Brixton Buzz

Here’s a series of 16 photos taken around midnight on Saturday night, documenting a walk from Streatham to Brixton, via Brixton Hill.

Although it’s fair to say that most of the places we passed have seen better days, it’s great to see that the Crown & Spectre is thriving, although they’ve been hampered by the council’s refusal to grant them an extended late night licence.

Built in 1896, the Telegraph pub used to host some great parties before closing around 2009.

Read some archived local discussion about the pub here and view archive photos here.

Lambeth Council is preparing to sell off a tranche of council-owned garage sites and car parks to help repay a £40 million loan from central government taken out last year to plug a black hole in its Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The move comes even though residents who responded to the consultation overwhelmingly opposed the disposals.

The proposed sales are set out in an officer decision report that authorises the disposal of 15 HRA assets — including twelve garage sites, two car parks and one parcel of land — via public auction and informal tender.

Lambeth Council is preparing to sell off a tranche of council-owned garage sites and car parks to help repay a £40 million loan from central government taken out last year to plug a black hole in its Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The move comes even though residents who responded to the consultation overwhelmingly opposed the disposals.

The proposed sales are set out in an officer decision report that authorises the disposal of 15 HRA assets — including twelve garage sites, two car parks and one parcel of land — via public auction and informal tender.

A former Lambeth Council plumber has received a £720,000 settlement after the council admitted exposing him to asbestos during his time working for the authority, according to the law firm Leigh Day.

The man — identified in legal papers only as Paul — was employed by Lambeth Council from 1977 to 1986, initially as a “fitter’s mate” and later carrying out plumbing work.

This weekend sees the launch of Streatham Exchange, a new community-led cultural event bringing workshops, live music, DJs and shared creative space to the borough, with a simple aim of reconnecting people through culture at a time when social isolation and anxiety are increasingly shaping everyday life.

Knife injuries involving young people have increased in Lambeth over the past year, according to a new report from the borough’s Safer Lambeth Partnership, which also highlights persistently high levels of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

The report, due to be discussed by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9th February, reviews crime and community safety trends during 2025 and draws on data from police, health services and partner agencies.

Lambeth’s Licensing Committee meeting was again cancelled at the eleventh hour, ahead of a scheduled debate on the borough’s new Gambling Policy, with the council still refusing to explain how its long-standing “No Casino” clause vanished from the draft without discussion, authorship, or explanation.

The Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund has awarded grants to five projects in Lambeth to improve green and blue infrastructure across the borough.

One of the projects will be led by the council and four others by community groups in the borough, including two housing estates and Tulse Hill adventure playground.

Raising Streatham Stream, Streatham Common

Lambeth Council has been awarded Green Roots funding to create a new stream habitat in Hilly Four Acres on Streatham Common.

Brixton and Clapham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Streatham Green Party councillor Martin Abrams are among a range of Lambeth trade unionists, campaigners and elected representatives backing two key upcoming anti-far-right events.

The backing comes as organisers promote an online mobilising meeting this Thursday, 15 January, calling on Lambeth residents to “unite our communities in love” and begin mobilisation for a national demonstration on 28 March (see details below).

The recently launched Quiet Zone acoustic jam takes place on the third Thursday of the month at Henge Brixton, but they’re adding a special show this Sunday, 28th Dec 2025.

The organisers told Brixton Buzz more about the sessions:

Beyond this the jam came about following conversations between Matt Priory (the owner / bar manager of Henge Brixton), Tim and Chris (Dash The Henge Store) and I a few months back.