London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London borough

Coat of arms
Council logo

Hammersmith and Fulham shown within Greater London
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region London
Ceremonial county Greater London
Status London borough
Admin HQ King Street, Hammersmith
Created 1 April 1965
Government
 • Type London borough council
 • Body Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
 • Leadership Leader & Cabinet (Labour)
 • Mayor Mrs Mercy Umeh (Lab)
 • MPs Greg Hands (Con) Andy Slaughter (Lab)
 • London Assembly Tony Devenish (Con) AM for West Central
 • EU Parliament London
Area
 • Total 6.33 sq mi (16.40 km2)
Area rank 322nd (of 326)
Population (mid-2014 est.)
 • Total 178,365
 • Rank 100th (of 326)
 • Density 28,000/sq mi (11,000/km2)
 • Ethnicity[1]

44.9% White British
3.5% White Irish
0.1% White Gypsy or Irish Traveller
19.6% Other White
1.5% White & Black Caribbean
0.8% White & Black African
1.5% White & Asian
1.7% Other Mixed
1.9% Indian
0.9% Pakistani
0.6% Bangladeshi
1.7% Chinese
4% Other Asian
5.8% Black African
3.9% Black Caribbean
2.1% Other Black
2.9% Arab

2.7% Other
 • ONS code 00AN
Time zone GMT (UTC0)
 • Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)
Postcodes NW, W, SW
Police force Metropolitan Police
Website www.lbhf.gov.uk

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham ( pronunciation ) is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough. The local council is Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council. The borough is unique in London in having three professional football clubs, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.

History

'The Village' at Westfield Shopping Centre.

The borough was formed in 1965 by merging the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith and the much more ancient Metropolitan Borough of Fulham. (Fulham as a parish on the Thames goes back to at least the early 12th-century). It was known as the 'London Borough of Hammersmith' until its name was changed on 1 January 1979 by the borough council. The two had been joined together previously in the parish of Fulham until 1834 as the hamlet of Hammersmith had no church until much later.[2] They were joined together again under the Fulham District from 1855 to 1886.

Fulham saw vigorous industrialisation and urbanisation from the start of the 19th-century, with the establishment of the world's first energy utility company, at Sands End in 1824, followed by rapid road and rail transport development to the east of the borough. Vacant land by the new railway sidings on the boundary with Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council led to the development of the internationally recognised Earls Court Exhibition Centre, visited by the reclusive Queen Victoria in 1879 when she attended Bill Cody's Wild West Show at West Brompton. There followed numerous international fairs and exhibitions for a century until the construction of Earls Court II in the borough in the 1980s. This was dismantled by developers in 2015, after the 2012 Olympics.

Meanwhile, at the other end of today's borough, in 1908, the Franco-British Exhibition and Olympic Games were hosted in Hammersmith, at White City, but the site then took many decades to be redeveloped. In 1960, the BBC opened the BBC Television Centre, and in 2008, Westfield London, a large development with new transport links and a shopping centre, finally completed the redevelopment after one hundred years.

Districts

The borough includes the areas:

see also parks and open spaces in Hammersmith and Fulham

Political control

Since 1964 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[3]

Party in control Years
Labour 2014–
Conservative 2010–2014
Conservative 2006–2010
Labour 2002–2006
Labour 1998–2002
Labour 1994–1998
Labour 1990–1994
Labour 1986–1990
No Overall Control 1982–1986
No Overall Control 1978–1982
Labour 1974–1978
Labour 1971–1974
Conservative 1968–1971
Labour 1964–1968

Demographics

According to the 2001 census Hammersmith and Fulham has a population of 165,242. 60% of the borough's population is White British, 20% white non-British (among which are large French, Polish, Portuguese and Irish communities), 5% black Caribbean, 8% black African with various other ethnicities (including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese) making up the remaining 11 percent.

The borough has the second-highest proportion of single adults of any borough in England and Wales (55%), and a higher than average proportion for the London area of young adults aged 20–29 (24%).

Around 50% of households are owner–occupiers, and 22% of households were listed as "other" – that is, not single persons living alone or families. These are generally two or more unrelated adults living together, such as students or cohabiting couples.

The borough comprises a patchwork of extremely affluent as well as some less affluent neighbourhoods; The areas of Fulham, Parsons Green, Brackenbury Village, Brook Green, Ravenscourt Park and the Riverside compose of highly expensive Victorian and Edwardian houses, contrasting to the areas of White City and Shepherd's Bush. The unemployment rate is well below average at under 5%, although of these, 29% were listed as long-term unemployed. The borough also has the 4th highest house prices in the country.

See external links below for more census information from the borough.

Shepherd's Bush Road in London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Economy

Virgin Group operates its headquarters at The School House, 50 Brook Green.[4] Sony Mobile Communications has its headquarters in the borough.[5]

Iberia operates the Iberia House in the borough.[6] All Nippon Airways operates the London Office on the fourth floor of Hythe House.[7][8] South African Airways has its United Kingdom office in the South African Airways House.[9] CE Europe, a subsidiary of Capcom, has its head office in the George House in Hammersmith in the borough. As of May 2011 it will be relocating to the Metro Building in Hammersmith.[10][11] Iran Air's London offices are also located in the borough.[12] The airline moved there by Wednesday 4 January 2012.[13] Coca-Cola, Disney and L'Oréal also all have UK headquarters in Hammersmith, as well as a number of other major businesses.

For a 15-year period Air France had its UK and Ireland office in Hammersmith. In 2006 the UK and Ireland office was moved to Hatton Cross, London Borough of Hounslow.[14]

Also, TAP Portugal runs an administrative office in the Borough, near to Hammersmith Bus Station.

Politics

A map showing the wards of Hammersmith and Fulham since 2002

Hammersmith & Fulham is administered by 46 councillors. The Labour Party won control of the borough at the 2014 council elections held on 22 May with 26 councilors to the Conservative Party's 20 councilors, following Conservative control of the council since the 2006 council election. The council leader is Stephen Cowan.

The borough is divided into 16 electoral wards, all bar two electing three councillors apiece. These are:

The borough shares adult social care, children and education and some other services with Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster City Council.

Former councillors for Hammersmith and Fulham who are current members of parliament include Dominic Grieve MP (Con), Aidan Burley MP (Con), Greg Hands MP (Con), Lisa Nandy MP (Lab), Andrew Robotham MP (Con) and Andrew Slaughter MP (Lab).

Sport

The borough has a proud sporting heritage going back to at least the second half of the 19th-century when the fledgeling Amateur Athletic Association of England came to the Lillie Bridge Grounds, followed there by football, boxing and First-class cricket. The borough is home to the world-governing body of Polo at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham and upholds the traditions of racketts and championship tennis at the Queen's Club, also in Fulham.

The borough is home to a number of sports teams and athletes:

Football

Chelsea Football Club is based in the borough and plays Premier League football having won the English national championship on five occasions (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2015) as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2012. Both Fulham F.C. and Queens Park Rangers play in the Championship, and are also based in the borough.

Footballers

Rugby

Hammersmith & Fulham RFC have been playing in the borough at Hurlingham Park for over 30 years. They boast four senior men's sides and one Ladies XV. The men's 1st XV currently compete in London's NE2 League with the remainder of the sides participating in the Middlesex Merit Tables.

Tennis

Public and private courts are available throughout the borough.

Boxing

Rowing

Hammersmith Regatta 1869 – medal won by Thomas Luckett

Lower Mall was home to a large number of rowing clubs at the end of the 19th Century, of which there are now only a few survivors. The headquarters of the national governing body, the Amateur Rowing Association, is also on Lower Mall, in a building, The Priory, which used to be occupied by rowing clubs.

The first half of the Boat Race course is along Hammersmith and Fulham's southern border, on the River Thames.

Transport

The numerous London Overground and London Underground stations in the borough are:

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 26.8% of all residents aged 16–74; bus, minibus or coach, 8.8%; on foot, 8.8%; driving a car or van, 8.2%; bicycle, 5.1%; work mainly at or from home, 4.2%; train, 3.1%.[15]

Culture

Fulham Palace courtyard

The See of London has occupied the Fulham Palace riverside grounds for close on 900 years. The Palace is leased to the borough since 1977 and is now a museum.

The borough has four theatres (Riverside Studios, Bush Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and Curtains Up). LAMDA is based in the borough. There are several cinema complexes. Studio 106 Art Gallery holds regular exhibitions and workshops.

The Lyric Hammersmith, on Lyric Square off King Street, is considered one of the most notable theatres outside the West End in London.

The borough is also home to the Hammersmith Apollo, which plays host to major concerts and stand up comedy performances.

Education

The modest rear entrance to the town hall is guarded by Old Father Thames, Hammersmith's tutelary deity. (September 2005)
Building of Hammersmith Library in 2013

Public libraries in the borough include Askew Road Library, Avonmore Library, Fulham Library, Hammersmith Library, Sands End Library, and Shepherds Bush Library.[16]

The borough is the home of Lady Margaret School (LMS) on Parsons Green, a school that welcomes girls of all academic abilities aged 11–17 years. It has been at the forefront of girls' education for over 95 years and has its origins in Whitelands College School which was founded in 1842. When that school was threatened with closure Lady Margaret was established in September 1917 by the redoubtable Miss Enid Moberly Bell.[17] "The borough is also home to two prestigious independent girls' schools – St Paul's Girls' School in Brook Green (often ranked in first place in the country in league tables, with nearly 50% of each year group gaining entry to Oxbridge), and the Godolphin and Latymer School, situated a few minutes' walk from Hammersmith Broadway.

The London Oratory School is a leading Roman Catholic secondary school in East Fulham.

Latymer Upper School, an independent co-educational school, is also in the borough, on King Street in Hammersmith.

The exclusive independent girls' preparatory school Bute House is also in Brook Green.

See also

Twinned towns

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has formal twinning arrangements with:

Below it is a plaque which reads:

The lamp above this plaque was formerly used
to light a street in West Berlin


It was presented by
Herr Willi Brandt, Mayor of West Berlin
to
Councillor Stanley Atkins, L. P.
The Worshipful the Mayor of Hammersmith
As a token of friendship between the two communities
On the occasion of the Jumelage held in this Borough


1st June 1963

References

  1. ↑ 2011 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (2012). See Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom for the full descriptions used in the 2011 Census.
  2. ↑ Faulkner, Thomas. (1813) Historical and Topographical Account of the parish of Fulham, including the hamlet of Hammersmith.
  3. ↑ "Local elections: Hammersmith & Fulham". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  4. ↑ "Our company information." Virgin Group. Retrieved on 14 January 2009. "The School House 50 Brook Green London, W6 7RR England"
  5. ↑ "Sony Ericsson at a glanc.(Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)(Sony Corp.)(Brief Article)." Employee Benefits. 2 March 2005. Retrieved on 18 November 2009.
  6. ↑ "Iberia Airlines." Latin American Travel Association. Retrieved on 6 September 2011. "Contacto Iberia House 10 Hammersmith Broadway London W6 7AL Reino Unido"
  7. ↑ "ANA City Offices/Ticketing Offices Europe." All Nippon Airways. Retrieved on 22 December 2008. "London Office 4th floor, Hythe House 200 Shepherds Bush Road London W6 7NY"
  8. ↑ "Ward Boundaries." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  9. ↑ "Legal Information – (EU)." South African Airways. Retrieved on 20 September 2009.
  10. ↑ "Contact." Capcom. Retrieved on 12 August 2011. "UK: CE Europe Ltd 26–28 Hammersmith Grove, 9th Floor London W6 7HA" and "Germany: CEG Interactive Entertainment GmbH Barmbeker Strasse 4 b 22303 Hamburg, Germany" and "France: Capcom Entertainment France 30 bis, rue du Viel Abreuvoir FR.78100 Saint Germain En Laye"
  11. ↑ "Office Relocation for CE Europe to the Metro Building." Maris Interiors. May 2011. Retrieved on 13 August 2011. "Maris are pleased to announce the commencement of the office fit-out for CE Europe Ltd, who are relocating offices to the Metro Building, Hammersmith, London, W6." and "Maris are relocating CE Europe's London operations from their present offices in George House, 26–28 Hammersmith Grove to Hammersmith's Metro Building."
  12. ↑ "IranAir moves to new offices." (Archive) Iran Air. Retrieved on 29 February 2012. "177–179 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 8BS"
  13. ↑ "News from Iran Air." (Archive) Iran Air UK. Retrieved on 29 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "AIR FRANCE and KLM celebrate official inauguration of new office in London." Air France. 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 13 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 November 2013. Percentages are of all residents aged 16-74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey’s longest part by distance.
  16. ↑ "Libraries." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved on 22 December 2008.
  17. ↑ "
  18. ↑ "A Is For Anderlecht - Dinners in Brussels". wordpress.com. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "West Berlin Street Lamp". londonremembers.com. Retrieved 10 October 2013.

External links

London/Hammersmith and Fulham travel guide from Wikivoyage

Coordinates: 51°30′N 0°15′W / 51.500°N 0.250°W / 51.500; -0.250

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