On 13 March, the council wrote to Loughborough Estate Management Board (LEMB) insisting that immediate action be taken within 14 days to address serious issues with the running of the estate. LEMB’s legal representative requested a 14-day extension to the original 27 March deadline, but this was rejected as it would cause further unreasonable delay.
LEMB were given a final seven-day extension, until 7 April, to respond in full and confirm that the necessary actions demanded by Lambeth will be forthcoming.
As LEMB has failed to provide a full response to the serious failings raised by Lambeth Council period by 7 April, or indeed its own preferred deadline of 10 April, the council has had no choice but to prepare legal papers for filing in the High Court to ensure compliance.
A council spokesperson said:
“We have been patient and reasonable in seeking a response from LEMB, including granting an extension to the original deadline of 27 March. The matters raised, in many cases, span several months of requests from the council that have simply gone unanswered or unsatisfactorily responded to.
“The response received does not provide sufficient assurance that robust measures are in place to address the serious issues identified. As a result, we have taken the decision to apply to the High Court to compel compliance with the management agreement and to protect residents’ ability to have their rightful say on the future management of their estate.”
Lambeth Council cannot comment further during legal proceedings but can assure residents of Loughborough Estate that there will be no disruption to day-to-day services on their estate which will continue to be managed by LEMB for the time being.
Background
Lambeth has identified a number of serious concerns regarding the governance and management of the Loughborough Estate Management Board (LEMB), including failures to meet key obligations under the management agreement.
The council has raised these concerns with the board’s leadership and has engaged extensively with LEMB over a sustained period, setting out the issues and the actions required to address them.
These actions include:
- Re-running a Ballot which complies with the terms of the management agreement. This will give residents the opportunity to have a say on the effectiveness of the LEMBs management of the estate and whether they want LEMB to continue managing the estate or whether management should return to Lambeth Council
- Convening a valid Annual General Meeting (AGM). The online meeting held on 19 February 2026 was not valid. The council has learned that attendance was below the number of shareholders required under LEMB’s own rules and no formal resolutions were put to shareholders despite being listed on the agenda. The Council has asked LEMB to hold a new AGM as soon as possible. At this meeting, shareholders must be able to vote
- Allowing all eligible residents to become shareholders which provides them with rights to vote for who sits on the board.
A council report in November 2025 highlighted serious audit concerns regarding financial management, governance, procurement and value for money. The report also highlighted spending on foreign travel and gifts without adequate justificationl
Loughborough Estate Management Board is a Tenant Management Organisation (TMO). The council’s ability to act has been heavily constrained by (TMO) legislation and the terms of the Modular Management Agreement (“MMA”) for TMOs – published by the government in 2013 – are now out of date and do not take into account the raft of safety-related legislation in the last decade. Lambeth Council is actively lobbying the government to give councils and residents more powers in this situation and have had productive conversations with MHCLG about this.
