LAMBETH ESTATES "SAVED" BUT READ THE SMALL PRINT - RESIDENTS MISLED
It’s true that “regeneration” (demolition and rebuilding) has been cancelled. This is a welcome relief for residents who have spent 12 years under threat because of Labour’s inaction. However, the Green Party rejected both the refurbishment and the retrofit options presented to them. This leaves residents to live in sub-standard accommodation for the next 30 years at least.
Residents stated that their preferred option moving forward was refurbishment. That option was presented to the Green Party Cabinet. It was rejected.
The Council’s report to Cabinet clearly states that these homes will be allowed regulatory maintenance and repairs only. In other words, residents will be left in sub-standard homes, with call-outs for repairs being their only recourse.
Lambeth Council Leader, Cllr Martin Abrams, claimed that “we can now focus on investing in residents’ homes,” but this is precisely what is not happening. Social media posts inaccurately stated, ‘Estates will be refurbished’. This is inaccurate, as the refurbishment option was rejected.
The Green Party administration has committed to this maintenance-only approach for the next 30 years, without providing for the £83m they say will be needed to achieve even that limited aim.
The options appraisal commissioned by Lambeth showed the maintenance-only option for Central Hill with ‘red warnings’ on five criteria, and just two ‘green lights’. Cressingham Gardens’ maintenance-only assessment similarly had four ‘red warnings’ and just two ‘green lights’. Full redevelopment – on the Council’s own assessment – scored better, with four green lights for Central Hill, and three for Cressingham Gardens.
For the Lib Dems, it raises concerns over the integrity of the options appraisal process.
The Green Party’s decision also leaves question marks over the impact on Lambeth’s commitment to net zero in four years’ time, and how it will meet its obligations under Awaab’s Law.
Lost homes
Central Hill Estate and Cressingham Gardens between them have around 780 dwellings. Regeneration was due to create 2,000 new homes, about half of them new Council properties, the remainder affordable homes.
The Lib Dems claim that the Green Party has no alternative plan to achieve Lambeth’s housing target. This is crucial to re-housing families living in over-crowded and temporary accommodation. Lambeth has 30,000 people on the housing waiting list and 4,000 in temporary accommodation.
The Chair of Lambeth’s Housing Scrutiny Committee, Lib Dem Councillor Simon Cordon,
is concerned that the administration is not playing straight.
He said,
“Housing Scrutiny Committee considered the New Homes Programme just three weeks ago.
“Members were not told that around 2,000 homes were about to be cancelled. So there has been no pre-scrutiny of this significant decision.
“There has been cross-party support for considering resident-led ideas like the “People’s Plan” for estates. We have specifically asked the administration to look at these, but these valuable ideas have been ignored by the Green Party Cabinet.”
The report to Cabinet shows that the matter was first discussed with the Cabinet member on 3 September 2026.
Yet when Cllr Cordon’s Committee met to discuss the New Homes Programme on 30 September 2026, they were not told about the changes already planned by the Green Party to the New Homes programme. The paper for that meeting just said, ‘recommendations would be brought forward in due course’.
The administration now claims that regeneration was abandoned because it was financially unviable. The Lib Dems say it is “inconceivable” that the financial situation has changed in a matter of weeks.
Confusion and a lack of transparency have surrounded the Cabinet’s decision. Lambeth’s official social media account initially claimed the decision was refurbishment – directly contradicting the facts. Indeed, refurbishment was an option in the Cabinet papers, that the administration rejected.
Cllr Cordon challenged the Green Party administration at the Cabinet meeting on 21 October 2026, calling on them to say where the money for basic repairs and maintenance will come from.
They did not have an answer.
Notes for readers
- The papers for the Cabinet meeting, and options appraisals are here:
NHP Estate Regeneration Oct 26 Cabinet report draft v5.pdf
Appendix A - Central Hill Options Appraisal Summary 1.pdf
Appendix B - Cressingham Gardens Options Appraisal Summary 1.pdf
- The report to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee is here:
Housing Supply - Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee 30 Sept 2026.pdf
- The quotation by Cllr Abrams is taken from this article:
Lambeth: Protecting estates and building council homes - Love Lambeth
- Inaccurate social media posts claim that homes on Cressingham Gardens and Central Hill will be "refurbished". This is incorrect. Cabinet approved an unfunded programme of "regulatory maintenance and repairs" only and rejected the refurbishment option.
https://x.com/lambeth_council/status/2112967318309388511?s=46
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dew8sjbhzer/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&obrf=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==[TL3]
Lambeth has a significant housing crisis, with residents on the waiting list for an average of 9 years for a 2-bedroom property even if they are in Band B, which covers people who are severely overcrowded or who have an urgent medical need. The average wait for a 3-bedroom home is 11 years for Band B. In 2024 the Council admitted to the Lib Dems that “most people applying to us will never be rehoused.”
Cressingham Gardens’ ‘People Plan’ is here: People Plan report
- Lambeth’s target for new homes is expected to rise to 17,000 when the Mayor’s new London Plan is published.