Turner House, Erasmus Street

We have asked the Housing Department to investigate reports of particles in the water in a flat in Turner House.

Strutton Ground market 

We are helping a local resident who has been refused a temporary license to trade at Strutton Ground market. He says: 

“This pandemic has affected me a lot, to the point where I haven’t been working for over 5 months now. This is why I pleaded to the Council to allow me a hot food pitch at Strutton Ground Market; to support me during this difficult time. However, they have rejected my application numerous times on the basis that they are not looking for hot food traders. The Council fails to understand that this is a food market, where only food is viable.”

Parties at Airbnb premises

There have been a number of parties in flats let out as short lets. These are in part the result of the declining use of Airbnbs by tourists which have in turn been rented out by people hosting parties. A number of residents have experienced massive disruption as a result and it’s unacceptable. We’ve been working with residents, the police and the Council to try to stop them from happening.As soon as parties begin it’s crucial to both contact the Council’s Noise Team and the police so they can turn up to break up the party. Both need to be there to intervene effectively and preferably they should be called out as soon as possible (if they are called out late in the night it’s more difficult to deploy resources).

• Contact the Council’s noise team: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it  or 0207 641 2000
• Contact the police on 101 or tag them on twitter on @MetCC

Karen Buck MP has set up an All Party Parliamentary Group on Short Lets and has called for a national registration system so that this menace can be controlled https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/karen-buck-mp-homes-are-being-turned-into-hotels-we-need-a-national-registration-scheme-for-shortterm-lets

Emergency vehicle sirens

We have asked the Noise Team if they have any information on this issue: 

“I noticed that – seemingly in the last few months – London Ambulances use the sirens even in the middle of the night – on clear roads and green traffic lights. Whilst the urgency of an ambulance is obvious – I wonder why a siren is triggered when (1) there is no traffic(2) it is past midnight(3) the ambulance is going through a green traffic light.Surely the siren is only triggered if the ambulance is going through a red signal, to bypass traffic or if passing through a junction where it does not have right of way.Has there been a policy change of siren use?”