HYDE PARK WARD LABOUR ACTION REPORT – August 2025
News from your Hyde Park Labour Councillors Judith Southern, Md Shamsed Chowdhury and Paul Dimoldenberg and Action Team member Nigel Medforth
Dear Resident,
It has been another very busy month right across the ward.
We had a walk around Hyde Park Ward with our City Inspectors, Neighbourhood Coordinators, Marble Arch BID and Short Term Lets Team. We reported a series of local issues – rubbish dumping, pavement trip hazards, broken phone box windows and more. We will be monitoring action over the coming days and weeks.
We joined residents at the first birthday celebrations for West and Hill on Connaught Street. Many congratulations to this very popular local shop. Shop local!
We are supporting the application for Neighbourhood CIL funds for a Caring for Carers Trust barge which would be open 24 hours a day for A&E staff at St Mary’s Hospital to use for breaks, rest and refreshment. The barge would float on the canal outside the Paterson Building.
There will be an additional 80 Police officers in the West End to improve safety and security and crack down on crime https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-police-phone-theft-west-end-sadiq-khan-b1239823.html
Rachel Blake MP has launched a Westminster Short-Term Lets Commission, which is aiming to act on short-term lets which are breaking existing rules, particularly around illegal subletting, anti-social behaviour, and operating short-term lets for more than 90 days without planning permission. For more detail see https://www.rachelblake.org.uk/short-termletscommission
We hold a regular advice surgery at St John’s Parish Hall, Hyde Park Crescent, on the first Thursday of the month from 6-7pm. The next advice surgery will be on Thursday 7th August, 6pm-7pm.
Every week we go door-knocking to ask residents if there are any local issues on which we can help. Please let us know if we can be of help or assistance at hplabour@gmail.com.
We post regular local news on Facebook at https://facebook.com/LabourHydePark
Please let us know how we are doing by completing our residents’ survey https://bit.ly/Residents-survey-25-2
NEWS AND ACTION
The Hyde Park Estate area, bounded by Edgware Road, Bayswater Road and Sussex Gardens
Connaught Village Green
The new Connaught Village Green is proving popular with residents, shoppers and visitors. We asked for an additional rubbish bin and for CCTV to be installed on one of the lampposts to increase safety and security.
Connaught Street
We raised concerns with the Church Commissioners at the closure of shops along Connaught Street. They say, “Several units are currently under offer and close to completion. We were disappointed to see several retailers leave in the last few months, for a number of different reasons. We are working hard to fill the spaces – we have been speaking to popup brands after recent successes with tenants who have converted temporary lettings to permanent deals.”
Titchborne Row
Titchborne Row residents raised concerns about the lack of signs warning drivers that Titchborne Row is a dead end. As a result, many vehicles drive down Titchborne Row and damage other parked cars when making a U-turn. We have asked the Highways Team for better signage.
We also asked for a ‘No Dumping’ sign to be installed in the street and this has been done.
The Quadrangle
We asked the Church Commissioners and the Council’s Short Lets Team to investigate a flat in The Quadrangle which is being illegally sub-let. Neighbours say, “They make noise at really unsociable hours (eg to 3am etc). Every night a porter goes up multiple times, but it doesn’t seem to stop them. This really impacts our health as we cannot sleep. They have a complete disregard for their neighbours and as the occupants are temporary/will change again at some point soon, they simply don’t care.”
Water Gardens
We asked the Church Commissioners to investigate 9 flats in the Water Gardens where illegal subletting is suspected.
We also asked the City Inspectors to tell the restaurants and takeaways along the Water Gardens ground floor retail frontage on Edgware Road to ensure that delivery bike riders do not cycle on the pavement and endanger pedestrians.
Norfolk Crescent
We asked the Church Commissioners to remove a dumped mattress in the gardens at Norfolk Crescent.
We also asked the City Inspectors to take against the noisy pedicabs that drive through Norfolk Crescent late at night.
Burwood Place
TfL say they will be relocating the planters from Burwood Place in September, as part of their public realm improvement at the corner of Sussex Gardens/Edgware Road.
We also asked the City Inspectors to investigate the regular aggressive begging at the corner of Burwood Place and Edgware Road.
Cambridge Square
Following our enquiries, a new streetlight has been installed in Cambridge Square.
Sussex Place
We asked the Street Lighting Team to fix a defective streetlight on Sussex Place.
Stanhope Place
We asked the Highways Team to straighten a leaning street sign column outside 14 Stanhope Place.
Clifton Place
We asked the Street Lighting Team to fix a defective streetlight on Clifton Place.
EV chargers
The Church Commissioners have installed 12 charging spaces on the Hyde Park estate, including six at The Water Gardens for residents, four at Porchester Place which are being used by contractors in electric vans who are working on the Estate, and two at The Quadrangle which are accessible by the public.
Marble Arch
Plans for a temporary theatre at Marble Arch have been announced for consultation. The theatre would be a temporary home for the Arts Theatre (currently in Great Newport Street) which will undergo a two-year redevelopment, beginning in January 2026.
https://marble-arch.london/news/marble-arch-theatre/
Council officers tell us, “In 2017, the West End show ‘Five Guys Named Moe’ ran for a 40-week period at Marble Arch. This activity operated successfully with no issues of anti-social behaviour reported throughout the run. In fact, the presence of stewards, CCTV and the increase in footfall resulted in the existing issues with anti-social and criminal behaviour reduce significantly.”
Marble Arch Station
Following concerns raised by Marble Arch station staff about the awful smell coming from the drain of the Marble Arch underpass connecting from Park Lane to Marble Arch Square, we asked the Highways Team to clean the drains.
Lancaster Gate station
Recently, we have seen frequent and unexpected closures of Lancaster Gate Station due to staff shortages, which has a negative impact on local residents and businesses. https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/ward-news/2025/07/15/keep-lancaster-gate-station-open-sign-the-petition/
Sign our petition calling on TfL to keep our station open.
https://survey.labour.org.uk/1jjkw96gmiayi5arape9fmhxb
TfL say, “The closures have been caused by short-term challenges relating to the implementation of a new staffing model at our stations, including a higher-than-normal number of station supervisor vacancies at some locations. In the longer term, we expect our new staffing model will help to reduce station closures by enabling us to deploy staff more flexibly. We have worked as quickly as possible to reallocate some of our station staff and expect this disruption to reduce significantly as a result.”
Hyde Park Estate security
For residents living on the Hyde Park Estate, the Croma mobile security supervisor contact number is 07880 680257. The mobile team provides 2 patrols each evening between the hours of 19.00pm – 07.00am. This is paid for via the service charges at blocks managed by the Church Commissioners, who also pay for the patrol at Portsea Mews and around Connaught Village.
The Star Street area, between Sussex Gardens and Praed Street
St Michael’s Street
We asked the Police to investigate reports of regular drug dealing in St Michael’s Street near the telephone exchange.
We asked the Street Lighting Team to fix a defective streetlight in St Michael’s Street.
Praed Street
We asked the City Inspectors to remove an abandoned bike frame from outside the Hilton Hotel on Praed Street, close to Eastbourne Terrace.
We are pleased that our suggestion of locating planters outside the West End Quay shopfronts on Praed Street has been taken up by the WEQ Management. Residents say, “They should deter rough sleepers, stop Tesco leaving its ‘crates’ and generally enhance the area. Very many thanks. It deserves a mention in your next ‘bulletin’. It’s so easy to criticise and this is a welcome opportunity to say ‘well done’!”
Praed Street Post Office
As part of the new arrangements to run the Praed Street Post Office, the branch will close early on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 at 3.00pm and will reopen the next day on Thursday, 18 September 2025 at 1.00pm. The Post Office apologies for any inconvenience.
Cambridge Court
We asked the Short Term Lets Team to investigate illegal short-term letting at Cambridge Court. The Team says, “We currently have 25 pending investigations for short-term letting in Cambridge Court which are being investigated.” We are very concerned that Cambridge Court is being turned into a hotel after seeing this advert https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/hyde-park-marble-arch-apartments-london.html
We also asked the Refuse Team to investigate the dumping of mounds of refuse bags at the entrance in Star Street which blocks the pavement and looks unsightly. Cambridge Court has a large forecourt on the Sussex Gardens frontage and we have urged that rubbish is stored in bins here.
Sussex Gardens
City Inspectors and Paddington Now BID have partnered with pest control to tackle rodent issues on Sussex Gardens, introducing secure food waste bins and encouraging hotels to use them properly. Some hotels have already adopted the new bins, while others are being educated about correct waste disposal.
We also asked the Highways Team to install a bollard to prevent tour bus drivers from driving over the pavement edge every time they take the left turn from Sussex Gardens to Norfolk Place.
Sussex Gardens/London Street
We asked TfL to check the traffic lights at the Sussex Gardens/London Street junction after receiving this message from a resident, “The pedestrian crossing at the junction is extremely slow. Cars from Sussex Place were allowed through about four times while I’ve had to wait to cross with a buggy.”
Graffiti and sticker removal
City Inspectors have removed stickers from street furniture on Spring Street, London Street and Sussex Gardens.
Edgware Road
Operation Sapphire
Operation Sapphire was a coordinated enforcement action on Edgware Road by the Council and Police focusing on public protection and licensing breaches.
- Over 22,000 illicit cigarettes and other banned tobacco products, valued at £14,000, were seized.
- Health and safety inspections identified ventilation problems related to shisha and charcoal storage, with formal compliance actions initiated.
- Food safety checks found several businesses selling products with unapproved additives and non-English labelling.
Another targeted operation is planned, focusing on ongoing issues and stricter enforcement.
Crime and anti-social behaviour
We asked the Police to investigate instances of crime and anti-social behaviour in Edgware Road north of Sussex Gardens and sent videos which identified those responsible.
We also urged the Police to seize noisy, high-performance cars from the streets around Edgware Road, particularly those causing late-night disturbance around the area. The Police mounted an operation last year and seized £6 million worth of international registered cars without the proper documentation to drive in the UK.
Westway
We asked the Highways Team to investigate using the area under the Westway at the Edgware Road/Harrow Road junction as an enclosed storage area. The area is currently used as a campsite and is not a safe place for people to sleep.
7 Edgware Road
We asked the Streets Team to jet wash the pavement area outside 7 Edgware Road and this has now been done.
210 Edgware Road
We asked the Police to investigate regular anti-social behaviour and crime outside 210 Edgware Road and asked for CCTV to be installed close by to identify those responsible.
256 Edgware Road
We asked the Short Term Lets Team to investigate illegal short-term letting at 256 Edgware Road. We also asked the Refuse Team to investigate the dumping of mounds of refuse bags at the entrance which blocks the pavement and looks unsightly.
Late Night Licensing application
We supported objections from the Hyde Park Estate Association and others to proposals for a licence for Pepe’s Piri Piri to open until 3am https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/fried-chicken-restaurant-famous-london-32018399
Edgware Road/Sussex Gardens
TfL’s proposed improvements to the Edgware Road/Sussex Gardens junction to improve the crossings for pedestrians and introduce features such as 2 stage turns for bikes and advanced stop lines, are planned to start in mid-August. It will also incorporate a rain garden to improve climate resilience and greening. There are more details here https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/sussex-gardens
The works will take place over 2 months and in phases during which TfL will manage traffic with temporary lane restrictions. Some phases of the works will also require temporary diversions.
Chapel Street, Cabbell Street and Transept Street area
Chapel Street
Transport for London is proposing a new Train Crew Accommodation facility at Edgware Road Station on Chapel Street to provide improved welfare, training, and operational space for London Underground train crew. Full details and a feedback form are available at: www.edgwaretcaconsultation.co.uk
Cabbell Street
The Police tell us that “plain clothes officers were patrolling Cabbell Street recently where they stopped and searched multiple males. Two were arrests for a mixture of immigration matters, possession of class A drugs, and being wanted for drugs possession.”
38-47a Chapel Street
We asked the City Inspectors to investigate dumping by residents outside 38-47a Chapel Street which included evidence of the address of the dumpers.
We also asked the Homeless Team to help a rough sleeper in the covered entrance doorway to the offices in Chapel Street.
Hyde Park Mansions
We continue to urge the Police and the Council to take action to close the flat in Hyde Park Mansions where there is serious anti-social behaviour on a regular basis. One resident sent us this message, “Woman screaming. I think they are breaking down a wall. Lots going on downstairs. The flat is vibrating with the banging”. The Police have arrested five individuals for drugs and theft.
Paddington Basin/Sheldon Square area
St Mary’s Hospital
Proposals to create a Paddington Clinical Life Sciences Hub on the site of the former Imperial College Medical School, adjacent to St Mary’s Hospital, have been unveiled for consultation.
You can find out more and share your thoughts on the proposals by visiting https://paddington-hub.co.uk/, emailing the project team at info@paddington-hub.co.uk or calling 020 3633 6482.
Eastbourne Terrace
We asked the Tree Team to prune the trees at the junction of Eastbourne Terrace and Praed Street where the leaves are blocking the view of the traffic lights.
Harbet Road/North Wharf Road
We asked the Highways Team to reposition the roadworks signs which are blocking the pavement at the corner of Hermitage Street and North Wharf Road.
Hermitage Street
We asked the City Inspectors to remove a mattress dumped in Hermitage Street and to monitor the CCTV in the area to identify the person responsible for the dumping.
Smith’s, Sheldon Square
We raised concerns about an application to remove condition 20. “Regulated entertainment shall only be provided in the basement.” The new proposed condition does not mention where the regulated entertainment will be located. There is a history of complaints received from this premises, including a breach of condition 20 previously.
City Inspectors informed Smith’s that they had reached their limit for Temporary Event Notices for 2025 and must stop planning further events. The City Inspectors will continue monitoring to ensure no unlicensed events take place.
North Wharf Road
We asked the City Inspectors to remove an abandoned bike frame from the bike stands opposite Dudley House on North Wharf Road.
We also asked the Team to instruct Lime and Forest to remove excess bikes from the parking bay on Bishop’s Bridge, at the corner of North Wharf Road, and from outside the Marylebone Boys School Sixth Form building.
Travis Perkins site
We are very disappointed that the Mayor of London has ‘called in’ the proposal to build a 600+ room student development on the Travis Perkins site at Baltic Wharf after it was refused for the second time by Westminster Council’s Planning Committee in January 2025. We will continue to fight these unacceptable proposals.
For further information see https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/planning-applications-and-decisions/public-hearings