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Heathrow proposed expansion 2022-2030 (click for full-size)

Eagle-eyed members checking our diary will have spotted that Heathrow chose to splashdown with its consultation roadshow in Hammersmith Town Hall on Wednesday 24th July, the 50th anniversary of the return of the Apollo 11 astronauts.

The date helps highlight the importance of this consultation, something that would provide all of Hammersmith with an experience aggregating daily to something rather closer to launch than to tranquillity.  We had the consultation about airspace earlier in the year (results pending), proposing changes to airspace with new overflights, regardless of a third runway or any other expansion.  This consultation covers the Third Runway et al, equivalent to adding a new airport the size of Gatwick. 

Please attend the consultation if you can; below are half a dozen pointers to questions you might ask.  Please beware that if you offer a preference for this option or that, you may well be counted as a “supporter” of some kind.  If you can’t make the Hammersmith event, there are many others elsewhere. 

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The results of the consultation on the future of Linford Christie stadium, situated on Wormwood Scrubs, have been published. The results are startling: over 80% of respondents appear to support Option 3, the 45,000 seat sports stadium and event space. Of some 8,700 responses received, 4,159 came from Greater London excluding LBHF, suggesting that the big push from QPR to encourage supporters to respond in favour of a major sports stadium was successful, QPR would then expect to relocate there.

The Hammersmith Society has supported the views of the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs that a development on this scale is simply not compatible with the character and use of the Scrubs and would place a completely unfeasible burden on local infrastructure (transport, road access, impact on neighbouring Hammersmith hospital). We understand that many people would like to see QPR stay in the Borough, but it should not be at the expense of the quality of life of local residents or the character of an open space of London-wide importance. Our response to the Council can be read here:

Hammersmith Society – response to Linford Chrtistie Stadium Proposals.pdf

The next step is for the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust (of which the sole trustee is LBHF Council) to review the consultation results in detail and set up an Outline Business case to look at next steps.

We are all familiar with the outcome of a referendum held with a mandate to fulfil the wishes of the majority, presenting a simple choice but ignorant of the consequences; we remind ourselves that for the Linford Christie stadium this was not a referendum, but a consultation, without the majority mandate, the statistical rigour and the franchise of a referendum, and without detail of the choices offered – and suggest the consultation results offer an interesting insight but an unreliable foundation for decision making. In this regard the Friends of WWS have requested:

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St. Augustine’s – Interior

Planters under flyover

Plants not pollution – Hammersmith Flyover

Hammersmith Grove Parklets – East

Hammersmith Grove Parklets – West

Paintbox Studios and Coffeeology

St. Augustine’s interior

We were pleased to announce our 2019 Awards at the AGM at Olympia on Wednesday 12th June, introduced by committee member Derrick Wright and presented by our President, Prof. Hans Haenlein. The large number of members present were provided excellent hospitality by Olympia in their Apex Room. Full details and a narrative are posted on our 2019 Awards page; the AGM photos and administrative documents are posted on our 2019 AGM page.

Summary

In our 30th year of Awards, we renamed our Conservation Award the Tom Ryland Award for Conservation in honour of our past Chairman. We were delighted to present it for the first time to St. Augustine’s Church in Fulham Palace Road.

There were four Nancye Goulden Awards this year, in two distinct pairs, all are projects which have made positive contributions to the Hammersmith streetscape.

The first two are King Street shop fronts: Paintbox Studios and Coffeeology. The other two awards recognise another type of improvement to the streetscape in the form of the Hammersmith Grove Parklets and The Planting under the Flyover.  The wooden spoon went to phase 1 of Sovereign Court.

We were also given a detailed presentation by SSPARC architects covering the history of Olympia and the extensive redevelopment plans, followed by an update from RSHP architects covering the Town Hall redevelopment plans. In a Q&A session, Councillor Wesley Harcourt kindly gave us an impromptu update on the Hammersmith Bridge situation.

We are delighted to announce that our vice-chair Melanie Whitlock won the 2019 Hammersmith and Fulham Civic Award for “Contributions to art, culture or heritage” on Wednesday 12th June at a ceremony in the Town Hall.  Congratulations and thanks for your many years of tireless work for the Society.

Melanie had already helped setup and attend our AGM earlier the same evening, and hot-footed – or rather hot-biked – across to the Town Hall to receive her award.  Fittingly our AGM marked the 30th year of the Awards, created under her Chairmanship.

Read the story of her two terms as Chairman of the Society as well as many years on the committee in our history, written for the 50th year of the Society in 2012.  

Cllr Harcourt describes Hammersmith Bridge problems

At our AGM on 12th June, members of the audience asked a number of questions about the Bridge.

As we reported in our recent newsletter and over the previous 4 years, the bridge has been in trouble for a long time, not helped by a couple of bomb attacks in its history.

Fortunately Councillor Wesley Harcourt (Cabinet Member for the Environment) was in the audience, and offered us an impromptu update on the works to repair it.  He made it clear that the Council is committed to repairing it as a fully working bridge, and that final decisions on the scope of work are yet to made as they depend on the level of funding available from TfL (who want to run double-decker buses), and the Government.  The two key issues appear to be:

1. The level of structural repair, over and above the minimum required to run the original 7.5 Tonne vehicles, is dependent on the funding available.
2. The funding is not yet all in place (principally Government, which as we know is otherwise distracted)

He described the cracks found, and mentioned the details, photos and videos available on the council website here. He also described the effect on traffic on other bridges and roads, notably Chiswick, Putney and to a lesser extent Wandsworth, plus the apparent disappearance of 25% of the bridge traffic, though that may be variability and measurement error. He noted that more environmentally-friendly electric buses actually weigh more due to the batteries, just to add to the mix.

He committed to the council finalising plans and schedule in August, though we have no idea how long the work might take as yet, due to the many variables, and 3 years remains the disappointing figure quoted. We urge the council to embark on the essential repairs as soon as practicable, notwithstanding Government inertia. The outcome of these discussions can’t be resolved soon enough.

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Hammersmith Community Gardens Association is a local charity that has been operating on a site in Ravenscourt Park since 2004.  The existing glasshouse structures have been refurbished twice but are at the end of their life, and existing facilities are limited or inadequate for use in winter.  They are looking to raise £115,000 for new glasshouses, and so far have pledges of £48,000.  The Hammersmith Society recently agreed to make a contribution.

Pledges can be made via https://www.spacehive.com/31651, they need to raise all funds by 12th August to complete the campaign and unlock additional Mayoral and Council funding.  Pledges will not result in money being taken unless the total amount is pledged.

HCGA provides a range of activities from school visits, volunteer gardening sessions for people including refugees and those with health and learning difficulties. Pop up Yoga is held twice weekly, with the glasshouses acting as headquarters for the wider organisation.

The new glasshouse will be configured for maximum use. A large central space that can be used for meetings, concerts & workshops leading out on to the walled garden. To facilitate this vision they have negotiated a 25 year lease on the site, with full planning permission.

More about HCGA, by HCGA

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Members of the Committee visited our 30th Annual Award Nominations on Sunday 19th May and shortlisted them. They’re all shown on the nominations page in their categories, with a selection here.

If you would like to comment on them, or make suggestions for winners, please use the comment form on the above page, or on Instagram.

Paradise gardens

Sovereign Court South

White City Campus: Molecular Sciences building

Saffron – refurbished

Imperial West residential tower

Hammersmith Grove Parklets – West

Dalling Road, St David’s Day 2019

Maison Samadi

Savoy Circus: Chapter student accommodation

st-augustines-church interior

Paintbox Studios and Coffeeology

Plants-not-pollution under flyover

Planters under flyover

Award winners will be announced at the AGM at Olympia on 12th June. 

Members, guests, and friends will be warmly welcomed.

2019 Nominations on Instagram

We’re pleased to announce that The Hammersmith Society is now on Instagram.

We’ll post images of our Award Nominations and Winners, as well as other relevant images, aiming to widen our appeal throughout Hammersmith as part of our celebration of 30 years of the Awards.

Our page is here: https://www.instagram.com/hammersmithsoc

Please follow us, and comment on the nominations there or on our nominations page.