Heathrow, Hospitals and Hammersmith Bridge
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter (right) at a reception for Hammersmith & Fulham Mencap in parliament
February 10, 2025
I have had a busy couple of weeks in Parliament, I spoke in the Commons on Thursday about knife crime and proposals to phase out pointed kitchen knives. This is a suggestion that has been made by experts for a number of years, and I’m pleased that it has gathered momentum in the last couple of weeks after Idris Elba’s powerful documentary ‘Our Knife Crime Crisis’.
I have been contacted by many constituents in the last couple weeks who are rightly concerned by the re-emerging plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport. On Thursday I attended and spoke at a HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) meeting where residents were voicing their opposition to a third runaway. I also raised the issue in the House twice last week, firstly speaking in the Airport Expansion urgent question and again at the Government's statement. There is no prospect of works going ahead for several years, the site is very difficult to develop and there are many less complex options around London should airport expansion be necessary. The cost to west London in terms of the environment, public health and traffic congestion make this no more attractive than previous proposals which have either been cancelled or put out to grass.
On another local issue, a couple of weeks ago the transport minister reconvened the Hammersmith Bridge taskforce after 3 years of it lying dormant as the last government refused to let it meet or even answer enquiries from MPs. At the meeting we narrowed down the options for the future of the bridge, agreed to look at cheaper ways to repair it and to get up to date figures on the impact on traffic using other roads and bridges in the area. We will meet again as soon as this information is assembled.
There was more news last week about the New Hospital Programme, on Wednesday there was an announcement that £50m has been allocated to St Mary’s Hospital to continue to fund the planning stage of the redevelopment. Five years ago, Charing Cross was still under threat of demolition and two years ago all three major hospitals were removed from the ‘New Hospital Programme’. The incoming Labour government found no money had been set aside for the schemes. Now the future of Charing Cross and funding for all three hospitals is confirmed. And there is more good news with immediate funding for the planning and design of the new St Mary’s Hospital. Of the three, St Mary’s is the most in urgent need of redevelopment and is a more complex and ambitious scheme. The £50 million allocated to St Mary’s shows the serious commitment to the Imperial sites and will maintain confidence from academic and commercial partners. And while St Mary’s is a critical priority, the ability for the other sites to be developed stage by stage means all schemes can maximise opportunities in the next decade.
In the last two of weeks, I have attended a couple of receptions in Parliament and met two Hammersmith based charities. Hammersmith & Fulham Mencap is a charity which aims to empower children and adults with learning disabilities and autism. It was great to see them at the Mencap reception. Independent Age is a Hammersmith based national charity which supports older people facing financial hardship. I was so glad to meet people from both charities and support the valuable work that they do.
Andy Slaughter pledges support for Independent Age
There was excitement in Hammersmith on Wednesday as His Majesty King Charles III made an appearance. Following his recent trip to Poland, he had expressed the wish to meet the Polish community in London. There is no better place for that that at POSK (Polish Social and Cultural Association) where he was welcomed by people from all walks of life in the Polish community. The King was guided around an exhibition in the Gallery of paintings by Polish wartime artist, set designer and actor, Feliks Fabian. After this he met with around 100 POSK members and staff.
I was delighted to hear recently that Dr Laura Janes, Councillor in Hammersmith & Fulham and trustee at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre, has been awarded an honorary KC (King’s Counsel). Laura was nominated for her contribution to the legal profession promoting access to justice, her work to drive policy changes, representing vulnerable individuals in prison, advocating for the rights of children and young people in custody and reforms to the IPP sentence.
Sue Willman who worked at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre many years ago was also awarded an honorary KC. Sue was nominated for her work on asylum support including founding the Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP), providing free representation to destitute asylum-seekers
Huge congratulations to both Laura and Sue, an incredible achievement and very well deserved.
Calling anybody with unwanted or broken small garden hand tools! The Conservation Foundation’s Tools Shed project collects these items which are then refurbished in prison workshops and then given to schools and community gardens. Covid meant postponing the project, but now I’m delighted to say that my friends at Wormwood Scrubs are keen to reopen their workshop and the W6Garden Centre is kindly helping to collect donated tools for the prison. With spring on the way, I am sure that there will be plenty of demand for much needed tools – nothing heavy or electrical please. If you are a school or community garden needing tools please contact: tools@conservationfoundation.co.uk . Tools Shed is a brilliant project made possible by the dedication of staff and volunteers. The project has great benefits for all involved as prisoners gain skills while giving back to the community.
Finally, I must remind you that there are two by-elections are coming up in Hammersmith & Fulham on the 20 th of February, both in Lillie and Hammersmith Broadway. If you are unsure what ward you live in, you can check the Council's website for further details and for a map of each ward: Lillie Ward , Hammersmith Broadway Ward .
Please remember, you must bring some form of accepted photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote on the day. If you live in either ward, please do get out and vote for your new councillors. Full information about the by-election, including who all the nominated candidates are can be found on the Council's website .
There is a brilliant Labour Candidate standing in each ward. Your Labour candidate in Hammersmith Broadway is Callum Nimmo. Callum has lived in Hammersmith since graduating from university and is passionate about reducing health inequalities and building more affordable housing. A longstanding local campaigner, he works as a communications consultant for clients in the public and charitable sectors.
Lydia Paynter, who is standing for Labour in Lillie, has lived in the area for 4 years, and in that time has been active in our local community, where she is a trustee of Hammersmith United Charities. She has spent her career campaigning for progressive international development policies, and currently works in advocacy for a malaria charity.
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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