Campaigners are warning that one of London’s largest redevelopment projects will fail to deliver adequate social housing, despite promises of thousands of new homes. Southwark Council’s Old Kent Road Area Action Plan, a two-decade scheme, aims to create 20,000 new residences, with almost 60 per cent designated as 'affordable'. However, the precise definition of 'affordable' is at the heart of objections from groups like Save Old Kent Road and SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency). The campaigners recently staged a protest along Old Kent Road, ahead of a crucial decision from the Planning Inspectorate.
Campaigners Question Definition of 'Affordable'
They claim that there has been "no commitment" regarding the exact number of new council homes. Concerns are also mounting over the potential for numerous towers exceeding 20 storeys, which they fear will be "mostly not affordable". Out of the 20,000 proposed homes, the council aims to provide 7,000 affordable units, encompassing social rented properties and other categories set below market rates. Campaigners from Save Old Kent Road say up to a quarter of these (5,000) at most could be social rented, arguing that this is not nearly enough considering there are 22,000 households on Southwark Council’s waiting list and 10,000 residents in temporary accommodation.
Business Owners and Residents Express Concerns
Business owners and residents said that the reality will be most people will not be eligible for, or will not be able to afford, the ‘affordable’ homes planned. Campaigners argue the second half of the 20,000 homes are dependent on the Bakerloo line extension, for which funding has not yet been secured. Liz Wyatt from Housing Action Southwark Lambeth (HASL), says many of the group’s members have been in temporary accommodation for almost a decade, and that a shortage of family-sized council homes is “particularly severe” in Southwark and rarely appear on the housing waiting list.
Quote from Campaigner Liz Wyatt
Liz said: “With the Old Kent Road regeneration, Southwark Council could finally guarantee our communities the high-quality, safe, secure family-sized council homes we need. This would immediately put an end to the housing nightmares Southwark residents are living through – the constant uncertainty of temporary accommodation and wondering where you will be sent next, dangerous levels of overcrowding, and hazardous damp and black mould. Instead, their current plans will push working-class communities out of London and worsen the violence of the devastating homelessness crisis.”
Council Leader Responds
She went on to say: “The Old Kent Road ‘Area Action Plan’ might pass the council’s unambitious target for 35 per cent affordable and social housing, but in reality developers are building massive sites on the Old Kent Road with as little as 12 per cent affordable and social housing. And everyone knows that developers have destroyed the meaning of the term ‘affordable housing’ as the definition can mean a rent that is 80 per cent of market rent. The only housing that is genuinely affordable is council housing.”
Council's Stance on Affordable Housing
Leader of Southwark Council, Cllr James McAsh, has said the Action Plan represents an opportunity to tackle the housing crisis and build more “genuinely affordable” homes in the borough. Cllr McAsh says currently 59 per cent of new homes being built in the Old Kent Road area are “affordable” with 41 per cent being social rent. He said: “This is much higher than the average across London – but there is plenty more to do. We will do our best to raise these numbers even further. We will build on the success of the Tustin Estate – which recently saw the completion of 162 new council homes – and the 215 council homes being started on the Ledbury Estate. We will work with developers to get the best possible deal for our borough, with our plans shaped by residents’ priorities. Under this administration, Southwark Council is accountable to the people of Southwark.”
Next Steps and Timeline
Last month, the council’s plans were examined by a Planning Inspector. They are currently going through all the evidence in order to make their decision. The LDRS understands the Inspector’s report is due in September 2026.
