Plans have been unveiled to build a large block of what the developers call “high quality” accommodation for short-term lets.
The developers, InHouse, want to construct a five-storey block of 160 units on the corner of Cancell Rd and Elliott Road, next to the new Patmos Lodge site.
The site of the proposed development on Cancell Rd
The development will include facilities including a gym, social areas and a roof garden. The accommodation, mostly small self-contained flats, will be offered for rent on short leases — three months or longer — to people attracted to the idea of communal living.
A public consultation session has been arranged at St John the Divine, 92 Vassall Rd, London, SW9 6JA on 27th February 2025 between 5pm – 7.30pm, supported by a document outlining the proposal.
Local councillors, who intend to respond to the consultation, are also asking for residents’ views: you can contact them here.
Myatt’s Fields local police team is inviting residents to meet them at their first Safer Neighbourhood Team panel of 2025.
The panel – at which the local team answer questions about local crime and safety issues – will take place at the Myatt’s Fields North community centre on February 12th at 7pm.
At the last meeting, new policing priorities were set by local people – they were:
Anti-social behaviour, including drug dealing, on the Myatt’s Fields North estate
Positive engagement with local young people
Violent crime, including robbery in the Ward.
Earlier this month the team reported that three suspects had been arrested and bailed following a robbery in Patmos Road on Christmas Eve.
The Myatt’s officers say they are working with the Met’s robbery team in the investigation, and intend to have Community Behaviour Orders imposed to ban the suspects from the area.
Plans are afoot for a big increase in the number of roadside spaces for rental e-bikes and scooters in the borough — including some in Myatt’s Fields. The council wants to hear from residents before approving the plan which, they say, would put hire vehicles within a three-minute walk for most residents.
If the program is approved, the number of locations would rise from around 200 to 350, with four of the new sites in our ward – in Foxley Rd, Welby St, Mostyn Rd and Patmos Rd. These and others can be viewed on this map.
Some local residents have recently complained about e-bikes and scooters left strewn across pavements and public open spaces. Local Labour councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop have written to the Government minister responsible asking for councils to be given more powers to deal with the ‘blight’.
Deputy council leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “Lambeth Council supports the further expansion of sustainable forms of travel such as rental dockless bikes and scooters, but we also recognise the accessibility issues that parking on pavements and in high demand locations can cause.
“It’s vital that when people are finished using rental scooters and bikes, they are stored safely in one of the new dockless bays rather than abandoned on the street for the next person to use.”
Many of the new sites chosen are proposed to be installed in some of Lambeth’s busiest areas and frequent destinations to ensure that e-scooter and e-bike users can properly park their rental vehicles when they finish their journey.
The council has launched a consultation on the proposals and is asking residents to respond by visiting this portal. The consultation finishes on Friday December 6.
Residents on the Lothian estate in Maytt’s Fields have overwhelmingly rejected proposals from a for-profit, private company to snatch control of their homes.
The results of a consultation, held at the end of last year, found that:
Around two thirds of eligible residents gave their views: a huge turnout from the community – thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!
A huge 82 per cent of council tenants said they did not want a ballot on the proposals
Every single leaseholder in the area voted no to a ballot being held.
This huge “no” vote came after local councillors and residents raised serious concerns about how the plans could affects the bills of tenants and leaseholders, and put the future of their homes in doubt. Vision Homes (Lambeth) Ltd and their partner PACCA TMO also clearly failed to convince residents that they had either expertise or ability to run their homes.
Speaking about the result, Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop said:
“Lambeth Council have confirmed that they believe no ballot is now needed on these proposals given the large turnout and clear majority who rejected these plans. We support this position and would urge Vision Homes Lambeth to listen to the people and abandon the proposal. It is concerning that early indications appear to show that the for profit outfit still wants to continue with a ballot.
“We would like to thank everyone who has spoken to us about these takeover plans: we realise this process has been extremely stressful for many residents.”
Local Myatt’s Fields councillors have urged residents on the Lothian estate to reject plans by a for-profit, private company to take over control of local homes as a new consultation kicks off on the proposals.
After a year of what has been described as “baffling” delays from Vision Homes (Lambeth) Ltd and PACCA TMO, Lambeth council tenants and leaseholders on the Lothian estate will finally get their say on these troubling proposals. A consultation about the plans will start on 13 November and run until 18 December with residents set to receive information about the plans from an independent electoral organisation that will be running the exercise.
The proposals, which are the first time a for-profit company has attempted this kind of council home takeover in the UK, have drawn considerable fire from the local community and councillors. Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop are warning residents that these proposals could result in:
New bills for residents: Vision Homes are proposing a new ‘Sink Fund’ charged to tenants, but they haven’t said much the charge will be, if there is any cap on how much it will be and what the fund will be used for. Vision Homes could also increase other bills like service charges during the year and ask you to pay VAT on services like repairs.
Concerns over the future of local homes: If Vision Homes were to sell homes on the estate to another company in the future, like a private developer, they will not be obligated to ballot residents to ask if they are happy with this sell off. Residents will also not be able to elect people to represent them on the “new board” that will be set up to run your estate: members of the board will be chosen by Vision Homes.
An organisation with no track record of running homes taking control of housing services: This for-profit company has no track record of running social housing. If this transfer goes ahead it would be the first of its kind anywhere in the UK.
Cllr Gadsby and Cllr Gallop are urging residents to express their concerns about these plans in the consultation: if residents indicate they are favour of this for-profit takeover, a ballot of council tenants will happen in early 2024.
Cllr Gadsby and Cllr Gallop said:
“We have heard from many residents on the Lothian estate who are worried sick about these proposals. We would strongly urge residents to reject these proposals.”
“We want to thank the many residents who have spoken to us about these worrying plans: please get in touch if you want to speak to us further. “
Lambeth Council have confirmed that there is still no end in sight to the year long saga of an attempt by a private, for-profit company to take over council homes on the Lothian estate in Myatt’s Fields.
In April, Lambeth wrote to residents telling them that Vision Homes (Lambeth) LTD and PACCA TMO LTD, had not produced key details of their plans that would allow a consultation and then ballot to take place on their proposals to grab the ownership of more than 200 council tenant properties on the Lothian estate.
Lambeth Council say that, as the summer draws to a close, key details have still not been provided that would allow a ballot to take place. Cllr Kay said:
“It is incredibly disappointing that residents around the Lothian estate have now been waiting for almost a year for this situation to be clarified. I am baffled as to why it has taken the private company so long to clarify basic information about how their financial plans stack up. We will continue as a council to raise our concerns about these dangerous and potentially disasterous plans.”
Below: a copy of the letter written to tenants in April.
A private, for-profit company which is trying to take over some local council homes in Myatt’s Fields has still to provide vital information on how it would run vital services including repairs, according to Lambeth Council.
After almost six months, Vision Homes (Lambeth) LTD and PACCA TMO LTD, are still yet to produce key details of their plans that would allow a consultation and then ballot to take place on their proposals to grab the ownership of more than 200 council tenant properties on the Lothian estate.
The claim was made in a letter from the Interim Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Reducing Homelessness, Cllr Tim Windle, to residents last week.
A date for the proposed ballot has still not yet been set. Council tenant and leaseholder properties affected by these proposals are on the following streets — unfortunately, owing to national legislation, leaseholders are barred from voting despite facing their leases being transferred to Vision Homes should there be a Yes vote:
Lothian Road (Dalkeith House, Silverburn House and Bathgate House)
Local councillors have expressed their concern that a private, for-profit company attempting to take control of local council homes on the Lothian estate has failed to provide basic information about its plan, including how they plan to fund housing repairs and who is behind its takeover bid.
Cllr Maria Kay, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Reducing Homelessness, expressed her disappointment in a letter to council tenants last week. Cllr Kay laid out six key and “basic” areas where the private company have failed to provide sufficient information for a ballot to be held on whether council homes should be transferred to their control.
In the early autumn, Vision Homes (Lambeth) Ltd, supported by PACCA TMO, announced their intention to try and take over ownership of council homes on the Lothian estate, despite the organisation having no track record of running council housing elsewhere in the country. A ballot of council tenants would need to be held to approve the transfer of the council homes from Lambeth Council to the private company. In November, Cllr Kay wrote a strongly worded letter to tenants warning these proposals could leave them worse off financially. In addition, local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop have raised concerns that leaseholders, owing to national legislation, will be excluded from the ballot, but will have their leases transferred to this private company should tenants vote “yes” to the proposals in a ballot. Cllr Gadsby and Cllr Gallop have also expressed their concern that the delay caused by Vision Homes Ltd is resulting in stress to the local community, with residents being left in limbo about the future of their homes.
A full copy of Cllr Kay’s letter to residents can be read below.
Dear Resident,
The Future of Your Home – Proposed Right to Transfer Application by PACCA TMO and Vision Homes (Lambeth) Limited
I am writing to provide you with an update on PACCA TMO Ltd (PACCA TMO) and their current partner Vision Homes (Lambeth) Ltd’s proposals to take over the ownership and management of your homes in the Lothian Estate and others in and around Patmos Road.
This proposal is a result of national legislation which means PACCA TMO are able to submit a Right to Transfer application on 284 council and leasehold properties in the area, and conduct a ballot of residents on their proposals.
Lambeth Council does not support this proposal, but under the Right to Transfer rules it has no option other than to comply with holding a ballot. We cannot stop the proposal simply because we believe you would be worse off if the transfer proceeds.
Before a ballot can take place, PACCA TMO and Vision Homes must develop an offer document. The document should clearly set out what Vision Homes aims to do to the estate and comparing this with what would happen if the properties’ ownership remained with Lambeth Council. This document was due to be sent out to you before Christmas for consideration.
Following several months of chasing PACCA TMO and Vision Homes on the specifics of their plans and asking straight-forward questions on their proposals, Vision Homes have not provided sufficient information or explanations to meet the requirements set out by the Government. These outstanding issues include:
Insufficient information has been provided about whom the company would borrow capital from to fund its promises to you, the length of their loan repayments, and what safeguards are in place if they cannot repay the money borrowed.
It is unclear what household repairs and home improvements will be offered to residents. Each tenant should be able identify the works that will be carried out to their home if the transfer goes ahead.
The identity and status of your potential new landlord remains unclear.
A lack of information as to how tenants, community stakeholders and elected councillors will be selected on to a board that oversees the management of the estate and street properties – and how these members will be chosen in the future.
Who is sitting on the shadow board pushing forward this proposal, including information about their relevant experience.
A lack of information on other properties and estates managed by Vision Homes, so that tenants have an idea of their track record.
We are disappointed that PACCA TMO and Vision Homes have not been forthcoming with some of these really important questions. We will continue to ask these questions and more information has been requested to finalise the offer document for you to consider. Until then, this means that any ballot on the proposal is now delayed.
We will write to you in the New Year with an update on this proposal and any agreed next steps. We apologise for the delay, but it is important that residents have all the information so that you can make an informed decision.
I wish you and your families all have a happy Christmas break, and a happy New Year. If you have any queries on this proposed transfer, you can contact the Council on a dedicated line: 07565 219058.
Yours faithfully,
Cllr Maria Kay
Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Reducing Homelessness
Myatt’s Fields councillors have organised two drop-in events this week for residents on the Lothian estate who want to discuss the threatened “stock transfer” of local council homes to a for profit, private company.
Controversial plans by a private for-profit company to take control of a housing estate in Myatt’s Fields have been condemned by Lambeth council’s housing chief.
Rents are likely to rise if Vision Homes, a for-profit company, succeeds in taking over properties on the Lothian estate, according to Cllr Maria Kay, Lambeth’s cabinet member responsible for homelessness and better homes.
In a strongly-worded letter to residents, Cllr Kay says says people who live in the area risk higher rents and service charges if they vote to accept the proposal from Vision Homes which, she claims, has no registered employees and no track record of managing properties.
Vision Homes, working alongside Pacca TMO, which used to run the estate, intends to ballot residents on the proposal in the near future — although no date for the vote has been revealed by the company.
In her letter, Cllr Kay, who has been talking to residents alongside local Councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby, said Vision Homes has “no registered employees and no track record in owning, developing, or even managing social housing.
“The proposals from Vision Homes could mean you pay more: from your rents and service charges to the repairs and maintenance activities to your homes, as Vision Homes would charge VAT on top of these costs,” she said. “If Vision Homes were to also sell your homes to another company in the future, they will not be required to ballot or obtain consent from the Housing Regulator.”
“It is unclear to me how they will fund the promises they are making to you and your neighbours. Vision Homes’ plans don’t add up, and they do not make financial sense.”
Myatt's Fields Labour 