CHURCH STREET WARD LABOUR ACTION REPORT – March 2022
News from your Church Street Labour Councillors Aicha Less, Matt Noble and Aziz Toki
Westminster City Council Elections – 5th May 2022
You can read our Manifesto here https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/manifesto-labours-plan-for-a-fairer-westminster/
Edgware Road
Councillor Aicha Less has urged the Council to deal with the daily dumping of rubbish in the same spot, day and night outside 432 Edgware Road. Aicha says, “this has become an eyesore to everyone that lives, works or passes another failed mound.”
Lisson Green
Two community projects around Lisson Green came together for a dinner party with music at St Paul’s Church, Marylebone on the evening of 2 March. The Lisson Green Over 50s Club and FoodCycle Marylebone joined forces for the evening, attended by more than 60 people. Councillor Aziz Toki came along to launch the joint event, which was his brainchild, encouraged by members of the community who participate in both groups.
Bell Street
Church Street resident Murad Qureshi writes about the need to improve Bell Street shopfronts
https://muradqureshi.com/bell-street-shop-fronts-need-sorting-out/
Church Street regeneration
For the latest news on the Church Street plans go to https://churchstreet.org/
£6 million Marble Arch Mound
The scale of Boris Johnson’s Westminster Conservatives’ £6m Marble Arch Mound financial mismanagement has now come into sharp focus as Westminster Council unveils its budget for the next financial year. As a result of the Conservatives’ financial blunders:
- Council rents are going up £5 a week, bringing in £3m extra income.
- Parking charges are going up, too, raising £1m extra income.
- Adult Social Services are being cut by £500,000 and
- Mayfair Library is under threat of closure to save £200,000 a year in rent.
Advice surgery details for your Church Street ward Councillors
Do you have an issue or concern that we 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
Other Issues
Ukraine Appeal
We are standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine in their hour of need. You can support them in their struggle against Putin’s invasion here
https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Council Tax
We voted for No Increase in Council Tax at last week’s Council meeting.
We are 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.
Council Rents
We called on the Council to freeze Council rents. The Council budget included a Consumer Price Index inflation plus 1% rise in rents for council flats, shops, and other commercial properties owned by Westminster’s Housing Department. That’s the maximum rise local authorities are allowed to impose and works out an average increase of £5 a week.
Energy bills
We have called for local action to help with energy bills.
Air pollution
Under a recent Freedom of Information request, we uncovered that Westminster Council has issued just 1 fine for every 1,112 reports of unnecessary engine idling since 2017. Over the 5-year period, over 70,000 incidents were reported to the Council, but a mere 63 fines were handed out and only 34 were actually paid.
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.
Handyperson service
Westminster residents aged over 60, or in receipt of disability benefit, can request free help from a handyperson. The service covers minor works to a home such as replacing light bulbs and other small DIY jobs. It does not cover gardening, plumbing or decorating, and it is not an emergency service. Please see the following link for details https://www.westminster.gov.uk/handyperson
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
Cargo bikes survey
The Council is asking Westminster businesses and residents to complete a 10-minute survey about using cargo bike services, such as deliveries, and household cargo bike use such as bringing home the weekly food shopping or moving large items (furniture etc). There’s a prize draw and responses will help shape future cargo bike projects.
Resident Survey:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CargoBikeRes
Business Survey:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CargoBikeBiz
‘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
Recycling small electrical appliances
Any household electrical and electronic item that operates on a battery or has a plug and is smaller than 60cm in length and under 30cm in width and height, can be put in an on-street small electrical appliances recycling bin. For details of locations see https://www.westminster.gov.uk/recycling-and-rubbish/reusing-and-other-recycling-services/how-recycle-electrical-appliances/small-electrical-appliances
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
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