Some of the major developments to look out for in Lambeth in 2026

A site in Streatham will be redeveloped to deliver 92 properties, including a number of ‘pocket’ homes measuring 38sqm and a pub which is set to reopen after being closed for eight years are among some of the major developments to look out for in Lambeth in 2026.

The borough could also see a 288-home development in tower blocks up to 20 storeys tall built in Brixton, while land owned by Prince William in Vauxhall will be turned into dozens of new homes following planning approval from the council.

There could also be some major changes to how Brockwell Park is used for music festivals this summer as part of a “new approach” which means the festival organisers now require full planning permission for it go ahead and must consult with local residents.

Here’s everything Lambeth residents need to know about major changes which are coming to the borough in 2026, from recently-approved developments to planning applications which are currently being consulted on and will ultimately need to gain planning permission from the council at a later date.

New hotel to be built in Brixton, but it means goodbye to Nando’s

Lambeth Council’s Planning Applications Committee have unanimously approved plans to turn a 1960s office building in the heart of Brixton into a 341-room hotel and co-working office space.

Blue Star House, an 11-storey building located at 234-244 Stockwell Road, will be refurbished with extra storeys to be added on top.

At its tallest, the new building will be part-15 and part-16 storeys which means it will be even more noticeable along Brixton’s skyline.

The current site is home to a well-known Nando’s which has existed there for a number of years as well as an on-site gym however, both are set to be lost and won’t be replaced.

The plans were approved on December 9, with works expected to begin in mid-2027 with a completion date of late 2029.

Pub to reopen after eight year closure

The Mawbey Arms, which is located between Nine Elms and Stockwell in Lambeth, will be redeveloped to become a pub again along with a new 28-bedroom hotel.

The pub closed down eight years ago and since then has remained vacant. In 2016, it was locally listed and was placed on Lambeth’s Local Heritage List. The pub has been described as a “sole 19th century survivor” located in the middle of a 1970s housing estate.

The plans were approved back in September 2025, though a reopening date is yet to be revealed.

‘Pocket’ sized homes are coming to Streatham

In November, Lambeth Council approved plans to turn a site in Streatham into 92 new properties which includes a number of pocket sized homes measuring 38sqm.

The site includes land at 35-37 Leigham Court Road, as well as some land located to the west and the back of 39-49 Leigham Court Road. The site also includes Leigham Court Road public car park and toilets and a synagogue which closed in 2021.

Under the proposals, Pocket Living intends to build 15 social rented homes, along with 31 discount market rent homes and 46 homes that will be private. Nine homes are set to be wheelchair accessible.

The discount market rent units, known as ‘Pocket Rent Homes’, are one-bed homes designed for a single person that measure 38sqm in size.

The 46 private homes are called ‘Pocket Sharer’ homes which are larger and contain en-suite bathrooms. Tenants will share communal areas, such as a living room, kitchen and dining space.

Construction is set to begin in early 2026, with the project expected to be completed by 2029.

More homes added to Shakespeare Road development

Developer, L&Q has been allowed to build a further 60 new homes to an already-approved housing scheme which is located to the east of Shakespeare Road and near Herne Hill.

The plans, which were approved in October, will see the number of homes increase from 218 to 278, with three of the blocks increasing by 1 storey, 2 storeys and 4 storeys respectively.

The number of ‘affordable’ homes will increase from 67 to 85, and will deliver 35per cent affordable housing overall. In total, the affordable housing will consist of 52 social rent homes and 33 intermediate homes which will be shared ownership.

At the time of planning approval, Lambeth planning officers said the proposals will deliver “a range of public benefits”, including a “significant” contribution towards housing and affordable housing on an affordable site. Stephen Murden, Head of Residential Development at L&G, said with the council’s support, building work can begin on site in early 2026.

New homes could be coming to Brixton

Plans for a redevelopment which could see 288 new flats built across two council-owned sites in Brixton have been submitted to Lambeth Council’s planning portal.

Lambeth has partnered with developer London Square to bring forward plans for a new mixed-use residential and commercial development at 49 Brixton Station Road and 6 Canterbury Crescent.

Under the plans, London Square wants to build new flats, which includes 98 social rent homes, as well as space for new shops, dedicated storage facilities for Brixton’s market traders, an enterprise and community hub and new workspace for local businesses.

The first site, located at 6 Canterbury Crescent, is currently home to International House, a red brick office building that was built in the 1980s as part of the Brixton Recreation Centre.

International House was previously used as council offices but is currently used by 3Space, an affordable workspace provider, on a temporary lease. The building is 12 storeys tall, and a temporary restaurant and sauna are located on its roof.

The plans would see International House retained and refurbished, with two extra storeys added on top to deliver 69 private sale homes.

The second site is located at 49 Brixton Station Road and is currently home to Pop Brixton, a popular food and drinking spot complete with workspace units, which the council previously said was always meant to be a temporary use of the site.

The proposed blocks for this site would range between six and 20 storeys tall, with two blocks containing entirely social rent homes while a third block would be for private sale homes only.

The plans are expected to be heard by the council in March 2026.

New homes to be built on land owned by Prince William

Lambeth Council approved plans in 2025 which will see land owned by Prince William in Vauxhall turned into new homes for young people who have experienced homelessness.

More than a dozen homes on Duchy of Cornwall-owned land will be used to support people aged 18-25 who have been homeless, are at risk of homelessness, or have made the transition from supported housing and are in employment and are ready to live independently.

The plans will see seven existing flats at 60 Sancroft Street refurbished and turned into 16 new homes, consisting of studios and one-bedroom flats.

All of the homes at 60 Sancroft Street will be ‘affordable’, with rents set at one third of a tenant’s gross earnings. The first homes will be delivered by the end of 2026 and will be managed by homeless charity Centrepoint.

The plans form part of the Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, which was set up with the aim to show it is possible to end homelessness. Homewards, which is led by Prince William, has committed to delivering Innovative Housing Projects across six locations across the UK, including Lambeth.

The Duchy of Cornwall’s plans will also see a former health centre at 65 Sancroft Street demolished and a new, five-storey building consisting of 23 flats built in its place.

Of the 23 flats, two of them will be intermediate, a type of ‘affordable’ housing offering discounted market rent. The remaining 21 flats will be private.

A ‘new approach’ to how Brockwell Park is used for festivals

There could be some major changes in how Brockwell Park is used for music festivals this summer, after Summer Events Ltd, the company which runs the Brockwell Live festival series which features events such as Mighty Hoopla, Cross the Tracks and Field Day, submitted its first ever planning application for its 2026 programme in December.

For the first time local residents will be consulted on each event and will be able to submit comments in opposition or support. The public had until December 31 to comment on the proposals for the park.

Under its proposals, Summer Events has applied for temporary planning permission so it can use just over a quarter of the park for a maximum of 32 days.

According to a planning document, the proposed event days would take place between May 9, 2026 and June 9, 2026 and include days for event set ups, show days, event de-rig and “wet weather buffer days”.

It is the first time a planning application has been submitted for Brockwell Live, which previously operated under permitted development rights and is different to obtaining full planning permission, which involves the consultation and views of local residents.

In 2025 a judge ruled in the favour of a group of campaigners who argued Lambeth Council did not have the correct planning permission for the festivals and found that parts of the park were being used beyond the permitted 28 days.

The council has now decided not to appeal the ruling, which was due to be heard this month to avoid “unnecessary costs to the taxpayer” and says it has embarked on a “new approach” for the programme of events in Brockwell Park, which are now subject to full planning permission.