News from the high street has certainly taken a turn for the better in the past few months, with footfall and retail sales slowly increasing thanks to the hot summer. However, many believe that plans set out in the Portas Review have proven ineffective, and are therefore encouraging communities to get involved and tell local authorities what they need in their nearest retail environment.
Now, Notting Hill residents are to be given a say in an ambitious redevelopment programme set to transform the high street known as “Notting Hill Gate”. The area is dominated by a six-lane traffic highway and a number of large tower buildings created during the post-war development boom in the late 1950s.
A consultation into the future of the district was launched this week, with Kensington and Chelsea councillors, in conjunction with local landowners, debating a number of ways in which to take the project forward.
The most radical proposal involves demolishing Newcombe House – known as one of the “ugly sister” tower blocks which bookend the main street – and replacing it with a more attractive museum or art gallery. This plan would also involve narrowing the road in order to make the street more pedestrian-friendly.
Notting Hill Improvements Group representative Raphael Benjamin Sinai told the Evening Standard that the current layout lets down the rest of the picturesque district.
He says; “A friend of mine calls [Notting Hill Gate] ‘Birmingham’ because there’s so much bad taste architecture put up after the war.
“But it’s in the middle of this delightful residential area.
“It’s like a disconnected relic that needs to be brought back into west London.”
Altogether, three different proposals have been put forward for the consideration of the council and local residents. As well as the radical plan already outlined, the merits of a cost-saving project which focuses on cosmetic appearance and a slightly more ambitious “refreshment” will be considered over the next few weeks.
Residents are now being encouraged to visit the exhibition providing in-depth details of the different proposals, which will be held at Astley House until Thursday September 19th. However, Mr Sinai claims that nine in ten local residents questioned so far have already thrown their support behind the most radical approach to regenerating the area.
