Uxbridge Road to Get a Makeover

Uxbridge Road - in need of beautification?

Local residents in The Bush will have received a flyer through their door this morning announcing imminent roadworks in our neighbourhood. Of course, this means disruption, traffic delays, and inconvenience, but the upside is a massive new program of improvements - all put in place by the outgoing Council.  The Uxbridge road, a crowded and un-lovely main thoroughfare, will get a huge makeover.  So what can residents of The Bush expect?

Uxbridge Road - after the works. Wider pavements, and more trees

The works are a part of The Shepherds Bush Town Centre West Regeneration Scheme, whose intention is to improve the bits of our neighbourhood that can - and do - feel pretty run down.  Our local residents' group, the Macfarlane Road and Hopgood St Residents' Association, is strongly in favour.

 You can read more about the details of the Regeneration Scheme here: http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/Transport_and_Streets/Roads_and_pavements/Transport_projects/182859_Shepherds_Bush_Town_Centre_West_regeneration_scheme.asp

Shepherds Bush Town Centre West Regeneration Scheme - a bird's eye view

According to the Council's website, the proposals will include:

• De-cluttered and widened footways
• Feature paving at the front of the Bush Theatre
• New and revised pedestrian crossings
• Cycle lanes
• Upgraded street lighting
• Tree planting, Sustainable urban Drainage schemes (SuDS) and pocket parks
• Road improvements, including raised tables and removing unnecessary signs
• New pavements
• Improvements to the bridge facades in Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road
• Potential feature shared space at the front of the University of the Arts London College of Fashion.

The works are divided into the north and south sides of the Uxbridge Road, to minimise disruption. program dates are as follows:

• Jan 2015 to April 2015 - Coverdale road to Shepherd's Bush Green. North side of the Uxbridge Road.
• April 2015 to July 2015 - Gas works (this means, inevitably, traffic chaos)
• July 2015 to October 2015 - Coverdale Road to Shepherd's Bush Green, South side of the Uxbridge Road.
• October to November - Street resurfacing of Uxbridge Road.

Uxbridge Road and Shepherd's Bush market today

So, we can look forward to road works for almost the entire year. Will it be worth it?  Well, Shepherd's Bush is an area which almost everyone agrees is badly in need of regeneration. That is not to say that everyone agrees on how regeneration should take place.

In particular, the mix of private investment versus public spending is hotly contested. Should the priority be for private developments which can turn a profit, or for affordable housing? Most new developments try to strike a balance between the two, but precisely where that balance should be struck leads to plenty of impassioned argument.

But the good news is this - things are getting better in the Bush, and residents who are prepared to wait for a few more years should start to see some significant improvements to our neighbourhood.

---Alex

The Bush Telegraph offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. Read about the Campaign to Save Hammersmith Park, find out about our new Farmer's Market, see what's on at The Bush Theatre,  find out the latest news on the future of Shepherd's Bush Market,  and the Council's plans to upgrade the Goldhawk Road and the Uxbridge Road.  Also read about free stuff to do in The Bush. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog@gmail.com.