New Committee Makes High Street Revival Top Priority

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Starting with North End and Bloemfontein Roads

A committee set up by the new administration at Hammersmith and Fulham Council is making the revival of the borough's high streets, especially North End Road in in Fulham and Bloemfontein Road in Shepherd's Bush, a top priority.

The policy and accountability committee, or PAC for economic regeneration, the housing and the arts is hoping, residents and businesses are going to get involved and offer their views.

"We want to change things for the better with residents, not make decisions behind closed doors," says Fulham Broadway Cllr Ben Coleman, chairman of the PAC, which held its first meeting at the beginning of July.

" At our first PAC meeting, residents said that breathing new life into the high street really mattered to them. So we want to work actively with residents and local businesses to save our high streets and shopping parades, starting with North End Road in the south and Bloemfontein Road in the north.

" Residents tell us they want fewer betting and loan outlets and more shops. We will explore innovative things being done across the country and bring together shop owners, stallholders, landlords and residents to get ideas off the ground."

Andy Ward of Dickenson’s Butchers, which has been in the North End Road since 1981, told Cllr Coleman: "Parking is a huge issue" and Bryan Chakowa of local Specsavers added: "We need to do something about pavement congestion and about the look of the road."

This PAC is one of five developing policy with residents. The others are  children’s and educational policy; health, adult social care and social inclusion; community safety, environment and residents’ services; and council finance and delivery.

The next meeting of this PAC is set for September 17 at the Town Hall and all residents are encouraged to attend this and any PAC meeting. To find out more about the PACs, including when the next meetings are, please email sue.perrin@lbhf.gov.uk or visit Current Committees.

 

 

July 15, 2014