Lambeth Council's Planning Applications Committee has approved amendments to a previously approved residential development on Shakespeare Road, paving the way for 60 additional homes and increased building heights.

Architectural rendering of the proposed residential development on Shakespeare Road, showing the relative heights of blocks A, B, and C.
Architectural rendering of the proposed residential development on Shakespeare Road, showing the relative heights of blocks A, B, and C.Source: Planning Applications Committee papers, 28 October 2025

The decision, made at a meeting on 28 October 2025, modifies condition 2 of planning permission 20/01822/EIAFUL, initially granted on 21 December 2021 for the demolition of a waste transfer station and redevelopment of the site for residential use. The approved changes will bring the total number of homes to 278.

The amendments were prompted by further detailed design development, responding to updated building regulations following the Building Safety Act, which requires secondary stair cores in tall buildings, and changes to Part L of the Building Regulations concerning energy strategy. These changes also led to an increase in the height of Block A by one storey, Block C by four storeys, and Block B2 by two storeys.

While the original permission included 67 affordable homes, the revised plan increases this number to 85. This comprises 52 low-cost rented homes (Social Rent) and 33 intermediate homes (London Shared Ownership). Although the overall percentage of affordable housing remains at 35% when measured by habitable rooms, a viability test concluded that providing more affordable housing was not feasible.

According to the Planning Applications Committee reports pack, the proposed development is projected to contribute 20.8% towards Lambeth's annual housing target of 1,335 homes. With the council having delivered only 74% of its target between 2020 and 2023, the 'tilted balance' of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) now applies, favouring the granting of planning permission unless protected policies provide a clear reason for refusal or the adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

While the report pack acknowledges a very minor adverse impact on the locally protected view from Brockwell Park to the city, potentially conflicting with Lambeth Local Plan Policy Q251, officers considered that the benefits of the scheme outweighed this departure from the development plan.

  1. The report pack stated that the proposed development would have a very minor adverse impact on the locally protected view from Brockwell Park to the city, meaning the proposals are not compliant with Lambeth Local Plan Policy Q25. ↩