Phoenix elevations existing and proposed

The Hammersmith Society’s committee was pleased to see the Council’s Planning Committee turn down the Phoenix Academy/London Square application for a combined educational and residential development at Phoenix Academy, which was of considerable concern to local people. Residents’ associations, with whom we’d been in contact, had raised a formidable campaign.

The planning application is here: 2025/02541/FUL and earlier scoping is 2024/03003/SCOEIA. The application is registered in the planning portal as ‘under assessment’, and provided the above image, demonstrating the inappropriate scale of the proposal. There’s also a consultation website.

We are waiting to hear whether the refused application is going to be called in for review by the Mayor at City Hall.

We recognise that the school wishes to update and improve its facilities but the proposed way of funding these is not acceptable.

The proposed residential development is too high and has an unacceptable visual impact on the Conservation Area. The majority of the existing housing in the immediate area is 2 storied terraced houses. We believe the blocks should be no higher than 4 stories, especially adjacent to existing 2 storey houses.

Phoenix site – existing view

In the refused scheme 4 to 6 story residential blocks step back from West to East. The apartments on this West side would cause an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity (overlooking into back gardens) of the houses on Milfoil St and Sundew Ave. There is also impact on the residential amenity of the buildings to the north of the site. Slightly taller blocks in the centre of the site could be acceptable subject to ensuring that they are not over-imposing on the amenity of the existing residential properties due to their proximity to the boundary.

The proposals also included apartments overlooking the school grounds which is unacceptable. . There are of course existing schools in tight urban areas which have views into their sites, but this certainly should not be allowed in new developments because of safeguarding concerns.

We believe the proposed development should have not been built further west than the line of the existing educational buildings on the site. The so-called buffer zone is in our view no more than a parking space and a road. There are very few trees on this western boundary with the back gardens of neighbouring houses. This is poor design and a lost opportunity to minimise the impact of the development.

Our concern in too many new housing developments, and certainly is the case in this one, that there should be more family sized units and community facilities. We’d suggest that, particularly given the proximity to 3 schools, the bias should be strongly towards 3 and 4 bedroom homes, particularly as there are already plenty of 1 and 2 bedroom flats in the north of the borough..  The mix of households should certainly be reviewed if an alternative scheme is put forward as a healthy and vibrant city must accommodate both the very young and the elderly in its design.

A project with this number of units will have a substantial impact on the sewer system. It was unclear from the documents if the impact on the sewer system has been assessed or not..

As reported at a recent Council Cabinet meeting it was stated that “Hammersmith and Fulham Council has committed to ensuring 3,000 new homes are built or underway by 2026, 65 per cent of which will be affordable.”  This doesn’t tally with the 37% affordable in this proposal, especially considering the gift of land. 

Regarding the design and land allocation, it is concerning to see what appears to be about 40% of the available land (area and value not disclosed), and all the actual open space being allocated for new housing.  The Society’s position has been, for several years, to oppose the sale of public – particularly school – land. On this basis alone the application was unacceptable.

We were particularly disappointed that it is proposed as part of the scheme to demolish the  Phoenix caretaker’s house which was awarded our Society’s Environment award for smaller schemes (Nancye Goulden award) in 2011.

Should Phoenix Academy/London Square be willing to consider bringing forward an amended scheme we hope that they will engage further with the local Residents Associations and take note of this Society’s objections.