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.

Ref 2013/02238/FUL: Appeal in July

As local residents will be aware Linden Homes submitted a scheme (designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands) for this peninsula site opposite Ravenscourt Park a couple of years ago.

After a planning forum it was refused permission by the Council. Linden submitted a revised scheme and again it was refused, chiefly on grounds of over-density and lack of affordable housing.

The Hammersmith Society objected on both occasions. Linden is appealing against the Council’s decision, the Hammersmith Society has been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate as a Rule 6 party to the appeal, meaning we prepare Proofs of Evidence and give evidence at the appeal. The appeal itself will be held at the Town Hall from Wednesday, 2nd July until Friday 4th  July. All welcome to observe.

We are engaged in registering our first Asset of Community Value (ACV) in Hammersmith – the Anglesea Arms in Wingate Rd, W6.

Registration does not prevent an Asset from closing down or changing hands, but the community is informed of any proposed sale and has an opportunity to buy the Asset. Even if a purchase is not practical, registration prevents a sudden sale from under the community nose.

The owner of the Asset is informed of the registration and is thus aware of the value placed on it by local residents. If you have been a patron of the Anglesea Arms you can help register it with a supporting letter. Please contact me and see this guidance for more details.

The Council’s Email Alerts to Planning and Licensing applications are always informative. To never miss a planning application in your area, register with the Council. You specify the area you are interested in – and it’s as easy as that. In addition to receiving prompt notice of applications you can click through to the application itself, look at the documents and, if it is a small application, click on ‘Make a public comment’ and write your comments in the box provided, then receive a receipt (and your comments) in your email Inbox. If your concern is of interest to the Hammersmith Society please forward to us. We’ll be glad to respond.

Walkabout site proposal, Shepherds Bush

Following on from my previous brief report (7 November 2015), some of your Committee (with Committee Members from the Hammersmith and Fulham Historic Buildings Group) have attended two consultation meetings with the management of the Dorsett Hotel and their consultants who are designing the new scheme for this building which sits between the hotel and the O2 Empire Theatre.

Hammersmith Bridge

Work is still in preparation for the major repairs and strengthening of the bridge. The works are being sponsored by TfL but organised by engineers from our Council.

Tenders are being sought from specialist companies. The cost and time required and potential closures will depend on the responses. However, it is now likely that the works will not start before the late summer. Ian Hawthorn, the Council officer supervising the project, will keep us posted on the outcome of the tenders and the implications on programme and closures. He also confirms that the works will include the complete repainting of the bridge.

Time for a change of colour? I have mentioned this to you before but received no response . . . . !?