Land owned by Prince William in South London will be turned into new homes for young people who have experienced homelessness after plans were unanimously approved by local councillors.
More than a dozen homes on Duchy of Cornwall-owned land will be used to support 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 will see seven existing flats at 60 Sancroft Street, SE11, refurbished and turned into 16 new homes, consisting of studios and one-bedroom flats.
How 60 Sandcroft Street will look once refurbished Credit: Lambeth Council documents
All of the homes at 60 Sancroft Street will be ‘affordable’, with rents set at one third of a tenant’s gross earnings, while accommodation will be managed by the youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint.
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 led by Prince William, has committed to delivering Innovative Housing Projects across six locations across the UK, including Lambeth.
During a meeting of Lambeth Council’s Planning Applications Committee on Tuesday (July 29), Michelle Donovan, who is Head of Independent Living at Centrepoint, said: “Centrepoint is delighted to be working with the Duchy of Cornwall on the delivery of 16 new independent living homes at 60 Sancroft Street to help formerly homeless young people move on from council accommodation and live independently.
“This will allow them to hold down a job, end their reliance upon benefits and escape homelessness for good.”
Ms Donovan went on to say of the 16 future tenants, 12 of them must be in full-time employment while the remaining four will be actively supported by Centrepoint and Lambeth Council to find permanent employment.
Martin Bailey, ward councillor for Vauxhall, said: “This scheme embodies the very best of what planning should achieve, combining a sensitive approach to heritage, outstanding design-quality and most importantly delivering essential social value in our borough.
“[The Duchy of Cornwall] has taken responsibility as stewards of the sensitive site seriously by investing in meaningful pre-application engagement, adjusting their scheme to reflect feedback and working closely with Centrepoint and Lambeth’s own supported housing team to bring forward a model truly in the public interest.”
The site forms part of the Kennington Conservation Area and was developed by the Duchy of Cornwall from the early to mid-20th century. 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’s plans will also see a former health centre at 65 Sancroft Street demolished and a new, five-storey building consisting of 23 flats built in its place.
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 six one-beds, 11 two-beds, and six three-beds. All of the flats will have their own balcony.
The plans were unanimously approved by councillors, meaning planning permission has been granted. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the first homes will be delivered on site by the end of 2026.