We have reported on the progress on the new Hammersmith and Fulham Local Plan over the last two years.

The revised Plan incorporating several of our comments and recommendations will now be the subject of this Inquiry by a Government appointed inspector. He will be assessing the soundness of the plan and conformity to planning law including the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the London Plan. The hearings will take place in the Council Chamber of Hammersmith Town Hall over a period of six days, commencing on Tuesday 13th June.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today announced plans for 10 more Low Emission Bus Zones deploying the greenest buses on the capital’s most polluted routes to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. This is in addition to the two zones already announced at Putney High Street and between Brixton and Streatham.

The zones are expected to reduce NOx emissions from buses along the routes by around 84 per cent. They form part of the Mayor’s hard-hitting measures to tackle London’s air, with major plans set to be implemented in 2017 to tackle the dirtiest vehicles.

The two additional Low Emission Bus Zones affecting Hammersmith are:

• Uxbridge Road to Shepherds Bush – from Ealing Broadway via Hanger Lane to Uxbridge Road, The Broadway
• Chiswick High Road to Kensington – via Hammersmith Broadway and Kensington High Street to Studland Street.

Heathrow Expansion

A third runway at Heathrow will mean a new flight path over Hammersmith and noise levels commensurate with those already experienced by Richmond.  The Government will shortly be launching the consultation phase of its proposal to build the third runway. It will be a vital opportunity for residents in areas – like Hammersmith – which will be affected by more aircraft noise and new flightpaths, to express their views.

handfnothirdrunway will be holding its first meeting on Monday 30 January at 7.30pm. The key speaker will be John Stewart (Chair of HACAN), who has years of expert knowledge campaigning to protect the rights of people living under Heathrow’s flight paths. He will speak about campaign plans and facilitate a discussion about the implications of the third runway for Hammersmith and Fulham. The group’s website is: handfnothirdrunway.org

The meeting will be held in the Small Hall, Holy Innocents Church, Paddenswick Road, London W6 0UB. All are welcome.

I have mentioned this in previous updates. The Draft Local Plan is now available for scrutiny and comment. Melanie Whitlock, Angela Clarke and I are very much involved in the extensive consultation and we shall be submitting a Hammersmith Society response by the end of March.

If you wish to review the plans, please visit : opdc.commonplace.is

Please either pass any comments you have to us or send them in independently.

I have received a range of comments back from members on the TfL Consultation on the Gyratory Cycle Plans. There is not really a consensus of views other than it needs to be made more cycle friendly. I shall be responding formally to TfL before the 15th March which is the closing day for comments, If anyone who has not let me have their comments would like to do so, please let me have them by the end of this week.