26 July 2012

Godzilla returns to King Street


As we warned would happen if Boris were re-elected, Hammersmith & Fulham Tory council has confirmed it intends to go ahead with its widely opposed scheme to build stonking blocks of luxury flats on King Street. Their one concession to public feeling has been to cap the height of these at eight stories.

This would still mean:
  • Knocking down the art deco cinema
  • Knocking down the home for the blind 
  • Eating up a third of the small Furnivall Gardens park for a footbridge
  • Not including any new social housing in the development at a time of crying need for more affordable homes, with the "planning gain" money spent on doing up the town hall instead.

New Tory council leaer Nick Botterill has said, "We got it wrong with the previous King Street proposals and we have learned from it." So far, the evidence of that is thin indeed.

Yet all is not lost. The council also says "KSD [King Street Developments] will be reviewing the scheme over the coming months and a further consultation with residents’ and amenity groups will follow later in the year."

You can let them know now what you think here.