Protesters against the town hall redevelopment say the scheme remains a 'disgrace to Hammersmith' despite the announcement of new plans to reduce its size.
King Street Developments (KSD) has scaled down the number of flats from 320 to 290, reduced the tower block closest to the river by four stories, slimmed down the floor size in the residential buildings and shaved off one floor from the office building.
But Save Our Skyline (SOS), the protest group leading the protest campaign, is unimpressed. Chairman John Jones said: "This is just a mere tinkering of a still wholly unacceptable scheme. It is still a disgrace to Hammersmith."
The new plans came a week after a group of west London architects (WLA) presented a number of alternative ideas to Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which were ignored by KSD.
Each are no higher than the existing 10-storey town hall extension and propose a varying number of flats.
Performing arts are central to all the ideas, including the retention of a cinema with the addition of a multi- purpose performance venue, in which the architects would look to house Riverside Studios. The current cinema would be bulldozed for a supermarket if KSD wins planning permission.
There is no room for the developer's proposed footbridge link to Furnival Gardens in any of WLA's submissions, however all include the 10,000 sq metres of office space required by the council, which is one of the key aspects of the regeneration.
Melanie Whitlock, chair of the Hammersmith Society, was 'not surprised' by KSD's failure to include WLA's ideas.
She said: "KSD and the council are very inflexible in their thinking despite WLA showing there can be alternatives.
"But there is every chance this will get called in by the planning inspector and, if it does, these ideas from WLA are already on the table."
KSD says it has 'realigned' the footbridge to 'reduce its impact on surrounding buildings', while it has also introduced four new town houses which would front on to Cromwell Avenue. The proposed town hall square, shops, and restaurants remain part of the plans.
Matthew Bonning-Snook, director of King Street Developments, said: "The design review has resulted in some major changes to our proposals for King Street which has helped us address some of the comments the community fed back during the consultation process.
"Our primary objective is to deliver this much needed investment to the area, and so we are pleased to have been able to make these amendments while retaining a viable scheme."
