Looking to the future
CABINET MEMBERS APPROVE £89 MILLION BUDGET FOR THE REGENERATION OF HAMMERSMITH TOWN HALL AND SURROUNDING AREA
PLANS for a stunning new cinema, offices, restaurant and shops along King Street in Hammersmith – which it’s hoped will completely revitalise the area – have taken a massive step forward.
On Monday, December 2, the Labour-run Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s cabinet members approved a huge £89 million budget for the plans that will form part of the regeneration of the Town Hall’s 1970s concrete extension and surrounding streets.
A report produced ahead of the cabinet meeting said the scheme, which was given planning permission in February, will be about “transforming King Street into a new civic and cultural destination”.
Here’s the full list of what’s planned for the Town Hall and King Street:
The original 1930s, Grade II-listed Town Hall will be refurbished and its heritage elements restored
A four-screen, 350-seat cinema to replace the demolished Cineworld on the Town Hall site, with room for cafes, shops and restaurants
Public rooftop bar and restaurant, community arts and events spaces
204 new homes, half of which will be available at discounted “affordable” rents Public space in front of the Town Hall will be freshened up so it can be used for performances and events
Corporate office spaces, including affordable spaces set aside for start-up companies
Homework areas for children and students
An “eco-friendly” design to cut the council’s fuel bills
Changes after public consultation included a reduction in the height of the new roof extension by one storey
To deliver the cinema and commercial parts of the scheme, the council has entered into a 50/50 joint venture with housing association A2Dominion.
Included in the £89 million overall cost is a £64 million budget to purchase the current buildings on site.
And £25 million to buy the 50 per cent stake in the joint venture with A2Dominion, which owns 38,000 properties in the south east of England.
The council will use borrowed money to pay for the scheme, as well as millions sourced from fees paid by private developers in return for planning permission over recent years.
The report added: “The council expects to generate an income stream from leasing units on a commercial basis to cover these costs.”
The council has been working on plans to transform the Town Hall and the surrounding streets since early last year.
But discussion of how to redevelop it have faced delays for a number of years.
A cabinet report from January this year said: “This decision followed the failure of the previous scheme approved in 2013 and a series of unsatisfactory proposals from the [previous] developer, made up until 2016.”