Lambeth Council has decided to halt regeneration plans for the Central Hill and Cressingham Gardens estates, opting instead to retain them as council housing stock.
The decision, made by the council's Cabinet on Wednesday 21 October 2026, follows an options appraisal that found no financially viable or affordable renewal options beyond basic maintenance for the two estates. An estimated £53 million will be required over 30 years for maintenance at Central Hill, and approximately £30 million for Cressingham Gardens over the same period.
Councillor Scott Ainslie, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, Built Environment and the Public Realm, emphasised the administration's commitment to residents and tackling the housing emergency by focusing on maintaining and improving existing homes, as well as building new council housing. He stated that the administration's focus was now on getting existing homes occupied. The council identified over 500 empty council homes upon taking control and committed to bringing 200 of those back into use before Christmas. Furthermore, a dedicated empty homes task force is being created to tackle the over 3,000 empty privately owned homes in Lambeth. This strategy aims to address the housing waiting list, which currently has 30,000 households on it.
During the meeting, residents and councillors expressed strong views on the impact of regeneration. Speakers highlighted the years of uncertainty and anxiety faced by residents on estates like Central Hill and Cressingham Gardens, and welcomed the decision to end demolition plans. The council plans to communicate the decision and its implications clearly to residents, ensuring they understand that the regeneration optioneering has ended and that they have security in the long-term future of their estate. The estates will be retained as council housing stock with their maintenance requirements incorporated into the 30-year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan. The Equalities Impact Assessment also highlights the importance of clear and accessible communication, including translation and interpretation where required, to mitigate potential negative impacts and ensure residents understand the future management of the estate.
Concerns were raised about the loss of potential new affordable homes and the impact on the housing waiting list. Councillor Pete Elliott, Cabinet Member for Housing, stated that the 2,000 homes previously in the pipeline were not all council homes, with no further breakdown provided in the meeting information. The focus, he reiterated, was now on getting existing homes occupied.
Councillor Zvikomborero Chihoro, Cabinet Member for Finance and Community Wealth Building, assured that the 30-year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) plan would prioritise refurbishment. The options appraisal assessed renewal options against a set of Council's Strategic Objectives, which included: additional affordable housing generated, improvements to housing / estate quality, meeting identified resident priorities, sustainability improvements, financial viability, affordability, and deliverability of options. Each option was assigned a green, amber, or red rating based on these defined appraisal criteria and an agreed threshold. For Central Hill and Cressingham Gardens, none of the estate renewal intervention options were assessed to be financially viable or affordable to the Council, except for basic maintenance, which failed on other objectives such as improving the quality of homes and environment and providing additional affordable homes.
The report notes that the estates have been victims of managed decline and require significant investment. The retained maintenance programme will need to address known condition issues, including damp and mould, as part of the Council's ongoing duties under Awaab's Law. While specific details on the most pressing maintenance issues beyond general condition are not provided, Councillor Scott Ainslie emphasised that 'ending regeneration must not mean ending investment' and that the focus will be on 'maintenance, refurbishment and retrofit, ensuring residents have the safe, decent homes they deserve.' The timeline for these improvements beyond basic maintenance is not explicitly detailed, but the HRA plan is a 30-year plan.
The Cabinet voted to approve the recommendations, with the meeting concluding with a commitment to protect, improve, and build homes for the community.
See the Public reports pack for more information.