Lambeth Council's Planning Applications Committee has reviewed a pre-application for the Vauxhall Square redevelopment, a project that could include buildings reaching up to 68 storeys.
The proposal, presented to the committee on Tuesday 23 September 2025, outlines a phased redevelopment of the Vauxhall Square site, bounded by Wandsworth Road, Parry Street, Bondway, and the railway line. The applicant aims to submit the full planning application in October 2025, following ongoing pre-application discussions. The plans include demolishing existing structures and constructing up to seven new buildings, with heights ranging from three to a potential 68 storeys.
The proposed development could feature a mix of uses, including:
- Residential units (Use Class C3)
- Purpose-built shared living (Sui Generis)
- Purpose-built student accommodation (Sui Generis)
- Flexible commercial spaces (Use Class E)
- Community facilities (Use Class F2)
- Office space (Use Class E(g))
- A hotel (Use Class C1)
- A cinema (Sui Generis)
The development aims to provide 1,097 residential units, 47,028 square meters of large-scale purpose-built shared living, 24,575 square meters of purpose-built student accommodation, and various commercial and community spaces.
The project also intends to incorporate 35% affordable housing based on habitable rooms. Of this, 70% would be low-cost rented units and 30% intermediate.
The report pack included a summary of relevant designations for the site:
| Type of designation | Applicable designation |
|---|---|
| Central Activities Zone | Applicable |
| Opportunity Area | Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area (VNEB OA) |
| Site Allocation | Site Allocation 12 |
| Flood Zones | 2 and 3 |
| Archaeological Priority Area | North Lambeth |
| Open Space Deficiency | District, SINC and Regional |
| Listed Buildings | Adjacent to 101-109 Wandsworth Road (Grade II listed) |
The site's proximity to Grade II listed buildings at 101-109 Wandsworth Road has prompted design considerations. The Design Review Panel (DRP) has advised that the 'Listed terrace neighbour could be better celebrated architecturally and perhaps within the landscape,' according to the report pack.
Given the location of the Vauxhall Square site in Flood Zones 2 and 3, the energy strategy will need to meet the latest standards for flood risk and drainage.
The meeting agenda noted that the Planning Applications Committee would not make any determination of the planning merits of any matters presented, and that any pre-application proposal would still require a planning application to be submitted and determined in due course.
