Last Chance to Have Your Say on Fulham Riverside's Future

The second and final round of public consultations on proposals to transform disused industrial land on a riverside stretch of Sands End, from Carnwath Road to Imperial Wharf, is now taking place.

Residents have until Friday May 11 to make their views known, and can find out more about the consultation at three drop-in sessions, where council officers will be available for discussion and to provide further details.

They will be at The Wharf Rooms, Imperial Road, London SW6 at:

12noon - 2pm on Tuesday, April 17
5pm - 8pm on Wednesday, April 18
10am - 1pm Saturday, April 21

Known as the South Fulham Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), the council first consulted on the draft proposals last spring and has now incorporated a series of changes after listening to residents’ feedback.

The council says the SPD is important as it provides guidance for regeneration in the area over the next 20 years.

This latest consultation comes despite Thames Water's controversial super sewer plans which could derail one part of the SPD – a possible residential led mixed-use scheme on Carnwath Road – for up to ten years.

This week these plans have once again hit the headlines as Mayor Boris Johnson is accused of deceiving local people over his support for the use of Carnwath Road as a construction site for the Thames Tunnel, or super sewer as it is widely known.

Before these plans emerged, the council engaged the Princes Foundation to work with residents and help council planners to produce the overall guidelines. The Princes Foundation continues to support the Council’s vision and work with local residents.

The council says it received 119 responses on the initial SPD – with 73 of these objecting to the option of re-routing traffic along William Morris Way. As a result of the feedback, this option has been removed from the latest version of the SPD.

Councillor Nick Botterill, Deputy Leader of H&F Council, said: “As part of the council’s draft supplementary planning document the local community has been helping to shape a vision to transform the area from its industrial past into a new residential mixed-use area.

"In a series of workshops, which were co-ordinated by the Prince’s Foundation, local residents were able to put forward their views and there was overwhelming support for mixed-use schemes including the desire to provide better access to the Thames Path, high quality urban design and a renewed focus on the river.

“While the general responses were very positive there were some areas for improvement and we have taken on board this feedback."

Key priorities for South Fulham in the draft SPD include:

Bringing vacant and underused former industrial sites into use for residential led mixed-use, providing affordable housing and a choice of housing options. The council anticipates that the area could accommodate up to 4,000 new homes and jobs over the next 20 years if the supporting infrastructure is put in place.
Increasing the use of the river and riverside for leisure, transport, education and riverside moorings.
Providing opportunities for new and improved routes to the river and to complete unfinished sections of the riverside walk.
Possible new community facilities in the area – such as schools, health centres, open space and children’s play facilities – to be paid for by developers.

The council says it is currently considering a legal challenge on Thames Water's plan to build an access shaft to the Thames Tunnel on the Carnwath Road site.

April 13, 2012