Lambeth Council is seeking to create a new Science Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) workspace in part of the ground and basement floors of Brixton Recreation Centre, which is currently inaccessible to the public. The space is currently mainly used for storage.
The proposal
The proposal is to support science and tech related enterprise in the borough and increase the accessibility of STEM careers and education for local people. It intends to do this with the creation of a public-facing centre for STEM innovation which undertakes significant outreach and engagement. The proposal links to the council’s strategy to support creative and cultural growth of employment and skills in Brixton town centre.
The proposal aims to:
- Create affordable and inclusive workspace to support new and growing STEM businesses
- Create a centre that taps into the local area’s character and expertise and supports local people
- Help young people gain knowledge and skills in STEM sectors
- Attract and nurture the talents of people from black and minority ethnic communities
The council would like to encourage workspace operators and organisations active in the fields of STEM and creative education and outreach to form partnerships when applying for this opportunity.
A focus on local business
This science workspace project is one part of a wider project called Regenerating Brixton’s Rec Quarter. The project has been developed with local businesses and focuses on the Brixton Rec and the surrounding area and street market. It has received in the region of £4million from the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund, the council budget, and the South London Innovation Corridor programme, for:
- Conversion of storage space in the Rec to STEM workspace
- Improvements to Brixton Station Road and Beehive Place and investment in the market
- Installing new shopfronts at the Rec’s street-level working with existing tenants
- Bringing the raised pedestrian concourse at the Rec to life with new activity in empty spaces
Find out more about the wider project
The Science Technology, Engineering and Maths hub could occupy almost 1,100 sq metres of storage space on ground and basement floors of the Brixton Rec and create a new frontage onto Beehive Place.
Open by March 2022
The proposal would be for an operator to lease the space for up to 20 years. When the opportunity is launched, the council will be calling for imaginative proposals from suitably qualified operators and partners. It is hoped the space could open to the community by March 2022.
