There was a party atmosphere (for some) in Brixton Village after an in-form Spain swept aside tournament favourites France 2-0.
Buzz was there to capture the scenes:
Join the discussion
- France v Spain | Semi Final | July 14th 2pm CDT/8pm BST (ITV1) | Dallas Stadium
- FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026
- Brixton food & drink news: new restaurants, bars, pop ups, cafes and more
Follow Brixton Buzz
]]>
The Liberal Democrats will call on Lambeth Council to give decisive new rights to tenants and leaseholders on housing repairs at the Full Council meeting, tonight, Wednesday, 15 July 2026, as pledged in their manifesto.
The motion at Full Council will allow residents to sign off not just housing repairs but also missed appointments and communal repairs. The Lib Dems say that they’ll expand this to cover leaseholders too, and will strengthen Councillors’ rights to speak up for residents on repairs.
Currently, Lambeth Council is rolling out a system whereby tenants are sent a text message after a repair, asking if they are satisfied with it. If they say “no,” the repair automatically becomes a live job again, and the contractor has to come back. If the resident is still unhappy, the Council inspects the work and decides if the job is finished.
The Lib Dems want to go further. They are calling on Lambeth to add missed appointments to the scheme, since those are a constant source of frustration to residents. They also want to bring in communal repairs, and to extend the scheme to cover leaseholders.
Crucially, they say that if the resident refuses to sign off a second time, instead of Council Officers deciding on their own whether the job should be closed and the contractor paid, Councillors should be given a formal right to make representations on the resident’s behalf.
Liberal Democrat Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Cllr Simon Cordon, cunningly weaved in a topical football reference in his statement:
“With England playing tonight, we’re hoping to score a win tonight too for Lambeth’s tenants and leaseholders.
This was a key policy in our manifesto. For too long people have had to pay for poor quality repairs.
We hope the other parties back our resident sign off plan, because it will put leaseholders and tenants back in charge.”
The Lib Dem proposal will be debated at the Town Hall on tonight, with a vote expected around 9.30pm when England will hopefully be thumping Argentina off the park*
*we wouldn’t bet on this, though
]]>
The Health and Social Care Committee yesterday delivered one of Parliament’s strongest calls yet for action to protect children from junk food marketing—and Bite Back’s young campaigners are urging the incoming Government to seize the moment.
After a year-long inquiry, MPs have concluded that children’s health has been undermined by unhealthy food environments and decades of industry influence, recommending stronger protections including action on outdoor junk food advertising.
The report echoes the evidence given directly to the Committee by Bite Back campaigners
Jayda and Alice, who told MPs how children and young people are surrounded by junk food marketing every day.
With a new Prime Minister expected to take office shortly, Bite Back says the Committee has handed the new Government a ready-made roadmap for improving children’s health.
The charity is calling on ministers to move quickly, beginning with a national ban on junk food advertising in outdoor spaces.
Jayda, Bite Back campaigner, said:
“Children and young people are surrounded by junk food marketing every single day. Whether it’s on billboards, at bus stops or on the journey to school or even online, it’s almost impossible to avoid.
Last year I had the opportunity to give evidence to this Committee, so I’m really pleased to see MPs recognising what young people are experiencing.
“We also saw first-hand how coordinated the food and advertising industries can be when they pushed back against Bite Back’s Commercial Break campaign, which simply called for children to get a break from junk food adverts.
Young people are becoming increasingly aware of these commercial pressures and deserve better.
“This report is an important step towards creating healthier environments for children and young people.
Now the Government must act quickly rather than delay. Children’s health should always come first, ahead of industry lobbying.
Alice, Bite Back campaigner, added:
“The Government needs to put children’s health ahead of industry lobbying, and a really important first step would be banning junk food advertising in outdoor spaces.
We need to make it easier for children and young people to grow up in places where healthier food is supported instead of unhealthy food being promoted everywhere.
“Last year we had the opportunity to give evidence to this Committee, and it’s encouraging to see MPs recognising what young people shared with them. They listened. Now the new Prime Minister needs to listen too.
D’Arcy Williams, Chief Executive of Bite Back, said:
“The Health and Social Care Committee has sent one of the clearest messages Parliament has delivered in years: if we want healthier generations, we must create healthier environments for children and young people.
“For too long, we’ve expected children to navigate a food environment stacked against them.
Our young campaigners have shown how junk food advertising dominates bus stops, billboards and high streets, while our research has highlighted the concentration of unhealthy food marketing and fast-food outlets around schools.
That is not an accident, it is the result of a system that has consistently put commercial interests ahead of children’s health. ”
“Last year, through our award-winning Commercial Break campaign, young people reclaimed outdoor advertising space to show what our streets could look like without junk food adverts.
The response from the advertising industry demonstrated just how difficult it can be to challenge the status quo. That’s why Government leadership matters.”
“The Committee has now laid out a clear roadmap – one that also urges the government to protect the policy process from further food industry interference tactics.
The incoming Government has an opportunity to show real leadership by introducing a national ban on outdoor junk food advertising, strengthening protections for children in and around schools, and ensuring that every child grows up in an environment that supports their health rather than undermines it.
Young people have done their part. Parliament has listened. Now it’s time for the Government to deliver.”
More info
]]>
After nearly three months without football at Champion Hill, Dulwich Hamlet have got two games this weekend, with both the men’s and women’s playing.
Saturday 18th July, 3pm vs MILLWALL
The men return to Champion Hill for Saturday afternoon football following their trip to Jersey last weekend which saw them run out 5-1 winners against the Jersey Bulls and with plenty of goals coming in our previous games against the U21s from Millwall we are hoping for another exciting day of football.
Tickets have been reduced his summer to £8 for adults and £4 for concessions whilst anyone under 13 still comes for free so it’s a perfect way to get the summer holidays off to a flier, link below…
Sunday 19th July, 2pm vs PORTSMOUTH
The women’s home campaign kicks off with the visit of Portsmouth who will be looking to bounce back after their relegation from WSL2 to the National League Southern Premier.
Hamlet are expecting a tough encounter and the perfect test ahead of the start of their own league campaign.
With ticket prices reduced to £4 for adults, £2 to concessions and U13s free it’s even more affordable to bring the family and tickets are available below….
Season ticket availability
If you are a frequent supporter at Champion Hill or looking for a way to support the club in general then a season ticket offers guaranteed entry at discounted prices for the season and the early bird window which ends this Friday offers the best value for money.
There are two options, the club ticket which includes entry to all men’s and women’s league fixtures (plus bonus cup fixtures wherever rules allow) and can be found here…
and the women’s only version for those of you who love to attend on Sundays…
Get behind the Hamlet!
- Dulwich Hamlet FC forum
- All the photos and match reports at dulwichhamlet.org
- Official website
- Dulwich Hamlet on Twitter
- DHFC Women
- Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust
- Dulwich Hamlet TV
- Dulwich Hamlet Radio
Join the discussion
- Dulwich Hamlet forum (over 100,000 messages)
- Dulwich Hamlet Women’s team on the forum (over 1,000 posts)
Dulwich Hamlet FC info
Dulwich Hamlet FC
Champion Hill Stadium,
Edgar Kail Way, London SE22 8BD
Papa’s Park in Brixton is launching a free six-week football programme for children aged 8–13, coached by Sonny Black of Sporting Champs and formerly of Crystal Palace, starting Thursday 23rd July.
Sessions run from 5–6pm weekly and are open to children of any gender. The programme is funded by the Lambeth Wellbeing Fund, Project Smith and Papa’s Park, with community connector Michelle Killington also supporting the project.
Papa’s Park is a volunteer-run charity on Pulross Road that grew out of a campaign in the 1990s when local residents banded together to save a derelict council play area from developers.
More than 25 years on, the park – with its playground, all-weather sports pitch, community hall and café – welcomes over 6,000 visitors a year and is open 365 days a year, entirely managed by volunteers.
The charity is looking for 2–4 adults to train as community coaches to help make the football programme a long-term fixture.
Described ‘an amazing chance to make a huge difference to your community, get active and learn some new skills’, the charity are providing full training at no cost.
Jennifer Fleetwood, a volunteer at Papa’s Park, said:
“What makes Papa’s Park special is that it is run by and for the community and this is the approach we want to take with our football group too.”
More Info
]]>
The Hill is a modern British pub in the heart of Streatham serving seasonal British food, quality drinks and offering “warm, welcoming hospitality.”
Open seven days a week, the venue has a weekly Tuesday Steak Night, a free pub quiz every Wednesday, traditional Sunday roasts and a “welcoming neighbourhood atmosphere designed to bring the local community together.”
The bar hit us with a full PR blast:
Just over a month after opening its doors, The Hill is quickly becoming one of Streatham’s go to neighbourhood pubs.
Packed quiz nights, a hugely popular Tuesday Steak Night and Sunday roasts that regularly bring families and friends together have helped the venue establish itself as a genuine local favourite.
The modern British pub, created from the transformation of former independent venue SW16 Bar & Kitchen, is the latest venture from awardwinning hospitality entrepreneurs Lisa Loebenberg and Emma Willis – the operators behind Exhibit Balham and South London pizza brand Mamma Dough.
Since opening, The Hill has built a reputation for offering everything people want from a great local pub: quality food, well-kept drinks and genuine hospitality, all at prices designed to keep guests coming back.
The venue is led by General Manager Clark James and Executive Chef Antonio Raspone, recently crowned Pizza Chef of the Year.
The Hill marks another successful chapter for Loebenberg and Willis, who have become recognised for breathing new life into independent hospitality businesses across South London.
After taking over Balham institution Exhibit in 2019, the pair transformed the venue into one of London’s leading hospitality destinations, recently winning both Best Bar in London and Best Events Venue at the Muddy Stilettos Awards.
In 2023, they rescued Mamma Dough from administration, safeguarding the much loved neighbourhood pizza brand while overseeing a period of growth, with further openings planned later this year.
At a time when rising costs continue to put pressure on hospitality businesses across the capital, Loebenberg and Willis have built a reputation for creating commercially successful venues that remain rooted in their local communities.
“We’ve always believed successful hospitality starts with understanding what local people actually want,” said Lisa Loebenberg.
“The Hill was never about following trends. We wanted to create a proper neighbourhood pub where people could pop in for a pint after work, enjoy a great meal with family or meet friends on a Tuesday night without feeling priced out.”
More info
The Hill
5 Streatham High Road
London SW16 1EF
0203 875 3057
[email protected]
Opening hours
Monday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm
Friday: 11am – 12am
Saturday: 11am – 12am
Sunday: 11am – 11pm
Three unions have organised a demonstration outside Lambeth Town Hall tomorrow, Weds 15th July, to protest against Lambeth’s backtracking on its commitment to become a Borough of Equity and Justice.
Described as a “significant step backwards from the Council’s publicly stated ambition to become a Borough of Equity and Justice by 2030, UNISON, Unite and GMB have made this statement:
“The Council has committed to becoming a Borough of Equity and Justice by 2030. With a decision to remove the Equity and Justice function, employees and residents are asking how that promise will now be delivered.
Lambeth Council has made a bold commitment to become a Borough of Equity and Justice by 2030. It is an ambition many employees and residents have worked hard to support because fairer organisations deliver better outcomes for everyone.
Yet, over the past year, the Council has progressively reduced the strategic capacity supporting this ambition, first through changes to senior leadership and now through the removal of the dedicated Equity and Justice function. This raises an important question: how will Lambeth continue to deliver its vision while retaining the strategic capability needed to turn ambition into action?
Equity and Justice is often misunderstood as a function that serves only particular groups. In reality, it is a strategic capability that helps every Council service work better for every resident. It supports leaders to make better decisions, helps design more inclusive services, strengthens organisational culture, informs policy and commissioning, and builds trust with the communities the Council serves.
One of the simplest ways to understand its value is through the Curb-Cut Effect. Kerb cuts were originally introduced for wheelchair users, yet today they benefit parents with pushchairs, cyclists, delivery workers, older people and anyone pulling luggage. When we remove barriers for those facing the greatest challenges, everyone benefits.
You cannot remove the vehicle that has driven organisational change and expect the journey to continue unchanged. For years, Lambeth’s dedicated Equity and Justice function has provided the strategic leadership, challenge and expertise needed to embed fairness across the organisation.
It has influenced policy, strengthened leadership, developed organisational capability and helped build the trust that underpins better public services. Removing that strategic capability is not simply the loss of a team; it is a significant step backwards from the Council’s publicly stated ambition to become a Borough of Equity and Justice by 2030.
A Council cannot commit to becoming a Borough of Equity and Justice while dismantling the very strategic capability created to make that ambition a reality.
This conversation is not simply about the loss of individual jobs. It is about protecting the strategic capability that helps deliver better decisions, stronger communities and better public services. Ambitious commitments inspire confidence only when organisations retain the expertise, leadership and accountability needed to deliver them.
Have Your Say
A demonstration against the closure of the Equity and Justice function will take place on Wednesday outside the Town Hall at 6pm. If you believe Equity and Justice should remain central to Lambeth’s future, please attend if you can and speak to your local ward councillors.
Ask how the Council intends to deliver its Borough Plan commitment to becoming a Borough of Equity and Justice by 2030, and how it will retain the strategic capability needed to turn that commitment into lasting change.
A demonstration against the closure of the Equity and Justice function will take place on Wednesday outside the Town Hall at 6pm. If you believe Equity and Justice should remain central to Lambeth’s future, please attend if you can and speak to your local ward councillors.
Across the UK and internationally, some political leaders and parties have argued that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion functions should be reduced or removed.
Many employees will therefore find it deeply concerning that a Council which has publicly committed to becoming a Borough of Equity and Justice has now removed its own dedicated Equity and Justice function.
Regardless of political leadership, the expectation should remain the same: public commitments must be matched by sustained strategic capability.
A Borough of Equity and Justice cannot be built by removing the very function established to help deliver it.
]]>
The Brixton Buddhist Centre will be hosting a unique community event entitled “Peace is a Fire” on July 25, 2026, in Windrush Square, central Brixton.
They’ll be hosting a three-hour public meditation session, aiming to demonstrate that calm can be found even amidst the vibrant energy of central Brixton, while also raising funds for their new community centre.
They told Brixton Buzz more about what’s planned:
Brixton is vibrant, energetic, loud, and beautiful, but it is rarely calm and peaceful.
On 25th July 2026, the 12 of us from the Brixton Buddhist Centre’s Year 1 Study Group are stepping out of the shrine room and onto the concrete.
We are staging a Flash Meditation right in the beating heart of busy Windrush Square, central Brixton, where we will run a meditation session for three (3) hours.
Meditating in a public space is incredibly challenging, especially for this long. We won’t have the comfort of a Buddhist Centre, incense, or quiet.
Instead, we will be sitting with the discomfort of sirens, shouting, traffic, and the unpredictable energy of a London morning.
Everything from curious children, birds, hooting vehicles and busy public; The challenge is to sit motionless with eyes closed, regardless of what’s happening in the world around us, engaging our minds with meditations on loving kindness (Metta Bhavana).
We are doing this to prove a point to ourselves, and and anyone else who passes by, that even in the busiest places, each person can find their own centre of calm and peace, for the benefit of everyone around them.
This isn’t a political statement or a protest. It is an attempt to inspire kindness and bring calm to our community. We are inspired by our founder’s words “Peace is a fire.”
It’s important to realise that there is nothing passive about peace, or peaceful activity, but see it as a vibrant force which transforms people, situations and environments.
More info
Flash Meditation event by the Brixton Buddhist Centre
Windrush Square, Brixton SW2
Saturday 25th July 2026 (9am-noon)
Fundraising
The Brixton Buddhist Centre say that they are “putting ourselves in the middle of the chaos to raise vital funds needed to take on the lease and running of the 21Effra building in central Brixton, and to establish a permanent home for the Brixton Buddhist Centre.”
]]>
The Brixton Chamber Orchestra (BCO) is back for another fabulous Summer Estates Tour, with a 30 piece orchestra performing eleven free concerts over two weekends, starting on Friday 17th July 2026.
The BFCO crew will be throwing open the concert hall doors and bringing the heft of live orchestral music straight to your neighbourhood for a string of open-air concerts.
Estate residents and visitors alike can look forward to a joyful and eclectic mix of music spanning centuries and continents.
They say:
Bring a blanket, a picnic and enjoy a elclectic, multi genre mix of pop, jazz, classical and more.
Here’s what you can look forward to:
- 11 Free Concerts Over Two Weekends: Experience the magic of live orchestral music with 11 unique shows happening across 11 different estates in Lambeth and Southwark.
- 30-Piece Orchestra: Immerse yourself in the rich sound of a full orchestra, featuring talented local musicians.
- Special Guest Appearances: The tour promises exciting surprises with guest artists joining the orchestra on stage.
- Sing Along and Perform: This is your chance to be part of the show! Get up on stage and sing along, or even perform with the orchestra.
- Free entry, no ticket required!
*They will announce any changes to the programme due to weather conditions closer to the dates. Sign up to their email list and follow them on social media for updates [link]
Full tour dates
FRI 17 JULY
China Walk Estate, 7pm
SE11 6BE
SAT 18 JULY
Myatts Field North Estate, 3pm
24 Crawshay Rd, SW9 6FZ
Clifton Estate, 7pm
Consort Road, SE15
SUN 19 JULY
Tulse Hill Estate, 3PM
SW2 2EN
Fern Lodge Estate, 6.30PM
SW16 3HY
FRI 24 JULY
Wyvil/Mawbey Estates, 3PM
Wheatsheaf Lane, SW8 2UP
Clapham Park Estate, 7pm
116 Kings Ave, SW4 8EP
SAT 25 JULY
Moorlands Estate, 3pm
Hillmead Drive
Angell Town Estate, 7pm
Fairfax Park, Peckford Place
SUN 26 JULY
Palace Road Estate, 3pm
SW2 3EB
St Matthew’s Estate, 6.30pm
Tenant Hall – 10 St Matthew’s Rd, SW2 1NH
Stunning artworks and and gorgeous summer weather greeted visitors to the Urban Art Fair in Josephine Avenue, Brixton, over the weekend.
Here’s some photos from Sunday afternoon:
Dartmoor’s Lucy Storrs created these stunning mixed media works which were inspired by the natural world and the power of the waves.
Richard Sena (pictured below) is a Cyanotype artist exploring architecture, industry & birds in flight.
Helen from Plyconic creates astonishing architectural works from plywood.
We enjoyed her series featuring council estates, although sadly her Barrier Block piece (below) had already sold out.
Brixton scenes by Emilia Chubb.
Father and son team of grow_up_art_ flash the vicks.
Cristina Vercesi, an Italian-born artist living and working in London.
Brixton Buzz enjoyed reminiscing over the lost pubs of Brixton with Ana Gallego, a Spanish-born watercolour architectural artist based in South London.
Her work documents beloved high-street shops, independent businesses, and historical architecture.
Alexander Foreman‘s large scale cyanotype prints.
More info
Urban Art Fair archive photos:
- Urban Art Fair 2025 photos (the rainy edition)
- Urban Art Fair 2024 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2023 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2022 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2019 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2018 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2017 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2016 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2015 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2014 photos
- Urban Art fair 2013 photos
- Urban Art fair 2012 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2009 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2007 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2004 photos
Lambeth’s Planning Applications Committee have granted conditional planning permission for the annual Colourscape Music Festival.
The festival will be returning to the Common for its 37th consecutive year in September, and lets visitors navigate through a vast inflatable labyrinth of brightly coloured, interconnected chambers.
Naturally lit and heated by sunlight, the environmentally and sustainable structure creates an immersive sensory environment of shifting light and colour and is open to people of any age – and is wheelchair accessible.
Here’s the line up for the festival
Saturday September 12th: 11.30 to 3.30pm
We present our Opening event with unusual instruments and computers. Musicians performing include Hans-Karsten Raecke performing on instruments made from rubber, giant string/wind/plucking instruments etc and Festival Director, Lawrence Casserley transforming his sounds on computer.
Sunday Sept 13th: 11.30 to 3.30pm
Rothko Collective are a London-based new music collective. They will curate their Colourscape Day with music for flute, clarinet, violin and cello, featuring a range of graphic scores and a new adaptation of Mathis Saunier Lava Cycle (with public participation on smartphones!)
Monday 14th to Thursday 17th September
NO PUBLIC OPENINGS DUE TO SCHOOL WORKSHOP BOOKINGS.
Friday 18th September
Colourscape open to the public lunchtime 12 to 1pm only – reduced price entrance
Saturday Sept 19th: 11.30 to 3.30pm
Womens String Ensemble Hannah Marshall(cello); Sylvia Hallett (amplified cycle wheel, lyre and other strings); Stevie Wishart (Hurdy-Gurdy); Bettina Schroeder (electric ukelele) perform throughout the afternoon in various ensembles
Sunday Sept 20th: 11.30 to 3.30pm
To close the 2026 festival we present our Rawsthorn, Eye Music commission: New Symmetry. Choreographer Eileih Muir and composer Stephanie Singer bring a new live collaboration to Colourscape, weaving together movement, live music and sensory performance within the structure’s maze of colour, pathways and immersive spaces.
Part promenade experience, part immersive performance, the work invites audiences into a shifting journey through colour, sound and play, where dance, voice and music unfold all around them
More info
Colourscape festival
Clapham Common near the Windmill pub SW4 9DE.
Nearest access on to the common: Windmill Rd and Rookery Rd.
11 to 4pm weekends Sept 12/13th and 19/20th; AND 12 to 1pm Friday 18th Sept for Colourscape without music at a reduced admission charge.
- ADMISSION: Adults: £15; Children £7.50; Family £40. Reduced prices Friday lunchtime
- .Book tickets here
See our photo feature
]]>
Meeting on the second Monday of every month, the Minet Library reading group are based around the library of the same name in Myatt’s Fields.
They say:
A book club for adults. We read the best new fiction, classics, and occasionally dip into genres like Sci-Fi and Crime.
We select one title and get together each month to talk about what we thought of it.
Email the coordinator for more info and an invite to the meeting.
Upcoming meetings
Monday, 13 July 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Monday, 10 August 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Monday, 14 September 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Monday, 12 October 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Monday, 9 November 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
More info
Minet Reading Group
52 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY
Contact Alex Hopkins for details
Contact phone: 020 7926 6073
Enquiries email: [email protected]
]]>
Every bar was packed in Brixton last night to watch England just about do enough to defeat a dogged Norway and progress to the World Cup semi finals.
We chose to watch the game in the Prince Albert’s mini-garden:
It wasn’t the most exciting of games at times.
Join the discussion
- Norway Vs England Saturday 11 July 22:00
- England v Argentina | Semi Final | July 15th 8pm Atlanta Stadium
- FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026
- Brixton food & drink news: new restaurants, bars, pop ups, cafes and more
Follow Brixton Buzz
]]>
Lambeth Council has announced that it will commission an independent review of its financial management.
In a statement, the council said:
]]>The review, to be led by an independent expert organisation, will assess the council’s current spending and budget setting processes, comparing them against national best practice standards for local government finance to ensure Lambeth is securing value for money.
The findings will be published later this year and made available to every resident in Lambeth.
The review will help to comprehensively set out what has led to the council’s current financial situation, and make recommendations to address that.
Lambeth faces a stark financial challenge, and the review will examine the situation as well as how to address it going forward.
Running until the 23rd of this month, the annual Brixton Blog & Bugle Summer Art Show is currently on display at the Brixton Tate Library Gallery in Windrush Square.
Here’s some of the work on display:
More info
The Brixton Blog & Bugle Summer Art Show
29 June – 23 July 2026
Tate Library Brixton, Windrush Square, London
Urban Art 2026 is preparing to open on Josephine Avenue this Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July, with the street being transformed into a vibrant open-air gallery, welcoming visitors for a weekend “dedicated to creativity, conversation and discovery.”
The organisers told Brixton Buzz more about the weekend event:
Across studios and homes, artists are completing final pieces, framing work and preparing displays for what is one of the most anticipated art events of the summer.
Many exhibitors create new work specifically for Urban Art, meaning visitors will see pieces that are being shown publicly for the very first time. The result is a constantly fresh and evolving exhibition, where even returning visitors will find something new to discover.
This year’s event will feature more than 120 artists working across painting, photography, printmaking, illustration and mixed media. The scale and variety of work on display is part of what makes Urban Art so distinctive.
From bold contemporary statements to quiet, detailed studies, there is something to suit every taste and interest. Whether you are a long-time collector or simply curious about contemporary art, the range of work ensures there is always something that captures attention.
As the countdown continues, organisers are finalising the transformation of Josephine Avenue into an outdoor gallery space.
Over the weekend, visitors can expect a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere where art is experienced in natural light and at street level, and where conversations with artists are part of the experience. Entry remains free, and everyone is welcome.
About the event
Urban Art is an annual open-air art fair held in the heart of Brixton, celebrating local and other UK artists while supporting community causes. Since its inception, the event has grown to become a popular fixture in Brixton’s cultural calendar, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
More info
Website: www.urbanart.co.uk
Instagram: @UrbanArtBrixton
Twitter/X: @UrbanArtBrixton
Urban Art Fair archive photos:
- Urban Art Fair 2024 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2023 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2022 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2019 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2018 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2017 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2016 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2015 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2014 photos
- Urban Art fair 2013 photos
- Urban Art fair 2012 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2009 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2007 photos
- Urban Art Fair 2004 photos
Local artist Yiigaa has released a new single called ‘Tourguide,’ which celebrates and reflects on an ever-changing Brixton.
She told Brixton Buzz:
“Tourguide” is a really personal record for me, a love letter to Brixton, the place that raised me.
It explores the mixed emotions of watching somewhere you love change in real time, with pride and nostalgia sitting alongside a quieter sense of loss.
It also reflects on the ongoing gentrification in Brixton, and how that shift is felt in everyday life by the people who grew up there.
At the same time, it holds space for the young creatives in Brixton who are still building, creating, and coming together in the middle of that change, keeping culture alive in their own way.
Co-produced with my longtime collaborator Jarj, the track blends soulful electronic textures with Afro inspired rhythms and a warm, live feeling energy throughout.
The release is accompanied by a short film that expands the world of the record, with a dance tape coming later in the year.
About Yiigaa
]]>Born & Raised in South West London’s Brixton, with roots in Côte d’Ivoire, music has been a part of Yiigaa’s life since the age of seven when she had already written her own song lyrics. She references Ms Dynamite, Niniola, Katy B and Nelly Furtardo as influences.
Besides her music career, she is also a part of the National Young Theatre.
Yiigaa has been championed by BBC Radio 1’s Jeremiah Asiamah (Coldest Records, Coldest of the Year, Watchlist 2022), Rickie, Melvin and Charlie, Jack Saunders (Next Wave), Jess Iszatt (featured artist) and more, as well as securing a plays on Love Island ‘23 and ‘21.
She has garnered support from award-winning DJ and producer, Conducta who remixed her single Closer, naming it as one of his favourite tracks of the year. The 2-step banger was widely shared by the likes of DJ Mag, GRM Daily and Trench Magazine. [—]
Families, roller skaters and nature lovers are invited to lace up for Roll ’n Stroll, a free community event from CeCeRollerSkates, celebrating movement, nature and clean air.
Now in its fourth year, the event is part of the LIVE + BREATHE campaign, bringing people together for an afternoon of roller skating, outdoor nature activities and family-friendly fun in the heart of South London.
Open to skaters of all abilities, Roll ‘n Stroll combines a guided community skate with nature discovery, Forest School activities, a gardening workshop and creative family experiences, encouraging people of all ages to explore South London’s treasured green spaces while enjoying an active afternoon outdoors.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it.
Inside oasis nature garden families can explore a nature trail, with opportunities to spot wildlife, mud kitchen, adventure playground has quad buggies, zip line discover hidden green spaces and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature.
Activities include:
- Rollerskating fun
- Forest School experiences
- Nature crafts and gardening workshops
- Wildflower and plant discovery
- Free play inside the adventure playground
- Family-friendly games and creative play
- Opportunities to learn more about local biodiversity
“It’s about bringing people together through movement and nature,” said CeCeRollerskates, founder of Roll ‘N Stroll. “Whether you’re an experienced skater, a complete beginner or simply looking for a fun day outdoors with your family, Roll ‘n Stroll is a chance to connect with your community and celebrate the incredible green spaces we have in South London.”
Beyond getting people moving, Roll ‘n Stroll also shines a spotlight on the impact of air pollution in Southwark and Lambeth, where poor air quality continues to disproportionately affect Black and ethnic minority communities.
Through inclusive skating experiences, CeCeRollerSkates is helping more people discover the benefits of active travel while making outdoor spaces feel welcoming and accessible for everyone.
Roll ‘n Stroll is part of LIVE + BREATHE, a summer-long campaign tackling air pollution in South London. Founded in 2022 by musician and climate activist Love Ssega, the registered Community Interest Company (CIC) empowers communities to breathe clean, safe air, particularly those that have historically faced the greatest environmental inequalities.
“Everyone deserves clean air, yet too many communities in South London continue to bear the greatest burden of air pollution. Roll ‘n Stroll shows how bringing people together through movement and nature can inspire healthier lives while building momentum for cleaner air for everyone” said Love Ssega, founder of LIVE + BREATHE.
Laura Gillard, Project Coordinator at Hubbub, added:
“We’re really pleased to support the Roll ’n Stroll Nature Fun Day by providing wildflower seeds for Southwark residents to take home. It’s a simple way for everyone to plant their own mini-meadows and be a good neighbour to nature.”
The Southwark Nature Neighbourhoods project, delivered by Hubbub and supported by Southwark Council’s Biodiversity Fund, is helping residents create vital wildlife habitats right where they live.
More info
Saturday 11 July, Time: 4.15pm–7pm
Location: Oasis Play Children’s Venture, 33 Priory Grove, London SW8 2P
Places for Roll ‘n Stroll, are free but limited, and advance booking is recommended, please bring your own skates.
For more information, visit: https://www.instagram.com/cecerollerskates/?hl=en
Book your free tickets via Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/3udc42xu
Alex Davies overturned a Green majority to take Streatham St Leonard’s for the Liberal Democrats, while veteran community campaigner Michael Ball held Clapham Park for the Greens by just 43 votes in two closely fought by-elections decided at Lambeth Town Hall tonight.
Davies won with 1,161 votes (42%) to the Greens’ Dario Goodwin on 972 (35%), with Labour’s Jade Ellen Albas trailing on 421. The Lib Dems had finished third in the ward in May – making the gain all the more remarkable.
In Clapham Park, Ball’s margin over Labour’s Louie Somerville-Sutherland was razor thin with 842 votes to 799 – in a ward where Labour had held all three seats until May’s elections.
On leaving the election count at Lambeth Town Hall, Davies, a self-described ‘Streatham boy’ who grew up on Estreham Road and has lived in the area all his life, previously represented neighbouring Streatham Wells, told Brixton Buzz:
“We’ve just fought a really closely fought campaign, in which both the Greens and Labour threw everything they could at it.
But we’ve been able to deliver a campaign which is about having a local champion as your councillor.”
– Alex Davies, newly elected Liberal Democrat Councillor for Streatham St Leonards
He added that he felt “perhaps a little complacency had crept in” among the Green councillors who had represented the ward, and said his campaign had reported more than 100 issues to the council during the short campaign period.
“People say, oh, it’s just what it is. I don’t think so – we can make it cleaner and safer, and that’s what we’re gonna try to do.”
The results leave the council composed of 28 Green, 26 Labour and 9 Lib Dem seats. The Green-Lib Dem cooperation that delivered the current hybrid cabinet committee model with Greens taking the leadership remains intact, but the Streatham result may prompt reflection in the Green group about the lingering impact of the Saiqa Ali controversy in the ward.
Commenting on the Brixton forum on BB’s sister site urban75, user Lang Rabbie described the Streatham result as ‘amazing’ and ‘a terrible result for Steve Reed’s Streatham and Croydon North CLP as well as for Streatham Greens after their refusal to apologise for continuing to campaign for their disgraced candidate in May, even after her arrest.’
[Michael Ball (l) with Martin Abrams 24.06.26]
Martin Abrams, Green Leader of Lambeth Council, said in a statement shortly after the count:
“This result is a clear mandate for change, and a Green-led administration, in Lambeth. We are the largest party in the borough, with Labour clearly now in second place after two decades in charge.
Lambeth residents are sick of a political elite that puts the interests of big business and developers ahead of the needs of the community.
Lambeth Greens have a vision for change – fighting to end austerity, roll back the housing crisis, and empower the people who live and work here.
That is why we won in Clapham Park, and we’re already getting to work.”
– Cllr Martin Abrams, Leader of Lambeth Council
[Michael Ball with Zack Polanski]
Ball, the newly elected Green Councillor for Clapham Park, said in the same statement:
“I am deeply honoured to have been elected as councillor for Clapham Park, in what was a hard fought campaign, and I would like to thank every one of the voters and volunteers who came out for us.
Over the next four years, I will fight every day for the people who live here, and for their right to decent social housing and a real say in the decisions that affect them.
Again and again, residents told me on the doorstep that they were tired of being ignored by Labour, worried about being able to make ends meet, and angry about inequality and injustice.
However you voted, I will fight for you in the months and years to come.”
– Michael Ball, newly elected Green Councillor for Clapham Park
Follow Brixton Buzz
[Note: various typos corrected, inc. Michael Ball, Streatham Wells, Croydon]
]]>
As people head to the polls today, Labour has nothing to say about the millions squandered on Homes for Lambeth, or the crippling cost of temporary accommodation – but has decided that voters want more of the smears and attacks that failed them in May.
They began the campaign with a run of social media posts and doorstep talking points about the cost of the two by-elections – and what that money could have paid for instead.
What they left out is that more than 200 council by-elections have been triggered by Labour resignations across England and Wales since 2022.
The hypocrisy failed to register even as the party imploded nationally: a leadership fight waged through the Makerfield by-election – cost to the public purse around £226,000 – that carried Andy Burnham back to Westminster.
The wider bill, counting the Greater Manchester mayoral contest his exit set off, has been put as high as £5m. An irony only compounded when the newly elected MP promptly backed out of a rally in Clapham Park, staged to prop up Labour’s Lambeth campaign – leaving Green leader Zack Polanski to visit the ward in his place.
Unable or unwilling to campaign on housing following a seventh ‘severe maladministration finding, Holland’s strategy was to resort to accusing the Green Party, led nationally and locally by two Jewish men, Zack Polanski and Martin Abrams, of being antisemitic.
Labour posted images of a Green campaigner in Clapham Park, Mark Bittlestone, accusing him in a post of sharing content that claimed October 7 was ‘planned and carried out by Israel’ and offensive material about the Holocaust.
Canvassers and social media posts returned to the former Green candidates Saiqa Ali and Sabine Mairey. The campaign against them had already culminated in the arrest of both women on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred – yet it did nothing to stem the flow of members and voters deserting Labour.
Brixton Buzz has since seen documents to show that Holland personally made the police complaint.
But prior to this in April, Brixton Buzz approached Holland at hustings with questions about Labour’s ‘lying leaflets’. When asked about her central role in manufacturing a threat to the Freedom Pass, and where an allegedly fabricated figure of 857 council homes blocked by the Greens came from, the Labour leader declined to discuss and instead repeatedly insisted that Brixton Buzz write about a Green candidate’s social media post, that read: ‘Trump run by Jews’.
None of this went unchallenged, the Greens’ three Jewish candidates – Cllr Martin Abrams, Jeremy Isaacs and Lisa Schulkind – wrote an open letter rejecting Labour’s ‘cynical misrepresentation’ of their party while Zack Polanski, later said Labour “misusing antisemitism dangerously against us makes me, as a Jewish person, less safe.”
He went on to say:
“Antisemitism is a real issue, as is Islamophobia, as are all forms of racism, but it’s not challenged by misusing it, by trivialising it, or using it for political aims.”
– Zack Polanski, Clapham Park 24.06.26
Jewish Voice for Labour – a group with more than a decade’s experience of what it calls the weaponisation of antisemitism – went further still. After having dropped ‘Labour’ from its name last year, to become Jewish Voice for Liberation, it said those ‘who wish to maintain their power in British politics and the media want, once again, to weaponise antisemitism’.
Condemning the real antisemitic attacks in Manchester, Golders Green and Kenton, it drew a hard line between genuine racism and its political misuse: ‘We will continue to oppose both antisemitism and the weaponisation of antisemitism.’
The problem with Holland’s attack strategy is not only its reprehensible nature, or that it failed to move voters in May. It is that in Clapham Park, of all places, she approved former Labour councillor Irfan Mohammed as a candidate in 2022 – after he had shared posts on Facebook, reported nationally, allegedly claiming Jews had been warned about 9/11.
She also took no action against him when he served as vice chair of Ash-Shahada Housing Association, a supported housing provider on Coldharbour Lane, during a period when the Regulator of Social Housing raised concerns, including a serious risk of ‘financial abuse’.
Mohammed was later charged with sexual assault, exposure and controlling and coercive behaviour, with his trial now set for 2027. Holland also refused repeated calls to ask for his resignation as a councillor.
The Labour skullduggery at Lambeth is well documented, so it may come as little surprise that this recent and seventh finding of ‘severe maladministration’ by Lambeth under Labour, tops a charge sheet almost as long as the waiting list for a council house itself.
A few highlights include:
- Homes for Lambeth: the council’s own housebuilding company collapsed, with losses the new housing scrutiny chair, Simon Cordon estimates as close to £67m.
- Temporary accommodation: a bill risen from around £30m a year in 2021 to a projected £100m this year.
- 5,000 households in temporary accommodation.
- A council-funded tenant management organisation rated ‘No Assurance’ and referred to the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Three years of the council’s own accounts still unaudited.
The true scale of the mismanagement will take time to establish; Lambeth’s new finance lead, Zviko Chihoro, has vowed to trace where every penny went.
The verdict: the council that The Times has called the worst council in Britain, and Holland, well she carries the can.
More Info
- Local by-elections Thursday 9 July 2026
- Clapham Park
- Streatham St Leonards
- Two decades of Labour Failure in Lambeth
A local filmmaker has got in touch with Brixton Buzz asking for help in finding people to appear in a short ‘mockumentary’ about gentrification, which will be filming on Saturday, 11th July 2026.
Please note that this is an unpaid role, although they say lunch will be provided. Scroll down to find out more:
ACTORS WANTED to film alongside Demmy Lapido (The Kitchen – Netflix, Dreaming Whilst Black – BBC) Dario Coates (You – Netflix) and Natalie Dunne (Trying – Apple TV) in a new mockumentary COMEDY short called SMASHED AVOCADO. Written by Sophie McKay and Endy McKay. Produced by The McKay Sisters, Femi Oyeniran and Natalie Duval. Directed by Sophie and Endy.
This is an UNPAID opportunity (unfortunately we have a micro budget at this stage) but we will provide lunch and a fun few hours! Must be over 18 years.
We are looking for both featured and supporting artists to make up a Pentecostal church congregation.
We are particularly looking for actors with African or Caribbean heritage – ideally over the age of 40. Experience of pentecostal church a plus.
Some roles will include dialogue so this would suit people looking for screen experience, potential showreel material and the prospect of being involved in a new comedy screen project in its early stages that tackles hyper gentrification.
Please send us an email at: SMASHEDAVOCADOCASTING@GMAIL.
FILMING THIS SATURDAY 11th JULY 2026 IN BRIXTON 11AM-4PM. Artists must be free for the whole duration. Submission DEADLINE Thursday at 5pm but there is a limited amount of parts so get in quick and hopefully see you on set!
]]>
Today is your last chance to grab yourself some original artwork from the Many Actors Make Art (MAMA) exhibition at the Department Store in Brixton.
Pictured above at the exhibition yesterday: English comedian and author Jenny Eclair.
This unique exhibition runs until the 9th July and is in support of The Theatre Artists Fund.
The exhibition celebrates the visual artwork of actors and creatives from the theatre world, showcasing the hidden talents of performers beyond the stage.
Our favourite was this print by Mackenzie Crook (below):
Here’s some more photos of the artworks on offer:
More info
MAMA EXHIBITION
Downstairs at the Department Store
248 Ferndale Road, London, SW9 8FR
Open today, 9th July 2026, 10am-5pm and 6 – 9pm
- mamaartshow.com
- Instagram: @mama_artshow
- Tickets are free and available via this link
A Clapham Park family of four, tenants for 11 years, have been ordered to leave their home within two weeks – and told to find over £11,000 they don’t have — after a £600-a-month rent rise they say they warned their landlord they couldn’t afford.
The family with two children, who wished to remain anonymous, have lived in the same Clapham Park flat since 2015. In August 2025, solicitors acting for their landlord, Brickfield Properties Limited, served notice of a new rent: £1,700 a month from 1 October – a rise of 55% on the £1,100 they had been paying.
The family say the property saw no improvements in that time beyond a single repaint, carried out by the landlord back in 2015.
The couple, who have one full-time and one part-time income, say they told the landlord’s agents from the outset that they would not be able to afford the increase, and continued paying the old rent while raising the issue directly.
The court ordered that the family must leave by 4pm on 21 July.
In addition, they must pay £5,466.56 in arrears plus £6,000 in the landlord’s legal costs – over £11,000 in total, on top of losing their home.
The family say they tried repeatedly to get help before the hearing. They contacted Shelter and Citizens Advice, but say calls went unanswered or unreturned. They also approached Lambeth Council’s homelessness team, and say they are still waiting to hear back.
Unable to find a solicitor to represent them, the couple appeared in court alone.
Tension between renters and landlords is rising sharply across the country, and coincidentally, on the same day their case emerged, renters’ groups staged a protest at the National Landlord Investment Show.
The Clapham Park family’s situation was brought to light by Cllr Dr Jeremy Isaacs, a Lambeth Cabinet Member, who met the couple while canvassing in the area. He said:
“This family and their children are at the sharp end of rentier capitalism’s war on ordinary people in Lambeth.
As Cabinet member for public health I won’t tolerate greedy landlords harming the health and wellbeing of families, forcing them out of their homes.
This exploitation of our communities in pursuit of profit will only end when the balance of power between landlords and renters changes.
The Green Party is calling for rent controls and increasing the supply of council homes – Sadiq Khan and whoever Labour puts into No 10 need to put rogue landlords on notice.
If you don’t act, a Green Mayor of London or a Green government will.”
– Dr Jeremy Isaacs, Lambeth Green Party Cabinet member for Public Health.
Isaacs has since introduced the family to ACORN Lambeth, and said he has written directly to the landlord via Highdorn Co. Limited – Brickfield Properties’ rent-collecting agent – asking them ‘to consider a solution that allows the family to stay in their home on an affordable rent.’
Isaacs, who has also asked the local MP to support the family, noted that the landlord itself ‘doesn’t have a public facing email address, which tells you something.’
More Info
- Local by-elections Thursday 9 July 2026
- Clapham Park
- Streatham St Leonards
- ACORN
- Lambeth Green Party
- Two decades of Labour Failure in Lambeth
Follow Brixton Buzz
]]>
The sexual assault trial of the former Labour councillor, originally scheduled for 29th June, has been delayed by over a year after neither party was ready to proceed at Inner London Magistrates Court.
Mohammed was charged in July 2025 with sexual assault, exposure and controlling and coercive behaviour. He denies all charges.
He was suspended from the Labour group following his arrest and sat as an independent councillor for the remainder of the term.
As Brixton Buzz reported extensively, Labour was accused of engineering ways to keep Mohammed in his seat – including attempting to place him on the council’s Investigations Committee, a move unanimously voted down, and reportedly trying to get him to attend meetings ‘even if only for five minutes’ to restart the six-month attendance clock and avoid triggering a by-election.
A separate Buzz investigation revealed that Mohammed had served as vice chair of Ash-Shahada Housing Association, a supported housing provider on Coldharbour Lane, during a period when the Regulator of Social Housing raised serious concerns.
The regulator warned of ‘very significant’ payments to third-party managing agents without proper oversight, flagged risks of ‘financial abuse’, and ruled the organisation non-compliant with national governance and financial standards.
First elected in 2018 to represent Ferndale ward, Mohammed survived accusations of antisemitism – reported in national media – after claiming on Facebook that Jews had been warned about 9/11 – and was subsequently re-selected for Clapham Park in 2022.
His dual role as a sitting councillor and board member of a housing association operating in the borough raised questions about conflicts of interest. Neither issue was publicly addressed under Claire Holland’s leadership of the council.
Mohammed did not stand in May 2026, a new trial date has been set for 16th August 2027, with a case management hearing on 1st October 2026 to assess trial readiness.
More Info
- Local by-elections Thursday 9 July 2026
- Clapham Park
- Streatham St Leonards
Follow Brixton Buzz
]]>
Just over a year and a half after the old Market House in Brixton was turned into a curious Irish/Jamaican hybrid bar called Paddy’s Yard, it’s been announced that it’s about to reopen as The Rattlin Bog.
As the name might suggest, they’re going the Full Monty on the Irish theme here, with their Instagram account inviting locals to “Step into Ireland right here in Brixton.”
Perhaps rather confusingly, this bar will share the name of The Rattlin Bog in Clapham, which is is just a 9 minute bike ride away.
There’s no website up for the Brixton branch yet, but their Clapham site says:
We are an independently owned and operated Irish pub, Come visit us & step back in time, a true home away from home.
There are no strangers here, just friends you haven’t met yet.
More info
The Rattlin Bog
443 Coldharbour Lane
Brixton, SW9 8LN
Last weekend, the Country On The Common festival returned to Tooting, promising “two unforgettable summer days filled with live music, line-dancing, axe-throwing, delicious Americana-inspired street food, craft beer, whiskey & cocktails, kids activities and plenty more.”
Here’s our photo report from the Saturday event:
An axe thrower tries his luck.
Line dancing with the Country Roses.
The lasso fella shows how it’s done.
Storytelling from the Wild West.
Behind bars.
Rodeo Bull machine about to displace a rider.
Twinnie-Lee Moore.
A crowd of cowboys.
Our favourite act of the day was the charismatic Simeon Hammond Dallas, a singer-songwriter from Camden Town.
The Johnny Cash roadshow.
Kezia Gill onstage.
The Shania Twain Story got the crowd singing along.
Toasting marshmallows.
Headlining the main stage was Seasick Steve.
More info
]]>
Get Living has announced that the cinema chain Everyman will open one of its largest venues in London at The Elephant, the new £500m town centre at Elephant & Castle.
The five-screen cinema, which is Everyman’s 17th venue in the capital, will show the latest blockbusters, independent films and timeless classics, alongside a curated programme of events, including Q&As, screenings, live broadcast theatre, opera and ballet, and exclusive members’ events.
Every screening will be enjoyed from Everyman’s iconic velvet sofas and armchairs, with warm, personalised hospitality, a stylish bar, and food and drinks served directly to your seat.
Everyman’s Elephant & Castle location is the next chapter in the area’s long history with British film and cinema, and was the childhood home of both Sir Michael Caine and Charlie Chaplin.
Named after a coaching inn recorded in 1765, Elephant & Castle was known as the ‘Piccadilly Circus of south London’ by the early 20th century, a bustling shopping and entertainment district home to seven cinemas including the vast 3,000-seat Trocadero.
Everyman is the latest in a raft of new names that have signed up at The Elephant. This includes Pret A Manger and Bird & Blend, the speciality tea brand known for its creative blends and experiential retail approach, which will introduce a distinctive, experience-led offer.
Additionally, Superdrug will bring its accessible health and beauty retail to the town centre.
Launching in late 2026, The Elephant will be among the largest new retail-led town centre openings in Zone 1 in recent years. The scheme will welcome a carefully curated mix of best-in-class national brands and distinctive independents, including M&S, Blank Street, Jungle Berry and local hotspot DistriAndina, establishing a high-quality, experience-led destination for the area.
]]>
“‘If you think we have a housing crisis… we’re going to have an even bigger one in 15 years,’ warned campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa. Henley Construct, behind Tulse Hill’s stalled scheme, collapsed in 2023 – one of several contractors to leave sites derelict, or defective.
Building work has restarted at ‘Tulse Henge’, the previously abandoned building site on Norwood Road, writes Laura Graham. The site lay abandoned for almost five years after the private developer Henley Construct went into voluntary liquidation costing their social housing partner, Southern Housing £36 million. As a result of this, Southern Housing announced in April last year that it had to pause all new development commitments to ‘de-risk’ the business and focus on existing homes.
Planning permission for the Norwood Road site was re-validated in February 2026 so that it now includes communal cycle parking (and it appears that is the main focus of the current building work) and the scheme will now be wholly ‘affordable’ homes managed by Southern Housing.
The Southern Housing and Henley Construct partnership wasn’t unique to Lambeth. They had a similar deal in Croydon. A former meatpacking depot on Cherry Orchard Road also has a partially constructed building site, also abandoned, but now also recently restarted. The builder for this project is West London based Formation Design and Build and this project has received financial support from the London Mayor Sadiq Khan as inflation pushed costs up to £52 million.
What is a concern about both sites is that the existing half-built skeletons of the apartment blocks seem to remain part of the plan. Both are weather beaten and rusting after four years of neglect (and home to various local wildlife). Tulse Henge is visibly ageing and damaged.
This scandalous building project saw residents suffer severe mould, damp, leaks and fire safety issues with renters being charged up to £3,000 per month to live in slum-like conditions.
The entire structure was deeply flawed. Henry Construct received £100 million in subsidies from Khan for this disastrous project. It also went into administration (but had paid members of the Henry family millions of pounds before declaring bankruptcy).
Henry Construction was also the builder at the Thornton Park site in Clapham. This was also in partnership with Southern Housing. The social housing buildings were built and occupied ahead of Henry Construction’s liquidation which left the ‘luxury’ accommodation part of the project derelict, forcing the social housing residents to live on a building site for three years.
Currently, McLaren the new developer, following an extensive survey, has subcontracted demolition specialists John F. Hunt to take down the substandard building work of Henry Construction before it can be rebuilt.
The Housing Select Committee is supposed to hold Steve Reed to account in his role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. However, the Chair of this committee is Labour’s Vauxhall MP, Florence Eshalomi who was a councillor at Lambeth Town Hall’s chumocracy at the same time as Reed.
Henley Construct’s director, Kashif Usmani, hasn’t gone anywhere – he remains an active director of Henley Homes RF 2 Limited, even as multiple Henley companies sit in administration or liquidation and Southern Housing’s £36 million loss on Norwood Road remains unresolved.
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result – but Reed isn’t mad, and Labour doesn’t do housing – ‘build baby build’ outsourced to the private sector is just good old focus group capitalism, the same familiar model that keeps making cash from crises.
Article by Laura Graham
]]>
Residents of the Brittany estate in Kennington have been in touch with Brixton Buzz to complain that they have been without running water since last Thursday.
They told us that they have received very little information from Lambeth Council about when the situation will be resolved, and point out that because this is happening during a heatwave, the situation could prove serious.
[Above letter sent to residents by Lambeth on the 3rd July – their last communication with residents]
They told Brixton Buzz:
So far, the council has only provided two 5-litre bottles of water per household, which is nowhere near enough to meet families’ basic daily needs.
More than 100 families have been affected, with elderly residents, young children, and vulnerable people bearing the brunt of this crisis.
The lack of communication and meaningful support from the council has left many residents feeling abandoned.
Brixton Buzz has asked Lambeth Council to comment on this situation and will update this article if we hear back from them.
]]>
A fresh report has delivered another damning line to the epitaph of Claire Holland’s failed Labour administration, just weeks after their historic loss in May’s local elections.
Two decades of Labour rule in Lambeth have left the borough with one of the worst housing records in the country – chronic under-building, unsustainable temporary accommodation expenditure, the costly collapse of its own development company, Homes for Lambeth, and now another official finding against its conduct as one of London’s biggest landlords.
Around 5,000 households are in temporary accommodation, a bill that has risen from roughly £30m a year in 2021 to £71m in 2024, projected to hit £100m this year – much of it paid to providers the council cannot explain how it selected, including one company housing hundreds of Lambeth families mostly outside the borough.
Holland’s oversight of Lambeth’s own bodies was equally poor.
Its internal auditors gave a tenant management organisation the council funds with £3m a year, the Loughborough Estate Management Board, the lowest possible ‘No Assurance’ rating, citing a high risk of fraud and governance failure; Lambeth has since referred it to the Financial Conduct Authority.
External auditors Forvis Mazars, meanwhile, warn that three years of the council’s own accounts remain unaudited, with ‘further statutory intervention’ not ruled out.
Lambeth’s Housing Revenue Account only shows an £8m surplus this year because of £40m in one-off Exceptional Financial Support from government. Without it, the account would be in deficit, and this is not the first time the scale of the problems has reached Whitehall.
In 2024, then Housing Secretary Michael Gove wrote to Holland after the Ombudsman found six separate cases of severe maladministration against Lambeth.
Now the Ombudsman has added a seventh. Its June report, ‘Learning from Severe Maladministration,’ examined roof-leak cases nationally, including Lambeth’s failure to repair a leak into a child’s bedroom, leaving it cold, damp and without heating or electricity for months.
Despite knowing children slept there, the council carried out no risk assessment and took 27 months to fix the roof – 17 months of that spent before it even started a required leaseholder consultation. Under Awaab’s Law, now in force, a damp and mould hazard like this would require investigation within 10 working days and action within 5 working days of that – not 27 months.
Update: Council Response – 8 July 2026
A Lambeth spokesperson said, “under the Council’s new administration,” it was “determined not only to tackle problems quickly and fairly whenever they occur, but to learn lessons from this and other cases.”
The spokesperson added: “We accept the Ombudsman’s finding of severe maladministration and recognise that our handling of the roof leak, damp and mould, and associated complaint did not meet the standards we expect of ourselves or that residents should receive. We are sorry for the impact this had on this resident and their household.”
The council said it has taken steps to put this right, “including issuing a formal apology, paying compensation, and progressing further inspection and remedial works to address the underlying issues.”
More Info
- Local by-elections Thursday 9 July 2026
- Clapham Park
- Streatham St Leonards
- Housing Ombusdman – landlords