Latest news with #HammersmithandFulhamCouncil
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's time meddling councils were put in their place
The days when a law-abiding Englishman could go through his life barely interacting with the state beyond the policeman and the postman are long gone. Even so, it is dispiriting to see the eagerness with which minor government apparatchiks seize every opportunity to infringe on personal freedoms and impose inconveniences on the population. Labour-controlled Hammersmith and Fulham Council's decision to fine a resident £1,000 for putting out his bins a few hours early before travelling away from home is a perfect example of the type of small-minded bureaucracy that permeates life in modern Britain. It fits all too neatly into a schema containing the proliferation of anti-driver Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph zones imposed against the wishes of residents, the excessive taxation of those who dare to own a second home, and the impression that local officials are all too willing to interfere and meddle in the daily lives of their residents with little sense of self-restraint. Hammersmith and Fulham has taken this logic further than most, with uniformed enforcement teams patrolling the borough and issuing fines 'day and night, seven days a week', without providing the safety and security of police officers. But establishing a specialist unit of jobsworths is merely a logical continuation of a broader trend across the country as a whole. A stranger arriving in Britain for the first time could be forgiven for believing that the primary role of local government is to restrict choice and wage war on convenience. It is hard to otherwise explain the sheer extent to which councils delight in imposing their whims on residents, and the sheer number of rules weighing down daily interactions with the public sector. Rather than viewing their role as providing services to the taxpayers who fund them, however, it seems to be that councils see their job as ensuring adherence to the most rigid interpretation of the rules possible, enforcing ideological conformity with ambitions such as net zero or biodiversity improvement, and – potentially – levying fines to help balance the books. The result is an unending war on convenience, and ever greater state intrusions into daily life that should rapidly be reined in. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Council considers ban on garden bonfires
A west London council is considering creating a byelaw to ban people from having bonfires in their gardens, with the aim of reducing pollution. The proposal by Hammersmith and Fulham Council would prevent burning household or garden waste outside, but would not apply to barbecues, domestic fire-pits and indoor wood burning, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. According to Public Health England, deaths from particulate air pollution in Hammersmith and Fulham in 2023 were one per cent above the England average. A new byelaw can take up to six months to establish, requires a public consultation and the outline of the byelaw must also be approved by the Secretary of State. Particulate pollution (PM) refers to the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air that can be either naturally occurring or human-made. The council must carry out studies of the borough's domestic wood burning emissions and an analysis on the impacts of outdoor fires on public health. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils must investigate smoke complaints if it is considered a "statutory nuisance" which can lead to an abatement notice requiring it to stop or be reduced. However, Hammersmith and Fulham Council says this law is "reactive" - it only applies if someone complains and doesn't ban burning outright, hence their proposed byelaw. "Outdoor fires and wood burning create harmful particulate matter emissions, for which it is considered there is no safe level," a report by the council said. "Short term exposure to high particulate matter emissions can cause asthma episodes and play a part in a multitude of other longer-term effects." The byelaw would have "climate adaptation and resilience benefits" reducing the risk of fires becoming "out of control" in warmer and drier weather, the report added. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Hammersmith & Fulham Borough Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Beleaguered Hammersmith Bridge reopens for cyclists after £2.9million refurb - but still no decision on when drivers can use it
London 's long-beleaguered Hammersmith Bridge has reopened to cyclists following a £2.9million refurbishment, but there is still no decision on when drivers can use it. The 138-year-old bridge, which links Hammersmith to Barnes, has been closed off to cars since April 2019 after engineers discovered issues in its construction. The wrought-iron structure was found to be riddled with cracks, leading the Labour-run Hammersmith and Fulham Council to deem it unsafe for traffic - and it has been closed to motorists ever since. But over the Easter Weekend, the council reopened the listed bridge's main carriageway to cyclists. The council said the new decking, which was installed in the refurb, would help users of eco-friendly transport such as e-scooters and bikes on the crossing. The bridge is also now open to pedestrians, after some of the near £3million costs were used install wider pathways to help wheelchair users. The council added that e-cargo bikes would be trialled on the refurbished carriageways to transport disabled residents and young children across the structure. Despite the new announcements, there is yet again no information for drivers who have been unable to cross the bridge for more than six years. MailOnline reported last month that a government-led taskforce is even considering a permanent car-free bridge, with only pedestrians and cyclists allowed. Minutes from a closed-door meeting revealed that the taskforce were exploring the possibility of banning cars because it would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Meanwhile another proposal, among an original six, would have turned it into an inaccessible monument. Another would have seen the bridge demolished and replaced by a new river crossing. These were both rejected. The shutdown of the Thames crossing has worsened congestion to much of west London as well as isolating residents in Barnes on the south side of the river, leaving thousands of drivers frustrated. And the estimated cost of making the creaking infrastructure safe for cars and buses has ballooned to £250million despite initial estimates being less than half of that. The bill is so far being footed by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Transport for London (TfL), and the Department for Transport (DfT). The DfT had intially suggested the council and TfL each pay a third of the repair costs, with the taxpayer funding the rest. Repair work on Hammersmith Bridge was previously paused in December 2023, when a boat carrying West Ham fans to a match at Fulham collided with the gantry that provides access for workers to the bridge's underside. The bridge, which survived three IRA attacks, is one of the world's oldest mechanical suspension bridges and Grade-II listed. Designed by the noted 19th century civil engineer, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, it was built in 1887 and opened by then Prince of Wales, Albert Edward. It is London's lowest bridge, with a water clearance of just 12 feet at high tide, and one of the capital's weakest, which is why weight restrictions have been in place since 2015.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West London park set to be opened up for more big events
A West London council is looking to allow for more events in a Hammersmith park to bring in additional income and increase choice for residents. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has applied to vary its licence at St Paul's Green to extend its hours and remove an existing limit on when it can be used. Currently the licence is only available for one Thursday, Friday and Saturday in October a year. In its application, the council, which is also the licensing authority, wrote that more regular events 'brings extra income into the council budget and choice of events for residents'. Hammersmith and Fulham Council was approached for comment. The existing licence for St Paul's Green, which is on Hammersmith Bridge Road by the flyover and St Paul's Hammersmith Church, allows events between 5pm and 11pm on Thursday and Friday and 11am to 11pm on Saturday, though limited to the October days. The requested variation would see the limit removed, plus an extension of the hours to 11am to 11pm seven days a week. READ MORE: Inside West London's first ever tulip festival with 400,000 flowers READ MORE: The beautiful commuter village 60 minutes from London named the UK's best place to live where house prices are actually falling A representation by the Barclay Road Residents group was filed, objecting to the proposal, noting concerns including the location of the park by the Hammersmith flyover. They wrote: "In theory this might not sound too bad but in practice it could turn into all sorts of things that perhaps are not in the interest of crowd safety, public safety, safeguarding and thus the licensing objectives could be severely undermined and not promoted by either the licence holder or its third and fourth parties contracting out for the event management, event safety, etc." The pack for next week's (April 23) Licensing Sub-Committee meeting, at which the item is to be discussed, includes a letter from Licensing Compliance Officer Lorna McKenna sent to the residents' group. In the letter, Ms McKenna wrote that the request for a licence covering Monday to Sunday is to provide greater flexibility, and that the council is not looking to run events attracting more than 499 people 'that frequently'. She added the conditions attached to the application had been agreed with the Police Licensing Team ahead of submission, and that events held at the park, such as last year's Oktoberfest, require an Event Management Plan to ensure issues such as access are resolved. "The new licence would allow events to run for over 499 people where space permits," she wrote. "We are limited as to what we can deliver in our parks in the wetter months, and this hard-standing area is a very central location where we can offer a wider events programme to the community and protect our public green spaces during winter months." Ms McKenna also asked the group if they wished to withdraw their representation, having responded to the questions raised in their objection, or alternatively, if they wished to propose any additional measures to address further concerns. This offer was, however, not taken up, and the representation remained. Councils across London have been looking to their green spaces in an effort to boost income. Tower Hamlets Council approved plans to increase the capacity of events at Victoria Park from a minimum of 5,000 people to 20,000 at the end of 2023. The issue is, however, often contentious, with Wandsworth earlier this year withdrawing applications to hold events on Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and King George's Park. Don't miss out on the biggest West London news. Sign up to our MyWestLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
A40 Westway to be closed for two more weekends this summer
The A40 Westway will shut for two more weekends this summer while safety work on the flyover continues. Last year the busy West London road was closed for almost three months between July and October while the structure between Wood Lane and Marylebone was repaired. Weekend closures have continued throughout this year as Transport for London scheduled work to finish in mid-May. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has now confirmed the road will shut westbound from May 30 to June 2, and from June 6-9 to avoid the need for future disruption. These closures from 10pm on Friday until 5am on Monday will be enforced while engineers replace an expansion joint at St Mark's Road, Notting Hill, at the junction with Malton Road. READ MORE: Why London Underground trains have so much more graffiti on them lately READ MORE: The incredible live London Underground map giving exact Tube station arrival times to the second Drivers are advised to use A312 The Parkway or the North Circular to reach the A4. A signed diversion route will also be in place around the closure area as TfL have warned people to expect longer journey times. Transport for London has warned roads in West London will become extremely busy. Some 26 London bus routes will be disrupted. All roadworks and closures have been suspended over Easter weekend (April 18-21) and over the May bank holidays from May 2-5 and May 23-26. Stay updated on the latest travel news for London's roads with our London Traffic and Travel newsletter. Sign up HERE
