Shepherd's Bush Blog: September 2022

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Register Now for "Affordable" Macfarlane Place

Macfarlane Place - opening 2024

Macfarlane Place, the new development on Wood Lane, is underway, following the year-long process of demolition of the old BBC car park.

Local people can now register their interest in the flats in Macfarlane Place, which starting in 2024 will offer 142 new one and two bedroom flats for rent and shared ownership, part of "Phase Two" of the development.

The new flats will be managed by Peabody Trust and are described as “affordable” - meaning that they are being offered at below market rates.

The new development will also offer a new route to TV Centre from Wood Lane, and a new pedestrian access to Hammersmith Park.

FOSBG Gains Formal Recognition from LBHF

Can Shepherd's Bush Green be a better place?

The Friends of Shepherds Bush Green (FOSBG) has now been formally recognised by The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as the “principal user group” for Shepherd's Bush Green.

This means that from now on FOSBG will be the main point of liaison between our local council and local residents - when it comes to matters concerning The Green.

Why is Ginglik Still Closed?

Ginglik - long derelict

Why is the former Edwardian loo-turned nightclub Ginglik still closed and derelict?

In 2021 an appplication for planning permission was put in for a change of use, the change of use being from a nightclub to a restaurant.

Permission was for this granted by LBHF (who own the site) in September 2021, but since then nothing has happened.

The former Ginglik site occupies a long-neglected corner of Shepherd's Bush Green, which has become a site for rubbish dumping and rough sleeping. Surely something can be done to find a use for this most central location in Shepherd's Bush? A new restaurant would be good news - if it can be pulled off.

Jonathan Pearl Chair of FOSBG

Jonathan Pearl

A warm welcome to local resident Jonathan Pearl, who has become the chair of FOSBG, The Friends of Shepherd's Bush Green.

In recent months Jonathan has been working with our local council, police and other stakeholders to try and improve the state of Shepherd's Bush Green.

With the new Hoxton Hotel soon opening, and the redevelopment and renewal of the old Walkabout pub, Jonathan believes that local residents now have a real chance to make significant improvements to our neighbourhood.

George Irvine's Funfair Returns on 20 Sept 2022

George Irvin's Funfair is back at Shepherd's Bush Green, from 20th September until 2nd October. The Funfair was supposed to start this week but has been postponed in honour of the passing of our late Queen.

The funfair is a bit of a "Marmite" event - many love it, others hate the noise and disruption that it brings, especially those who live on or near Shepherd's Bush Green and resent the noise it causes, particularly late at night.

George Irvin's Funfair is a regular visitor to Shepherd's Bush. In recent years they have stayed for up to a full month, but following neighbourhood complaints our local Council scaled them back to 2 1/2 weeks.

Hammersmith Park Tennis Court Needs Resurfacing

Soggy tennis courts in Hammersmith Park

The tennis courts in Hammersmith Park are one of our best local amenities, at least when it hasn't rained for a while. The best thing about the courts is that you can't book them in advance - meaning that anyone can drop in at any time and play. You might have to wait a few minutes, but spontaneity is rewarded for the patient.

The downside is that the tarmac on the courts has bizarrely been designed to drain into the centre of the courts themselves (rather than drain towards the verges, as you might expect), turning the courts into a wet sludgy mess after every rainfall.