Lyric Hammersmith

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.

The cinema has now been demolished but work has stopped.

Cineworld Hammersmith demolished

We are waiting a statement from the Council as to what is happening on the Town Hall project.

As I reported in my last News Update, the Cineworld Cinema is due to close imminently and work will start on its demolition. A planning application has now been received by the Council in respect of revised details for the housing and new offices on the west side of Nigel Playfair Avenue. The planning reference number is 2016/00619/VAR. The consultation period is open to 18 April. Your committee will be commenting. Initial indications are that not all the changes are positive unfortunately.

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 . . . . !?

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.

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!