Council Adopts New Framework for White City

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Setting out guidelines for future development in the area

A new website has been launched which serves as a one-stop resource for people in White City and Shepherds Bush – including those who are less confident online.

Users who visit teamwhitecity.org can see the latest local job vacancies, follow quick links to pay bills, learn about community activity and events, have a say on local issues and find out about support and opportunities available on the doorstep.

The website is packed with news, features and information that reflect the diverse character of the area, and it is designed to be visually appealing, easy to use and jargon-free.

A jobs board lets employers post new vacancies in a few easy steps, and an interactive map lets users explore the neighbourhood and click on key locations to find out about community groups, health and fitness facilities, education and employment support.

The site was created as part of the Team White City programme, a government-backed Our Place! pilot project run through Hammersmith & Fulham Council. It aims to transform the way services are delivered, in a way that responds to the real needs and ambitions of local people.

Councillor Marcus Ginn, Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s cabinet member for community care, said: “Team White City’s website does not just look fantastic, it represents an entirely new approach that will connect more people to local services, helping them to harness the power of the internet while exploring new opportunities.”

Community organisations are being encouraged to contribute their own material to the website and to help play a part in its on-going development.

Giles Piercy, chair of the White City Enterprise, an independent social enterprise set up to manage projects in the area, said: “The Team White City website looks fresh, modern, accessible and inviting, and is a fabulous new resource for the community.”

The Team White city website is live at teamwhitecity.org.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council have agreed to adopt the White City Opportunity Area Planning Framework, which will help guide development within the Opportunity Area and will be taken into account in deciding planning applications.

The OAPF includes plans for up to 5,000 homes and aims to create 10,000 jobs. Projects involved include the expansion of Westfield London, the transformation of Television Centre, and Imperial College London’s new research, higher education and business campus, Imperial West.

It also sets out how a large new public park called White City Green could be created, along with new schools and leisure facilities.

The document sets out in detail the council wants developers to work together to ensure the best use of land and public space, creating transport and pedestrian links and ensuring the area’s social infrastructure serves its growing population.

Cllr Nicholas Botterill, leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, said: “Together with existing policies, this planning framework has the potential to improve the prospects of thousands of local people by creating significant housing and job opportunities.

“We are determined to make the most of this once-in-a-generation chance to realise the potential of White City.”

In a foreword to the planning framework the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, describes how the proposals include exciting new green spaces, links to surrounding communities, thousands of new homes including much-needed family housing, and an inspiring new hub for creative industries, leisure, media and innovation.

January 23, 2014