Plans to turn former accommodation for nurses and an old health centre located on land owned by Prince William into dozens of new homes are set to be approved by the local council.
The plans, submitted by the Duchy of Cornwall Estate, will see two sites located at 60 and 65 Sancroft Street in Kennington transformed into 39 new homes which will include housing for young people who have experienced or are risk of homelessness.
Lambeth Council’s Planning Applications Committee have been recommended to give the plans the green light at a meeting this week.
The site forms part of the Kennington Conservation Area and was developed by the Duchy of Cornwall from the early to mid-20th century.
Under the Duchy of Cornwall’s plans, the seven existing flats at 60 Sancroft Street will be refurbished and turned into 16 new homes, consisting of studios and one-bed flats.
How 60 Sandcroft Street will look once refurbished Credit: Lambeth Council documents
The flats will be allocated to single people aged 18-25 who have been homeless, are at risk of homelessness, or have made the transition from supported housing and are in employment and are ready to live independently.
The plans form part of the Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, which was set up with the aim to show it is possible to end homelessness.
Homewards, which is lead by Prince William William, has committed to delivering Innovative Housing Projects across six flagship locations, including Lambeth.
The projects are designed to tests new ways to make more homes available at scale for those at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
All of the homes at 60 Sancroft Street will be ‘affordable’, with rents set at one third of a tenant’s gross earnings. The accommodation will be managed by the youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint.
According to a planning report, 60 Sancroft Street was built in 1937 and was used as accommodation for nurses who worked at the then-Children’s Day Hospital at 35 Black Prince Road.
When the hospital closed in 1990, a long lease began with South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, with the site sub-let to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust which provided subsidised living accommodation for medical staff.
The building has been empty since June 2024 after the lease ended.
The Duchy of Cornwall is also planning to demolish the existing building at 65 Sancroft Street and in its place will be a new, 5 storey building consisting of 23 flats.
How the development will look at 65 Sancroft Street if plans are approved Credit: Lambeth Council documents
The building was used as a health centre up until 2014, but has been on a rolling lease since 2015 as an assessment centre for people looking to claim PIP (Personal Independence Payment).
Of the 23 flats, two of them will be intermediate, a type of ‘affordable’ housing offering discounted market rent. The remaining 21 flats will be private.
Once built, there will be 6 one-beds, 11 two-beds, and 6 three-beds. All of the flats will have their own balcony.
During the public consultation stage, the plans received two letters of support and five objections.
Objections included concerns that the brickwork was out of character for the surrounding area, and complaints that there would be an increase in noise from the new homes.
Meanwhile those in support said additional housing is needed in Kennington and overall welcomed the development.
In their conclusions, planning officers said the plans will deliver a “specialised form of housing” that will meet specific community need and overall, the development will provide a good standard of residential accommodation.
They have recommended for the plans to be approved.