Council Says No to West Cromwell Road Shroud

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One of a string of applications for 'building wraps' with advertising panels

A visualisation of the proposed 'shroud' submitted by the applicant

March 10, 2023

An application to cover West Kensington Court, the prominent mansion block on the corner of North End Road and West Cromwell Road with an advertising shroud has been refused by planners at Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

It is one of a string of applications made by a company called Blow Up Media to cover building sites across the borough with shrouds containing advertising panels set over an image of the building hidden behind.

These shrouds are becoming increasingly common as owners and developers look for ways of helping to pay their building costs.

Blow Up Media, which is also currently applying to install a shroud on a building in Uxbridge Road in Shepherd’s Bush, claims: “ Building sites can have style. We take unattractive development sites and transform them into active urban spaces creating beautiful, yet in keeping, building wraps that enhance the visual amenity of public spaces for everyone.”

H&F Council however, remains unconvinced, with most of these applications being turned down.

The application for West Kensington Court was for “an externally illuminated shroud advertisement onto the proposed scaffold fronting both North End Road and Cromwell Road elevations measuring 7.6 metres (height) x 19.9 metres (width).”

The shroud would have covered the building for a year, while it was being refurbished. However, the council refused advertisement consent saying: “ The proposed advertisement by virtue of its height, size, method of illumination, prominent location in the streetscene and excessively long period of display would form an incongruous and overdominant feature which would be harmful to visual amenity and harmful to the settings of adjacent Conservation Areas. The harm would not be outweighed by public benefits.”

The proposal was also turned down on grounds of public safety, as it would create an unnecessary distraction to drivers near this busy junction and in this particular building, the detrimental impact for residents as it would result in their windows being covered completely for a significant period of time.

You can see the full application on the council website using the reference 2022/01763/ADV.

However, the council’s refusal may not be the end of the story, as Blow Up Media has launched an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, saying: “The owner of this very substantial mansion block had intended to refurbish the exterior of this very extensive mansion block in September 2022 which necessitated scaffolding the main frontage for a period of some 12 months. This is now on hold pending the outcome of this appeal.

“ In order to offset the not inconsiderable costs (and at the same time add some visual
interest by screening a substantial area of scaffolding in the street scene) the owner entered
into agreement with the appellant company to erect a comprehensive scaffold wrap
comprising as its main feature a reproduction and coloured 1:1 image of the mansion block
façade, printed onto the shroud.”

The appeal points out that the council did allow a shroud to be installed over the Famous Three Kings pub on the other side of Cromwell Road and that this stretch of West Cromwell Road is famous for its large vibrant roadside poster displays immediately east of the site.

The company adds that, if building work does go ahead: “ There will be a substantial amount of scaffolding over a 90 metres frontage of six storeys. The advertising area proposed would be a very small percentage of the total shroud with the predominant feature of the shroud being the building mural image.”

You can read the full Grounds of Appeal here.

Blow Up Media is also currently appealing to the Planning Inspectorate to overturn the council’s decision to refuse consent for an illuminated screen over a building in Fulham’s North End Road.

The company has also made a number of applications to install a shroud with an advertising panel within an image of the Victorian facade of Fulham Town Hall while it is being redeveloped. However, the latest application was withdrawn before planning officers could make a decision, and no further applications have been made to date.

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