Planning Application Submitted for Fulham Town Hall Redevelopment
New owner aims to create hotel, spa and restaurants plus co-working space
The new owner of Fulham Town Hall, property developer Ziser London has submitted a planning application to Hammersmith & Fulham Council for the the redevelopment of the Grade II listed building.
It includes plans for part of the building to become a hotel with up to 90 bedrooms with meeting rooms, bar/restaurants and spa and the remainder to become a co-working space.
It also includes the demolition and rebuilding of the extension to the rear of the building, originally built in 1934, and the addition of an extra floor and a four storey extension to the Harwood Road wing.
It also includes a part three, part five storey (plus plant0 extension to the rear of the Concert Hall/Council Chamber close to its boundary with Cedarne Road.
The application, listed as 2019/01840/FUL is as follows:
Change of use of part of the building from Town Hall (Sui Generis) to a hotel (Use Class C1) with up to 90 bedrooms together with integral and ancillary uses including spa, bar/restaurants, meeting rooms and conference/event space and change of use of the remainder of the building to a co-working space (Use Class B1); the provision of ancillary parking spaces and service area with access from Harwood Road and Moore Park Road; raising of pavement to form a ramped pedestrian entrance from Harwood Road; extensive demolition and rebuilding of the 1934 Extension behind a retained facade including erection of an additional storey (plus plant) and a four storey rear extension following demolition of single storey corridor link to Harwood Road Wing; erection of additional storeys at second and third floor levels plus plant at fourth floor level to the Harwood Road Wing following demolition of former caretaker's flat at second floor level; erection of a fire escape stair and part three, part five storey (plus plant) extension to the rear of the Concert Hall/Council Chamber close to the Cedarne Road boundary; enclosure of central lightwell in connection with installation of new lifts; erection of new lift and stair cores to the north and south sides of the Harwood Road Wing; erection of refuse store fronting rear servicing area; replacement of selected windows; various window alterations; installation of fixed glazed acoustic screens to exterior of selected windows and various other external alterations in connection with the changes of use; various minor basement excavations and various internal alterations to the listed building.
You can view the application and 155 supporting documents and give online comments here.
The submission follows a public exhibition held at the Town Hall, opposite Fulham Broadway, in May. At that time, consultant YourShout sais Ziser London "intends to bring Fulham Town Hall, a designated heritage asset, into a leisure and co-working destination.
"The proposal preserves the fine features of this building including the Council Chamber, retains some public access whilst extending the building to create a boutique-style hotel and events spaces with co-working facilities for local enterprises.
"This development will enhance Fulham Broadway as a destination of choice, with its guests bringing additional revenue to local businesses."
The sale of the Town Hall to Ziser London was announced in February this year after it had stood empty for seven years.
It was originally put on the market in 2011 by the then Conservative administration at H&F Council alongside a number of other "under-used" council buildings sold in order to reduce the council's debts. At the time the council said it could no longer afford to maintain the Victorian building, built in 1888.
Though it was widely expected to be acquired by a hotel group, it was instead bought in February 2012 by American leisure and retain chain Dory Ventures, which proposed to transform it into a 'quintessentially British lifestyle emporium' including a flagship store for pram specialist Maclaren.
However, in December 2015 Dory Ventures' planning application - which proposed demolishing the Grade 11 listed building behind its original facade, and adding a new five storey building - was comprehensively rejected by H&F Council.
The sale was reportedly secured with a loan of £10 million, which would appear to be a bargain price tag for such a landmark building. The deal was facilitated by a loan from business bank OakNorth, arranged by BBS Capital. Priya Harley, debt finance director at OakNorth, said at the time: "Ziser London has an extensive track record in investing and developing London based residential and commercial properties, in particular ones with architectural significance or a unique heritage."
