Hammersmith & Fulham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Shepherd’s Bush residents have launched a petition urging Hammersmith & Fulham Council to address ongoing cleanliness and maintenance issues on Uxbridge Road.
As reported by The Chiswick Calendar, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham is receiving a petition from Shepherd’s Bush residents urging the Council to act quickly to clean up and restore Shepherd’s Bush, especially Uxbridge Road.
The petition, which has 1,275 signatures to date, calls on the Council to:
“Take immediate action to clean up and restore Shepherd’s Bush, especially Uxbridge Road (100–500), by addressing drug addicts, crime, and anti-social behavior, and by supporting shopfront and streetscape improvements.”
Noor A posted on the social media site Nextdoor about the makeover Leyton High Road in east London had before the Olympics, which was funded by their local authority. The “before” and “after” photos feature beautifully painted storefronts.
‘This is what Shepherd’s Bush could look like if you sign the petition,’ wrote Noor.
The facelift improved the image of the area and has been popular with the public.
“They look more inviting and I think I’d be more likely to go into nice looking shops,” wrote one Leyton resident.
The residents of Shepherd’s Bush want:
‘Targeted action to improve the visual condition and vibrancy of Uxbridge Road (particularly between numbers 100 and 500), which has visibly deteriorated due to neglected shopfronts, derelict flats above businesses, and inconsistent Council oversight.
‘Crime and anti-social behaviour thrive in neglected environments,’ they say. ‘While the Council cannot control policing directly, it does have clear powers – and a responsibility – to address the environmental decline that fosters criminal activity and makes residents feel unsafe.’
They specifically request that the Council create plans for visual and physical enhancements that are three, six, and twelve months long.
Many storefronts are in terrible shape, with shutters shattered, exposed wiring, temporary signs written with marker pens or printed on A4 paper, and permanent signs made of cloth banners. This not only lacks professionalism, but it also gives the neighborhood a neglected and impoverished appearance.
The apartments above stores are obviously dilapidated, with rusty satellite dishes, graffiti-etched front doors, and peeling paint. Trolleys parked on pavements and fruit shops spilling out onto the road are ugly and unsafe for bikers and pedestrians.
The petition organisers say some shops sit empty for months or years, contributing nothing to the community.
Meanwhile, the area is being saturated with low-quality, short-term-use businesses like chicken shops, which offer minimal diversity or uplift to the local economy.
‘We are not asking for perfection – we’re asking for care, vision, and a clear plan,’
they say.
Every day, locals live here, and tourists arrive first. This cannot be disregarded if the Council genuinely cares about regeneration.
They propose “low-cost grants” or short-term business rate relief programs for companies in return for aesthetic upgrades, citing the Leyton example as well as a Deptford local council project.
Additionally, they request that the Council have more authority over company licenses and change-of-use permits, requesting:
‘Why are so many new chicken shops being approved when what we desperately need is variety, vibrancy, and dignity?’
The petition also claims that the area has turned into a hub for antisocial behavior and calls on the Council to address drug use and begging.
The neighborhood feels unsafe, dirty, and increasingly destitute due to the persistent presence of drug users and beggars who loiter, deal, use, and sleep on the streets and in doorways.
Locals frequently report being bullied or approached for money on the street. On multiple occasions, they have discovered persons sleeping outside our door.
This has made Shepherd’s Bush a hub for antisocial behavior that creates the appearance of a forgotten and lawless location, especially when combined with regular thefts, break-ins, and obvious drug use.
Improved street design and illumination, more visibility for Council enforcement officers, exclusion zones or dispersion orders for repeat offenders, and ideas for collaborating with outreach and addiction support programs are just a few of the numerous demands.
What specific changes are residents asking for on UXbridge Road in Hammersmith & Fulham?
Develop a detailed three-, six-, and twelve-month plan for aesthetic and physical enhancements that includes deadlines, quantifiable objectives, and frequent resident reports.
Start a visual revitalization project for stores and apartments, focusing on dilapidated stores with broken shutters, exposed wiring, and temporary signs, as well as dilapidated apartments with graffiti, peeling paint, and rusted satellite dishes.
Prohibit improvised, transient signs like fabric banners or marker-pen scrawls, and enforce design guidelines that improve the street’s aesthetics.
Provide low-cost grants or short-term business rate reductions to encourage landlords and companies to renovate vacant or dilapidated properties.
Organize cleanup campaigns that focus on general deterioration, rusting satellite dishes, and graffiti, particularly at trouble sites like 350 Uxbridge Road.
Reduce the spread of low-quality products by exercising more caution when it comes to company licensing and change-of-use clearances.