White City

White City

Planning for the future together

Hammersmith & Fulham Council's vision is to help everybody make the most of the opportunities that exist in the borough by improving schools, by helping people into low cost home ownership and by improving our neighbourhoods.

The opening of the Westfield London shopping centre is already bringing positive change to the the area. Further developments are planned east of Wood Lane, along with land currently owned by the BBC, which is known as the White City Opportunity Area.

The BBC intends to move part of its operation to Salford in 2011 which will free up some of the land, although the council remains committed to ensuring that the most important parts of the BBC Television Centre building is preserved as part of any redevelopment.

H&F Council wants to ensure that local residents - particularly those living on the estates - benefit from the investment this could bring to the area with more job opportunities, a better environment to live and quality housing that is fit for the 21st Century.

Already millions of pounds are being spent on ensuring we have Decent Homes, but now H&F Council and H&F Homes want to ensure we have Decent Neighbourhoods too.

Last August and September we asked for your views on how you would like to see your neighbourhood changed. Now Hammersmith & Fulham Council has launched an important borough-wide consultation on future planning policy across the borough.

This consultation is called the Local Develoment Framework Core Strategy Options paper.

The consultation looks at how the council thinks the area and borough should develop over time but we want to know what you think.

Our preferred way forward is that White City is one of five areas where we would like to see development in the next 20 years with the focus on:

Improving the environment around us

Creating more job opportunities for local people

Creating mixed communities with a wide range of different types of housing especially for families

Improving communal areas and open spaces

The council, and other land owners, want the area to become London's creative industry hub, bringing substantial new employment opportunities as well as 4,000 new homes - many of which will be affordable to people on low and middle incomes.

The council's preferred way forward is to look at extending the Opportunity Area so that the wider part of W12, including Shepherds Bush town centre and the White City estates, can benefit from the significant investment this would bring - resulting in new homes and an altogether better environment to live.

FROM DECENT HOMES TO DECENT NEIGHBOURHOODS

People in the 21st Century have the right to expect high quality and energy efficient homes. Despite extensive investment in recent years through the Decent Homes programme, the structure and layouts of many estates is poor.

Overcrowding is a problem due to the lack of family-sized accommodation. Open spaces and communal areas are sometimes underused while accessibility is a big problem for many people due to the lack of lifts.

H&F Council also recognises that many people on council housing estates do not have access to the same life opportunities as others do. We want to break down the barriers that can lead to unemployment, poverty and poor health by creating mixed communities where everyone has the same chance to move up in life.

The council's preferred way forward is to consider rebuilding phased redevelopment of White City estate, Batman Close and Wood Lane estate over the next 15-20 years to ensure that residents benefit from the highest quality housing with a greater range of housing options.

In planning for the future the council pledges to:

Work with local residents to ensure you have the chance to shape any proposals that may come forward

Protect leaseholder and freeholder investments

Ensure everyone is offered a home that suits their needs in the same area as they are living now

Ensure there is no reduction in council rented housing, but planning for more family-sized housing.

More details

The document itself is called the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Options paper and is is available in full on our website at: http://lbhf-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal

Copies are also available in libraries, at Hammersmith and Fulham town halls and at the Hammersmith Broadway Information Centre.

We can send you copies if you wish. There is a £10 charge for each copy if you are not a borough resident or business.

A summarised version of the overall document is included with the June 2 edition of the council's printed newspaper, H&F News.

You can find out more about the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Options process and how it could impact on your area by visiting a drop in session on:

Tuesday July 7
White City Community Centre
India Way W12
between 4.00 and 7.00pm

Any questions? Please call Angela O'Connor on 020 8753 1951 or email: whitecity@lbhf.gov.uk

For more information phone 020 8753 3317 (text phone users prefix the above contact number with 18001) or email ldf@lbhf.gov.uk

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

It is important to stress that, at this stage, there are no plans or proposals in place. The Council is consulting on a policy that will guide future development in the area and across Hammersmith & Fulham. At this point the Council is setting out a series of options - while making it clear what our preferred way forward is. Once we have taken your views into account we will publish a more complete document in October.

There will be another chance for you to have your say on it before any policy is implemented in early 2011.

YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT...

Your comments need to be in writing by 17 July.

You can tell us what you think by:
Registering and commenting online: http://lbhf-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal
Emailing: ldf@lbhf.gov.uk Faxing: 020 8753 3036
Writing to: Development Plans Team, Environment Services, Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, W6 9JU. 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU - JOIN A RESIDENTS GROUP!

Hammersmith & Fulham Council and H&F Homes want to hear from tenants and leaseholders who would like to be part of regular resident groups that will play an important role in looking at options for the future. We aim to set up the groups by the end of the summer and will be reporting back to all residents regularly as ideas emerge on how we can improve our neighbourhoods. If you would like to get involved please call Angela O'Connor on 020 8753 1951 or email: whitecity@lbhf.gov.uk