Site allocation policy
Hammersmith flyunder and gyratory
The council will work with Transport for London and other stakeholders to replace the Hammersmith Flyover and sections of the A4 with a tunnel, thereby releasing land for development that will contribute to the social, environmental and economic regeneration of Hammersmith Town Centre.
The council will expect any proposal to remove the Hammersmith Flyover and a section of the A4 and replace it with a tunnel to:
a) result in the release of land formerly occupied by the flyover and its approaches for redevelopment;
b) ensure that there will be no detrimental impact on the flow of traffic on this strategic route and no increase in levels of traffic congestion in Hammersmith Regeneration Area and the surrounding road network, minimising the displacement impact;
c) develop and improve the quality and safety of pedestrian and cycle routes, particularly those connecting Hammersmith Town Centre to the riverside;
d) improve the quality of the environment of Hammersmith Town Centre and its environs by removing high levels of noise, vibration and air pollution;
e) ensure that the tunnel entrances and exits avoid, or where this is not possible, have minimal impact on the amenity of residents and the local environment, including the significance and setting of heritage assets; and
f) minimise disruption during construction.
Development proposals for the strategic site released by the tunnel should:
a) provide for mixed-use redevelopment, including housing for local people across a range of tenures and affordability, employment, hotels, retail and arts, cultural and leisure facilities and supporting infrastructure;
b) improve and enhance St Paul's Green and Furnivall Gardens and their connections with the rest of the regeneration area;
c) provide new areas for public open space and improve physical connections between the town centre and the riverside; and
d) be of a coherent urban design that has regard to the setting and context of the regeneration area, including in its approach to scale and character, heritage assets and archaeology and should take opportunities to re-unify areas of severed townscape sensitivity.
In respect of Hammersmith Broadway and Underground Station, the council will work with Transport for London and other stakeholders to assess and bring forward the redevelopment of this site as well as return the Hammersmith Gyratory to two way working and improve the capacity of Hammersmith bus station. Redevelopment of the site should explore ways to improve pedestrian connectivity between the District and Piccadilly line station and Circle and Hammersmith & City line station.
Map - Hammersmith flyunder and gyratory
Site description
3.51 The Hammersmith Flyover was opened in 1961. It was constructed with the aim to take traffic out of Hammersmith Town Centre, but has unfortunately had adverse consequences, cutting off Hammersmith Town Centre from the River Thames, severing the traditional Victorian street pattern and creating large amounts of traffic moving around the Hammersmith Gyratory to get on and off the A4. Other traffic impacts, such as pollution, noise and visual impact make the area around it unpleasant.
3.52 Hammersmith Centre West Island Site is located in the heart of Hammersmith, bounded by the Hammersmith Gyratory. The site currently operates as an important transport interchange in Hammersmith Town Centre. Given the scale of the site along with its wider role as a key transportation node, this site presents an opportunity for the delivery of an improved gyratory and transport inter-change, as well as opportunities for improved town centre uses and housing. The Hammersmith Gyratory is a complex junction in the local and strategic road network, connecting the A4, A406,King Street, Beadon Road, Shepherds Bush Road, Hammersmith Road and Fulham Palace Road. The junction is further complicated by it surrounding Hammersmith's key public transport interchange for underground and buses and acting as a barrier to pedestrians accessing Hammersmith. TfL has removed other similar gyratory systems to return them to two-way working over the last few years to the benefit of road and pedestrian users.
Site allocation
3.53 Removal of the flyover and putting a section of the A4 underground has the key benefit of reconnecting Hammersmith communities separated by the construction of the road, and reconnecting Hammersmith to its riverside. It also has the benefits of creating significant environmental, social and physical improvements, not only through removal of the road infrastructure, but also through the provision of new opportunities for redevelopment on land previously occupied by the flyover, including the potential for creation of a new public green open space around the town centre. The additional housing, offices, retail and leisure uses would provide economic benefits for the surrounding area, by delivering much needed new homes and jobs and through enhanced retail and leisure offer that development would afford Hammersmith Town Centre.
3.54 Any proposals would need to ensure that as much through-traffic as possible uses the tunnel to reduce levels of traffic on surface roads, particularly in and around Hammersmith Regeneration Area. Proposals would also need to ensure that the traffic that currently uses the A4 is not displaced into neighbouring areas.
3.55 The redevelopment on land freed up by the removal of the flyover and the A4 provides the opportunity to improve pedestrian and cycling links between Hammersmith Town Centre and the River Thames, encouraging the use of more sustainable modes of transport. Redevelopment also provides opportunities to enhance the quality and quantity of public open space in Hammersmith, providing better opportunities for leisure and recreation for new and existing residents and workers.
3.56 The tunnelling of the A4 provides opportunities to enhance the environmental quality in Hammersmith through the improvement in noise and air quality. While the tunnel would significantly improve the air quality where the stretch of A4 will be moved underground, the air quality, noise and vibration implications at new entrances and exits will need to be investigated carefully. However, with adequate tunnel ventilation using technological best practice, much can be done to mitigate this impact.
3.57 The initial feasibility study carried out in 2013/14 by the council considered the level of traffic disruption throughout the construction phase. Traffic flow along the A4 is assumed to be disrupted for approximately 18 months (half of the construction time), with lane closures, tidal flow, night-time and weekend closures and construction traffic. Any project that comes forward will need to carefully consider this in detail against the construction methodology and design of any tunnel to ensure these impacts are minimised. This will also have to be weighed up against a do-nothing scenario, which would involve substantial traffic disruptions associated with regular maintenance or upgrading of the flyover.
3.58 The land freed up by the A4 and flyover will provide opportunities for development to help finance the tunnel. Within Hammersmith Town Centre, development should be mixed use and contribute to the overall vitality and viability of the centre. Around St. Paul's Green, development proposals should increase the size of the green and provide new town centre uses. Outside of the Hammersmith Town Centre boundary, development should be residential led, however there may be opportunities for commercially led schemes in some locations. Development proposals should result in an enhancement to the size and quality of Furnivall Gardens. Proposals should also deliver strong connections between Furnivall Gardens and St. Paul's Green, linking the two spaces together visually and through the creation of new green infrastructure.
3.59 The tunnelling of the A4 and flyover provides substantial opportunities for development proposals to re-knit together the Victorian street pattern that was severed during its construction and reconnecting Hammersmith Town Centre to the River Thames. The opportunity would also be created to rebuild and improve public access across Hammersmith Broadway. Re-linking the centre, north-south and east-west routes is consistent with the Mayor of London's Road Task Force criteria for the future of strategic road improvements.
Development proposals would need to be of a sympathetic scale and height to neighbouring buildings and the surrounding context. There are also a number of Grade II and II* listed buildings in Hammersmith such as St. Paul's Church and Hammersmith Apollo. Development would need to sensitively respond to these heritage assets as well as the character of nearby Conservation Areas.
3.60 The Hammersmith Broadway Centre is located in the heart of Hammersmith, bounded by the Hammersmith Gyratory. The site currently operates as an important transport interchange in the borough, providing access to the Piccadilly and District lines, as well as Hammersmith bus station. Given the scale of the site along with its wider role as a key transportation node, this site presents an opportunity for the delivery of an improved gyratory and transport inter-change, as well as opportunities for improved town centre uses and housing.
3.61 The Hammersmith Gyratory is a complex junction in the local and strategic road network, connecting the A4, A406, King Street, Beadon Road, Shepherds Bush Road, Hammersmith Road and Fulham Palace Road. The junction is further complicated by it surrounding Hammersmith's key public transport interchange for underground and buses and acting as a barrier to pedestrians accessing Hammersmith. TfL has removed other similar gyratory systems to return them to two-way working over the last few years to the benefit of road and pedestrian users. Their current work programme includes a proposal to deliver a safer and more direct east-west cycle route through Hammersmith Town Centre, which would involve a number of changes to cycle and pedestrian infrastructure at the gyratory. Any proposals to redevelop the site and return the Hammersmith Gyratory to two way working should be designed to help facilitate any future proposals to replace the flyover and A4 with a tunnel.