The Council Cabinet agreed before Christmas to advance the plans to give many of our green spaces special protection, preserving them in perpetuity for future generations. For each park an individual ‘deed of dedication’ will be created with open spaces charity ‘Fields in Trust’ which is a nationwide organisation (visit www.fieldsintrust.org) and was previously known as the National Playing Fields Association.

The decision follows work by the Council’s Parks Commission set up last year and the Council’s pledge to protect open spaces from being sold off. Each of the main parks in the Borough had resident representatives on the Commission. 

Now that the Lyric have completed the latest round of expansion and building works, they are looking to overhaul the main auditorium and studio spaces. They have asked us to be involved in consultations which will commence in the New Year. This is obviously important to the Hammersmith Society which played such an important role in saving the theatre from destruction back in the 1970s.

War Memorial in St John the Evangelist Churchyard in Glenthorne Road (Now part of Godolphin and Latymer School campus)

Rosemary Pettit reports the following good news on the dilapidated state of the War Memorial which she raised with the Council :

On 4 January, Adam O’Neill, one of the Council’s Urban Design and Conservation Officer wrote :

Last year I requested that Historic England assess the war memorial for listing, their (brief) consultation report is available using the link in the email below.

In the meantime Godolphin & Latymer School have made an application for a repairs grant to the War Memorials Trust.

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In Hammersmith we tend to forget that Fulham Palace is one of our greatest assets.

The former Palace of the Bishops of London is Grade 1 Listed and although we think of it as Tudor which much of it is – and even older than Hampton Court – it actually dates back to the 1100s. There is much going on there and just to walk through the grounds – especially the walled garden – is a great pleasure.

The Palace has just passed the first hurdle in its latest bid for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which will enable it to tie up and complete the main programme of projects which has been on going for the last 15 years or so. A Local Advisory Group is to be set up with effect from the Autumn of this year. If you are interested in being involved please contact me.

For general information visit : www.fulhampalace.org