Our high streets and town centres

Collage of photographs of busy high streets in Hammersmith & Fulham

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is working to support local high streets increase footfall and spending to help local businesses through the cost-of-living crisis.

We’re working with local businesses to create new as well as support existing Business Associations. This includes helping identify challenges and opportunities, and building effective action plans in a number of target high streets across the borough.

If you’re a local business or resident and are keen to support the creation of a thriving economy in your local area, then please join one of our associations today by getting in touch with one of the lead contacts listed below.

Askew Road Business Association

Askew Road is a key high street connecting Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush with a vibrant and diverse mix of independent businesses.

The high street has seen a strong post-Covid recovery. To build on this, local businesses have formed a new business association, with a focus on making it more of a destination.

The group are working on events & vibrancy, marketing & promotion and other local improvements and key initiatives currently include reviving a local magazine to promote the area and a Taste the World event to promote the range of local restaurants.

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Askew Road, please email Kelly de Lautour on info@detourcafe.co.uk

Blythe Road Business Association

Customers eating outside Zia Lucia on Blythe Road — Image caption: Image 2: Zia Lucia on Blythe Road

Blythe Road in Brook Green, Hammersmith, connects Hammersmith Road to Shepherds Bush Road. It’s home to a number of independent shops and hospitality-based businesses.

The new Blythe Road Business Association has put in place a clear action plan, with a focus on branding, and events.

Previous events included celebration of the Coronation of Kings Charles III which featured a live stream of the ceremony, all day ‘afternoon’ tea with lots of cake, and family entertainment and activities throughout the day, including face-painting and children’s jewellery-making!

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Blythe Road, please email Lulu Darling on mybettyblythe@hotmail.com

Lillie Road Association

Lillie Road, Fulham, is home to over 20 specialised independent antique, art and interiors dealers who supply private customers as well as interior designers, decorators and stylists.

The Lillie Road Association has put in place a clear action plan, with a focus on branding, and marketing and enacted a Christmas shopping event in 2022, which included:

Locally designed posters
Seasonal shop displays
A late night shopping event
Marketing & promotional campaigns
Private viewings for key customers

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Lillie Road, please email Laura Colborn on colborns@btinternet.com

Parsons Green Business Association

The Parsons Green Business Association has evolved from the local Neighbourhood Watch, into to a fully-fledged business association that aims to provide businesses around Parsons Green and the New Kings Road with a voice.

Their key aims are safety, and security and local improvements.

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Parsons Green, please email Allison Rodger via allisonrodge7@gmail.com

Riverfront Business Group

Hammersmith & Fulham’s riverside is rich in heritage and has array of excellent arts and hospitality businesses – although it is still a hidden gem for many residents.

River-front businesses have joined to form a business group with the aims of turning the riverfront into a H&F year-round leisure destination.

The group has put in place a clear action plan, with a focus on branding, marketing and a public wayfinding art signage scheme.

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Riverfront, please email Chris Martin on chris.martin@riversidestudios.co.uk

Shepherds Bush Business Forum

The Shepherds Bush Business Forum (SBBF) is working to provide a voice for businesses around Shepherds Bush Green, Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road, and to tackle anti-social behaviour on the Green.

Members include Shepherds Bush Market (Shepherd's Bush Market : Shepherd's Bush Market (shepherdsbushmarket.org)), West12 Shopping Centre (West12 Shopping Centre Homepage | West 12 Shopping Centre), Westfield (Westfield London Westfield London), The Dorsett Hotel (Shepherds Bush Hotels | Dorsett Shepherd's Bush London Official Site (dorsetthotels.com)), The Hoxton and Kindred Studios.

SBBF has conducted surveys with businesses in the local area and put in place an action plan, prioritising safety and security, marketing and promotion, and local improvements.

Wandsworth Bridge Road Association

Three chefs barbequing at Wandsworth Bridge Road's 2023 fayre — Image caption: Image 4: Chefs barbequing at Wandsworth Bridge Road's 2023 fayre

The Wandsworth Bridge Road Association – originally formed to help reduce high street congestion – is a resident-led association working to transform Wandsworth Bridge Road into a destination to live, work and play.

In June 2021, the group won funding from the Greater London Authority from the High Streets for All Challenge to help boost the local economic activity and public value of their high street.

Following its success in 2022, Wandsworth Bridge Road again hosted a Spring Fayre on Sunday 21 May 2023 which featured:

A Shopping Market with dozens of fantastic stalls bursting with tempting goodies, from handbags to jewellery, arts and crafts to jams and chutneys.
Foods from all around the world to cater for all tastes and budgets.
A packed line-up of entertainment of amazing local talent with singers, comedians, musicians, a cool Jazz Band and much more!
Something for families and kids, with Children’s Entertainment, Silly Games, and good old-fashioned FUN!!

You can see pictures of the Spring Fayre here.

For more information, or to get involved in supporting Wandsworth Bridge Road, please email info@wbrassociation.org.uk

Neighbourhood Pantry

Neighbourhood Pantry is a local e-commerce platform for businesses in the South Fulham area.

It makes shopping locally easy for residents, bringing together the very best food and drink from local makers and sellers on one convenient website.

Neighbourhood Pantry have received funding via our High Street Recovery Fund to help support their upcoming expansion.

If you’re a business in the SW6 area and are interested in joining the platform, email hello@neighbourhoodpantry.com

North End Road Action Group

The North End Road Action Group (NERAG) is made up of residents, businesses, market traders, local organisations, and H&F Council, with an aim of reviving North End Road as a thriving high street with the historic market at its core.

If you are interested in getting involved, please email nerag@btconnect.com or call 020 8753 5695 for more information.

Find out more about North End Road’s market here: Shop North End Road Market | Shop Local, Shop Safe.

Traders and shoppers on North End Road — Image caption: Image 2: Market Traders on North End Road

Business Improvement Districts

Further to our work to support the development of new Business Associations, there are already two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in H&F working to support our thriving town centres.

Hammersmith BID

Fulham BID

BIDs are not-for profit organisations created and run by local businesses that aim to improve trading conditions and drive positive change in the local commercial area.

H&F Business Network

The H&F Business Network is H&F Council’s flagship business engagement group, representing businesses from across the borough, including higher education, shopping centres, the arts and hospitality and many more.

The Business Network was created just before the outbreak of Covid and worked to share vital public health and grant information to businesses.

Although the Business Network is an invitation only group, we want it to be as broad and inclusive as possible. If you represent a local business group or underrepresented sector and would like to hear more, contact sam.ridley@lbhf.gov.uk

Shop Local Facebook group page

Our H&F Shop Local Facebook group page is a way for local businesses to promote their products and services to local residents online from their own Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts. Online sales are a great opportunity to increase your brand awareness and sales.

How to get involved

Join the H&F Shop Local Facebook group page and:

share content about your business, existing products, new products, upcoming products, offers, discounts, delivery services, click and collect services, takeaway services and more. The posts can be seen and shared by anyone on Facebook and will boost your visibility as social media algorithms favour posts that have been shared.  There is no limit to the number of posts you share as long as they are about a business in H&F.
invite your friends, colleagues and followers to join the group – the more members in the group, the more effective for everyone.
like and share posts from other businesses in H&F to your social media or make a positive comment about their posts.
use the hashtag #HFShopLocal on your social media posts so that they can be found by customers in H&F.

Find out more

If your local high street is not listed and you’re interested in setting up a local Business Association, we want to hear from you.

For more information, email sam.ridley@lbhf.gov.uk.