Figures regarding the delivery of council homes in Lambeth have been questioned at a recent council meeting, with a discrepancy highlighted between official figures and information obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
During the Lambeth Council Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Councillor Scott Ainslie raised concerns about the number of council homes delivered. He stated that an FOI request indicated only four council houses were built between 2018 and January 2022. This appeared to contradict figures presented in previous minutes, which stated that officers confirmed 359 social rent homes were delivered since 2017, as recorded in Appendix 1 of the public reports pack Public Reports Pack Wednesday 01-Jul-2026 17.00 Cabinet.pdf.
The discrepancy is attributed to a potential difference in what is being counted. Councillor Ainslie clarified that the FOI request was specifically about 'council houses built', distinguishing them from 'other social rent houses' that might have been funded through development funds and not be directly council-owned with council tenancies. The exact criteria for 'council homes delivered' were not explicitly defined in the meeting for either the official figures or the FOI request.
Following discussion, the minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed as a correct record. An action was agreed to insert an asterisk and a note clarifying the information regarding the FOI request. A report back on whether this clarification has been inserted is expected at the next Cabinet meeting. The process for verifying and reconciling such discrepancies involves confirming the accuracy of the minutes themselves and making a separate record of the actual position. It was also agreed to 'double check the information within that freedom of information request and possibly back another time'.
The minutes of the previous meeting can be found here: Minutes of Previous Meeting.pdf.
The agenda for the meeting can be found here: Agenda Frontsheet Wednesday 01-Jul-2026 17.00 Cabinet.pdf.