Can the Historic Palladium Theatre Be Saved?

How The Green Might Look

In January we reported the threat to The Shepherd's Bush Palladium, (more recently known as the Walkabout Pub), which was facing demolition and redevelopment.  Formal planning permission has now been sought by its owners, the Dorsett Regency hotel, to demolish the old cinema, even though the building lies within a Conservation Area, and replace it with a sixteen storey tower (see above).  So, the question is, will the developers get their way, or can one of Shepherd's Bush's most historic buildings be saved?

The proposal is for a sixteen storey tower that would dominate the skyline in the Bush, permanently changing the character of Shepherd's Bush Green.

Shepherd's Bush Palladium, originally the Cinematograph Theatre, in 1910

The Palladium is in a Conservation Area (see the Council's map below), which is to say: "an area (usually urban or the core of a village) considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest."

The Palladium-turned-Walkabout in 2008. Photo: Wikipedia

The Palladium is not, however, a listed building, and so is not protected by English Heritage. Ultimately the question of demolition or preservation will come down to local politics. Will the Council enforce its own rules?

Shepherd's Bush Green Conservation Area. The Palladium is shown in yellow

Of course, demolishing the cinema makes good economic sense. It is presently a relatively small building, and to replace it with a tower of flats will make its owners a lot of money.  In addition, it is not immediately clear what else the Palladium could currently be used for.

But what does "Conservation Area" mean, if not the preservation of structures which have less economic value than blocks of flats? Buildings which are already economically viable do not, by definition, need preserving. Unusual buildings of historical interest do.

The Palladium today

So what it is to be? Will our council permit Dorsett Regency to demolish our historic buildings, or will they say no, a conservation area means what it says?

Surely it is not impossible to find a profitable use that conserves the integrity of what was one of Britain's very first cinemas.

To see the details of the planning application, follow this link.

You might also want to have the email addresses of the folks on the planning committee at LBH&F:
They are as follows:

Chair: Adam.Connell@lbhf.gov.uk
Vice-Chair: Iain.Cassidy@lbhf.gov.uk
colin.aherne@lbhf.gov.uk
michael.cartwright@lbhf.gov.uk
elaine.chumnery@lbhf.gov.uk
lucy.ivimy@lbhf.gov.uk
alex.karmel@lbhf.gov.uk
robert.largan@lbhf.gov.uk
Viya.Nsumbu@lbhf.gov.uk
Natalia.PerezShepherd@lbhf.gov.uk (also Shepherds Bush ward councillor)

And, to email our local  Shepherds Bush ward councillors:

andrew.jones@lbhf.gov.uk
mercy.umeh@lbhf.gov.uk
Natalia.PerezShepherd@lbhf.gov.uk

and our local MP Andy Slaughter
andy@andyslaughter.com


---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. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog@gmail.com.