Portobello Square

You may know this as "the Portobello Space" or "the Acklam space", but this derelict, hoarded area has the potential to add another quality urban space and retail zone to Portobello, encouraging its extension to Golborne and improving access to Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park stations. The retail commission identified the need to protect small affordable retail outlets to retain the purpose and secure the future of Portobello. We have an idea for an outdoor/indoor trading area of very small units to provide the first trading outlet for new designers and artisans, connecting in a trading sense with the market and Portobello arcade, and supported by a training and support programme for first-time entrepreneurs and traders.

Stable Way industrial area

This is an industrial area yielding low rents and endemic fly tipping problems. It shares its access road with a Traveller's site run by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) on behalf of RBKC and Hammersmith & Fulham.

The Borough commissioned a project study of the site, to assess the access and other problems. The study proposed a long term redevelopment of the site at an independently projected cost of £6.4m. Even enhanced rental income would come nowhere close to a viable return, without substantial redevelopment grants.

The most viable redevelopment would be to integrate the site into the sports centre.

Hopefully grants can be secured for such a project, and there could be a one-off opportunity for a combined Hammersmith & Fulham and RBKC initiative to secure redevelopment as part of the White City North development. This would enable the Trust to provide the Borough with land for dedicated access to the Traveller’s site, thereby solving this long running problem for the two boroughs involved. As current leases have three years to run, it will take time to deliver such a project.

Thorpe Close

We are currently evaluating proposals for this area that seize the opportunity to inject some economic activity into this important artery, uplifting the Ladbroke Grove locality and adding new commercial energy to the Portobello economy, as well as financing improved community facilities.

The redevelopment of White City provides both threat and opportunity to the local economy and it is important to make the link between Ladbroke Grove tube and Portobello in the most attractive manner. This will allow traders to take advantage of the enhanced tube links on the Hammersmith and City line, with the new tube station at White City seen as a potential opportunity as well as a threat.

There is a practical reason for implementing these changes because at present we are condemning our existing community hub operation to run out of dated buildings at 1 and 7 Thorpe Close. Working with private developers we see scope to redevelop these buildings placing retail on the ground floor and commercial/charitable workspace uses above leading to Thorpe Close becoming a safer retail and leisure led zone.

There is a hope we can build upon the organic success of the Portobello Green Fitness Club as a genuine community fitness centre and cement the reputation of Inn on the Green as a community and arts venue. We will be seeking out grants to facilitate these ambitions.