CHURCH STREET WARD LABOUR ACTION REPORT – January 2022
News from your Church Street Labour Councillors Aicha Less, Matt Noble and Aziz Toki
Church Street Regeneration
There is still time to submit your comments on the Council’s planning application for the redevelopment of Sites A, B and C in the Church Street Master Plan. Comments can be registered online up until the application is heard in front of the planning committee, but it is better not to wait until the last minute!
To make your representation go to https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/ and type 21/08160/COOUT into the search box. If you do not have or don’t want to register to comment you can email NorthPlanningTeam@westminster.gov.uk.
There are already lots of objections, which we feel sums up the general mood of residents and the local amenity groups. The buildings are too tall, the library is too small and there is not enough genuinely affordable housing. The more people who comment, the harder it will be for the Council to continue to claim their plans have local support.
Paddington Green Police Station
The Mayor of London has called in Berkeley Homes’ plans to build new homes, including 38% on-site affordable at the former Paddington Green Police Station. This follows Westminster City Council’s decision to refuse the application earlier in the year. The Mayor will now become the local planning authority for this application.
Laying out the reasons for the intervention, Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe queried the councils record on delivering affordable housing stating “that while Westminster Council has taken a positive approach to delivering new homes in the borough during the last five years, the proportion of affordable housing secured relative to the overall housing consented during the period is significantly below Westminster’s Local Plan target of 35% and represents a significant undersupply of affordable housing in the pipeline”.
Harrow Road/Edgware Road
We have asked Transport for London when the abandoned and derelict pedestrian underpass at the junction of Harrow Road and Edgware Road will be filled in so that the current eyesore is removed.
Anti-Social Behaviour
Speaking at this week’s Council Meeting, Church Street Councillors Aisha Less and Matt Noble made a plea for strong action to tackle anti-social behaviour.
£6 Million Marble Arch Mound
The Marble Arch Mound is finally coming down!
The Marble Arch Mound cost £6 million – three times the original budget – and entry up the Mound has been free since it opened as the Council had to scrap the plan to charge visitors because of the very poor reaction to the promised ‘spectacular views’ that never materialised.
UPDATE – The Council Officer responsible for the £6 million Marble Arch Mound fiasco was Westminster Council’s highest paid employee at £220,000 a year. You can read more here
Council Tax
We have called for No Rise in Council Tax until at least 2024. As residents face a challenging winter with rising prices and energy bills, they want to know that they aren’t going to have any nasty surprises in the spring in when it comes to Council Tax.
Labour Councillors will vote against any increase in Council Tax until at least 2024 to try to help residents through these difficult times. We think that at the very least Council Tax should be frozen at its current rate, while further efforts are made to protect those on low incomes.
Green New Deal for Westminster
We have launched a Green New Deal for Westminster which sets out a clear, ambitious agenda to achieve the change we desperately need. Key measures include:
- Appointing a Cabinet Member with responsibility for climate action. This will be pivotal to driving change from day one of a Labour Council.
- Implementing a Net Zero Test for all decisions to assess the climate impact of decisions made, and a sustainable approach to procurement.
- Seeking to refurbish first rather than demolish, putting real emissions standards on all developments, and retrofitting our existing housing.
- Driving a green recovery and a just transition, with a Local Climate Bond for investments in our neighbourhoods, a focus on green jobs, and training available to all.
- Starting recovery in the streets, with a commitment to 15-minute neighbourhoods, new tree planting, and high streets that attract customers with active travel infrastructure.
In the spirit of working collaboratively with others we are keen to hear from residents, experts, and other stakeholders about how to develop and build on this plan. So please do get in touch with us to share your thoughts.
Voting by post
It is much easier, quicker and safer to vote by post.
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.
Electric Car charging points
Charging points have been installed in lamp columns across the area and you can register your interest in having a lamp post charger installed near you by completing the form below. You can also register an interest in having stand-alone charging posts installed in your local area.
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/request-vehicle-charging-point
‘Westminster Extra’
You can read the ‘Westminster Extra’ onlinehttps://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 10 days 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 rubbish dumping, graffiti, broken street lights and more at https://www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it
Coronavirus (Covid-19) UPDATE
Interactive Map
You can see the latest data for your area here
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map
Westminster Connects COVID-19 phone line – 020 7641 1222
Contact and surgery details for your Church Street ward Councillors
Do you have an issue or concern that your local Councillors can help you with? Speak to us in person at our one of our drop-in advice surgeries held every Tuesday, between 5.30pm to 6.30pm at Church Street Library, 67 Church St, London, NW8 8EU. Please note that these surgeries are held on a rota basis and we kindly ask you to book an appointment in advance on the number or any of the email addresses below.
Contact us anytime via our support office on: 020 7641 4299, or email us: aless@westminster.gov.uk, mnoble@westminster.gov.uk & atoki@westminster.gov.uk
Please let us know if we can be of help or assistance on any local issues.
If you know of anyone else who might like to receive this report, please send them this sign-up link https://bit.ly/labour-news
Keep well, take care and look after yourself and your neighbours in these difficult times.
Regards
Councillors Aicha Less, Matt Noble and Aziz Toki
Your Church Street Labour Councillors – Here to Help, All Year Round
aless@westminster.gov.uk
mnoble@westminster.gov.uk
atoki@westminster.gov.uk