News from your Westminster Labour Councillors

More Generous Repayment Plans For Council Leaseholders With Major Works Bills

Labour-led Westminster Council is introducing generous new payment options to ease pressure on Council leaseholders facing large bills for major works.

Resident leaseholders facing bills for major works of more than £30,000 will be able to benefit from an 8-year interest-free payment plan – one of the most generous in London. There is also the option of repaying over 13 years, with the first 8 years interest-free.In addition, the Discretionary and Voluntary service charge loans, available to leaseholders with bills of over £20,000, will now be interest-free for the first 8 years and will no longer depend on the applicant having to show they couldn’t secure financing elsewhere. For more information read here.

We are pleased that residents in the Hallfield will be able to benefit from this change after we pushed to ensure this was in place before Hallfield major works bills landed, following our support to delay repayments last year. We also ensured a drop-in session was held earlier this month for residents to attend to discuss their options. This help is top of the Carbon Offset Funding we previously secured to support leaseholders with the costs of the works.

Safe and Healthy Homes Campaign
We’re supporting Joe Powell MP’s Safe and Healthy Homes Campaign to improve housing quality and give residents a stronger voice in the decisions that affect their homes. Joe has secured concrete commitments from social housing landlords who collectively manage 70% of the social housing in his Kensington and Bayswater constituency.

Councillor Ryan Jude will not be standing again at the next local elections in 2026, as he will be moving back to be closer to his family in Greater Manchester next year. Ryan has made a huge impact as a ward Councillor in Lancaster Gate, and also as the Cabinet Member responsible for Climate, Ecology, Culture and Libraries across Westminster. A massive thanks to Ryan for all the work he has delivered and will continue to do so over the next year. Click to contact Councillor Ryan Jude.

Councillor Ellie Ormsby, Connor Jones and Jenneba Sie-Jollah will be your Labour candidates in the 2026 local elections in Lancaster Gate ward. In the meantime, Connor and Jen will be joining Councillor Ryan Jude and Councillor Ellie Ormsby as your Lancaster Gate Action Team. Expect to see them on a doorstep near you soon! Click to contact Councillor Ellie Ormsby.

Message from Ryan Jude:
“It has been a privilege to serve as a Lancaster Gate Councillor since 2022. I want to thank every single resident who voted for me and Ellie to be your local Labour representatives, and everyone who has worked with us to improve Lancaster Gate. I am proud of the impact we have had locally, and I am pleased that wider council initiatives from the Labour administration, such as our CCTV network, free school meals for children, improvements to our housing service, and the increased focus on fighting the climate and ecological emergencies, will have long-term impacts for our residents. I look forward to continuing to fight for you all over the coming year, and supporting Ellie, Connor and Jen to be elected as your Labour councillors.”

Jenneba was born in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and has lived all her life in the area. She is a teacher and works in arts education and the heritage sector. She is committed to improving the lives of working people and those most vulnerable in our society. Aware also that a thriving, happy community serves all who live and work in it. She is interested in affordable housing, working with those who are unhoused (rough sleepers) and supporting young people who wish to remain living in the area.

Connor has lived in Lancaster Gate for the last 7 years. He works as a market researcher in his day job.  He has spent the last few years campaigning in the ward alongside the existing Labour Councillors and cares deeply about housing, green spaces and clean streets. He would love to represent his neighbours’ voices if elected as a Councillor.

NEWS, CASEWORK AND ACTION

LANCASTER GATE

Removal of Abandoned Van on Craven Hill Gardens 
We had been aware of an abandoned van on Craven Hill Gardens with international number plates that had become a hotspot for individuals rough sleeping. This caused problems for neighbouring residents who had to deal with litter and public urination from the inhabitants. We are pleased to say that earlier this month the van was removed by the Council.

Hallfield Parking
After our walkabout with Council officers, we uncovered that there were over 60 void parking spaces on the Hallfield which had not been allocated to residents, when there are over 150 residents on the waiting list. We urged officers to start to allocate these spaces to the residents who need them, and this process will be starting from this week. If you’re on the waiting list for a parking space, you should expect to hear shortly if you’ve been successful in being allocated a vacant space.

Extra Bins on Cleveland Square 
We have been pushing for an additional bin on the corner of Cleveland Square, given the continued issues with waste overflow. We are pleased to say that after our campaign, Highways have committed to removing a cycle hanger so an additional bin can be installed.

Craven Hill Gardens Cleaning 
Residents reported cleanliness issues near Craven Hill Gardens, due in part to tree pollen. Veolia, our street cleaning contractors, attended the site and identified some improvements which could be made, as well giving the area a thorough clean.

Bark Place
Residents have been in touch, concerned about cars speeding down Bark Place. We have been in discussions with highways officers to understand what options are available to us, including virtual cushions, highlighting of pedestrian desire lines near the school and looking at the junction with Moscow Road to see if the alignment could be improved for pedestrians. We will update residents in due course and encourage any resident impacted to reach out.

Westbourne Terrace Trees
We are aware that some of the walls on Westbourne Terrace have been damaged by tree roots. All of the walls and trees are privately owned, so the council’s enforcement powers has been limited. Nevertheless, we have been pushing for more robust enforcement action and will provide an update on action taken in our next newsletter.

Craven Terrace Schools Street 
The School Street provides a Pedestrian and Cycle Zone along Craven Terrace between its junction with Craven Hill and Brook Mews North and Lancaster Mews to tackle congestion and improve the environment for everyone walking and cycling around St James and St John’s Primary School. This has now been reinforced with enforcement CCTV cameras.

BAYSWATER

Your Bayswater Councillors – Max Sullivan, Maggie Carman and James Small-Edwards

Contact:

• Councillor Maggie Carman
• Councillor James Small-Edwards
• Councillor Max Sullivan

New CCTV!
We’re pleased that our requests for additional CCTV, informed by feedback from residents, have been approved for Bridstow Place and Westbourne Gardens, and the installation is being planned. Our cameras have a 360-degree field of view (with a portion obscured at the back where the lamp column is) with pan, tilt and zoom capabilities. We have raised several other possible locations with Council officers, and have requested that existing Met Police cameras in the area be accessible by the Council’s control room. A reminder of the announcement on a 200-strong CCTV network is here, and a list of the existing network is here.

Waitrose/Colonnades Rough Sleepers
A resident wrote: We have a new group of homeless people moved into the area between Waitrose and the Colonnades and down the corridor of Porchester Walk. This morning one of the ladies just squatted down in full public view and relieved herself outside the supermarket door. I will contact the Streetlink charity  to report the rough sleepers – but hope you might be able once again to get something done on behalf of the council.

We asked Council officers to look into this and received the following reply:
I have contacted ******, our Rough Sleeping Coordinator. The area has come to our attention before, and advice has been given to the landlords of Waitrose to seek legal advice to move on the rough sleepers.  I know ****** attends the area regularly. I will ask ****** to visit when he is next able to, to speak to Waitrose  management.

Tree Removed From Porchester Road
Several residents contacted us after a tree was removed from Porchester Road and the tree pit was covered with tarmac.  We received this explanation from the Council: The tree was removed because it had died and when we investigated the tree pit was found to be waterlogged.  This does happen sometimes and it means that the location is not viable for tree planting.  However, it would be viable for herbaceous plants.  The pit had been left open for a couple of weeks and barriered off which was unsightly and therefore the grille has been replaced pending a decision.

We have asked about the timeline and potential cost process for new greenery here.

Cock and Bottle Light Pollution
We have received complaints about the Cock and Bottle being brightly lit up several nights a week between the hours of 2am- 4am when the pub is closed.  Officers are speaking to the pub’s management about this.

Gloucester Terrace
Works to improve safety for pedestrians on Gloucester Terrace have now been completed. We think the new zebra crossings look great (see photos below!).

Gloucester Terrace Obstructive Cycle Parking
We have received complaints of bicycles being chained to railings and lamp columns, obstructing entrances and the public highway.

Please help us, Maggie!  Our neighbours are complaining to me every day that there are too many bikes on public pavements, causing hazards.  We need to get them all removed and they should be parked at the designated bike parking slots which are never too far.

We received the following response from WCC:
I have asked the team to investigate further, particularly the housing matter and obstruction issue.

St Petersburgh Place Planning Enforcement
We are liaising with the Planning Enforcement Team over issues including unauthorised change of use, change of windows, front garden being paved over, new gate fitted and air conditioning unit installed.

Dawson Place
A resident reported persistent rubbish dumping adjacent to her house on a strip of private land not covered by council waste collection. We received the following response:

As it’s immediately next to the pavement I’ve instructed Veolia to clear any bags from this forecourt when they are collecting from this street. I understand City Inspectors have already increased monitoring checks here to identify the regular ‘dumper.’

WHAT YOU SAY

Let me again thank you for your interventions in following up on this issue.

Ellie, good morning .. you never cease to amaze me .. thank you.

Thank you for your support. I am really glad to have you as our Councillor.

Just want to take this moment to thank you for your constant support and speedy replies. Really means so much to me. I feel like a small voice and no one is listening, knowing you are there gives me a little more strength to carry on in the complicated system. You are a credit to your Party.

Thank you Maggie for your help – I really appreciate it.

Thank you so much for your support in this matter.

It has been really heartening to see the support that you yourself and the City of Westminster Council has shown our school and our work in this space.  I’d like to say what a star you’ve been with supporting the festival – thank you.

Hi Max, Thank you for your help with this!

Ward surgeries – no appointment necessary 

Lancaster Gate 

• Every 1st Thursday of the month 5:30pm-7pm – Pickering House, Hallfield Estate
• Every 3rd Saturday of the month 11am-12:30am – Sheila’s Cafe, 24a Craven Terrace, London W2 3QH

Bayswater

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

Ward Budget Applications

Applications remain open to organisations and clubs to apply for project funding which benefits local residents:https://www.westminster.gov.uk/about-council/democracy/apply-ward-budget-funding

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.

Whiteley’s Community Foundation 

The developers behind the Whiteley’s are offering funding for organisations and individuals who want to make a difference in the area, with a focus on projects that benefit young people. For more information please reply to this email.

Don’t Lose Your Vote

Whether you’re registering for the first time or recently changed address, make sure you’re registered to vote by following this link. It takes just a few minutes and you can register for a postal vote which gives you the option of posting your vote in case you’re away, unwell or busy on election day.

Bayswater

• Cllr Maggie Carman
• Cllr James Small-Edwards
• Cllr Max Sullivan

Lancaster Gate

• Cllr Ryan Jude
• Cllr Ellie Ormsby
• Jenneba Sie-Jalloh
• Connor Jones