Issue - meetings

That Cabinet approves the SPD for adoption incorporating amendments following the public consultation. The amendments are outlined in a schedule of representations at appendix 3.

Councillor Andrew Jones introduced the report seeking approval to adopt the Hammersmith Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document, which along with the review of the Local Plan would provide an important planning framework to deliver the Council’s ambitions for regeneration and development in the borough.

Councillor Jose Afonso welcomed the fact from the report that there would be 2,800 new homes including provision of 50% genuinely affordable homes. He asked if the Council planned to buy any of these affordable homes in the future.

Councillor Andrew Jones replied that the short answer was yes, but this question was not relevant to a planning document which set out the level of affordable housing provision needed in the borough.

In relation to the Hammersmith Bridge repairs, Councillor Jose Afonso asked when the tunnel proposal to replace the decaying bridge was predicted to be completed.

The Leader replied that the issue with the Hammersmith Bridge repairs had been highly politicised, which considerably delayed the repairs progress. The complex structure of the decaying bridge and the urgent need for repair to prevent its imminent collapse let to its fully closure in 2020. Since then the Council had spent £30 million in stabilisation work that allowed the bridge to reopen to pedestrians and cyclists. However, £250 million was the estimated cost to complete the repair work, which the Council would need to pay a third of this value. Therefore, the Council had proposed a plan to put tolls on the bridge to cover their share of the cost.

The Leader added the alternative proposal of having a “flyunder” the River Thames had the advantage of costing significantly less; and the Council could reclaim all the land left to pay off for the infrastructure cost. But this proposal would take a lot of government intervention and different thinking.

With the Leader’s permission, a local resident asked whether the proposal for the Hammersmith Gyratory in 2 to 3 years’ time would be to make it two-way to traffic and to create open spaces by St. Paul’s Church.

Bram Kainth, Executive Director of Place, replied that this was one of the many options proposed by the Supplementary Planning Document to better manage the traffic, but currently there was no firm proposal.

The Leader stated that the process carried out by the Council had always been to take genuine consultations, asking people’s opinions on the proposals and then making a decision, which would also be open to public scrutiny.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE CABINET MEMBERS:

That Cabinet approves the SPD for adoption incorporating amendments following the public consultation. The amendments are outlined in a schedule of representations at appendix 3.