Central Hill Estate

Central Hill Estate was built in two phases by Lambeth Council in 1967-1974.Rosemary Stjernstedt was brought in by Hollamby from the LCC and Ted Happold from Arup & Partners to advise on structural engineering. The design is celebrated by architecture scholars such as Owen Hatherley who described it as “a perfect modernist suburb, the finest of its kind south of the river” In 2016, Historic England was criticised by the Twentieth Century Society for its decision to not list the estate for its historical value.The 162 flats and 212 houses are laid out in terraces of pale grey brick. It was conceived as a holistic community which epitomised the cradle to grave welfare state mentality of its designers and included a nurses’ hostel, a day centre for the elderly and a doctors’ surgery.The nurses’ hostel is now Rosemary Heights a new building on Roman Rise and Central Hill consisting of 5 and 7 storey blocks. The 31 flats were originally meant to be 22 socially-rented out by Homes for Lambeth HFl and 9 shared ownership.  These will now all be council-rent homes.  It can be argued the money could have been used more cheaply and effectively on the estate itself.Central Hill Estate also consists of 50 to 90 homes bought by Lambeth Council and boarded up. Architects PRP were appointed to explore redevelopment options for the estate in 2015 and on March 24, 2017, Lambeth Council reached a decision to completely demolish the estate. Campaign group Architects For Social Housing have been working with residents to develop an alternative regeneration plan for the estate,and residents continue to oppose the demolition of the estate. In April 2022 residents went through a second cycle of appointing architects to fully demolish all 464 homes on Central Hill to build 1,200, most of which, 725, for sale as investment properties. Lambeth Council has now stalled this and announced ‘all options – from full or partial demolition, infill, refurbish, retrofit or do nothing – are back on the table’.  Residents will be balloted in the autumn of 2025 on what they would like for ‘our new estate’ whatever that may look like.