Regeneration area policy HRA
Hammersmith regeneration area
The council will support the regeneration of Hammersmith Town Centre and seek development that builds upon the centre's major locational advantages for commercial development. Opportunities will be taken to secure more modern accommodation, to continually improve the environment and public realm, and to improve access between the town centre and the Thames. In order to achieve this, the council will:
a) work with the GLA, TfL, other strategic partners, including the Hammersmith BID and landowners to secure the regeneration of the area;
b) actively engage with local residents and community groups to ensure that regeneration delivers benefits for the surrounding area;
c) support the continuation of Hammersmith as a major town centre with a wide range of major retail, office, local government services, leisure, arts, entertainment, community facilities and housing;
d) support the development of the West London College to ensure the continued provision of high-quality educational facilities as well as new homes;
e) promote the continued regeneration of Hammersmith Town Centre by actively encouraging the improvement of the Kings Mall and other retail in this part of the town centre, and the range and quality of independent and specialist shops;
f) promote the modernisation of business premises to ensure the continuation of the town centre as the borough's main commercial centre;
g) support proposals for the regeneration of the western part of the town centre in the vicinity of the Town Hall;
h) support proposals that expand Hammersmith's arts and leisure offer, capitalising on the existing facilities such as Hammersmith Apollo, Lyric Theatre, St Pauls Green, Lyric Square, and the river front;
i) promote the use of railway arches as business premises and improvements to the surrounding public realm;
j) promote and support the replacement of the flyover and section of the A4 with a tunnel; and
k) return the Hammersmith Gyratory to two way working.
Map - Hammersmith regeneration area
3.38 Hammersmith occupies the central part of the borough, focussed predominantly on an east-west axis from Olympia in the east along Hammersmith Road to Hammersmith Broadway, extending west along King Street. The Hammersmith Regeneration Area (HRA) is centred on King Street and Hammersmith Broadway, although the southern boundary extends to Hammersmith Bridge and the Thames. The HRA includes Hammersmith Town Centre, the A4 and its flyover.
3.39 There is a need to continue the regenerative drive and continue to compete with London's other employment and retail centres. Although Hammersmith has a wide range of town centre functions, its major roads, including the A4 flyover and the gyratory, severely impact on the centre, significantly reducing environmental quality and restricting pedestrian movement between the town centre and the riverside.
3.40 Hammersmith is a Major Town Centre providing shopping facilities for a catchment population of nearly 100,000 people. Many people commute daily to Hammersmith which is a key office location for West London. The town centre is also important for government services with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham's Town Hall, Hammersmith Library & Archive Centre, Adult Learning & Skills Service, Hammersmith Police Station and Hammersmith Fire Station all located within or close to its boundary. Hammersmith also has a strong tradition of arts, culture and entertainment with the Lyric Theatre, a four screen cinema and the Hammersmith Apollo. The Riverside Studios, the Thames Path National Trail and Furnivall Gardens are outside the regeneration area, but these also provide a valued contribution to the area's leisure offer. There are also a number of hotels within the town centre and its surrounds.
3.41 It is important that Hammersmith continues to compete as a retail location. The council will support proposals that further enhance the vitality and viability of the centre. The approach to regenerating the town centre has two key elements. Firstly, the primary shopping area focused on the eastern end of King Street should be strengthened by encouraging development that modernises existing accommodation that attracts a range of varied retail and facilities in the area that links well with Lyric Square. Secondly, the council will encourage a general upgrading of the shopping offer at the western end of King Street, up to and around the Town Hall, through the provision of uses which will lead to greater pedestrian flows in King Street while not detracting from the core shopping area.
3.42 Within the town centre the priority should be for shopping, leisure and offices, but new housing development is also important and will supplement existing important residential resources such as Ashcroft Square. New housing can help bring evening activity and vitality into the town centre and will be expected to contribute to creating a more sustainable community and provide housing for people on low to middle incomes.
3.43 The council also wish to sustain and enhance Hammersmith's role as a cultural and leisure destination. With the possibility of land being freed up by the tunnelling of the A4, there is an opportunity to create an arts, leisure and public space precinct that could improve connections between the Hammersmith Apollo, Lyric Theatre and Square, Riverside Studios, St Pauls Green and the river front. However, whilst maintaining the important leisure role of the centre, the council will seek to ensure that any adverse impact that some leisure uses can have on local residents, such as anti-social behaviour and noise is minimised.
3.44 Following the emergency closure of the A4 flyover in Hammersmith in 2011, issues have been raised about the viability of the flyover, especially in relation to the escalating cost of maintenance and the increased risk of failure. The council has undertaken a feasibility study to look at the possibility of removing the flyover and parts of the A4 and replace it with a tunnel . This study has demonstrated that a tunnel is viable, and the proposal has the support of local people, the Mayor of London and TfL. The land released through removal of the A4 would create opportunities to reconnect Hammersmith Town Centre to the River Thames, as well as opening up opportunities for development which could help fund the delivery of the tunnel. Much of this land could provide the opportunity for new homes for people to live in the regeneration area, in a range of tenures and affordability which will contribute to the key aim of creating sustainable communities.
3.45 The possibility of tunnelling the A4 may also open up opportunities to consider the unravelling of the one-way system in Hammersmith, which currently covers the Hammersmith Gyratory, King Street and Glenthorne Road. The council has been involved in an early public meeting with key stakeholders and residents where a number of different possible tunnelling alternatives were discussed. The Hammersmith Gyratory is currently at capacity with long queues of traffic often developing along several arms of the junction, especially when there is disruption to the road network. A high level feasibility study is being carried out to consider a range of road options for the area, which will also investigate the impact of traffic on the town centre.
3.46 Pedestrian movement between the town centre and the riverside is currently limited due to the lack of pedestrian routes, the uninviting environment under the A4 flyover and poor signage. There could be potential to provide a high quality, safe and easily accessible public realm that will encourage activity toward the Thames Path and uses along the river frontage.
3.47 There is currently investment in Hammersmith Town Centre, with the redevelopment of the Civic Centre. This includes a new public square with new shops, restaurants and a replacement cinema. This is expected to improve pedestrian flows along King Street and help to improve the vitality and viability of the western end of King Street.
3.48 Development must contribute to the provision of infrastructure necessary to support new development in HRA. Supporting infrastructure will need to include provision on site towards public open space, community, health and leisure facilities, junction improvements, bus enhancements and pedestrian and cycle connections. Where on site provision is not possible or not feasible, financial contributions will be sought. It is likely that infrastructure for new schools (primary, secondary and nursery provision) will need to be provided as a contribution for the expansion of existing schools in the area. Development must also take account of the capacity of the infrastructure for sewerage and surface water management and the ability of the sewerage network to take increased foul and surface water drainage generated by this site.
3.49 Regeneration in HRA provides opportunities to secure economic benefits for the wider community. New development will increase local employment opportunities. It will be important to put in place schemes to assist people in gaining access to new jobs.
3.50 The heritage assets of Hammersmith are a key attribute to consider in bringing development forward, to positively promote a sense of place and provide a basis for place-making. It is important that any new schemes in the town centre are of high quality architecture and design which improve the appearance and quality of buildings and respect the local townscape, heritage assets and their settings.