Here’s our latest Action Report with updates about what Labour-run Westminster Council is doing to support residents as well as news about Harrow Road Ward.
We’re your local Labour Action Team – Councillor Concia Albert, Councillor Ruth Buth and Regan Hook. Get in touch:
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By-election on Thursday 19th September 2024 to elect a new Councillor to replace Tim Roca who has been elected as MP for Macclesfield. Congratulations Tim!
Your Labour Candidate Is Regan Hook. Regan has lived in the Harrow Road Ward for 28 years. Her background is in marketing and communications, including working for the national charity Crimestoppers, where she managed campaigns across London covering anti-social behaviour, fraud, theft and violence against women and girls. She has also held senior marketing roles at BT and the BBC. Regan has always fought for social justice and she will now bring all that commitment and experience to stand as a Councillor in a ward that is no longer underfunded as in previous Conservative Administrations.
Please Vote For Regan Hook on September 19th – don’t forget to bring your photo ID and note that the polling station that is normally at St Peter’s School will be moved for this by-election to St Peter’s Church.
Serious Incident On Bravington Road
We are deeply saddened by the news that a young man has lost his life in a shooting in nearby Queen’s Park Ward. We know that this horrendous crime has not only devastated his family but has brought huge sadness and fear to the local community and to everyone who knew him. We are working with Council officers to provide support to those affected. Please find a letter from our MP Georgia Gould and Queen’s Park Councillors here.
Maida Hill Market
The Council has invested in improving Maida Hill Market Square to make it a welcoming space for everyone. The scheme is underway and will deliver a cycle route from Elgin Avenue to Walterton Road, new areas of planting including trees, an improved sustainable drainage system, new toilet facilities, improved lighting, new seating, and new market pitches with electric connections. A programme of Council-funded community events will also follow. Find out more.
New Cycle Hangars In Fordingley Road
Residents in Harrow Road Ward will get two new cycle hangars in Fordingley Road as part of the Council’s roll-out of 17 new cycle hangars across Westminster. The new hangars will be installed starting at the end of September. Westminster currently has 235 secure cycle storage hangars offering a total of 1,446 spaces for residents. Location surveys have been completed for a further 15 locations, and design drawings are currently in development. Find out more.
New Bins For Harrow Road
Following many residents contacting us about the need for measures to decrease litter on the streets and dumping, and a successful trial of new waste and recycling bins in surrounding wards, we are pleased to say that the Council is introducing new recycling and rubbish bins for eligible properties in Harrow Road ward.
Between the end of July and October 2024, residents of suitable properties will receive two 110-litre bins: a blue bin for mixed recycling (paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and pots, glass bottles and jars, metal tins/cans, cartons, and aerosols) and a black bin for household rubbish. Find out more here.
Support For Those in Financial Difficulty
Emmanuel Food Pantry and WECH Foodbank are two initiatives to help local people who are struggling to afford food. Find out more about support with food here. A new Clothes Bank has also been launched by WECH – find out more
Tamplin Mews Gardens
Some of the play equipment in Tamplin Mews has been updated as some of the ropes were becoming threadbare. The Recycling Day at Tamplin Mews was very successful. Residents were able to bring items to be recycled or to swap them with items they needed.
The WECH community festival was also a great success.
Lydford Estate
Ruth and Concia and LETRA (The Lydford Estate Residents Association) did an estate walkabout with Westminster Council’s North Westminster Housing Team and the Housing Maintenance Team to pick up residents’ issues. Some play equipment on the Lydford Estate playground has been updated including a new seesaw and a new hanging ladder.
Chippenham Mews Barbecue
The Chippenham Mews Barbeque was really fun again this year, bringing neighbours together for a lovely day.
Learning Disability Hub
Labour-run Westminster Council has awarded The Community Hub on 389A Harrow Road new funding to support more people with autism and learning disabilities. The funding is from Westminster Council’s Fairer Westminster Investment Programme and it is to provide workshops, activities and advice. With this funding, the hub will be able to run events in the evenings and weekends as well as on weekdays during the day.
The focus of the hub is on people with learning disabilities and autism who don’t qualify for statutory support, as they are a group who are often left to do tasks they find challenging on their own. They face challenges with physical and mental health, social isolation and are the victims of crime. LDN’s Community Hub will now have the capacity to support more people with autism with this programme. It will be recruiting new team members, including two apprentices who have learning disabilities and autism. The charity will also employ two intensive community outreach workers to give up to 25 hours one-to-one help to those who need extra support and employ a community engagement worker who specialises in supporting people with autism. If you would like to find out more about The Hub, visit Learning Disability Network London’s website: https://www.ldnlondon.org/
Harrow Road High Street Improvements
We want to support a thriving high street on The Harrow Road. A shopfront improvement programme starts this Autumn and we’re offering visual merchandise and business resilience training to the traders. Find out more
Ernest Harriss House Community Hub
Works have begun to bring the basement/ ground floor area of Ernest Harriss House back into community use. Works are expected be completed by January 2025 when an interim community programme with services for the local community will begin, with the full launch of the community hub expected in 2025.
Council Investment In North Paddington
Labour-run Westminster Council has set up The North Paddington Programme – a new £20m investment working with local organisations to kick off projects to help our residents become healthier, safer, and more financially secure. This includes a dedicated community development worker based on Maida Hill Market, extra resources in local schools which focus on early intervention to deter crime and exploitation, support for market traders and work with Housing Associations to make their properties warmer and cheaper to heat. Find out more
Building New Council Housing
Our Labour-run Council is working hard to build social housing in Westminster. The 300 Harrow Road scheme completed in winter 2023. 77 homes are designated for social rent and 35 at London Living Rent levels, making this scheme 100% affordable homes for the community. The development will also include a nursery, a community space, an enterprise space, a cafe and more green space. The Council is consulting on building more affordable housing at 292 Harrow Road. Find out more
Improvements To The Canal
The Council is starting construction on projects to improve Harrow Road canalside in the Autumn and are consulting on five new canalside projects too. Find out more
Crime and Safety
We continue to work with residents concerned about crime and anti-social behaviour and have a plan for new CCTV as it’s rolled out over the coming months, Labour delivers a new ASB and crime CCTV network for Westminster – Westminster Labour Councillors – Westminster Labour and New CCTV network to tackle antisocial behaviour | Westminster City Council)
We are aware of the following local issues are working to make sure they are resolved by the Council:
- Broken swing at Tamplin Mews Gardens
- Fly-tipping at Hormead Road Recycling Centre
- Graffiti on Marylands Road near Goldney Road
- Incorrect signage on Thorngate Road
- Issues with number 18 bus reliability
- Pavement repairs needed outside Blakes/KFC on Harrow Road
Useful Contacts
- If you feel as though you or someone you know is struggling to cope for any reason please call the Samaritans 24/7 helpline on 116 123. If you would rather speak to someone over text, text “SHOUT” to 85258 for free, confidential, 24/7 support. In an emergency, call 999.
- Emanuel Pantry, Harrow Road
- For a small weekly subscription of £5.00, members of Emmanuel Pantry – Harrow Road will be able to purchase a weekly food shop including fresh fruit and vegetables and family favourites to stock up the cupboard and fridge. The address is: Emmanuel Church, 389E Harrow Road, London, W9 3NA. Opening times are: Friday: 2.00pm – 5.00pm. Phone: 07818 118685, Email: emmanuelpantry@yahoo.com
- Paddington Law Centre, Address: 421 Harrow Rd, London W10 4RE, Phone: 020 8960 3155. Provides free, specialist legal advice, casework and advocacy, in the areas of housing, welfare benefits and employment law. We help vulnerable people increase their income, address homelessness and improve their working conditions.
- The Angelou Partnership helps women & girls affected by domestic violence & abuse. Call free & confidentially on: 0808 801 0660 (Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm, Wed 6pm – 9pm.)Translators available. Or call 0208 741 7008 (Mon – Fri 10am – 6pm, Thurs 10am – 9pm) Translators available.
- If you or anyone you know are experiencing domestic abuse contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline by calling 0800 2000 247. In an emergency, call 999.
- Age UK Westminster for people over 50 for shopping service, and other support. Call 020 3004 5610 (10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday). Email: enquiries@ageukwestminster.org.uk
- Westminster Citizen’s Advice Bureau provide information, advice and support covering areas such as welfare benefits, housing and financial hardship. Call 0808 278 7834 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)
- Asylum Aid for migrants and asylum seekers – call 020 3004 5610, or E-mail: enquiries@ageukwestminster.org.uk
- Community Living Well for all Westminster residents – call 020 3317 4200 (Wellbeing services including benefits, debt and employment advice)
- Shelter Westminster for people with housing difficulties – call 0344 515 1540 between the hours of 9:30am – 6:00pm, Monday to Friday
- Cardinal Hume Centre The Cardinal Hume Centre supports families and young people facing poverty and homelessness by helping them to thrive – Call between 09:30 and 13:30, Mon-Fri on 0207 227 1673 or email info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk
- Queen’s Park Children’s Centre provides a range of activities for children and their parents or carers including drop-in play, baby classes and workshops. Find out more here. Phone 020 7641 5838.
- The Passage, for people who are homeless – call 020 7592 1850 or email clients@passage.org.uk (open Monday – Friday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 3:30pm)
- Carers Network for unpaid carers – call 020 8960 3033, Monday to friday 9am – 5pm or email info@carers-network.org.uk
- Nucleus Legal and Debt Advice Service – Call between 10am – 4pm Mon-Fri on 020 7373 4005 or email info@nucleus.org.uk
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Promoted by Rhys Thomas on behalf of Regan Hook both at 4G Shirland Mews, London, W9 3DY.