Transport for London TfL is progressing its Better Junctions and Cycle Superhighway proposals for the Broadway and Town Centre in conjunction with the Council’s Highways Department. There have been concerns raised over various issues including bus lanes in Beadon Road and further consultations are due to take place at the end of June.

The long term ambition for the Flyunder is still part of the Local Plan but needs further and more committed engagement by TfL.

Preparation is still in progress for the major repair works scheduled for Hammersmith Bridge next year : No dates for the repairs and related closure have been announced yet : The Hammersmith Society have asked to be consulted on the colours and lighting of the bridge.

Melanie Whitlock and I have tried very hard – since the beginning of the year – to secure a hustings for the people of Hammersmith to hear what the main candidates are offering us and ask them questions. There are so many issues that are important to us including of course housing, Heathrow, air quality, the Flyunder, plans for Hammersmith Broadway, tall buildings generally and much more . . . Regrettably although we had secured a venue, St Paul’s Church, and a chairman, Sarah Montague of the BBC Today programme, we have been unsuccessful in persuading either Zac or Sadiq to find time.

Flyunder

At a packed meeting at the Town Hall on 12 February the Transport, Environment and Residents Services Select Committee presented the draft Feasibility Report on the Flyunder, and took questions from the audience. The report is clear and well presented and may be read  here (See pp.6-29).

The completed report will be sent to the Mayor in March with a view to enlisting GLA support. There is much still to learn about the implications of a tunnel but a surprise to many – including myself – is that the longer the tunnel, the less traffic is likely to use it (p.14), i.e., a shorter Option 1 tunnel will scoop up more traffic (and be less expensive). The shortest proposed version buries the Flyover only – if it was extended west by a few yards to clear the Town Hall and Furnivall Gardens it would help deliver the environmental and amenity benefits that we seek while not increasing surface traffic.

Hammersmith Town Centre as it could be with the flyunder

The first meeting of the group of local residents to review proposals for the Town Centre including the Flyunder took place on 3 December.

There are 25 on the panel and the Hammersmith Society Committee is represented by myself, Melanie Whitlock, Rosemary Pettit and Richard Winterton.

The first meeting involved a summary of the group’s terms of reference and what the Council hopes to achieve. The brief is wide ranging and ambitious. Meetings will be held once a month and the outcomes will influence the Local Plan and the Supplementary Planning Document proposed for the Town Centre due to be published in May/June. The next meeting on 21 January will include a briefing by Transport for London (TfL) on their various proposals for the Broadway site including a rumoured threat of 40 storey towers. We understand that the Council will issue progress reports on the Working Party from time to time.

Details of this scheme for a panel to advise the Council on emerging plans for Hammersmith Town Centre (including the Flyunder) were posted in previous News Updates : The Council have now announced membership of the panel. Apparently they received a very large number of applications to choose from.

A initial meeting is due to be held with the next few weeks : Watch this space.

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
Closing date 5pm Friday 3rd July.