English Heritage attack H&F Council Hammersmith development

The launch of the Save our Skyline campaign against H&F Council's plans

English Heritage have slammed our Council's attempt to build two large blocks of luxury flats on King Street, obliterating Furnival Gardens by the river in the process. The scheme, which is opposed by local residents who come out in their hundreds at campaign events, is being pushed through by the Council.

The scheme will result, much like the plan to build seven floors of flats on top of Shepherd's Bush Market, in a completely unrecognisable local landscape with high rise high cost housing the order of the day. Even those historic buildings that don't get demolished, such as the old cinema on King Street, will be dwarfed by the twin towers.

Here's what English Heritage have to say:

“English Heritage considers that the proposals will cause considerable harm to the historic environment including the setting of both these listed buildings, to the visual character and appearance of the conservation areas, and to the longer views across and along the river Thames. This is because the proposals are not in keeping with the established riparian historic environment in this locality.....


“.....We believe that the disproportionate impact these proposals will have upon heritage assets, their settings and the wider historic environment is not acceptable......


“.....We recommend that the proposals are fundamentally reconsidered in light of the above comments, particularly concerning the height and mass of the new buildings associated with the proposal for the footbridge and the considerable harm they will cause to the setting of all heritage assets in the locality.”

Stern stuff - but they are talking to a Council who seems quite comfortable with the idea of ignoring local people on this subject. Speaking at this meeting Council Leader Cllr Greenhalgh pledged to "listen" to what the residents were saying, but then submited his plans unchanged to developers 24 hours later.

The relevant Council wards are currently held by the Conservatives, but at the same campaign meeting the residents were organising pledge groups, of people who pledge never to vote Tory again. I would say the price of not listening might be higher than some of the Councillors who dismiss these residents realise.