St James’s Ward Labour Action Report – July 2020
News from the St James’s Ward Labour Action Team
West End Recovery Plans
Councillor Pancho Lewis, Labour Councillor for West End Ward, has welcomed plans being brought forward to support businesses in the West End but, at the same time, has raised a number of important concerns.
And Councillor Geoff Barraclough adds his ideas
Local groups have expressed concerns about the new legislation which is being rushed through Parliament which they say “threatens to turn streets into ‘large outside bars’”
Covent Garden Foodbank
The Covent Garden Community Association has also started a Foodbank https://www.sevendialsclub.com
St James’s Park
Vic Keegan writes about the Admiralty’s hidden Citadel described as a “vast monstrosity” and the capital’s “ugliest building”
https://www.onlondon.co.uk/vic-keegans-lost-london-147-the-admiraltys-hidden-citadel/
Buckingham Palace
There are two interesting stories about Buckingham Palace.
First, the Queen has been granted permission to replace the north roof at Buckingham Palace nearly two hundred years after a leak was first recorded. A report from 1831 revealed rain was causing a problem. Now permission has granted to strip and replace the original 19th century roof and rebuild structurally defective chimney stacks.
Second, Vic Keegan writes about the ‘forgotten facades’ of Buckingham Palace
https://www.onlondon.co.uk/vic-keegans-lost-london-146-forgotten-facades-of-buckingham-palace/
Pedicabs
Councillor Pancho Lewis has started a petition calling for action to clamp down on pedicabs
You can sign the petition calling on the Government to keeps it promise to regulate and control pedicabs here: https://bit.ly/petition-pedicabs