June Action Report

We are delighted to be providing our first update to you as your newly elected Labour Action Teams for Lancaster Gate and Bayswater.

Queensway Post Office Saved

As many residents will know, the previous administration approved the demolition of the Queensway Post Office as part of redevelopment works on the high street. Since then, your Labour Action Team, along with your Labour MP Karen Buck, have been working tirelessly to secure a new site for the Post Office to protect this vital service for residents.

We are pleased to say that, within weeks of Labour taking over Westminster City Council, a new provisional site for the Post Office has been agreed and once approved, formal communications will be issued to residents.

If you know of anyone else who might like to receive this report, please send them this sign-up link: https://bit.ly/WestminsterLocalNews

NEWS, CASEWORK AND ACTION

Need help with a local issue? Simply reply to this email.

We were delighted to be part of Bayswater’s Jubliee celebrations last weekend! Huge thanks to residents in Westbourne Park Villas, Caroline Place, Bark Place and Needham Road for inviting and hosting us.

BAYSWATER

Westbourne Park Road

Working with Karen Buck’s office we have helped a family living in a Notting Hill Genesis property, which is damp as a result of a leak, to secure a permanent decant to another property in the area. We are now awaiting an update from NHG on when the new property will be available for the family to move into, and when work will be undertaken in the existing property to ensure this doesn’t happen again to a future tenant.
Another resident was in touch with us about an incomplete bulky waste removal job: “The removal men left the television outside of my house and told me someone else would come to collect it later that same day. No one came to do this and it is causing an obstruction…This morning I rang Veolia who told me the job had been completed and that there was no appointment arranged for the collection of the television.”

We raised this with the relevant council officers who said: “We’re sorry you had this problem with your bulky collection. I’ve just received a call from our streets team and they have removed the TV from outside the property.“

Northumberland Place

We are in contact with the relevant council officers about the Northumberland Place Play Street consultation, which a number of residents have been in touch about. We will be asking a number of questions of the officers, including why a change to make the street one-way has been included within the Play Street proposal.

Whiteleys

We received the following from a Bayswater resident:

“I was surprised to see on The Whiteley’s most recent brochure posted to the local Bayswater residents that not one of the seven mature trees that were felled for the construction of The Whiteley is included in the mockup photographs of the finished Whiteleys building. Is this an oversight or does it reflect what is to come?”

We have asked the developer’s agents to clarify the situation.

Newton Road

We are helping a Notting Hill Genesis tenant to get a transfer from their current flat due to high levels of noise and the stress this is causing.

Gloucester Terrace

We are helping a Notting Hill Genesis tenant remove debris from their building and have essential repairs re-done following a poor job. Another resident asked us for information about the construction date and material of their building for insurance purposes, which we obtained for the resident from council officers.

Colonnades

We are working with residents in the Colonnades to ensure that deliveries do not breach the terms of use at the Waitrose service yard and don’t continue to cause unnecessary and excessive noise.

Porchester Leisure Centre

We have received the following update from council officers regarding the work needed to stop water ingress which has taken the studio out of action at Porchester Leisure Centre:

“A survey of the underground drainage was completed recently and the results of that will enable our consultants to complete the scope of works and programme by the end of this week. Once we have this programme, we will be able to communicate timescales for completion of the work more accurately. I will get back to you with this programme.”

Porchester Square

We are working with a leaseholder and council officers to try to broker a temporary move to appropriate accommodation to enable the council to carry out essential repairs, following a leak.

Playground at Porchester Square 

A resident told us:

“Could I also ask for your help to get the council to fix the playground gate? It should have an auto close mechanism but it isn’t working and the gate is constantly open so children run/walk out of the playground easily. I believe it should be fixed. It’s been broken for a long time.”

Council officers have told us: “Our contractor has been to Porchester Square for the playground gate. They dismantled the gate cleaned up everything and tried adjusting the closing mechanism, but unfortunately it is not responding and needs new parts. The parts are currently 4 week lead-in. Hopefully the parts will come sooner but I will keep you updated.”

Porchester Road

We raised the condition of the zebra crossings on Porchester Road near Royal Oak station, which were badly worn, with the highways team.

A resident told us: “I don’t feel safe crossing here, I’m never sure if cars are going to stop.”

The crossings have since been refreshed along with the zig-zags and cycle marking.

Burnham Court

We are supporting residents opposed to the construction of a phone mast on the roof of Burnham Court. Max has submitted an objection to the application on the basis that it does not consider other possible locations, including non-residential buildings like the Telephone Exchange building also on Moscow Road.

Monmouth Road

We were asked by Monmouth Road residents to review a planning application on the street. After completing a site visit, Maggie lodged a comment on the application, giving her view that the additional storey and mansard would be out of proportion with the streetscape, and result in loss of daylight and privacy for some of the adjoining properties.

Ledbury Road

A resident told us: “Ledbury Road coming from Westbourne Park Road should be a 1 way system as it creates so much drama every day.”

We have raised this with the Highways team who will review and respond to the proposal.

Westbourne Grove

A resident told us: “I am living in constant dark, due to these huge trees in front of my flat. I have to have the light on the whole day. My electricity bill is very high, especially now with the increase. Nobody should be deprived from the natural light. They should be trimmed every year. As a result, I am suffering from depression.” We have asked the council’s Arboricultural Team to look into this.

Waitrose Bishops Bridge Road

We’ve asked the local police team and City Inspectors to target this location. A resident said:

“We are having a real issue with beggars and rough sleepers outside the shop, the situation is getting worse. They are harrassing staff and customers, in some cases they are physically/vocally abusive and theft is an issue for the store. Local residents are complaining to me. If they are on my property, I can ask them to move/leave but if they are on the street, there is nothing more I can do to help. I would really appreciate if any action can be taken please, as it’s becoming very distressing for us all. I personally do not feel safe leaving the branch with them sat outside.” We met with police officers this week to stress our concerns about these developments.

LANCASTER GATE

Your Labour Lancaster Gate councillors will be taking up roles in the Council Cabinet, with Cllr Ormsby having been appointed as Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, as well as Armed Forces Champion, and Cllr Jude as Deputy Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Biodiversity. Please do reach out to us on these areas, if of interest.

Craven Hill Gardens

We are working with the council legal team and the owners, British Land, to resolve the long-standing issue of access to Craven Hill Gardens for residents. As candidates, and now as councillors, we have lobbied the owners for a better deal for residents. On current projections the cost of garden access is set to half for individual residents after this continued campaign.

Craven Road Repairs 

We are working with residents to try and alleviate the disruption from the stationary Thames Water truck. We understand the repairs required are substantial and the truck will have to remain in post until the end of June.

Crastock Court, Queens Gardens 

We have been working with the City Inspector and Environmental Health Team to monitor noisy building works within the residential block of Crastock Court to alleviate the disruption for residents.

Cleveland Square 

We have asked the relevant council officers to respond to multiple requests around flooding, including around the relief/attenuation tank constructed in the north of Hallfield Estate, regarding its performance during the flood last July. We have also asked if more details are available to explain the causes of the floods, to help residents think about preventative measures in the future.

Eastbourne Terrace bins

Following a complaint by a resident, we requested that the council install an additional bin next to the seats around 20 metres away from bus stop E. The council has installed the additional litter bin here, and the local depot will monitor this section and schedule deep cleaning here for early July. This will help ensure the street remains clean with the expected increase in passengers following the Elizabeth Line opening.

Chilworth Mews and 40-50 Eastbourne Terrace

We continue to support residents of Chilworth Mews with various ongoing issues around the Eastbourne Terrace developments. These include ongoing noise issues from the developments, the anticipated impact of frequent HGV deliveries and lack of mitigation, the narrowing of the south end of Chilworth Mews, and more. We will be attending a meeting with the developers, arranged by the residents, to try and make progress on these points. We are also following up with the relevant council team on the noise complaints.

Hallfield Estate

We have been working with numerous residents who are seeking repairs on their properties, as well as supporting several residents who are seeking a transfer into a more suitable property. Investment in the Hallfield Estate, and social housing more broadly, is one of our top priorities for the ward and we will continue to work on individual cases while the funds for this are prioritised.

Brewers’ Court

We have been supporting a resident who has been offered unsuitable new accommodation. We successfully forced the council to withdraw the unsuitable housing offer and keep the residents on the transfer waiting list.

Praed Street

We are exploring solutions to end the use of Praed Street as an informal taxi rank, leading to excessive engine idling. We have asked the council to not only consider near-term measures to combat this, but also to re-explore longer term measures such as the Eastbound Cycleway. We will update residents on this as it progresses.

Queens Gardens

We are looking into residents’ concerns that the Inhabit Queens Gardens Hotel may now be using an emergency exit as a public entrance on Queens Gardens. We have asked the council to clarify if the correct processes have been followed here, and if additional planning approval is required.

Craven Hill Gardens, Abandoned Vehicle

We asked the Parking Services team to investigate complaints of an abandoned vehicle on Craven Hill Gardens. The council responded:

“Upon review, the existence of a valid Road Tax and MOT prevents the Council from legally pursuing this vehicle as being abandoned by its owner. Whilst the appearance and reported condition of the van may give reason for residents, or members of the public, to raise queries, the valid MOT means there is sufficient evidence to suggest the vehicle is road worthy.”

We will continue to monitor this situation.

Notting Hill Genesis 

We have pressed Notting Hill Genesis to provide additional support to a resident who had not previously received adequate information regarding payment of their utility bills while living in temporary accommodation.

Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime

Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Lancaster Gate is one of our key priorities. We attended your Safer Neighbourhoods Panel meeting last month to hear the concerns of residents and spent the afternoon with your local ward officers identifying crime hotspots. We’ve also been supporting residents who have been suffering with anti-social behaviour near Riven and Inver Court.

EV Charging Bays

Residents have raised concerns that lamp post electric charging bays are being blocked by petrol and diesel vehicles, meaning they cannot be used to charge electric vehicles. The council informed us:

“As we needed to balance the demand for parking by users of all vehicle types we previously didn’t want to restrict non-EV use at a time when EV take-up was low. However, with the exponential growth of EV ownership, we have looked at a trial to improve the access to the chargers.

We have just finished a citywide consultation on the rollout of a set of trial dedicated bays across the City. This will see the dedicating of bays alongside 410 lamp column charge points throughout the City.”

WHAT YOU SAY

• “Thanks so much, Councillor Carman! I always appreciate your help so much!”
• “Dear Ms Carman, just wanted to send my best wishes to you and your triumphant team. I have always been so impressed with all the work I read about in your newsletter. Good luck with it all.”
• “Mightily impressed with your attention to my concerns… this level of service is on another planet when compared to the previous incumbents.”
• “Just a note to say thank you for providing me with the information I needed.”
• “Thank you so much for coming over for a site visit – it was a pleasure to meet you today.”
• “Thank you for your help and immediate responses as a new councillor you are doing an amazing job.”
• “I am impressed and reassured by your hard work and dedication.”
• “Many congratulations for your re/election and Labour’s success in Westminster’s last local elections and, Maggie, thank you for all your hard work in the last years. I am so relieved and pleased to finally have leaders that care about the larger community and the environment rather than about their immediate interests. What a breath of fresh air!”

GENERAL UPDATES

Ward Surgeries
No appointment necessary
Lancaster Gate

• Every 1st Saturday of the month 11am-12:30am – Pickering House, Hallfield Estate
• Every 3rd Saturday of the month 11am-12:30am – Italian Gardens Cafe, Kensington Gardens

Bayswater

• 1st & 3rd Saturday each month, 2pm to 3.30pm, Paddington Library, 45 Porchester Road, W2 5DU

Clean Air Bayswater Launch Event
We are delighted to announce the launch of Clean Air Bayswater and we would like to invite you to our launch event on Wednesday 15 June 7-8pm at St Stephen’s Church, Westbourne Park Road, featuring key speaker Dr Gary Fuller, Lecturer in Pollution at Imperial College London, who will tell us more about air pollution, how we can minimise our exposure and take questions.

Clean Air Bayswater is a community group supported by the Breathe London programme run by Imperial College and by Westminster City Council. They aims to improve our health, well-being and the air we breathe by encouraging some simple steps to reduce air pollution in our area and have some fun in the process. Find out more on their website or sign up to their mailing list.

Request Maintenance
Do you know a road, pavement, drain or street light that’s in need of repair? You can nominate any of the above to be included in the council’s 2023/2024 maintenance program using this online form.

Ward budget applications
Applications are now open to organisations and clubs to apply for project funding which benefits local residents. If you would like to apply for ward funding for a project but don’t know where to start, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to assist you with your application.

Request secure bicycle storage
The new administration is committed to speeding up the roll-out of secure cycle storage in Westminster. Please register your interest here.

Support Ukrainian Refugees
Local volunteers in Lancaster Gate are collecting donations for new Ukrainian refugee arrivals in London to buy essentials (groceries, mobile data, Oyster cards etc.). If you are willing and able to donate, please contact Nicola Spurr at nicki.spurr@gmail.com.