.
“This decision represents a clear break from a failed chapter in Lambeth’s history. Far too long, previous Labour administrations pursued demolition as the default answer to complex housing challenges.”
He added: “Millions of pounds were spent developing schemes that never materialised or were substandard. Residents were left living with uncertainty, anxiety and disruption and depression.”
Central Hill and Cressingham Gardens are two post-war developments that were designed by a team of Lambeth architects led by Ted Hollamby, who was renowned for creating modernist housing that improved everyday life for social housing residents.
But for more than 12 years, residents have been in limbo and have campaigned to stop the council from knocking down their estates and replacing their homes.
During the meeting, Cabinet members heard emotional statements from affected residents who spoke about the uncertainty and anxiety they have endured over the years.
Anne Cooper, a Cressingham Gardens resident, said: “I really welcome this decision and I clearly don’t speak for myself in that, but I also wanted to say a huge thank you to the Green Party members,
“Cllr Jonathan Bartley, Cllr Elliott and Cllr Ainslie, who have not only come to this meeting tonight, but have actually campaigned beside us for over a decade. That has made such a difference.”
She added: “I do think, however, we are living with the legacy of that disastrous decision back in 2014, and we’ve heard from both Cabinet members and residents about the misery that has caused.”
A 2022 review by Sir Bob Kerslake, former head of the civil service, found feedback from residents on the estates was “uniformly negative”, with levels of trust in the council “exceptionally low” due to poor communication and inconsistent policy.
The council had been previously taking forward the estate renewal programme through its housing company Homes for Lambeth, however the 2022 review recommended closing down the company and the programme was subsequently brought back in-house by the council.
After the demolition and redevelopment plans were reversed by Cabinet, Cllr Martin Abrams, Leader of Lambeth Council, thanked residents and campaigners for their determination.
He said: “Our task now as an administration is simple; protect the homes people have, improve the homes they live in, and build the homes our communities urgently need.”
