The council has been awarded a grant of £2.1m from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund (GGF), which will be match funded by the council and other partners, to invest in the area around Brixton Station Road and the Brixton Recreation Centre.
The investment will aim to attract innovative businesses, improve public space in the area, upgrade infrastructure for the street market, and develop skills and jobs for local people.
The area has recently seen the opening of one of London’s largest affordable workspaces at International House, where the council has leased its former office building to the workspace operator, 3Space. The project has provided space for Brixton’s existing creative businesses, given opportunities to local entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and charities, and brought new creative and digital businesses to the area.
The GGF project will link International House with Brixton Station Road and increase the area’s ability to support local employment, shops and stalls, by attracting businesses as well as local people and visitors. The project will:
- Convert 1000 sq metres of storage space at the bottom of the Rec into a science, arts and technology enterprise project, opening onto Beehive Place and Brixton Station Road
- Bring Brixton Rec’s walkways and balcony areas into full use
- Enhance the public realm in and around Brixton Station Road and improve infrastructure for Brixton Station Road street market
Lambeth Council’s application for GGF funding was developed in collaboration with Brixton Business Improvement District (BID), through engagement with stakeholders and informed by the council’s Creative and Digital Industries Strategy for Growth and Brixton Economic Action Plan.
The council will continue to work closely with local businesses and people, with the support of the Brixton BID, to ensure that investment helps to realise local aspirations for this important and distinctive part of the town centre.
‘Delighted’
Cllr Matthew Bennett, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Investment & New Homes, said: “We’re delighted that the Mayor of London has seen the potential here, and supported us with the CEZ designation, and Good Growth funding. We will invest this money to benefit the people of Brixton, Lambeth and London as a whole.
“Lambeth is an incredibly diverse, vibrant and creative part of central London. We are seeing huge opportunities for growth, and Brixton is right at the heart of it.
“It’s essential that we harness those opportunities to make sure everyone in Lambeth benefits, that the creative and enterprising nature of Brixton’s community is not lost, but protected, encouraged and given the support to flourish.
“That’s why we recently launched a growth strategy for Creative and Digital Industries in Lambeth. Central to this is our pioneering approach to supporting local businesses with council-owned affordable workspace, including London’s largest affordable workspace in Brixton. The GGF funding will allow us to extend this work and widen the benefits for the people of Lambeth.
‘Enhancing our lively streets and thriving businesses’
Michael Smith, Director of Brixton BID, said: “Brixton has long been the home for creative and enterprising businesses. The Brixton BID, in partnership with the Local Authority, is always actively seeking to fund and protect existing businesses as well as attracting new businesses.
“We are thrilled to secure these investments into Brixton and welcome the benefits that will come — enhancing our lively streets and thriving businesses, celebrating cultural heritage and making Brixton a distinctive London destination to do business, work, live and visit.”
‘Strong cultural identity’
London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe, said: “This important project aims to build on Brixton’s diversity and strong cultural identity. The Mayor and I are committed to supporting good growth by helping build a city where all Londoners have access to the same opportunities, and I look forward to seeing all the positive impacts this project will deliver for local people and visitors.”
