Two towers, 288 homes and the end of Pop Brixton: major redevelopment plans submitted for Brixton Station Road and International House site

A major redevelopment proposal that would transform the centre of Brixton town centre has reached a key planning stage, with Lambeth Council set to consider an application for a large mixed-use scheme covering the Pop Brixton and International House sites. A final decision will be made when the Planning Application Committee next meets at the Town Hall on 24th March.

The planning application, submitted by developer London Square, proposes a residential-led development delivering 288 new homes in four buildings rising to between six and 20 storeys, alongside commercial workspace, retail units and new infrastructure for Brixton’s street market.

If approved, the project would mark a significant turning point for the area around Brixton Station Road and Canterbury Crescent. It would bring the end of Pop Brixton, the container-based food and retail complex that has occupied the site for the past decade, and would also see the redevelopment of International House, the office building that currently hosts a wide range of small businesses, charities and organisations.

The development forms part of Lambeth Council’s long-running plans for the area around Brixton Recreation Centre, often referred to as the “Brixton Rec Quarter”, which has been earmarked for major redevelopment for several years.

The proposal covers two adjacent sites: 49 Brixton Station Road, currently occupied by Pop Brixton, and 6 Canterbury Crescent, known as International House. Together the sites cover around 0.88 hectares in the heart of the town centre. The application seeks permission to construct three new residential buildings on the Pop Brixton site while refurbishing and extending International House.

The most visually striking element of the scheme would be two towers rising to 18 and 20 storeys along Brixton Station Road and Pope’s Road. A smaller six-storey residential building would front Canterbury Crescent, while the existing International House building would be refurbished and extended with additional floors to create new homes.

Across the whole site the development would deliver 288 homes. Of these, 98 would be designated as affordable housing, with the remaining 190 sold on the open market. The affordable homes are all proposed at social rent levels, which is the lowest rent category within the planning system and typically significantly below market rents.

In the planning report the development is described as delivering 40.3 per cent affordable housing. That figure is calculated using the planning system’s “habitable rooms” method, which measures the number of bedrooms and living rooms rather than simply the number of homes. When measured by the number of dwellings, the affordable housing component represents around 34 per cent of the total homes in the scheme.

Most of the affordable housing would be located within one of the new towers on Brixton Station Road. This 18-storey building would contain 84 social rent homes, including a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats. A further 14 social rent homes would be provided in the smaller six-storey building on Canterbury Crescent. The remaining homes in the development, including those within the second tower and the converted International House building, would be private market housing.

The current scheme also reflects changes to the earlier development deal agreed by Lambeth Council. As reported previously by Brixton Buzz, the council agreed in late 2024 to reduce the affordable housing target for the project from 50 per cent to 40 per cent following negotiations with the developer.

At the same time the council accepted a revised financial arrangement that reduced its expected return from the development and removed its previous option to purchase some of the private homes within the scheme. The changes were justified on the basis that the office rental market in Brixton had weakened since the original plans were drawn up, affecting the viability of the project.

Alongside housing, the proposal includes commercial and community uses. Around 3,940 square metres of workspace would be provided within the development, including approximately 1,565 square metres designated as affordable workspace aimed at supporting small businesses and creative enterprises. The scheme also includes a small enterprise and community hub, retail space at ground level and new infrastructure for Brixton’s street market including storage and waste facilities.

However, the amount of workspace proposed would be significantly lower than the amount currently provided within International House. The existing building contains around 7,500 square metres of office space. Under the redevelopment plans this would be reduced to roughly half that amount.

The project would also bring an end to Pop Brixton, the container-based complex of food stalls, bars and start-up retail units that opened in 2015. The project was originally conceived as a temporary use for the site, intended to provide affordable space for new businesses while longer-term redevelopment plans were developed.

Lambeth Council has repeatedly extended its lease over the years while the future of the site was debated. In recent years the complex has struggled financially and entered administration in 2024. The submission of a full redevelopment proposal now signals the likely end of the temporary scheme.

International House would also be significantly affected by the development. The building would be retained structurally but refurbished and extended, with additional residential floors added on top.

Much of the existing office accommodation would be converted into housing as part of the redevelopment. For the many organisations currently based there, including charities and small enterprises, the plans mean relocation once the building is vacated to allow construction to begin.

The scale of the development would bring a noticeable change to the centre of Brixton. The two towers proposed for Brixton Station Road would become prominent features of the local skyline, rising significantly higher than most surrounding buildings.

The wider area currently consists of a mixture of post-war housing estates, mid-rise commercial buildings and civic buildings such as the nearby Brixton Recreation Centre.

The planning report notes that the site benefits from excellent public transport accessibility, with Brixton Underground station, Brixton railway station and numerous bus routes all within short walking distance. The development proposes only a small amount of car parking but would include hundreds of cycle parking spaces for residents.

Local reaction to the scheme has been mixed. Lambeth Council consulted 732 nearby properties about the plans and received 53 objections compared with 10 letters of support. Concerns raised in objections include the height and scale of the development, the loss of existing workspace and the impact on the character of the surrounding area.

Planning officers nevertheless conclude that the scheme would bring significant benefits, including new housing, affordable homes and investment in the town centre, and are recommending that councillors grant planning permission.

If approved, the redevelopment would mark one of the most significant physical changes to Brixton town centre in recent years. The project would not only bring hundreds of new homes to the area but would also replace two of the most recognisable features of the site — Pop Brixton and International House — with a new cluster of residential towers at the heart of the town.