Uxbridge Road has now been identified as an ‘Action Area’ for improvement in the council’s draft Local Plan
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has said it will improve the “visual condition and vibrancy” of a key arterial road in a significant boost for locals who have long called for the tired street to be revamped.
As part of its draft 15-year plan for the borough, the local authority has made an update that specifically identifies Uxbridge Road as an ‘Action Area’ with a focus on encouraging first-class development and cleaning up the streetscape.
Uxbridge Road has been the focus of increased activity in the last year or so after a campaign group secured almost 3,000 signatures on a petition urging the council to act.
Since then work has begun to take place, with the council decluttering the pavements and planting a series of trees.
The first draft of the council’s Local Plan was published last year then went out to public consultation from the end of October to mid-December. The designation of Uxbridge Road in the draft Plan came as a result of that first consultation. A total of 235 consultees filed 707 representations, with 178 about Uxbridge Road alone.
What happens next?
A second consultation is pencilled in to be launched this August before the draft is submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. It is hoped the plan will be ready for adoption in November 2027, to run for 15 years until 2042.
An officers’ report, written ahead of a Cabinet meeting this week where the amended draft will be discussed, details how submissions about Uxbridge Road “dominated feedback”, with concerns raised about its exclusion from the White City/Shepherd’s Bush regeneration area.
“Respondents strongly requested its inclusion in the Local Plan and called for cleaner, safer streets, improved pavements, better shopfronts, and measures to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour,” officers wrote.
The council acknowledges issues from “neglected shopfronts” to “wider environmental decline” affecting the road.
The purpose of the Action Area designation, the Plan states, is it “supports improvements [to] the visual condition and vibrancy of Uxbridge Road by encouraging the highest standards of design in new developments, shopfront and streetscape improvements, and unlocking the untapped cultural, creative and economic potential of the area which will establish it as a successful place for people to live, work and visit”.
The council is also to seek funding for improvements via planning contributions and will support the decluttering of the area, such as by removing outdated street furniture.
One point which will be particularly pleasing to local campaigners is that the council says it will lobby Transport for London (TfL) for works to Shepherd’s Bush Market and Goldhawk Road stations, including modernisation and step-free access.
In the draft Plan officers noted the Action Area, which also includes Shepherd’s Bush Green, has been impacted by anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime, and is a hotspot for graffiti and flyposting.
A spokesperson for the Fix Uxbridge Road campaign group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Fix Uxbridge Road welcomes the collaboration with the council on the definition of a strategic policy for the Uxbridge Road Action Area included in the latest local plan (Regulation 19), viewing it as a strong foundation to unlock the area’s untapped cultural, creative, and economic potential.
“This evolving framework aims to elevate the visual condition and vibrancy of Uxbridge Road through high standards of design, shopfront, and streetscape improvements.
“Ultimately, the goal is to shape a welcoming high street that truly reflects the community it serves – creating a local destination where residents can shop, socialise, and spend time rather than leaving the area to go elsewhere.”
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “We’re working with residents and businesses to improve our town centres as we make Hammersmith and Fulham the best place to live, work and socialise.
“We have exciting plans for Uxbridge Road as we work with residents who want to make it safer, cleaner and more accessible.
“The proposed new Local Plan will help bring the improvements wanted to the road and enable those investing in the area to contribute.”
Other changes made to the draft Plan include:
- Retaining the Hammersmith Flyunder proposal though no longer framing it as a site allocation for housing
- Revised housing target from 2029 down to 1,406 homes a year “as a result of Objectively Assessed Housing Need”
- Amended housing mix policy to better reflect need for family-sized homes
- Updated affordable housing contributions on site from two to nine dwellings, with payment in lieu prioritised over delivery on-site
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