Lambeth council has chosen the Higgins Group to build the second phase of the redevelopment of Somerleyton Road in Brixton.
The council says the plans are “a big step forward” for its intention to create 350 new homes in Brixton, more than half of which would be affordable.
The proposed redevelopment is still subject to planning permission. It follows a first phase consisting of the creation of the new Brixton House theatre and the major refurbishment of Carlton Mansions, both on Coldharbour Lane.
The Essex-based Higgins Group describes itself as a “family owned and operated company”. It has made significant losses in the past two years – £5.4m in 2022 and £25.8m for the 12 months to the end of July 2023.
Residents of the major development Oak Square in Stockwell, built by Higgins for the Notting Hill Genesis housing association, have faced years of disruption and dust as work to repair buildings completed in 2010 began in 2017 and are not scheduled to be completed until next year.
The council said Higgins was chosen through a procurement process carried out under a competitive procedure which began in August 2023 after cabinet approval in July 2023.
Somerleyton Road phase 2 will be “a net-zero development of 363 new homes, of which 54 percent, 195 homes, would be affordable; 138 of these would be for social rent,” the council said.
It also includes plans for 63 “extra care” homes [which provide assisted accommodation], a two-storey community gym and improvements and upgrades to Somerleyton Road itself.
“Appointing a delivery partner is an important step towards building desperately needed high quality and energy efficient new affordable homes, while maintaining our focus on maximising delivery of new homes at social rent,” said councillor Danny Adilypour, deputy leader of the council and member for sustainable growth and new homes. “There are also important improvements to the local area and community benefits proposed.
“This proposal also exceeded our affordable and extra care homes targets, which is a real achievement at a time when the spike in inflation has made building so much more expensive, and when every single new affordable home matters in Lambeth.
“We have set a target to deliver more than 500 much needed new affordable homes by 2030, to maximise the number of new homes at social rent within this and to get these new homes built at pace.
“To achieve this, we need to work with like-minded partners who have the experience to support us in delivering these homes, which we simply would not be able to do by ourselves following over a decade of deep cuts to local government funding and underinvestment in social housing.”
Adilypour said he was “looking forward to seeing the many opportunities that Higgins will provide to our residents throughout this project.
“From co-design sessions on the development plans to job and skills opportunities through the construction phase of the project, we will work together to bring positive social and economic impacts to Brixton and wider Lambeth.”
Following formal agreement of the partnership, pre-planning and “resident engagement work” are due to begin this autumn.
Higgins Group chief executive officer Declan Higgins said the company was delighted to be appointed.
“We understand the council’s objectives for the accelerated delivery of affordable homes and are committed to working with local residents and stakeholders to create affordable, sustainable communities addressing local housing needs,” he said.
“We are committed to engaging with the community throughout the design process and will deliver meaningful social value initiatives focussed on the needs of local residents including training and employment, volunteering and community support.
“We look forward to collaborating with local residents and stakeholders as well as the team at Lambeth and the community to bring these exciting plans to fruition.”
The council said the development partner procurement process for Somerleyton Road is “one of the deliverables of the council’s new homes programme, the first priority in Lambeth’s improved Housing Strategy which sets out how the council intends to create more affordable homes, improve housing repair and create healthy, safe neighbourhoods in the borough.”
In 2018, Lambeth council rejected plans by the community organisation Brixton Green for redeveloping Somerleyton Road which Brixton Green had been developing for several years.
Brixton Green had received significant funding from the Greater London Authority and a quarter of a million pounds from the National Lottery to develop its ideas.
The council, however, after being aware of them for some time, said Brixton Green’s plans presented “significant legal and financial challenges”.
The rejection came as the council began to promote its own housing delivery “vehicle” Homes for Lambeth, which was wound up recently following a report commissioned by the council that was critical of Home for Lambeth and the council itself.
Somerleyton Road’s original large houses, built before the First World War, were some of the first to be occupied by the Windrush Generation and became the heart of their community. Most were demolished in the late 1960s, with the current Moorlands estate and the Barrier Block, Southwyck House, replacing them on one side of the street.
