Tenants of International House are hoping the council will recognise the building as an Asset of Community Value
Dozens of charity organisations who face being displaced from International House in Brixton have submitted a nomination for it to be recognised as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) by Lambeth Council.
If International House is formally added to the council’s ACV list, it means the building is recognised as having important social value to the local community, and would give it an extra layer of protection against redevelopment.
It also means when buildings and sites on the list come up for sale, community groups have six months to put together a bid to buy it before it can be sold. While it doesn’t guarantee they will be the preferred option, it gives them a fighting chance against big developers.
Lambeth Council has been approached for comment.
The application has been supported by the Stour Trust, which supports community campaigns for buildings including cultural spaces, along with grassroots organisations, The Advocacy Academy and Stir to Action.
Richie Littler, an International House tenant who founded the charity, Grooveschool, said: “The value of International House cannot be measured simply by the organisations it houses, but by the thousands of Lambeth residents whose lives are improved because those organisations are able to work together from one affordable community hub.”
What’s happening with the building?
International House is earmarked for redevelopment after the council approved plans from developer London Square in March.
The property development company is owned by Aldar Properties, which is the largest real estate developer in Abu Dhabi.
It intends to redevelop two council-owned sites in Brixton – one being International House and the other being Pop Brixton – to deliver 288 new homes across four tower blocks, ranging from six to 20 storeys high.
Of the 288 homes London Square intends to build, 98 would be for social rent. The remaining 190 would be for private sale. New workspace, community facilities and public realm improvements are also included in the proposals.
The plans are set to see 141 not-for-profit organisations, charities and community groups displaced from International House, which is currently home to London’s largest affordable workspace.
Many of the organisations are currently on peppercorn rents or pay no rent at all, and there are concerns they won’t be able to continue carrying out essential services in Lambeth because they can’t afford elsewhere.
Elena Lo Presti, founder of Craft Forward and tenant of International House, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Leaving International House would definitely be difficult for all of us because we won’t have that ecosystem of organisations any more.
“Having free rent for an organisation that is this small is just incredible and I think the worst bit is that a lot of people had started to acknowledge International House as a space for community and that’s going to be completely lost.”
Campaign group Save International House recently launched a fundraiser to stop the sell-off of International House, and to pursue a possible legal challenge against the council’s decision to approve the plans.
Campaigners believe the council was unaware of the social value of the work carried out by tenants of International House when making the decision.
The group is hoping to raise £25,000 to support the legal costs for a judicial review, and has extended its fundraiser deadline. At the time of writing, £13,704 had been raised from 171 donations.
ACV success for another Brixton site
In July the council designated Brixton Village and Market Row as an ACV following a nomination from Buy Back Brixton, which is made up of traders and residents. Concerns emerged in June over the future of Brixton Village after it was reportedly being offered to “international investors” for £50million.
The Brixton Traders and Community Association said at the time that Brixton Village was not an asset to be sold to “the highest bidder”, and raised concerns over rent hikes and evictions as a result of a potential sale.
Brixton-based organisation The Advocacy Academy formed an emergency campaign called Buy Back Brixton, which managed to submit a “competitive” counter-bid on June 22. The Stour Trust also helped out with the ACV nomination.
A Save International House campaigner said: “Following the success of Brixton Village and Market Row’s nomination for ACV status, the approval of International House’s nomination would cement a meaningful shift towards recognising and protecting Brixton’s community assets.
“If the nomination is approved, tenants hope the ACV designation will provide an additional layer of protection and recognition for International House as an asset of community value.”
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