Plans aired for King Street

Tuesday June 15, 2010

Hundreds of residents viewed proposals to breathe new life into the west end of King Street at a three day exhibition last week.

Computer generated images (CGIs), on show at Lyric Square and outside Hammersmith Town Hall, show a vision of new shops, restaurants, homes and offices to be built around a new public square - which will be created by demolishing the council's 1960s town hall extension.

As well as attracting new inward investment to the area, the plans are expected to save significant amounts of taxpayers' cash as the new council offices will cost less to run and maintain, according to the local authority.

The CGIs show people wandering from the public square, which the council hopes will create a new 'civic heart' in Hammersmith, down the side of the Grade II listed town hall and over a new step-free bridge over the A4 Talgath Road.

Jane Wilmot, Chair of the H&F Disability Forum, says: "The proposals for the public square, the step free bridge over the A4 and route to Furnivall Gardens are exciting and we think meet the needs of disabled residents."

However, some critics have voiced concerns over the 14 storey residential building, which is about the same height as the Premier Inn just up the road. Members of the Hammersmith Historic Buildings Group have also shown opposition to the new bridge over the A4.

The scheme - which provides 320 new homes mixed between one, two and three bed apartments - have been drawn up by developers Helical Bar and Grainger. The two companies have come together to form a joint venture company called King Street Developments (KSD) Limited. All of the costs of the scheme will be met by KSD with the council not paying 'one penny' although the council will contribute the land it owns on the site.

As well as the new apartments, eco-friendly council offices will be built to replace the town hall extension and several older buildings elsewhere in the borough, which would be closed down and sold off as part of the council's debt-reduction strategy.

The plans also include a 2,000 square meter supermarket - which is slightly smaller than the Sainsbury's in Kings Mall. It is understood that no operator has been picked to run the store.

Cllr Mark Loveday, Cabinet Member for Strategy, says: "The proposals that King Street Developments have been showing to residents and amenity groups over the past few days are the culmination of three years consultation.

"Having listened to local people and as someone who lives just off King Street, I don't think anyone could deny that the area around the town hall extension is crying out for a boost.

"Doing nothing is not a realistic option as King Street will continue to decline - in the face of competition from Westfield, Ealing and other town centres - and it would cost millions to extend the life of our ugly town hall extension which is on its last legs."

KSD is expected to submit a planning application to the council later in the summer - possibly next month. At that stage further statutory consultation with residents would begin before the council's planning committee considers the application.

David Walters, speaking on behalf of KSD, said: "We are delighted that we are now on the verge of submitting a planning application. We have carried out extensive consultation with stakeholders and members of the public and feel that the final proposals will deliver the whole scale regeneration of King Street."

King Street - what's in it for us?

• Demolishing the ugly 1960s extension to Hammersmith Town Hall and creating a new public square and opening up views of the original Grade II listed Town Hall
• A new footbridge across the A4 will reconnect Hammersmith to Furnival Gardens and the river and provide direct, safe, step-free, open air access from town centre to the waterfront.
• A new community sized supermarket (circa. 2,000 sq m) and a range of shops and restaurants will flank the new public square, adding vitality to the area and ensuring that the square is used all year round.
• The new civic campus will save taxpayers money - as the new offices will cost less to run and maintain - and consolidate council officers on one site instead of being scattered in various facilities across the borough. A new Council 'One Stop Shop' will also be provided, offering assistance to residents on a variety of issues.
• 320 new homes providing a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments. All will have outside space, in the form of balconies or terraces, and have been designed to meet The Mayor of London's space standards.