West End businesses
Shaftesbury, one of the biggest landlords in the West End, has said it had received only 41% of the rent for the six months to 30 September. It is also struggling to re-let flats, with 20% of its 662 apartments currently empty. Shaftesbury said across the West End, many landlords who usually let out their flats on a short-term basis or to serviced apartment operators, were trying to find long-term tenants. “This has resulted in a near-term over-supply of apartments to let, causing some downward pressure on rents,” it said.
The Berwick Street Cloth Shop
We were very disappointed and sad to hear that the Berwick Street Cloth Shop has closed: https://twitter.com/BerW1ckStMarket/status/1313403538345799686The Berwick Street Cloth Shop was an established local shop that had served Soho well for many years.
D’Arblay Street
We have asked the Council to lobby the Government to be given additional powers to access private vaults below public highways when vaults collapse and owners refuse access. D’Arblay Street has been closed off for roughly three years now. The impact has been bad both for residents and businesses. Currently the process is very slow and we believe there should be emergency powers the Council can use to access private vaults when owners refuse access and where it is clearly in the public interests to make emergency repairs.
Wardour Street
After a resident complained to us about a redundant street pole in Wardour Street, it has now come back into use as a Pedestrian Zone sign
Piccadilly
The yellow box junction in Piccadilly near the Ritz Hotel is the most lucrative ‘earner’ in the country. In 2018/19 the junction was responsible for 4.595 fines (PCNs) raising £333,295 for the Council. The Council say:
“Our reason for enforcing this box junction is that there is consistently high levels of non-compliance with the moving traffic regulations at this location (i.e. vehicles stopping on the box junction). Vehicles stopping on box junctions can be hazardous, causes congestion, and increases journey time across London. Our goal is to reduce said non-compliance and the only effective tool we have at our disposal is traffic enforcement cameras. In the previous financial year, 2017/18, there were 6,416 PCNs issued to motorists at the junction. This drop in PCN volumes by approximately a third, when considering how busy this particular stretch of road is, implies that the strategy is having some effect on non-compliance at the location.”
Jermyn Street
A missing street sign has been replaced on Jermyn Street after this was not picked up on Report It. Another street sign has also been replaced in Victoria Street outside the Duke of York pub.
Vine Street
Vic Keegan writes about ‘the medieval city of vineyards’
https://www.onlondon.co.uk/vic-keegans-lost-london-159-the-medieval-city-of-vineyards/
Grosvenor Square
The Grosvenor Estate has announced new proposals for Grosvenor Square “to transform it into a thriving place for people and nature” https://grosvenorsquare.org
Holcroft Court
We are continuing to assist tenants and leaseholders in Holcroft Court with various issues and concerns.