Virginia Ironside writes

We are faced with another threat and the picture says it all.
Dorsett Hotels, who did a sympathetic conversion of Odeon I (above, on the right), have acquired the Walkabout pub (also known as Odeon II or the Shepherds Bush Palladium) and want to demolish it to build “serviced apartments”.

The Walkabout and the Empire Theatre and Bush Hotel to the South and the re-vamped Odeon to the North are all locally listed “Buildings of Merit” in the Shepherds Bush Conservation Area. The whole exterior of the old Palladium should be retained and restored – not destroyed.  Under the gaudy paint the original features are intact:

The Conservation Area Character Profile includes The Palladium is in “pages 5-9” para 5.11. Of course the proposed tower’s effect on the Empire Theatre (5.10) and the Bush Hotel (5.14) as well as the revamped Odeon I (5.12) would be disastrous if this important building is not saved.

The developers have made a video in an attempt to justify their desecration of Shepherds Bush Town Centre.  To view it, enter the password Walkabout.

But Dorsett Hotels retained the old façade of the old Odeon so successfully, so surely they could do the same with the old Palladium?

If you agree that to demolish one of the few idiosyncratic buildings around in Shepherd’s Bush to make way for more personalityless Dubai-like architecture would be a disaster, could you write and object in the strongest possible terms and forward to any groups or individuals who would be interested? Objections have to be in by April 15th.

This link takes you to the planning application page where you can object with the “make a comment” button.

Please copy your comments to:

The Planning Committee:

Chair: Adam.Connell@lbhf.gov.uk
Vice-Chair: Iain.Cassidy@lbhf.gov.uk
colin.aherne@lbhf.gov.uk
michael.cartwright@lbhf.gov.uk
elaine.chumnery@lbhf.gov.uk
lucy.ivimy@lbhf.gov.uk
alex.karmel@lbhf.gov.uk
robert.largan@lbhf.gov.uk
Viya.Nsumbu@lbhf.gov.uk
Natalia.PerezShepherd@lbhf.gov.uk (also Shepherds Bush ward councillor)

Shepherds Bush ward councillors:

andrew.jones@lbhf.gov.uk

mercy.umeh@lbhf.gov.uk

and MP Andy Slaughter: andy@andyslaughter.com