Filming in ASSA

The Albert Square and St Stephen’s Association (ASSA) area is a popular location for film, television, and commercial productions. The beautiful houses, the greenery of the square and the sweeping roads are understanably perfect for filming. While filming brings excitement to many in our neighbourhood, our priority is to balance production needs with the quality of life and convenience of our residents.

Expectations for Production Crews

We welcome production companies that respect our neighbourhood and its community. To ensure a positive experience for everyone, we expect all production crews to abide by the following standards:

  • Timely communication: Clear advance notice must be provided to residents regarding filming schedules, particularly when parking suspensions or road closures are required.
  • Minimising disruption: Productions must keep noise, vehicle congestion and disruption to a minimum, strictly adhering to agreed-upon hours – especially for evening or overnight shoots.
  • Engagement with local stakeholders: Productions filming in or affecting Albert Square itself must engage directly with the Albert Square Garden Trust (AST) to discuss logistics and specific square usage concerns.

ASSA’s Role in Filming

ASSA does not hold statutory powers to approve or deny filming permits. Instead, we liaise constructively with the Lambeth Film Office and production teams to advocate for resident interests and minimise disruption.

We provide formal feedback to the Lambeth Film Office on every production team’s performance, helping ensure high standards for future shoots.

Donations and community funding

Filming in our neighbourhood provides vital financial support for our local area:

  • In recognition of local disruption, production companies are expected to make voluntary donations to ASSA and the Albert Square Garden Trust (AST).
  • These contributions are fully transparently managed and fund neighbourhood initiatives, flowerbed maintenance, and community events such as our summer garden party. Because of these donations, ASSA operates without charging a membership fee to residents. Full details can be found in the ASSA minutes.
  • Production companies often use local spaces like St Stephen’s Church and pay commercial hire fees that directly support the upkeep of these community assets.

Major filming events in ASSA

Our picturesque streets, traditional architecture, and garden square have hosted a variety of high-profile productions over recent years:

  • Burberry TV Commercial (Nov 24 range)
  • Ted Lasso
  • The Gentlemen (Netflix)
  • Love Actually (Lian Nielson’s house)
  • Spooks (BBC TV)
  • M&S TV commercial (Autumn 24 range)

Contact & Feedback

If you are a resident with questions or feedback about an upcoming shoot, or if you represent a production company planning to film in the ASSA area, please get in touch via the ASSA committee.

All complaints and initial contact should go through the Lambeth Film Office.