What happened

Lambeth councillors have approved the £2bn Vauxhall Square scheme, a seven-building cluster on a 3.8-acre site next to Vauxhall station, on a 4-3 vote. Historic England had objected, warning the tallest tower would harm the setting of the Westminster World Heritage Site, but the committee backed the developers, Cedarstone Capital Partners and Cheyne Capital, working with GFH Financial Group, Bmor and Trigon.

The scheme, designed by Pilbrow & Partners, will deliver 1,097 homes for private sale, 1,164 co-living apartments and 699 student bedrooms, alongside a 250-room hotel, offices, retail and a cinema. The lead tower will rise to roughly 230 metres and 69 storeys, making it the UK's second-tallest residential building after the 239-metre Landmark Pinnacle at Canary Wharf.

Why it matters for the market

This is a big vote of confidence in build-to-rent and co-living at a point when housebuilders elsewhere are trimming completion forecasts and planning approvals for new homes are at a 20-year low. Nine Elms has been a slow burn for years; a scheme this size restarting the cluster is a signal that institutional capital still sees London high-rise residential as investable, even with financing costs where they are.

It also lands just as the rules around tall buildings tighten. From 30 September, new building control applications for residential buildings of 18 metres and above will need two separate staircases. A tower like this was always going to need that provision, but the timing means every fire engineer and building control specialist working on schemes at this scale is about to be busier, not less so.

What it means for careers and hiring

For project managers and site managers with tall-building experience, a seven-building phased scheme of this size is a multi-year run, not a one-off contract. Expect early recruitment around enabling works and substructure, then a build-up through superstructure as each tower is sequenced.

The two-staircase rule is the sharper signal. Fire engineers, building control approved inspectors and façade consultants with high-rise experience are already in short supply, and a scheme like this competing for the same pool will push rates up before it pushes headcount up. If you are a QS or project manager who has sat out the fire safety and building safety regime changes of the last few years, this is the moment to get current on them; clients are increasingly asking for it by name at interview.

Co-living and student accommodation also bring their own specialism. Operators want project teams who understand the operational handover, not just the build, so experience on PBSA or co-living schemes elsewhere in London is worth foregrounding on your CV now, before the recruitment push for this one properly starts.