Maida Vale & Little Venice Labour Action Report – May 2021

21st May, 2021

Councillors Rita Begum, Geoff Barraclough and Nafsika Butler Thalassis (pictured pre-covid)

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MAIDA VALE & LITTLE VENICE LABOUR ACTION REPORT – May 2021

News from Maida Vale Councillors Rita Begum, Geoff Barraclough and Nafsika Butler-Thalassis

And the Little Venice Labour Action Team – Iman Less, Murad Qureshi and Sue Wolff

Dear Resident

We hope you are well.

With the number of people getting vaccinated increasing every day and the number of people testing positive for coronavirus decreasing, we hope that we will soon be through the pandemic. Along with Karen Buck MP, we are doing all we can to help the local community and individual residents and their families.

Below are some of the local issues we have been taking up recently, many as a result of residents’ responses to our regular newsletters. Let us know if we can take up a local issue in the area. You can read our latest news on http://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/

Please let us know if we can be of help or assistance on any local issues.

Please feel free to pass this report on to any of your neighbours who may be interested. If you know of anyone else who might like to receive this report, please send them this sign-up link http://bit.ly/signuplabnews

SURVEY OF RESIDENTS’ VIEWS

We want to know what you think the Council’s priorities should be over the coming years. Please let us know by completing this short survey so we can take action on your priorities. Thank you

https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90333853/Westminster-Labour-Survey

WARD NEWS AND ACTION

Wymering Mansions

We have welcomed the decision of Westminster Planning Committee to refuse permission for a basement conversion at Wymering Mansions.

The new flat proposed for undeveloped storage units and a “crawl space” beneath the block would have had low ceilings, little natural light and no access for wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Worse, the new flat would only be accessible via a 50m walk through a narrow gate and through the garden at the rear of the block. The London Fire Brigade objected saying the challenging location would delay attendance if the flat caught fire.

Residents say: “You have been great at dealing with all of this, so responsive and helpful! You did a great job helping all of us. We were terrified but we feel so relieved now! I can continue with my life and sleep again. And we are glad that we have such a great person in Maida Vale as a councillor!”

Castellain Parade

We have reported this issue to the Refuse Team:

“This morning, as other mornings there was a rubbish dump at Castellain Parade outside the shops next to the waste bin. It is clear to me that residents of Castellain Mansions and the some of the shops are using the presence of a waste bin to mean they can dump their rubbish there.

The bags were ripped open this morning (likely by foxes) and the letters on the street were addressed to someone in Castellain Mansions. As I was taking pictures one of the shop staff also added to the dump with their black bin, and refused to remove it.”

Kilburn Park Road/Shirland Road pedestrian crossing

We have asked the Road Safety Team to investigate this issue with a view to introducing measures to improve pedestrian safety at the pedestrian crossing:

“Incidents both yesterday and today have woken me up to the fact that this crossing is completely unsafe. I was almost hit crossing it yesterday, to the point that another driver confronted the car as he just wasn’t looking when he drove through the crossing. And today was particularly bad. A car turned in from Shirland Road on completely the wrong side of the road and almost hit a woman pushing a buggy with a small child in it. I think our screams were the only think that stopped the driver.

Cars often jump the queue at the traffic lights, drive down the wrong side of Shirland Road and then cut in at speed, and just don’t look. The other issue is that cars often pull onto the crossing and stop to turn right into Shirland Road, obscuring pedestrians who may be crossing. This route is also used by countless school children, so needs to be safer.”

Lauderdale Mansions West

The Planning Inspector will be ruling on an appeal by Park City Ltd (the freeholder) of Westminster Council’s decision to refuse permission for an additional storey on top of the block. We supported the over 200 residents that objected and Councillor Geoff Barraclough spoke against the proposals at Planning Committee.

Tollgate Gardens

We have been assisting a resident in Tollgate Gardens whose flat is infested with mould. This was causing health problems for the children. Westminster Housing has now cleaned the walls and will be installing a portable ventilation unit to help dry out the rooms. We will be monitoring progress to makes sure the accommodation is made fit for human habitation.

Kilburn High Road

We are working with local residents, Westminster Council and Grainger (who own the commercial units) to determine the exact space that is allocated to Milad supermarket and how this can be made clear to the shop and pedestrians alike.

Tennis in Paddington Recreation Ground

Residents have contacted us to say that it has become almost impossible to book a tennis court. Everyone Active responded to us that demand has been difficult to manage but they are thinking of ways to implement penalties when customers book courts but then don’t use them. They also expect capacity to increase when Covid restrictions are finally relaxed.

e-Scooters

We are still awaiting final confirmation about when Westminster Council will participate in TfL’s forthcoming e-Scooter pilot. This goes live on 7 June but Westminster will not be in the first wave of boroughs taking part in the scheme. Locally, we have been consulted on the location of e-scooter bays. In Maida Vale, these would be on Randolph Avenue (opposite Starbucks), on Kilburn Park Road near St Augustine’s School and at either end of Lauderdale Road.

Carlton Vale Resident Management Organisation (RMO)

We have met with the Carlton Vale RMO to discuss major works, notably window repairs and/or replacements. We will be working with council officers to see whether we can get firm dates for when these can begin.

Scottish Towers

Residents contacted us about anti-social behaviour from motorcyclists revving their engines in and around the Scottish Towers. We have asked the Maida Vale neighbourhood police to investigate.

Elgin Mews

We’re pleased that a fibre broadband company will be running its cables in Elgin Mews North and South from the end of June. This should resolve persistent issues with slow broadband which are very common in streets with cobbled roadways.

Drain Cleaning

Paddington Waterways asked Westminster Highways asked why parking had been suspended all around Maida Vale for drain cleaning works that didn’t happen. Highways responded:

“Unfortunately, FM Conway had a vehicle breakdown early last week which meant they were unable to attend Delaware Road, I understand that the parking suspensions here were not returned to service as they should have been and FM Conway have asked me to pass on their apologies for this oversight. I have again stressed the importance of this issue and asked for further toolbox talks to be carried out with gangs to ensure that bays are returned to service as required. I have also asked that they ensure ‘return to service’ stickers are readily available for all gangs to support this.

With regards Elgin Avenue due to access issues associated with non-compliance of parking suspensions the decision was taken to return the bays to service and attend other locations that didn’t require parking suspensions. They will be returning here later this month and additional bays will be suspended to assist with accessibility. I will also ask that they have the car-lifter on hand to try and assist as necessary.”

Widley Road

Residents complained to use that the owners of the garage had left the lights on. We reported this to the City Inspector and the lights were quickly turned off.

Shirland Road

We have objected to a planning application which would see the former “Arty Club” on Shirland Road turned into a residential flat. The landlord states that the unit is not viable as a retail outlet. This would be the second retail unit lost on this stretch of Shirland Road in less than a year and would cause irreparable damage to what’s left of this shopping parade.

Councillor Geoff Barraclough said:

“It’s not surprising the landlord cannot find a tenant in the middle of a pandemic, but Westminster Council shouldn’t be making long-term decisions about viability based on today’s very abnormal market for commercial space.”

“Longer term, secondary retail locations like Shirland Road can prosper with cafes, small business workspace, healthcare or dozens of other commercial uses which are valued by the community. Once repurposed as a (poor quality) flat, this retail space will be lost for ever.”

Guerilla Gardening

We have a number of residents who have either created small gardens in tree pits or who would like to. There are some great examples on Sutherland Avenue and Biddulph Road. Some have also begun to appear on Shirland Road. The gardens brighten up the street and show pride in the community. We think we should be encouraging residents to garden in the tree pits, subject to some sensible guidelines about trip hazards and so on.

We’ve had informal feedback from officers which has generally been positive, but we have now asked for a more official communication on how the Council can help residents with this voluntary initiative. The Council say:

“This has been discussed previously and from a highways inspections point of view, as long as the residents are not putting out any edging that constitutes a trip hazard or changing the level of the footway in any way then we would permit the planting of a small quantity of additional flowers/plants to add a more decorative element to their locations/streets.”

Former Paddington Green Police Station

A planning application has now been submitted and you can make comments on line at https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/ using reference 21/02193/FULL

Warrington Pub

We are taking up this issue with the Council:

“There are days when the building work is happening outside of the hours allowed. This can often be the case on many Saturdays. By the time I notify Westminster and get a call back enough time has elapsed (and hour or more) that the workers have left for the day. (Recent Saturday 2:15pm) This needs to be monitored by Westminster and not local residents.”

The Blue Lamp

Dave Hill writes about The Blue Lamp, the iconic 1950s film that was filmed in Paddington around the Grand Union Canal and Edgware Road.

https://www.onlondon.co.uk/the-london-of-the-blue-lamp-and-dixon-of-dock-green/

North Paddington Foodbank

If you can help the foodbank or are in need of emergency support please see the information here: https://www.npfoodbank.org.uk/

Paddington Waterways and Maida Vale Society

If you’re interested in the local area, please join PWMV. It publishes a regular newsletter and it’s free to join. https://w9w2.co.uk

Street Link

A resident has asked us to include Street Link’s details. He says, “I alerted Streetlink to a guy sleeping in the phone box outside the Warrington pub. Perhaps you could share the link in the newsletter?”

If you see anyone sleeping rough, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. You can contact us 24 hours a day, using our app for smart phones and website www.streetlink.org.uk.

Blood Donors

The NHS Blood and Transplant service is appealing for donations from people who have recovered from coronavirus to help save lives as London moves from “medium” to “high” alert. Donating blood plasma is a simple procedure and very similar to giving a normal blood donation but the red blood cells are returned to the patient and the process takes a little longer.

The nearest donor centre is at 26 Margaret Street, Fitzrovia, W1. Anyone who has had coronavirus, either a test result or the symptoms, can offer to donate by calling 0300 123 23 23 or visitinghttps://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk to arrange an appointment to donate.

Survey of Residents’ Views

We want to know what you think the Council’s priorities should be over the coming years. Please let us know by completing this short survey so we can take action on your priorities. Thank you

https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90333853/Westminster-Labour-Survey

Voting by post

It is much easier, quicker and safer to vote by post. With a postal vote you have two weeks to cast your vote and can vote at home.

You can use this form to apply for a postal vote

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/postal-vote-application-form.pdf

You can email your completed form to electoralservices@westminster.gov.uk or post it to Electoral Services, Westminster City Council, 14th Floor City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP.

‘Westminster Extra’

You can read the ‘Westminster Extra’ online https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=09649383-4dbb-4a3d-b164-9d26398578f3

Refuse collection and Recycling collection times

Recycling bags can be ordered from https://webforms.westminster.gov.uk/order-recycling-bags/

Bags will be delivered within approximately 48 hours of order.

You can check when refuse and recycling is collected from your street here http://transact.westminster.gov.uk/env/streetsearch.aspx

The doorstep recycling service concentrates on the recyclable materials most commonly produced by houses so that these can be easily separated into the different material types. The link below summarises what can be put in recycling bags

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/what-can-i-recycle-home#can-recycle

Lots of other materials can be recycled but not through the doorstep collection service. The A-Z list below gives details of what and where items can be recycled or re-used:

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/a-z-recycling

Report It

You can report dumped rubbish, broken street lights, graffiti and more using the Report It service https://www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it

Coronavirus (Covid-19) UPDATE

Dispelling the vaccination myths

Here is the link to a video featuring Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic celebrities dispelling myths about the vaccine and encouraging people to have the vaccination

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2Ald__AhbI

Interactive Map

You can see the latest data for your area here

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

Westminster Council’s advice and response website:
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-and-information

Westminster Mutual Aid Group

Westminster Mutual Aid is a group of local volunteers (Westminster Covid-19 Mutual Aid group) trying to help the local community. You can contact them at https://www.westminstermutualaid.co.uk

Beware the Coronavirus scammers

https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/westminster-news/2020/03/27/beware-the-coronavirus-scammers/

What you say

“Thanks as ever for the updates. Really great.”

“Thanks so much for this Action Report. It is reassuring to know the Labour Councillors have their eye on issues in the area.”

“Thank you for your intervention to get rid of this nuisance. Superbly effective”

Please let us know if we can be of help or assistance on any local issues.

Keep well, take care and look after yourselves and your neighbours.

Regards

Councillors Rita Begum, Geoff Barraclough and Nafsika Butler-Thalassis

Your Maida Vale Labour Councillors

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