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The battle of the London boroughs continues. Richmond-upon-Thames was recently named London’s best borough in one ranking while Islington took the top prize in another, but now a southeast borough has entered the chat. The New London Architecture (NLA) awards has just named its ‘Borough of the Year’.
Most rankings of London boroughs look at a whole range of factors, like food offerings, crime rates and outdoor space, but this award focuses on projects that have been or are being undertaken by the local council to benefit the community.
Backed by mayor Sadiq Khan, the NLA awards highlight a range of projects across the city that ‘contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, civilised, and egalitarian London’. That includes schemes that focus on affordable housing, public realm and climate infrastructure. This is the first year that it has handed out an award for the best borough.
So, the borough that claimed the top prize for 2025 was... Lambeth! In its submission to the awards, Lambeth highlighted its SC1 health and life sciences centre on the South Bank, its £1bn new homes programmes and its plans for the future of Waterloo rail stations and the surrounding area.
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The borough’s Brixton Recreation Centre and Public Realm was also crowned the capital’s best cultural project of the year. It was celebrated for its major transformation project, which brought new workspaces, lighting and signage to the hub, honouring its legacy and role as a community centre.
NLA’s judges said: ‘The Borough of the Year was selected for its strong focus on people and community engagement, underpinned by a clear and well-articulated strategy.
‘The Borough’s initiatives, from youth programmes to community-led projects, demonstrate meaningful collaboration and a real commitment to local needs.’
Claire Holland, the leader of Lambeth Council, said: ‘We are delighted to have won this award because it acknowledges our commitment to engaging with our residents and partners on how we can shape change in our borough.
‘We are a dynamic, ambitious borough where change is a constant, and we are determined to fully play our role shaping that future. Core to that determination is how we support inclusive growth that ensures that everyone here can contribute to and benefit from the many projects and developments across Lambeth.
‘From building new homes or offices, creating new infrastructure, improving the local environment or tackling the climate crisis there are jobs, skills, homes and life benefits that must be shared equally across our communities.’
Did you see that Lambeth is planning to introduce a ‘tourist tax’?
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