There have been no new major site applications. The updated Local Plan originally planned for the Spring will not now be ready until the Summer – and this is thought to be due to the difficulties of reconciling the proposals with the realisation that the huge area of land required for the Crossrail Elizabeth line sidings cannot be built over economically and therefore will radically reduce the area of land available for development.

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Westfield Phase 2 is nearing completion and will be opening soon including the John Lewis store. Westfield, Australian owned, are in the meantime selling out both White City and Stratford East to French giant Unibail-Rodamco for the small sum of £18.5billion and the sale should be completed in the Spring.

DIMCO (Wikipedia / Alexander Williams)

We were recently invited, together with members of the Historic Buildings Group, to look at proposals for the larger of the DIMCO buildings, the only Listed buildings remaining on site. This one is currently used by Transport for London for storing buses but come the completion of Phase 2 there will be a purpose built facility allowing the freeing up of the Listed shed. The current proposals, still at an early stage, are to convert the building into an entrainment/event venue. Although the the scheme involves inserting of a full mezzanine floor, none of the original fabric will be damaged so that all the interventions will be reversible. We liked the proposals in principle and our concerns were mainly centred on access and egress of up to 3000 people and the capacity of the adjoining streets and public transport system to cope with the potential surge of visitors.

Also in White City we were recently given a presentation of proposals for Centre House. On the site are the rather tired 1960’s buildings on the east side of Wood Lane opposite to old BBC tv centre. The buildings were all used as part of the BBC facility including prop storage, scene building and their engineering department. First sold to Helical Bar, then Imperial College, they will now transfer the site to St James who will develop approximately 520 units of housing, much of it for rent and specifically graduate accommodation for Imperial. It is another large scheme, mainly linear blocks of 9 storeys with a possible towers of 21 and 31 storeys. The architectural treatment has been well considered.

The landscape proposals are potentially excellent although there is limited private or public amenity space. Many of our concerns about scale, height and density and reduced open space have already been eclipsed by decisions already made on White City.

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Proposals for the adjacent site at 66 Hammersmith Road have now come forward as an application. (Ref 2017/04752/FUL).

We are concerned at the excessive bulk of this building and the adverse effect which it would have on the Listed buildings and Conservation Areas nearby. You can read our response to the application as attached.

 66 Hammersmith Road

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In our October Newsletter, we reported that the Council’s Planning and Development Committee had refused permission against officer advice at their meeting in October.

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