I mentioned this in my last News Update. This event has been organised by Professor Hans Haenlein and others and is a wonderful opportunity for local people to see how they can engage in planning of their neighbourhood. This is an initiative born out of the ‘Neighbourhood and Community Rights Process’ which stems from the 2011 Localism Act. Please do sign up to attend as below and hear how this is happening in other areas :

— STOP PRESS – EVENT POSTPONED —
HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING WORKSHOP

Saturday 3 October 2015
St Paul’s Primary School Annexe, Worlidge Street W6

An opportunity for those who live, work and have an interest in Hammersmith & Fulham to hear about the Neighbourhood and Community Rights Process, a government initiative, which gives you the power to make a difference to your community by getting involved in local decision making, and working with others to make your area a better place

Supported by the Hammersmith Society and the Fulham Society and organised by Local Residents

This weekend has grown bigger and bigger and more and more popular. This is good and bad news. Good because there are more buildings open but bad because many are now only available by prior booking.

Nevertheless it is wonderful that so many people are enjoying visiting and looking at buildings in London. This year hard copies of the booklet are available through the post but are being charged for rather than being free from local libraries and the like. However, everything can be viewed on line and you can choose whether you want to see the best contemporary architecture, traditional/historic or just local buildings in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Go to www.openhouselondon.org.uk and then click ‘About Open House’.

Hammersmith Bridge

Despite recent emergency closures, the bridge is due to be completely closed next year for a more radical overhaul and strengthening to allow double decker buses to use it again. (They were banned when there were previous structural problems).

Our understanding is that this work is likely to take six months from next summer. The works will also involve repainting (and relighting). When it was last repainted, many lamented the loss of the more decorative treatment in pastel colours by the London County Council. The replacement in what many people refer to as Harrods green came about after studies of the original paint scheme by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in 1887 and was strongly advised by English Heritage. A new lighting scheme was also installed by the Council and which won a Hammersmith Society Environment Award in 2001, but the deck lighting has proved unreliable and difficult to maintain.

The Hammersmith Society Committee feel that there is an opportunity to revisit both the colour and the lighting and that an exciting way to explore possibilities would be for an open competition : We would be happy to organise this but obviously there would need to be agreement with both the Council and TfL who are funding the main project.

Do let us know what you think!

There will be a presentation and opportunity to discuss the Council’s new proposed strategy in the Small Hall at the Town Hall on Tuesday 8th September at 7pm.

This is organised by the Economic Regeneration, Housing and the Arts Policy and Accountability Committee. For the draft strategy and full agenda for the evening, visit :

http://www.lbhf.gov.uk//Directory/Council_and_Democracy/Committee_reports_minutes_and_agendas/Committee_Archive/homepage.asp?mgpage=ieListMeetings.aspx%26amp%3BCId%3D487%26amp%3BYear%3D0

This was announced by the Council on 23 June 2015 and is quite separate from the above. The intention is that the panel will assist the Council determine the future of Hammersmith Town Centre including options for tunnelling the A4.  Refer to the council website here

The original deadline for registration of interest was extended to the end of July and an announcement on the operation of the panel has yet to be made.

Our President, Professor Hans Haenlein has been leading a group of residents and professionals to see whether the local community could benefit from the setting up of a Neighbourhood Planning Forum. This has been made possible by the Neighbourhood and Community Rights Process which stems from the 2011 Localism Act. An introductory workshop has been organised for Saturday 3 October 2015 at St Paul’s Primary School, Worlidge Street, W6. The session will start at 10am and finish at 1pm. There will be presentations by a number of guest speakers with experience and expertise in this.

Please come along. It is open to all and especially members of the Hammersmith Society and the Fulham Society.

Register your attendance with Rosemary Pettit, Hammersmith Society Membership Secretary :

The Council have announced (11 August) the setting up of a resident-led Air Quality Commission. This will be chaired by our own Rosemary Pettit (former Chairman of the Hammersmith Society). For more details, visit the Council website here

Again I reported on this in my previous News Updates. I have since attended a meeting of the Grand Union Alliance which is a grouping of the many interested groups (and individuals). Interests range from the strategic views for this whole development area to the very personal effects to which many existing residents will be subjected.

The worry is that the OPDC will just become another vehicle for large developers to promote their interests but on the other hand the possibility exists for something really amazing to come out of it. One of the major worries is that it will take between 18 months to 2 years for the OPDC to develop its Local Plan – with added consultation (Public Inquiry etc.) on top of that : In the meantime developers such as Car Giant are pushing on with their plans and have to be assessed against the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Planning Area Framework (OAPF) which is supplementary planning guidance to the Mayor’s London Plan, although this is not formally adopted yet. Apparently there were 3,500 responses to the consultation on this of which 3,400 were QPR supporters. Remember QPR have no land ownership within the OPDC area at present!

Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 Agreements

The Council recently released their latest ‘H & F planning news’ : This may be accessed by visiting The planning section

The main change here is the introduction on 1 September 2015 of ‘The Community Infrastructure Levy’ or CIL as it is referred to. The news bulletin explains what this is for and how it will be charged on all relevant planning applications for creation of new dwelling or floorspace over 100 square metres. The article does not fully explain how in most cases CIL will replace Section 106 contributions. However, within the above website link you can read how CIL and Section 106 contributions work together. (Councils cannot apply both to the same development).