Hammersmith and Fulham unveils revised Town Hall plans

The plans have been revised to ensure that the height of the development does not exceed the height of the existing Town Hall extension.

The scheme, which the Council has worked up with its development partner King Street Developments Ltd, includes the creation of a new public square, the opening up of the northern facade of the Grade II listed Town Hall as well as the improvement of access and creation of new homes and shops.

The revised plans also include the creation of a £1 million regeneration fund for improvements to buildings within the site as well as a guarantee that the tallest building will not be higher than the current town hall extension, which is the equivalent of eight residential storeys.

Concerns about the height of the development were raised by the Greater London Authority when the previous plans were referred to the Mayor of London following approval by the Council in November 2011. In response, the plans were withdrawn and Council leader Nicholas Botterill announced in June that an eight-storey limit would be imposed on any new buildings within the development.

The Council said in a statement that as part of the new plans, it only required half the amount of office space that was included in the previous brief. It has also removed plans for a bridge over the A4 Talgarth Road into Furnivall Gardens and has "reconsidered the architectural approach" to the design.

The Council said that as a result of the 'Tri-borough' initiative, under which it works in collaboration with two neighbouring councils, it had been able to reduce the number of senior and middle managers by nearly half.

“We have listened and learned from the less popular elements of the previous scheme and updated the parameters of the project brief so that the best elements are retained and the least popular elements are no longer included," said Botterill.

“Thanks to years of efficiency savings and now Tri-borough working, we are now able to halve the amount of municipal office space that we require in the revised scheme."

“We are now working closely with our development partners and their architects to come up with attractive new design ideas for consultation with residents. These designs need to fulfil the project brief and achieve the main aim of breathing much-needed new life into this rundown part of our town centre,” Botterill said.