Heathrow vs Gatwick

Further to my News Update of 8 July, this rumbles on with many articles in the Press and arguments amongst potential candidates for the London Mayor next year.

The London Forum of Civic and Amenity Societies have commented extensively. Visit www.londonforum.org.uk

HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) have also published extensively. They are organising a Central London Protest Rally on 10 October at 11am. Visit hacan.org.uk and www.no3rdrunway.co.uk. The latter has the official map showing potential flight paths. Our member Christina Smyth who also headed up the Council Commission on Heathrow, has been asked to join HACAN’s Management Committee, so we should be getting news updates from her.

As reported in my last News Update, there were consultations recently on the Car Giant proposals and for the new HS2/Crossrail Station for Old Oak Common. I thought the Car Giant proposals seem to be heading in the right direction :

Visit www.oldoakpark.co.uk

We would like to see more use being made of the canal and there is much detail to be developed before an expected planning application is submitted by the end of this year.

But the current proposals for the HS2 station are dire beyond imagination. (See attached images). The ‘photo montage’ purports to show what the new station might look like in 2041 : But there is no reference to the proposed development around the station – 24,000 new homes : 55,000 new jobs. The station looks like a massive  – well, bus shelter? – which has landed from outer space with no connections to its surroundings. And why have a whole raft of sidings for Crossrail suddenly appeared in the middle of the development area? (East of the station). Local groups including the Grand Union Alliance and Friends of Wormwood Scrubs are also rightly incensed. If this is how HS2 treat local people, it is not surprising that there is so much opposition.

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The Davies Commission has now been published. Its main recommendation is in favour of a Third Runway at Heathrow, but does not rule out the possibility of a Second Runway at Gatwick.

Read the full report

Unsurprisingly the recommendation for Heathrow in particular has prompted a torrent of articles and commentaries. Below are some of the places where these can be found :

• www.londonforum.org.uk
• hacan.org.uk

Other sources include the regular blog from Andy Slaughter MP, the Chiswick W4 newsletter and many others.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council commissioned its own resident led report earlier this year – as previously reported.  Our Vice Chairman (and former Chair) Melanie Whitlock was one of the members of the panel.
The report and update comments can be seen at :
www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News/Hot_topic_Heathrow.asp

As most of you know, the Mayor of London successfully persuaded the Government that he should manage the development and planning controls around Old Oak Common and Park Royal (also includes Wormwood Scrubs) in the same manner as the Mayor was responsible for the Olympics site. The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) became official from 1 April 2015. The Acting Chief Executive is Victoria Hills and the Chief Planning Officer is William McKee (formerly of this parish – Remember him?). Things are due to move fairly quickly and are all linked in with Crossrail and HS2 which will meet if all goes well to provide a station as large as Waterloo on the site. The Hammersmith Society have asked to be a major consultee and we are due to have a meeting with OPDC in the next two weeks.

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The Council are currently consulting upon introducing a universal 20mph throughout all roads in the Borough

Have your say at :

www.lbhf.gov.uk/20mph   or e-mail 20mph@lbhf.gov.uk

Closing date for comments 31 July 2015.

If you missed the exhibition in King’s Mall in the week of 8th June and at the Lyric Theatre, together with the Question Time on 18th June in the Studio Theatre hosted by John Humphrys, you can read about it and the many reviews on the West London Link Website :

www.westlondonlink.com

The exhibition is due to move to a venue near the Town Hall in the coming weeks.

At the recent Question Time event based upon the ‘Flyunder’, which formed part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture events arranged by West London Link and Hammersmith BID, Cllr Stephen Cowan announced the setting up of a Residents’ Panel to act as a consultative group for the various projects affecting Hammersmith Town Centre. These include (Principal Organisation in brackets) :

• Town Centre SPD Planning Document as part of the development of the Local Plan (LBHF Planning)
• The Flyunder Options (TfL Roads Task Force)
• Re-organisation of the Hammersmith Gyratory (TfL Better Junctions)
• Potential Replacement Bus Station and Re-development of the Broadway Site (TfL Properties/London Buses)
• Cycle SuperHighway East-West route through Hammersmith (TfL)

The application form can be found here
Selection criteria and Draft Terms of Reference can now be found here

Closing date 5pm Friday 3rd July.