Ambitious regeneration plans for Clapham move forward

Ambitious plans to regenerate Clapham, benefiting the environment and improving the quality of life of local residents and businesses, remain on track, according to Lambeth Council.

The multi-million pound scheme, which is self-financing and will be provided at zero cost to council tax payers, will provide a new leisure centre and swimming pool embracing modern sustainable building techniques as well as a state-of-the-art library and healthcare centre developed on the site of Mary Seacole House. The scheme will also reduce carbon emissions by over 30 per cent.

While the global credit crunch is causing major disruption to regeneration schemes across the country, Lambeth Council has been working successfully with the developer, Cathedral Group, to overcome the effects of the downturn and ensure that the scheme is successfully delivered.

As the new public facilities will be paid for through the sale of the new housing, Cathedral has proposed a number of changes to overcome difficulties in the housing market whilst maintaining the quality of the new public facilities.

The changes include an increase in the number of quality new homes to 200 with the percentage of new homes for social housing remaining above 30 per cent. These will be built in partnership with Notting Hill Housing Trust providing 70 per cent affordable rented and 30 per cent shared ownership.

Over the past few weeks, the council’s development partner, Cathedral has met with local residents to review the proposed changes and have been amending their proposals to take into account their comments.

The planning application for the development is scheduled to be submitted to the the council’s Planning Division (Lambeth Planning) in October.

Councillor Lib Peck, Lambeth Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: “We have worked extremely hard to make sure that the credit crunch didn’t threaten our plans for Clapham.

"We will deliver on our promise to provide residents with a brand new leisure centre, pool and library at zero cost to the taxpayer. I am delighted that we have found a way through the economic problems and have been able to keep the plans on track.”