London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London borough
Coat of arms of London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Coat of arms
Official logo of London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Council logo
Hammersmith and Fulham shown within Greater London
Hammersmith and Fulham shown within Greater London
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionLondon
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Created1 April 1965
Admin HQKing Street, Hammersmith
Government
 • TypeLondon borough council
 • BodyHammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Labour)
 • MayorEmma Apthorp
 • London AssemblyTony Devenish (Con) AM for West Central
 • MPsGreg Hands (Con)
Andy Slaughter (Lab)
Area
 • Total6.33 sq mi (16.40 km2)
 • Rank292nd (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total183,295
 • Rank110th (of 296)
 • Density29,000/sq mi (11,000/km2)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcodes
NW, W, SW
ONS code00AN
GSS codeE09000013
PoliceMetropolitan Police
Websitelbhf.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (pronunciationⓘ) is a London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham. The borough borders Brent to the north, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the east, Wandsworth to the south, Richmond upon Thames to the south west, and Hounslow and Ealing to the west.

Traversed by the east–west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough.[1] The local council is Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council. The borough is amongst the four most expensive boroughs for residential properties in the United Kingdom, along with Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster and Camden.[2]

The borough is unique in London in having three professional football clubs: Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.

History

The borough origins are in the Ancient Parish of Fulham which goes back to at least the early 12th-century. Hammersmith was a chapelry within Fulham until it became an independent parish in 1631.[3] The manor (estate) of Fulham can be traced back to the seventh century when it was granted to the Bishop of London.[4]

The borough was formed in 1965 by merging the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith and the much more ancient Metropolitan Borough of Fulham. It was known as the "London Borough of Hammersmith" until its name was changed on 1 January 1979 by the borough council. The two had been joined together previously in the parish of Fulham until 1834 as the hamlet of Hammersmith had no church until much later.[5] They were joined together again under the Fulham District from 1855 to 1886.

Fulham saw industrialisation and urbanisation from the start of the 19th-century, with the establishment of the world's first energy utility company, at Sands End in 1824, followed by road and rail transport development to the east of the borough. Vacant land by the new railway sidings on the boundary with Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council led to the development of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, visited by Queen Victoria in 1879 when she attended Bill Cody's Wild West Show at West Brompton. There followed numerous international fairs and exhibitions for a century until the construction of Earls Court II in the borough in the 1980s. This was dismantled by developers in 2015.

At the other end of today's borough, in 1908, the Franco-British Exhibition and Olympic Games were hosted in Hammersmith, at White City, London, but the site then took many decades to be redeveloped. In 1960, the BBC opened the BBC Television Centre.Westfield London opened in 1988, a large development with new transport links and a shopping centre.

Districts

The borough includes the areas:

see also parks and open spaces in Hammersmith and Fulham

Political control

Since 1964 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[6][7]

Party in control Years Lab Con Oth
Labour 2018– 35 11 0
Labour 2014–2018 26 20 0
Conservative 2010–2014 15 31 0
Conservative 2006–2010 13 33 0
Labour 2002–2006 28 18 0
Labour 1998–2002 36 14 0
Labour 1994–1998 33 15 2
Labour 1990–1994 28 22 0
Labour 1986–1990 40 9 1
No Overall Control 1982–1986 25 23 2
No Overall Control 1978–1982 24 24 2
Labour 1974–1978 48 10 2
Labour 1971–1974 58 2 0
Conservative 1968–1971 6 54 0
Labour 1964–1968 53 7 0

Demographics

Population pyramid of the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in 2021
Population census
YearPop.±%
1801 10,016—    
1811 13,276+32.5%
1821 15,307+15.3%
1831 17,602+15.0%
1841 23,022+30.8%
1851 30,012+30.4%
1861 57,562+91.8%
1871 85,112+47.9%
1881 112,662+32.4%
1891 185,350+64.5%
1901 223,755+20.7%
1911 270,177+20.7%
1921 275,905+2.1%
1931 281,757+2.1%
1941 258,720−8.2%
1951 237,567−8.2%
1961 211,150−11.1%
1971 187,682−11.1%
1981 144,614−22.9%
1991 156,085+7.9%
2001 165,243+5.9%
2011 182,493+10.4%
Note:[8]

According to the 2001 census Hammersmith and Fulham has a population of 165,242. 60% of the borough's population is White British, 20% white non-British (among which are large French, Polish, Portuguese and Irish communities), 5% black Caribbean, 8% black African with various other ethnicities (including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese) making up the remaining 11 per cent.

The borough has the second-highest proportion of single adults of any borough in England and Wales (55%), and a higher than average proportion for the London area of young adults aged 20–29 (24%).

Around 50% of households are owner–occupiers, and 22% of households were listed as "other" – that is, not single persons living alone or families. These are generally two or more unrelated adults living together, such as students or cohabiting couples.

The borough comprises a patchwork of extremely affluent as well as some less affluent neighbourhoods; The areas of Fulham, Parsons Green, Brackenbury Village, Brook Green, Ravenscourt Park and the Riverside compose of highly expensive Victorian and Edwardian houses, contrasting to the areas of White City and Shepherd's Bush. The unemployment rate is well below average at under 5%, although of these, 29% were listed as long-term unemployed.

See external links below for more census information from the borough.

Shepherd's Bush Road in London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Ethnicity

Ethnic Group 1981 estimations[9] 1991[10] 2001[11] 2011[12] 2021[13]
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 118,916 84.7% 122,513 82.5% 128,602 77.8% 124,222 68.1% 115,679 63.2%
White: British – – – – 95,909 58.0% 81,989 44.9% 70,105 38.3%
White: Irish – – – – 7,983 4.8% 6,321 3.5% 4,812 2.6%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – – – 217 0.1% 93 0.1%
White: Roma – – – – – – – – 1,485 0.8%
White: Other – – – – 24,710 15.0% 35,695 19.7% 39,184 21.4%
Asian or Asian British: Total – – 7,211 4.85% 8,636 5.2% 16,635 9.5% 19,306 10.5%
Asian or Asian British: Indian – – 2,343 2,733 % 3,451 1.8% 4,100 2.2%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani – – 1,174 1,711 % 1,612 0.8% 2,010 1.1%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi – – 685 1,011 % 1,056 0.5% 1,277 0.7%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese – – 1,100 1,303 % 3,140 1.7% 4,253 2.3%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian – – 1,909 1,878 % 7,376 4.0% 7,666 4.2%
Black or Black British: Total – – 15,138 10.1% 18,397 11.2% 21,505 11.8% 22,453 12.2%
Black or Black British: African – – 3,717 8,534 % 10,552 5.7% 13,243 7.2%
Black or Black British: Caribbean – – 8,820 8,072 % 7,111 3.8% 6,626 3.6%
Black or Black British: Other Black – – 2,601 1,791 % 3,842 2.1% 2,584 1.4%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total – – – – 6,300 3.8% 10,044 5.5% 12,318 6.7%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – – – 2,008 % 2,769 1.5% 3,157 1.7%
Mixed: White and Black African – – – – 1,033 % 1,495 0.8% 1,777 1.0%
Mixed: White and Asian – – – – 1,609 % 2,649 1.4% 3,142 1.7%
Mixed: Other Mixed – – – – 1,650 % 3,131 1.7% 4,242 2.3%
Other: Total – – 3,640 2.45% 3,307 2.0% 10,387 5.5% 13,400 7.3%
Other: Arab – – – – – – 5,228 2.8% 5,534 3.0%
Other: Any other ethnic group – – 3,640 2.45% 3,307 2.0% 4,859 2.6% 7,866 4.3%
Non-White: Total 21,441 15.3% 25,989 17.4% 36,640 22.2% 58,271 31.9% 67,477 36.8%
Total 140,357 100% 148,502 100% 165,242 100% 182,493 100% 183,156 100%

Religion

The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Hammersmith and Fulham according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.

Religion 2001[14] 2011[15] 2021[16]
Number % Number % Number %
Holds religious beliefs 121,898 73.8 123,667 67.8 111,843 61.0
Christian 105,169 63.6 98,808 54.1 83,673 45.7
Muslim 11,314 6.8 18,242 10.0 21,290 11.6
Jewish 1,312 0.8 1,161 0.6 1,228 0.7
Hindu 1,801 1.1 2,097 1.1 2,209 1.2
Sikh 318 0.2 442 0.2 450 0.2
Buddhist 1,271 0.8 2,060 1.1 1,723 0.9
Other religion 713 0.4 857 0.5 1,227 0.7
No religion 29,148 17.6 43,487 23.8 56,059 30.6
Religion not stated 14,196 8.6 15,339 8.4 15,298 8.4
Total population 165,242 100.0 182,493 100.0 183,200 100.0

Economy

Sony Mobile Communications has its headquarters in the borough.[17]

Iberia operates the Iberia House in the borough.[18] All Nippon Airways operates the London Office on the fourth floor of Hythe House.[19][20] South African Airways has its United Kingdom office in the South African Airways House.[21] CE Europe, a subsidiary of Capcom, has its head office in the George House in Hammersmith in the borough. As of May 2011 it will be relocating to the Metro Building in Hammersmith.[22][23] Iran Air's London offices are also located in the borough.[24] The airline moved there by Wednesday 4 January 2012.[25]Disney and L'Oréal also all have UK headquarters in Hammersmith, as well as a number of other major businesses.[26]

For a 15-year period Air France had its UK and Ireland office in Hammersmith. In 2006 the UK and Ireland office was moved to Hatton Cross, London Borough of Hounslow.[27]

Until 2013, Virgin Group Ltd. had its corporate headquarters at The School House, Brook Green. The office was moved to the Battleship Building, near the Westway in Paddington, in the City of Westminster.[28]

Also, TAP Portugal runs an administrative office in the Borough, near to Hammersmith Bus Station.

Governance

Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

A map showing the wards of Hammersmith and Fulham since 2002

Main article: Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

Hammersmith & Fulham is administered by 46 councillors. The Labour Party won control of the borough at the 2014 council elections held on 22 May with 26 councilors to the Conservative Party's 20 councilors, following Conservative control of the council since the 2006 council election. The council leader is Stephen Cowan.

The borough is divided into 16 electoral wards, all bar two electing three councillors apiece. These are:

Former councillors for Hammersmith and Fulham who are current members of parliament include Greg Hands MP (Con), Lisa Nandy MP (Lab) and Andrew Slaughter MP (Lab).

Greater London representation

For elections to the Greater London Council, the borough formed the Hammersmith electoral division, electing three members. In 1973 it was divided into the single-member Hammersmith North and Fulham electoral divisions.[29] The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986.

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the West Central constituency.

Sport

The borough has a proud sporting heritage going back to at least the second half of the 19th-century when the fledgeling Amateur Athletic Association of England came to the Lillie Bridge Grounds, followed there by football, boxing and First-class cricket. The borough is home to the world-governing body of Polo at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham and upholds the traditions of racketts and championship tennis at the Queen's Club, also in Fulham.

The borough is home to a number of sports teams and athletes:

Football

Chelsea Football Club is based in the borough and plays Premier League football having won the English national championship on six occasions (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017) as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2012 and 2021. London's oldest professional football club, Fulham F.C. playing in the Premier League and Queens Park Rangers (playing in the Championship) are also based in the borough.

Footballers

Rugby

Hammersmith & Fulham RFC have been playing in the borough at Hurlingham Park for over 30 years. They boast four senior men's sides and one Ladies XV. The men's 1st XV currently compete in London's NE2 League with the remainder of the sides participating in the Middlesex Merit Tables.

Tennis

Public and private courts are available throughout the borough.

Boxing

Rowing

Hammersmith Regatta 1869 – medal won by Thomas Luckett

Lower Mall hosted several rowing clubs at the end of the 19th century, of which there are two survivors and one founded slightly later. Among those who moved elsewhere or were disbanded were those in the headquarters of the national governing body, British Rowing, The Priory.

The first half of the Boat Race course, which is known as the Championship Course, hosting hundreds of eights the weekend before and many other races, is on the borough's most obvious boundary: its section of the Tideway – the upper estuary of the Thames.

Transport

The numerous London Overground and London Underground stations in the borough are:

The London Overground line now connects the borough with the North London Line via Willesden Junction station and direct services to Watford Junction station to the north and services to East Croydon station to the south, via Clapham Junction railway station.

Two main road arteries, the A4 road and the A40 road cross the borough. Hammersmith bus station at Hammersmith Broadway, above the District and Piccadilly lines tube station, is an important bus hub to most parts of London.

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 26.8% of all residents aged 16–74; bus, minibus or coach, 8.8%; on foot, 8.8%; driving a car or van, 8.2%; bicycle, 5.1%; work mainly at or from home, 4.2%; train, 3.1%.[30]

Culture

Fulham Palace courtyard
The Polish Social and Cultural centre

The See of London has occupied the Fulham Palace riverside grounds for close on 900 years. The Palace is leased to the borough since 1977 and is now a museum.

The borough has four theatres (Riverside Studios, Bush Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and Curtains Up). LAMDA is based in the borough. There are several cinema complexes. Studio 106 Art Gallery holds regular exhibitions and workshops.

The Lyric Hammersmith, on Lyric Square off King Street, is considered one of the most notable theatres outside the West End in London.

The borough is also home to the Hammersmith Apollo and O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, which play hosts to major concerts and stand-up comedy performances.

Hammersmith has been the seat of the Polish Social and Cultural Centre, known as POSK in King Street, for several decades. It houses a number of organisations which serve Polish expatriates and others interested in Polish culture, including a theatre, an exhibition space, a library and archives as well as retail and dining facilities. It occasionally hosts other organisations in the borough, including the Fulham Symphony Orchestra. It is also the home of the Polish University Abroad.[31]

Education

See also: List of schools in Hammersmith and Fulham
The modest rear entrance to Hammersmith Town Hall is guarded by Old Father Thames, Hammersmith's tutelary deity. (September 2005)
Building of Hammersmith Library in 2013

Public libraries in the borough include Askew Road Library, Avonmore Library, Fulham Library, Hammersmith Library, Sands End Library, and Shepherds Bush Library.[32] The Borough Archives, open to the public Mondays and Tuesdays, staffed mainly by volunteers, are accessed in Hammersmith Library.

The borough is the home of an 1893 establishment, the Sacred Heart High School, Hammersmith on Hammersmith Broadway, and of Lady Margaret School (LMS) on Parsons Green, a school that welcomes girls of all academic abilities aged 11–17 years. It has been at the forefront of girls' education for over 95 years and has its origins in Whitelands College School which was founded in 1842. When that school was threatened with closure Lady Margaret was established in September 1917 by the redoubtable Miss Enid Moberly Bell.[33] The borough is also home to two prestigious independent girls' schools – St Paul's Girls' School in Brook Green (often ranked in first place in the country in league tables, with nearly 50% of each year group gaining entry to Oxbridge), and the Godolphin and Latymer School, situated a few minutes' walk from Hammersmith Broadway.[citation needed]

The London Oratory School is a leading Roman Catholic secondary school in East Fulham.

Latymer Upper School, an independent co-educational school, is also in the borough, on King Street in Hammersmith.

The exclusive independent girls' preparatory school Bute House is also in Brook Green. There are two notable independent French language primary schools: Ecole Jacques Prevert in Brook Green and the Ecole Marie d'Orliac in Hurlingham.

See also

Twinned towns

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has formal twinning arrangements with:

Below it is a plaque which reads:

The lamp above this plaque was formerly used
to light a street in West Berlin


It was presented by
Herr Willi Brandt, Mayor of West Berlin
to
Councillor Stanley Atkins, L. P.
The Worshipful the Mayor of Hammersmith
As a token of friendship between the two communities
On the occasion of the Jumelage held in this Borough


1st June 1963

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2020)

Individuals

Military Units

[39]

References

  1. ^ "Hammersmith and Fulham". London City Hall. 23 November 2015.
  2. ^ UK House Price Index England (2018). National Statistics HM Land Registry
  3. ^ Youngs Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, 1979
  4. ^ Edward Walford, 'Fulham: Introduction', in Old and New London: Volume 6 (London, 1878), pp. 504-521. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol6/pp504-521 [accessed 1 August 2021].
  5. ^ Faulkner, Thomas. (1813) Historical and Topographical Account of the parish of Fulham, including the hamlet of Hammersmith.
  6. ^ "Local elections: Hammersmith & Fulham". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  7. ^ "London Borough Council Elections 22 May 2014" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  8. ^ GB Historical GIS (2017). "Hammersmith and Fulham District through time". A vision of Britain from 1801 to now. Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement". Commission for Racial Equality: Table 2.2. 1985.
  10. ^ "1991 census – theme tables". NOMIS. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  11. ^ "KS006 - Ethnic group". NOMIS. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Ethnic Group by measures". NOMIS. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  14. ^ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. ^ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Religion - 2021 census". Office of National Statistics. 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Sony Ericsson at a glanc.(Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)(Sony Corp.)(Brief Article)." Employee Benefits. 2 March 2005. Retrieved on 18 November 2009.
  18. ^ "Iberia Airlines Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine." Latin American Travel Association. Retrieved on 6 September 2011. "Contacto Iberia House 10 Hammersmith Broadway London W6 7AL Reino Unido"
  19. ^ "ANA City Offices/Ticketing Offices Europe Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine." All Nippon Airways. Retrieved on 22 December 2008. "London Office 4th floor, Hythe House 200 Shepherds Bush Road London W6 7NY"
  20. ^ "Ward Boundaries Archived 19 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
  21. ^ "Legal Information – (EU) Archived 12 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine." South African Airways. Retrieved on 20 September 2009.
  22. ^ "Contact." Capcom. Retrieved on 12 August 2011. "UK: CE Europe Ltd 26–28 Hammersmith Grove, 9th Floor London W6 7HA" and "Germany: CEG Interactive Entertainment GmbH Barmbeker Strasse 4 b 22303 Hamburg, Germany" and "France: Capcom Entertainment France 30 bis, rue du Viel Abreuvoir FR.78100 Saint Germain En Laye"
  23. ^ "Office Relocation for CE Europe to the Metro Building." Maris Interiors. May 2011. Retrieved on 13 August 2011. "Maris are pleased to announce the commencement of the office fit-out for CE Europe Ltd, who are relocating offices to the Metro Building, Hammersmith, London, W6." and "Maris are relocating CE Europe's London operations from their present offices in George House, 26–28 Hammersmith Grove to Hammersmith's Metro Building."
  24. ^ "IranAir moves to new offices." (Archive) Iran Air. Retrieved on 29 February 2012. "177–179 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 8BS"
  25. ^ "News from Iran Air." (Archive) Iran Air UK. Retrieved on 29 February 2012.
  26. ^ "L'Oréal Group UKI Pages Group". L'Oréal. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  27. ^ "AIR FRANCE and KLM celebrate official inauguration of new office in London. Archived 27 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine" Air France. 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 13 February 2010.
  28. ^ Idle, Tom (30 October 2015). "How Virgin HQ is fostering creativity, and helping to save the planet". Virgin Group. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  29. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Hammersmith and Fultham". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  30. ^ "2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 November 2013. Percentages are of all residents aged 16-74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey’s longest part by distance.
  31. ^ Murawski, Michal (2020). "The Palace of Culture". In Hatherley, Owen (ed.). The alternative guide to the London boroughs. London: Open City. pp. 226–233. ISBN 9781916016910.
  32. ^ "Libraries Archived 19 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved on 22 December 2008.
  33. ^ "Lady Margaret School, a CofE academy for girls aged 11-18, Parsons Green, London - School History". www.ladymargaret.lbhf.sch.uk.
  34. ^ "A Is For Anderlecht - Dinners in Brussels". wordpress.com. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  35. ^ "British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  36. ^ "West Berlin Street Lamp". londonremembers.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  37. ^ "Fulham FC legend George Cohen recalls his roots ahead of freedom of the borough". LBHF. 13 October 2016.
  38. ^ FC, Fulham. "Fulham FC". Fulham FC.
  39. ^ "Civic Honours granted by the London Boroughs". www.steppingforwardlondon.org.

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