Decision Day Looms for the Palais


Fate of live music venue to be decided this month

The future of the Hammersmith Palais is in the hands of the Borough's planning authorities who will be deciding this month whether to allow an application to knock it down.

Parkway Properties want to replace the venue with offices. The Hammersmith Palais started life as the Palais de Danse in 1919 and was a popular spot with post-war jazz fans. Since then it has seen various incarnations including being converted into an ice-rink. More recently it has been a live music and disco venue which holds the 'School Disco' event on Saturday nights. It also hosted events such as beauty contests and the NME music awards. For many the Hammersmith Palais is most famous for being in the title of a song by the Clash.

Local residents have had a mixed reaction to the announcement with some disappointed at the loss of a place of public entertainment but others pointing to the amount of crime they felt that the Palais brought to the area. Police cars were a regular feature on the Shepherd's Bush Road outside the Palais and it was the scene several gun related incidents.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have given a target date of 24th January for their decision as to whether or not Parkway Properties will be allowed to demolish the existing structure. Their plan is to build office space on the site.

January 9, 2007