Help us object to Lambeth allowing a massive building development of up to 210 flats on the Tesco Acre Lane site in Brixton.

As residents of the vibrant Brixton community, we are deeply concerned about the proposed Site Allocations Development Plan Document (SADPD) development on the Tesco location site. This development, currently planned as 210 flats which could be increased by a developer is not only unsound but also poses significant threats to our local community.

The scale of this high-rise building development is potentially going to be even higher than the illustration provided. The overwhelming size of this structure will drastically impact residents' lives around the site, threatening to overshadow our homes and disrupt our peaceful neighbourhood with increased noise and traffic. Moreover, it will strain local services that are already stretched thin.

Furthermore, this development risks damaging the unique character of central Brixton's residential area. Our community is defined by its low-rise buildings and open spaces - introducing such a large-scale structure would destroy our landscape.

Most importantly, Lambeth Council have failed to adequately consider these impacts or listen to the concerns raised by us - their constituents – after the 2022 consultation process, after which they ignored our requests for a smaller development and instead increased the proposed size. In addition, they did not directly contact residents who commented during that process to inform us this second stage was happening.. The decision-making process must be transparent and inclusive; we deserve a say in developments that shape our lives and communities.

Summing this up, our points for this development proposal are:

• The plans would put too many homes (210) in one place, and we're deeply concerned that the land owners/developers might actually want to build more than twice that number!
• Originally, the council suggested fewer homes, between 120-170. We're deeply concerned that despite our responses to the earlier consultation - they have almost doubled that figure.
• Even though the plans say the tallest buildings will be 32m high, there's nothing stopping them from being as high as 45m (which is the height Lambeth define as being a tall building). But even 32m is far too tall, and would tower above the nearby streets, which are 2-3 storey houses.
• The concerns we raised about how the plans would affect Tesco’s neighbours, regarding overlooking, enclosure and outlook, have been completely ignored - even though Lambeth has rules about this in Policy Q2 of the Lambeth Local Strategic Plan 2021. This proposal would break Lambeth’s own rules!
• For the benefit of future residents of the Tesco site, the proposal intends to lower the height of the current boundary wall within Arlington Lodge. This wall protects the privacy of residents in an already densely populated area, and the wall’s height was covenanted as part of the planning permission for Tesco being allowed to build the Tesco store and car park in 1985.
• Parking and pollution is already a big problem around Brixton, one of the most polluted areas of London, so it's very important that the new homes don't get parking permits, except for a limited number of people who may need them because of a disability.
• The size of the new buildings would harm the Trinity Gardens conservation area, along Acre Lane as well as in Trinity Gardens itself, an area designated by the GLC in 1978 ‘to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of an area of special architectural or historical interest’.
• The current, unsafe method by which lorries deliver to the supermarket (involving blocking and / or reversing across Acre Lane and Baytree Roads) isn't being addressed in the current plans so would continue to be disruptive and unsafe.
• We're missing a chance to build more homes for families, which Lambeth really needs right now, especially since families are leaving and schools are closing.
• he site will have too many buildings on it, and there won't be enough space for parks or other open areas, even though Lambeth wants to make more green spaces. Of all wards in Lambeth, Brixton Acre Lane ward ranks second lowest for tree canopy cover, trailing only Waterloo, often described as a 'concrete jungle'. This deficiency exacerbates pollution issues, leading to heightened health concerns. Moreover, the scarcity of trees and green spaces allows the developers to build even more housing units, compounding the problem further.

We call on Lambeth Council to show it is listening to the local community and present a new draft of the SADPD policy that:

• Limit maximum height of the development to no more than 12m (which is still taller than surrounding houses).
• Offers genuinely affordable housing without constructing a massive new development that will overshadow nearby low-rise family homes. We advocate for low-rise family-sized housing on this site, in harmony with the surrounding area.
• Addresses the issue of families leaving Lambeth, which has caused an education crisis, with local primary schools facing closure or merger. While we acknowledge the Lambeth Plan's overall goal of providing a mix of housing, we believe this site should prioritise family-sized homes due to its proximity to other family residences and nearby primary schools.
• Includes green space for new residents. We want Brixton homes to be desirable and sustainable. The current plans lack green areas and prioritise maximising the number of units, which does not benefit existing or future residents. Only a profit-seeking developer ultimately wins in the scenario that is currently proposed.
• Limits the maximum height of the development to no more than 12m (which is still taller than surrounding houses).

We want new housing on the Tesco site, but we want Lambeth Council to work with us on a sensible and proportionate development. Work with us, not against us!

Find out more information at www.bit.ly/brixtontesco