Issues and SWOT

strength

Use the Rec’s wider offer to reach local families

Brixton Rec has added bowling to existing leisure activities.

Proposed response: Check affordable access and the mix of activities people use.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Lambeth council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.6% in Clapham Common & Abbeville to 5.4% in Gipsy Hill — a gap of 2.8 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

56.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Lambeth council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 6.2% in Clapham Common & Abbeville to 17.3% in Brixton North — a gap of 11.1 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

weakness

Help small organisations through the end of temporary sites

Pop Brixton and International House tenants face relocation as redevelopment progresses.

Proposed response: Make the announced support useful to each affected occupier.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £2,525 a month (August 2026) in Lambeth council area. This is £1,066 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 20.1% in Myatt's Fields to 42.8% in Streatham St Leonard's — a gap of 22.7 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

opportunity

Match the new homes to household needs

Somerleyton’s current phase includes social and affordable housing.

Proposed response: Coordinate allocations and support with construction.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

8.6% of people in Lambeth council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 6.5% in Vauxhall to 12.1% in West Dulwich — a gap of 5.6 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Lambeth council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.5% in Clapham Common & Abbeville to 24.7% in Brixton North — a gap of 14.2 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Keep the street markets working through construction

The Rec Quarter scheme includes market storage and waste facilities.

Proposed response: Maintain practical servicing throughout the redevelopment.

Evidence