2.0 It is important that the strategy for the future development of Hammersmith and Fulham is based on an understanding of the area as it is now, the challenges that need to be addressed and the opportunities that exist. The summary below outlines the key features of the borough and the challenges that the Local Plan seeks to address. Please note that some of the statistics in this section are from the census and other data sources which cover the whole borough, including the part of the borough within the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation's (OPDC's) planning remit.
The area
2.1 Hammersmith and Fulham is an inner London borough in a strategic location on the transport routes between the City and Heathrow. The borough is oriented north-south with most major transport links, both road and rail carrying through traffic east-west across the borough. Some of the busiest road junctions in London are in the borough at Hammersmith Broadway, Shepherd's Bush and at Savoy Circus and the borough suffers disproportionately from the effects of through-traffic. The borough benefits from a long frontage along the River Thames (7km/4½ miles) and from a section of the Grand Union Canal in the north of the borough which lies within the boundary of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation. These waterways enhance the environment and character of the borough and provide the potential for further benefit to the borough.
2.2 It is an area of contrasts, of wealth and deprivation, and of attractive environments, many of which are protected by conservation designations and other areas that are less attractive and that need improvement. There are four designated regeneration areas which overlap with these areas, and which will transform much of the borough in the years ahead as new housing, employment and supporting infrastructure is built.
2.3 The four regeneration areas in the borough, namely White City, Hammersmith Town Centre, Fulham, and South Fulham Riverside, offer tremendous opportunities for growth, in terms of new mixed tenure private and social housing and jobs, as well as provision of supporting infrastructure. The areas are at different stages of development and will require careful management over the next 15 years or more.
Population
2.4 As of the 2021 Census, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham's population was 183,157, marking a small increase of 0.4% from 182,493 in 2011. The latest mid-year ONS estimates (from 2023) for population suggest further growth has occurred in Hammersmith & Fulham in the years since the 2021 Census, rising to 186,176 (2% growth since 2021).
2.5 In 2023, the age structure of Hammersmith & Fulham shows a relatively balanced distribution across age groups, with the largest proportion of the population falling into the 25-49 age bracket at 44.0%, indicating a working-age majority. The 50-64 group makes up 16.6%, followed by children aged 0-15 at 15.2%, young adults aged 16-24 at 13.4%, and older residents aged 65 and over at 10.8%. Compared to the 2011 Census, the most notable trend is the decline in the 25-49 group by six percentage points, suggesting either a demographic shift or movement of this cohort out of the borough. In contrast, there has been significant growth in the 50-64 group (+4 points) and a smaller increase in the 65+ group (+2 points), highlighting an ageing population. Overall, the borough is experiencing a gradual demographic shift towards older age groups, which may have implications for service provision and future planning.
(Source: 2021 Census).
Responding to the climate emergency
2.6 Hammersmith & Fulham is heavily invested in halting the climate emergency. The Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019, with an ambition to meet net zero carbon emissions for the borough by 2030.
2.7 A large portion of Hammersmith and Fulham lies within flood risk zones at risk from rising sea levels, and periods of both extreme rainfall and drought made more likely by rising temperatures meaning that the lives and livelihoods of the borough's most vulnerable residents will be at risk. The borough is particularly vulnerable to high heat due to its density of buildings, and the resulting heat island effect.
2.8 Additionally, the climate emergency is closely linked with long-term ecological decline because of habitat loss. Even with extensive action now, it is recognised that current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will lead to permanent changes in the climate resulting more extreme weather events, heightened flood risk, and further challenges for the natural environment, people, and cultural heritage. The widespread and potentially devastating impacts of climate change place a responsibility on us all to minimise our carbon emissions, and this must be seen as an essential component of all development.
2.9 As Hammersmith and Fulham continues to grow, there is an increasing need for businesses, homes, health facilities, retail and leisure outlets, transport, and other supporting infrastructure, all of which can result in an adverse impact on the climate. It will be vital to the long-term sustainability of the borough, and the health, safety, and quality of life of residents, that adaptations are made to this new reality and new development is designed to deal with changes in the climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Green infrastructure and nature recovery will have a role to play in this, helping to mitigate the impacts of high temperatures, reduce flood risk, and maintain biodiversity.
Transforming the borough into a beacon of global innovation
2.10 In November 2024, Hammersmith and Fulham Council published 'Upstream London which is the second phase of the strategy to achieve economic growth across the Borough and beyond. Upstream London is focused on three pillars: 'Partnership' whereby lasting partnerships are built with organisations in the Borough, in London, nationally and internationally; 'Place' ensures that an adaptive approach to planning is taken to enable development and economic growth for the benefit of everyone; and 'Pathways' details the vision of creating pathways ensuring that the growth and opportunities generated flow through to all residents, from courses where people can learn new skills to securing jobs for the future.
2.11 The White City Innovation District, already home to major corporates such as Novartis, Synthace, and Autolus, is a hub for cutting-edge research and development, after attracting more than £1.5bn in investment from businesses. This district fosters a vibrant start-up and scale-up scene spanning diverse clinical areas, including Advanced Therapeutics, AI & Data, and HealthTech. Imperial College's White City campus further strengthens the sector with leading-edge facilities, including its Department of Bioengineering, which develops medical technologies, and the School of Public Health, renowned for its expertise in epidemiology, clinical trials, and aging. This collaborative ecosystem of academic excellence, corporate innovation, and healthcare expertise positions Hammersmith and Fulham as a premier European cluster for Life Sciences, offering the ideal environment for growth and breakthroughs.
2.12 The strategy sets out a number of actions that have proven beneficial in supporting economic growth across the Borough. These include setting a clear mission-led strategy to grow a localised economic eco-system, with a focus on the sectors that are set to grow and that are right for the local area and taking an 'adaptive' approach to planning: changing planning guidelines to attract Research and Development -led academic and public anchor institutions, while offering entrepreneurs affordable flexible start-up and scale-up space.
2.13 The Local Plan needs to provide the conditions for businesses to thrive to ensure that there is a broad range of employment opportunities and for the qualifications and skills of local people to be improved so that the levels of worklessness can be reduced. The Local Plan aims to improve and maintain the supply of employment land, allocate development sites to accommodate forecasted employment growth and to support the borough's many smaller and younger firms and highly entrepreneurial economy to develop and remain in the borough. The Local Plan policies also need to continue to contribute to London's world city role.
Delivering affordable homes for local people and families
2.14 The very high cost of private sector housing in the borough means that it is difficult for households on low to middle incomes to access suitable housing that they can afford in Hammersmith and Fulham. Many households cannot get suitable housing in either the private or social housing sectors and have to move out of the borough when they no longer want to share with others or need a large house. This lack of affordable homes to rent or buy for low- and middle-income households is a key challenge for the Local plan. There are also limited desirable housing options appropriate for older people in the borough.
2.15 As of the 2021 Census, there were around 92,893 dwellings in Hammersmith & Fulham. Flats made up the largest share of the housing stock, accounting for 48%. Another 25% were converted or shared houses (such as bedsits). Terraced houses accounted for 19%, semi-detached homes for 5%, and detached houses for just 1%. Compared to both London and the rest of England, the borough has a much higher proportion of high-density housing types.
2.16 The average house price over the past 12 months in Hammersmith & Fulham is £1,129,687. The average house prices for this period in Hammersmith & Fulham are significantly higher than London (average price is £684,309) and England (£357,891), highlighting potential affordability concerns.
2.17 The council's housing stock is relatively old and is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain to a decent standard. It is important that housing stock is maintained to a decent standard so that it meets residents' expectations, their changing needs and is resilient to the potential impacts of climate change.
Supporting our town and local centres
2.18 The main challenge in relation to the town centres – Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush and Fulham – is the need for their continued regeneration and better utilisation of sites within the designated town centres. It will be important to ensure the continued provision of a wide range of high-quality retailing, services, arts, cultural and other leisure facilities, including those that contribute to a vibrant nighttime economy to serve residents, visitors and workers.
2.19 There have been public realm improvements in all three town centres and others are planned, and there is a need for regeneration to respect local context as well as provide for further improvements to increase the vitality and quality of each centre. The economic health varies in different parts of each town centre and specific policies and intervention is needed to improve these areas.
2.20 There is concern that too many independent and specialist shops and services are being displaced by retail chains and that there is little variation between the town centres. Common challenges affecting the town centres and other centres within the shopping hierarchy to a greater or lesser extent include:
• pressure to change from shopping to other uses.
• increases in the numbers and clustering of betting shops and payday loan shops.
• too many vacant shops and premises and poor-quality environment in some centres and parades.
• the loss of local pubs to higher value uses;
• concern about takeaways near schools and the potential impact on children's health.
• underutilisation of sites and older premises; and
• the need to ensure parking policy encourages rather than deters local shopping
Conserving our historic environment
2.21 The borough's rich and varied townscape which is evident today is largely a result of its historical development. Most of the borough's-built fabric dates from the extensive building programmes in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and it has maintained a much-valued built heritage, much of which falls within the borough's 45 designated conservation areas. In many of these areas, the street provides a sense of scale and the setting for the consistent terraces of uniform architectural design.
2.22 Within the borough, there are approximately 500 statutory Listed Buildings and approximately 2,150 locally designated Buildings of Merit, as well as several archaeological priority areas and the ancient monument of the Fulham Palace moated site, which is a registered historic park and garden and scheduled monument. The heritage assets make an important contribution to the townscape character of the borough.
2.23 The town centres at Hammersmith, Fulham and Shepherd's Bush have developed from the earliest patterns of settlement and now have their own character and sense of place. Their architectural and historic quality is reflected in their Conservation Area designations. Historically they developed at accessible locations, an advantage that remains today. The areas around these centres, at Fulham in the southern part of the borough, Hammersmith in the central part, and Shepherd's Bush in the northern part of the borough, have their own character which reflects their development over time.
Enhancing the vitality of the riverfront
2.24 The River Thames was the major influence on early settlement patterns in the borough, and it remains a major asset in the environmental quality and historic character of Hammersmith and Fulham. There are vacant and underused sites and premises along the Thames which have significant potential for more intensive development. However, any development of riverside sites will need to respect the unique character of the river and will need to enhance the vitality of the riverfront whilst improving public access to the Thames for recreation and sporting activities. The Thames Strategy Kew to Chelsea document provides detail of the qualities and character of the river and riverside environment, and the Riverside Walk Enhancement Report outlines opportunities for improvement along the river. The Thames performs many functions, ranging from being a transport resource to a refuge for plants and wildlife. Hammersmith and Fulham has three safeguarded wharves in the south of the borough identified in the London Plan.
Protecting and enhancing our open spaces
2.25 The quality of the local environment is a key issue for many local people and businesses and is influenced by many factors. The borough's open spaces and waterways give Hammersmith and Fulham its character and sense of place.
2.26 Hammersmith and Fulham has some fine parks which have been awarded green flag status and is fortunate to have a section of the Thames which is a major linear open space. However, in some parts of the borough, particularly to the east, many residents do not have convenient access to local parks. Additional development in the borough will put further pressure on the open space that is available to residents and visitors, unless additional open space can be created as part of new developments, such as the new park at Imperial Wharf and within the regeneration areas in general.
2.27 The value of open space is immense and parks and open spaces fulfil several different and sometimes potentially conflicting roles – including providing opportunities for walking and sitting, active play and quiet recreation, allowing for social interaction and decreasing the sense of loneliness, benefiting mental health and mitigating the impact of pollution and heat island effects. Many borough parks and open spaces are subject to nature conservation area designations. Two parks are designated as historic parks and gardens.
2.28 The difficulty of providing additional open space means that all opportunities to increase the provision or improve access to and the quality of outdoor playing space or other forms of sports provision need to be taken. This means that where appropriate, new developments will be required to provide appropriate amenity space for recreation.
Improving social and community infrastructure
2.29 Hammersmith and Fulham has a wide range of community uses, provided by the public, private and voluntary sectors. These are located across the borough in numerous buildings and spaces of varying quality. Although these uses are a valuable resource, they often do not work in a joined up and focused way to meet the needs of vulnerable households.
2.30 Therefore, as part of the development of area based social regeneration initiatives, the council is assessing whether there is the opportunity to improve the quality and access to community uses by the co-location of services. Accessible recreation facilities are very important to residents and workers, not only for enjoyment but because of their contribution to improving health, particularly children's health. In addition, recreation facilities can provide diversionary activities and help reduce anti-social behaviour and crime.
2.31 Hammersmith and Fulham also has a wide range of arts, cultural and entertainment facilities which are important to both local residents and in some cases to residents of a much wider area. These facilities enrich, educate and improve lives and add greatly to making the borough a place where people want to live. Facilities such as the Apollo, Lyric Theatre, Bush Theatre and the three professional football clubs are also of London-wide significance. Pubs can also be seen to be a place of community value and provide facilities of local importance. The challenge is to enable renovation or replacement where this is necessary without losing the uses.
2.32 Although leisure activities bring many benefits to the local area, for example contributing to the nighttime economy, enriching cultural opportunities and providing jobs, they can in some cases cause problems for residents. Pubs, bars and clubs that stay open late and serve alcohol can lead to significant environmental disadvantages including concerns over crime and disorder if not properly managed.
Health and wellbeing
2.33 Among the key health issues in relation to the council's spatial strategy is the health and wellbeing of residents as well as ensuring that health care is provided to meet the needs of local residents. Life expectancy for men in Hammersmith and Fulham is 79.7 years and for women it is 84.1 years. The difference in life expectancy between affluent and deprived areas in the borough is 7.9 years in men and 5.4 in women. In order to improve the health of borough residents it is important that they have good access to the appropriate facilities, including high quality specialist and emergency health care facilities.
2.34 As part of a strategy to improve the health of the local community, it is important that residents and workers are able to live and to participate in healthier lifestyles. Tackling overcrowding and poor housing, improving air quality, reducing the impact of climate change, improving access to parks and open spaces, controls on hot food takeaways and opportunities to walk and cycle can all help to reduce health inequalities in the borough.
Sustainable transport
2.35 The strategic location of the borough and its position in relation to London's transport network means that it suffers from some of the worst road congestion in London. A specific challenge will involve ensuring that proposed growth in the borough, especially in the regeneration areas, is adequately provided with new transport infrastructure. Ultimately, we need to change the way we move about, to ensure that travel becomes healthier, safer, more inclusive (for example by increasing number of step-free stations), more efficient, more sustainable, and more affordable. Achieving this will help to improve air quality, personal health, equality and community cohesion, access to opportunities and services, and economic growth. In addition, it will support the Council's commitment to being a net zero borough by 2030 by reducing transport's contribution to climate change, help to tackle congestion on the transport network, and create more inclusive streets that better meet the needs of our communities.
Inequalities
2.36 Hammersmith and Fulham is the 112th most deprived out of 317 local authority districts in England. This is an
improvement since the 2015 IMD which ranked the borough as 91st most deprived on this measure (55th in 2010).
2.37 1,220 (1%) H&F residents live in the most deprived decile of neighbourhoods and further 30,680 (17%) in the second most deprived decile, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. 43,320 (24%) residents are income deprived (in the 20% most deprived) while 18,200 (14%) of the working-age adults are employment deprived (in the 20% most deprived).
2.38 The analysis shows that while notable pockets of deprivation remain evident in H&F, the borough now contains fewer of the most highly deprived areas in England. Despite improvements in the borough's relative position on the IMD, it remains highly deprived on some of the measures that underpin the overall index, particularly those relating to income deprivation (especially among children and older people), living environment and housing barriers.