Regeneration and gentrification are behind South London's most impressive transformation
Lambeth has roughly equal amounts of residential and office space so it’s a perfect place to live and work. Many companies are now attracted to the area due to the lower rentsthatLambeth offers while still being an inner city borough within easy reach of central London. Waterloo Station is also a massive transport hub and major artery to the south-west of England and Clapham Junction is the UK’s busiest train station proving Lambeth’s superior connectivity.
In the 2011 census Lambeth housed a population of around 304,500, it is sometimes eclipsed by its more affluent neighbours but with the ongoing regeneration in the borough, the number of tenants and businesses relocating will continue to rise.
Lambeth is the 8th most expensive London borough. Property prices increased by 20.2% last year which was less than neighbour Southwark and slightly more than Westminster (across the river).
Neighbouring Wandsworth is undergoing one of the most ambitious development programmes in the city. The Nine Elms area is being totally rebuilt to house the new American Embassy buildings. This will undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on house prices in the north-west of the borough as the regeneration effect spreads outwards. Particularly when the planned Northern line extension through Kennington to Nine Elms and Battersea completes around 2020.
Vauxhall has already been described as London’s mini-Manhattan due to the size of the skyscrapers under construction in this zone 1 prime riverside location. The huge-scale developments taking place downstream at Battersea Power Station will only add to the regeneration of this southern side of the Thames. Elsewhere in the borough, Brixton has seen a startling change in a short time frame. Brixton Market’s reinvention as a foodie destination has transformed what was once a run-down area into a destination of choice for many young professionals who have also begun to relocate there. Demand is now so great there are as many as 100 buyers per home in Brixton. That means Lambeth property investment is ideal/perfect/right for you if you're looking for a London regeneration area a commuter belt property.
Economy & Employment
Brixton’s new incubator is set to hatch a generation of entrepreneurs
Lambeth has start up funding available from the government for new businesses. These new business start-up grants and new business start-up loans are available from the regional government in Lambeth and open to applicants in Lambeth.
September 2014 saw Lambeth’s Hatch enterprise incubator unveiled, to help new businesses set up and turn dreams into reality. Hatch is a social enterprise supporting entrepreneurs across the borough looking to start up businesses.
Kennington Park is a hub for new and growing businesses. The site of 11 buildings providing offices, studios and workshops ranging in size from 178–25,000 sq. ft. Ideal for businesses seeking the convenience of a central London location offered at a fraction of the cost of the nearby city, West End or Canary Wharf. With a café and gym on site the centre attracts an array of businesses predominantly in the creative or business and professional services.
The new foodie phenomenon that is Brixton Market has created a huge opportunity to grow the local food market. It’s estimated tourists spend £100 million on food in Lambeth each year and there are plans to grow the local food sector by £60 million.
Investment
The Southbank Centre’s £120m redevelopment project is currently under discussion.
Lambeth is working with residents and local businesses to achieve better facilities for all local people and businesses.
The Southbank Centre’s major redesign, once approved, aims to provide free art and culture for £2 million people a year as well as 700 jobs and education for 150,000 youngsters. Lambeth Council also wants to invest £9 million into the borough’s green spaces in the next 5 years.
Tree Shepherd helps enterprises to develop and create the conditions where new jobs can be created, working with the natural entrepreneurial skills of local people and support them to transform their community.
The Brixton Pound (B£) project strengthens Brixton’s independent businesses, building a more connected community and building a local economy that is sustainable. Local businesses offer discounts as an incentive for customers using the local currency and it ensures the money continues to circulate throughout the local area.
Remakery Brixton will be offering new space for making things from waste materials and will be open to local residents, makers, artists and businesses. The aim is to reduce waste by recycling as and support the community by locals sharing their skills and sparking ideas throughout the members. Courses will be on all sorts of subjects with a specific focus on reusing resources that would have been discarded.
Transport
Air: City Airport is just over 9 miles from Lambeth and is easily accessible by rail and DLR.
Rail: National Rail services in Lambeth are operated by South West Trains, Southeastern, Southern, First Capital Connect and London Overground served by 8 tube stations, Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road overground stations, as well as 12 rail stations. So it is very well connected.
Road: Waterloo Bridge incorporating the NFT, Hungerford Bridge and the two accompanying pedestrian spans known as the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
Along with Lambeth, Vauxhall and Westminster Bridges provide the road and foot access.
Buses: Frequent bus services operate throughout the borough, both locally and to further afield boroughs
Education
Lambeth borough has 10 primary schools, 16 secondary schools, 5 special schools, 1 independent school 1 independent special school.
Notable institutions include:
Streatham and Clapham High School, an independent girls’ school with 96% of pupils obtaining good GCSE grades.
La Retraite R.C. Girls’ School a girls’ state school with 1039.1 value added.
Further and Higher Education: Lambeth borough has four colleges that supply the further and higher education needs of the community, and further afield.
King’s College London Mathematics School.
Lambeth College offers NVQ, ESOL, Foundation Degree, Access, BTEC and GCSEs in a variety of subjects.
The Marine Society College of the Sea is a distance learning FE college for those who make their living at sea.
The Morley College is an adult education college with three sites and a student population of around 11,000. It offers courses in a variety of subjects including art, design, fashion, languages, drama, dance, music, health and humanities.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping & Dining: Streatham, Brixton, Clapham and West Norwood all have a good range of shops. Brixton Market is the destination for a unique experience of food stalls with African and Caribbean produce and home made delights. Both Clapham and Brixton are the borough’s social centres for eating, drinking and dancing though Kennington also has a number of gastro-pub and cocktail bars and Vauxhall has a range of huge nightclubs under the railway arches.
Sport & Culture: Major landmarks in Lambeth include the Royal Festival Hall, St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth Palace and the London Eye. Lambeth is home to many theatres, namely the National Theatre, Southbank Centre as well as the Old Vic and the Young Vic theatres. The Oval cricket ground hosts many major and family-friendly cricket matches throughout the season.
Green Spaces: The River Thames forms the northern boundary of the London Borough of Lambeth has a riverside trail suitable for cyclists and pedestrians. Lambeth hosts many green spaces including Brockwell Park, Streatham Common & The Rookery, Kennington Park, Vauxhall Gardens and Vauxhall City Farm. The farm contains animals such as alpacas, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as being a centre for Riding for the Disabled. The farm is a similar initiative to the popular Lambeth Country Show, an annual event held in Brockwell Park, that aims to teach inner city children about life in the countryside. The annual Kite Day on Streatham Common is also a firm family favourite.
