Stanhope and Mitsui Start "Phase 2" of Television Centre

Base of new 25 storey tower building at TV Centre

Developers Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan have announced the start of Phase Two of the development of Television Centre.

Among the new buildings is a huge new 25 storey tower located just south of the Broadcaster pub on Wood Lane (see image left). 

Phase Two comprises a total of 511 homes in four separate plots. 

Japanese Garden Community Day 7th August

The Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park is hosting a Community Day on Sunday 7th August at 12.30pm.  

The Community Day will feature lots of activities for families and children, including the chance to make origami, follow a treasure trail, do a calligraphy workshop, listen to Japanese music, go on a "haiku walk", and buy Japanese sweets and snacks.

The event is an annual one, held to celebrate recent improvements to the garden such as the installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of stone lanterns in the Japanese Garden.

The Japanese Garden dates from 1910, and the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

Don't forget to bring a picnic.

St Stephen's Bells Ring Again

St Stephen's Church on the Uxbridge Road has, through the help of a number a local volunteers, managed to mend its Victorian church bell. 

Soon, the sound of church bells will again be ringing in Shepherd's Bush on Sunday mornings - as long as volunteers can be found to ring them.

St Stephen's vicar Denis Adide is looking for volunteers for bell ringing. You can get in touch with him at St Stephen's by emailing the church on office@ststephensw12.org

St Stephen's Church is one of the most handsome churches in Shepherd's Bush, and also boasts a proud record of diversity and inclusivity, having been the birthplace of the Shepherd's Bush Housing Association and also one of the first churches to welcome the Windrush generation to its parish. 

Friends of The Japanese Garden - June Newsletter

Clearing the pond on Sunday

The Friends of the Japanese Garden continued their hard work last Sunday, cleaning up the duckweed from the pond at the Japanese Garden.

It's a reminder of how many unpaid volunteers give up their time to help preserve the beauty of our neighbourhood parks, quietly getting on with their work with little fanfare. 

Have Your Say on the Saturation Zone

Make

Cumulative Impact Saturation Zone - should it be re-instated?

sure to have your say on the renewal of our local licensing policy. The consultation by our council ends at the end of June, so now is the time to let LBHF have your views. 

Why does this matter? Because the Saturation Zone, which for a decade prevented the opening of late night bars, has expired, allowing bars and fast food joints to open late in Shepherd's Bush.

To find out more, follow the link below:
https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/business/licensing/licensing-policy/licensing-policy-consultation

Ukrainian Refugees Arrive in Shepherd's Bush

Ukrainian refugees cross into Poland

The first refugees from Ukraine have begun to arrive in Shepherd's Bush.

A number of residents of Macfarlane Rd, which has an active WhatsApp Group helping neighbours to help each other, has taken in families, helping in a very personal way to alleviate the biggest humanitarian crisis Europe has faced since WW2.  We asked one Macfarlane Rd volunteer what is involved, and how others can help out.

New Ugly Buildings for Hammersmith Park

TV Centre - 1 Wood Crescent. Ugly or Fugly?

For sheer ugliness it would be hard to beat the new buildings being built by Stanhope and Mitsui in Hammersmith Park, just east of the children's playground. 

Faced in grey concrete in the brutalist style, this ugly construction towers over its surroundings, even blocking out the view from many of the expensive new flats in TV Centre. 

The new development is called "TV Centre - 1 Wood Crescent", and is described at the official website as "a 9 storey building with 111,765 sq ft of prime office space". That's an ugly office block to you and me.

Albertine Wine Bar to Close 18 March

The Albertine bids farewell to Shepherd's Bush

Sad news for Shepherd's Bush, our local and much-loved wine bar The Albertine is closing, forced out of business by Covid-19, Lockdown, and the general business climate. 

The last two years have been hard on anyone in the hospitality industry, struggling to stay afloat in spite of Lockdown restrictions.

Below is Allegra's farewell message.

Friends of the Japanese Garden Feb 2022

Hammersmith Park

The Friends of the Japanese Garden are celebrating the recent cleanup of the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park, which you can read about in their monthly newsletter below. 

The new pond skimmer is working, by removing floating debris off the surface of the pond - especially the duckweed which, if left unchecked, completely coats the surface of the pond. 

Shepherd's Bush Taco Bell Gets Late-Night License Until 2am

Local journalist Hannah Neary reported at Shepherd's Bush W12 yesterday on the reaction to the Uxbridge Rd Taco Bell getting a late night food license until 2am, which is making many local residents unhappy.  

Here at The Shepherd's Bush Blog, we attended the licensing hearing on Monday night to express our own view.  I have never seen more people attend a licensing hearing, nor heard a more passionate expression of resistance to a late license.  

Some conditions were granted, but the Licensing Committee controversially agreed to Taco Bell being open until 1am Sunday to Thursday and 2am Friday and Saturday nights.

Kier to Start Construction at Macfarlane Place in March

Kier Construction

The construction company Kier has been appointed to start building the 142 new "affordable homes" to be created at Macfarlane Place, Television Centre, with work scheduled to start in March 2022. 

Macfarlane Place will replace the former BBC Car Park on Wood Lane which is now almost demolished - much to the relief of long-suffering local residents. 

Support Bush Businesses This Christmas

Albertine for sale?

This holiday season, don't forget to support our local businesses in Shepherd's Bush, which have been hard hit by the latest semi-lockdown.  Shops and restaurants have been half-empty, losing business at what is traditionally their busiest time of year.  Shepherd's Bush businesses have endured three lockdowns, and many will struggle to make it through to better times.

The Albertine is one of my favourite wine bars, a lovely local watering hole with a proud history - it's where the first script for "Eastenders" was written. Times have been tough, and the big For Sale sign above the door doesn't bode well. 

So don't forget to get out there and spend some money to keep our local businesses alive. Shepherd's Bush business needs our support. 

WELL - West London Lido Campaign Launched

WELL - West London Lido Campaign

Shepherd's Bush film-maker Eddie Morgan has launched a new website to promote his campaign for a new Lido in Shepherd's - The West London Lido - or "WELL".  

Lidos are - so says the Guardian - experiencing a revival in the UK, so why can't we have one in Shepherd's Bush? 

Westfield Sparkles But No Lights for The Bush

Westfield sparkles

Once again this Christmas, Westfield sparkles, but there are no Christmas decorations on the shopping streets around Shepherd's Bush Green.

Every year, Westfield puts on a display of light and colour, while Shepherd's Bush Green and the surrounding streets are left with nothing at all.

Even though local businesses pay business rates for local services, our Council appear unable to hang any Christmas decorations in our shopping streets.

St Stephen's 38th Best Primary School in the UK

Parents at St Stephen's Church of England school are celebrating another great year for our local state primary - which has been ranked No 38 in the UK by The Times, placing it once again near the very top of the UK education league tables.

St Stephen's School is affiliated with St Stephen's Church, Shepherd's Bush and was built at the same time, circa 1849-50.  

St Stephen's is led by the charismatic Michael Schumm, a much-loved head whose good nature and sunny personality gives the school its unique character. 

Public Spaces Protection Order for Shepherd's Bush

Shepherd's Bush Tube Station

Our local council, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, are hosting a consultation on the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in effect in the area outside Shepherd's Bush Tube Station.

The PSPO aims to tackle noise nuisance from busking, street entertainment and amplified public speaking.  The idea is "to stop individuals or groups committing antisocial behaviour in public spaces".
To take part in the consultation, and have your say, follow this link. 

BBC Car Park Demo Almost Complete

BBC Car Park Demolition - nearly there

The old BBC Car Park on Wood Lane is now almost demolished. 

Since June those residents living at the top of Macfarlane Rd have experienced considerable noise, disruption and even damage to their properties.  One local resident even had a ceiling collapse, caused by the vibrations from the demolition.

Demolition of the site is being carried out by Cantillon, overseen by developer Stanhope, whose work is at last nearing completion - only the ground and first floor remain to be ground down.  The old BBC car park is a massive reinforced concrete structure and demolition was always going to be a nasty business, but the end is in sight at last.

Gardening at St Stephen's Church on Sunday

St Stephen's Church Garden

St Stephen’s Church on the Uxbridge Road is looking for volunteers on Sunday November 14th from 2.30pm to 4pm to help weed and maintain the church garden.

St Stephen's relies entirely on volunteers to help maintain the church and its grounds. It's a family-friendly event, and children are very welcome.

There will be hot chocolate, coffee, tea and biscuits for volunteers. 

Got an hour or two spend on Sunday? Perhaps you have green fingers and - like most of us in the Bush - a tiny or even non-existent garden?

New Pond Skimmer for Japanese Garden

Pond Skimmer in Japanese Garden

Congratulations to our local council, the LBHF Parks Dept, and the Friends of the Japanese Garden for (at last) successfully installing a pond skimmer in the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park. 

The pond skimmer removes floating debris off the surface of the pond - especially the duckweed which, if left unchecked, completely coats the surface of the pond. 

For many years, John Gordon-Smith and other volunteers at the Friends of the Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park have been lobbying our Council to install a skimmer to clean up the duck weed in the Japanese Garden.  

Pubs with Wheel Chair Access in Shepherd's Bush

Crown & Sceptre - Good Wheelchair Access

Few able bodied residents of Shepherd's Bush probably think much about wheelchair access to local shops and amenities. 

For my part, I gave little thought to wheelchair access until I had children - and had to wheel their buggy up and down pavements and steps, discovering for the first time how difficult even a single step can be - if you are on wheels.

Shepherd's Bush resident Toni Sharpe is herself a wheelchair user, and she writes in this guest post about two of the best pubs in The Bush that offer effective access to wheelchair users.