HYDE PARK WARD LABOUR ACTION REPORT – Mid-April 2026
News from your Hyde Park Labour Councillors Judith Southern, Md Shamsed Chowdhury and Paul Dimoldenberg and Action Team member Nigel Medforth
Dear Resident,
With the Council elections on 7th May, it is a very busy time. Four years ago, Hyde Park residents voted in three Labour Councillors for the very first time. But the Conservatives would have remained in power if just 22 people had stayed at home or voted for a party other than Labour – so, every vote matters in Hyde Park Ward!
Over the past four years, we have worked tirelessly on your behalf. As well, as getting things done quickly and efficiently on day-to-day issues, here are examples of what we have been doing to improve life for residents and why your vote is important in Hyde Park Ward
You can read the Labour Manifesto for the Council Elections here https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/manifesto/
Westminster City Council is freezing the main Westminster element of Council Tax for 2026/27 to help residents deal with cost-of-living pressures. The adult social care precept that funds care for the elderly and disabled will see a below-inflation rise of just two percent, meaning the Westminster share of the bill that Band D payers receive will increase by just 20p a week and maintain the second lowest Council Tax in the country. https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/keeping-council-tax-low-while-investing-our-communities
The Freedom Pass has been saved after Labour Councils blocked the threat to free travel for over-65s in London.
We hold a regular advice surgery at St John’s Parish Hall, Hyde Park Crescent. Our next advice surgery will be on Thursday 14th May 2026, 6pm-7pm (depending on the election results!) If we are not elected there will be no surgery, as the Conservatives never held regular advice surgeries during the 58 years they represented Hyde Park Ward.
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
NEWS AND ACTION
The Hyde Park Estate area, bounded by Edgware Road, Bayswater Road and Sussex Gardens
Connaught Village Green
Many residents have told us how much they like Connaught Village Green. One long-standing resident said, “It’s brough a real sense of community to the area. People have been talking about doing this for many years, but you came in and made it happen. We very much appreciate the effort and hard work you have put in to get this done.”
Titchborne Row
We asked the CCTV Team to consider locating a camera in Titchborne Row to discourage late night anti-social behaviour outside Chestertons.
Kendall Street/Connaught Street
We asked the Highways Team to consider installing an informal zebra crossing at the Kendal Street/Connaught Street junction to improve safety for pedestrians crossing the road.
Connaught Street
We asked the Road Safety Team to investigate this issue raised by a resident, “The pedestrian crossing at Connaught Village Green near the junctions of Kendall Street, Connaught Street and Albion Street is becoming quite stressful for pedestrians. Cars and cyclists regularly pass in front of or behind pedestrians walking across the crossing.”
We also asked the Road Safety Team to instal Vehicle Activated Signs along Connaught Street to remind drivers to slow down if they are travelling at more than 20mph.
We contacted the Church Commissioners about a ringing alarm over Easter at the long-vacant commercial unit at 55 Connaught Street and urged that the alarm system be disabled as soon as possible. UPDATE – The Church Commissioners’ agents say, “To prevent further issues, Croma will become the primary contact for any activations via their 24/7 manned control room. The best contact number out of hours is 01387 247 842, and they can also be reached by email on: controlmanagement@vigilant.uk. Once notified that the alarm is sounding, Croma will attend alongside an alarm technician, silence the alarm, and address any underlying cause for the activations.”
Connaught Square
It is great to see Connaught Square and Stanhope Place resurfaced as part of the C43 cycle route from Hyde Park to Marylebone. We hope the new cycle route will make it safer for all road users, including pedestrians who will benefit from the wider pavements, easier crossing points and reduced traffic. The Highways Team say, “with the filter at the bottom of Stanhope Place, traffic on the street has decreased almost 90% and will make it significantly easier to cross Stanhope Place and Connaught Square as the main cause of road risk (motor vehicles) has been significantly reduced.”
The Cycle Hangar Team has confirmed that the proposed cycle hangar will be located on the paved area at the southeast corner of Connaught Square, rather than outside 44 Connaught Square, in line with residents’ suggestions.
Sussex Gardens
We met a group of Church Commissioners leaseholders living in Sussex Gardens to discuss their concerns about inflated service charges.
We also asked the Highways Team to inspect a leaning lamppost on Sussex Gardens and they say, “This column requires replacement, and this is being programmed in.”
Norfolk Crescent
Following the vandalism to trees in Norfolk Crescent, the Trees Team tell us, “The remaining parts of the damaged trees have been removed and we will be planting replacements over the autumn/winter. We looked at getting the trees replanted earlier, but it is late in the season and we want to get good quality tree stock and, importantly, trees with a larger stem diameter to prevent any vandalism in future.”
Hyde Park Street
We again asked the Cycle Team to consider moving the e-bike hire parking bay from outside 1 Hyde Park Street to a more appropriate location.
Sussex Square
We asked the Cycle Team to consider a new location for the proposed cycle hangar in Sussex Square.
Westbourne Street
We asked the Council’s Short Term Lets Team to investigate a property in Westbourne Street where multiple flats are being let illegally on Airbnb.
Bathurst Mews
We again asked the Environmental Health Team to investigate reports of rodents in Bathurst Mews.
Hyde Park Place
Following requests from residents, we asked the Highways Team for an update on the proposals for the loading bay at Hyde Park Place. The Team says, “The current design shows the retention of the existing bus lane and operational hours which would be extended westwards to the junction with Albon Street. This would retain loading/unloading and overnight facilities for residents, particularly those less able.”
Park West Place
We asked for a Vehicle Activated Sign to be installed in Park West Place to stop speeding cars.
Park West
In response to enquiries from residents, the Park West management team has confirmed they have CCTV cameras inside and outside Park West for security and Health & Safety reasons.
Portsea Hall
We met members of the Portsea Hall residents’ association to discuss a wide range of local issues, including short term lets and the problems caused by the car wash on Kendal Street. After the meeting, the residents’ association wrote to residents saying, “We found the councillors to be very responsive and we also took the opportunity of commending them for being so much more active in fixing small problems than previous administrations. We have raised issues with them and got a very speedy and positive resolution.”
Lancaster Gate Station
We again expressed our concerns to TfL about the recent closures of Lancaster Gate underground station due to staff shortages. We urged TfL to resolve the continuing problems as a matter of urgency.
Hyde Park to Marylebone Cycleway (C43)
Information on the Hyde Park to Marylebone Cycleway (C43) is available on the website Community Forum – C43 Cycleway – Commonplace where you can see information on the whole scheme, construction programme, phasing and FAQs. If you have any questions please contact the Public Liaison Officer, Bob Burton at 07760 962103 or email Cycleway43@wsp.com.
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
Following requests from residents, we asked the CCTV Team to consider locating a CCTV camera in St Michael’s Street to cover the street, including Junction Place. One resident told us, “Our road is suffering from a significant spike in anti-social behaviour and serious crime, including a burglary at my own home last summer. Protecting the young families and nursery children who use this street daily should be a priority.”
Sale Place
We contacted the police on behalf of a resident whose car was damaged by a passing motorist. We sent video coverage of the incident to the police and asked them to investigate. UPDATE – The police say they have identified the vehicle responsible for causing the damage.
Tulip wands along Sussex Gardens bike lanes
New tulip wands have been installed along the bike lanes in Sussex Gardens, including more robust wands at the front and rear of each line of wands to give added protection. We received this comment from a resident, “We’ve been cycling through your ward, and we’re thrilled to see the cycleways that have been put in around Sussex Gardens. It makes us feel incredibly safe. Thank you for putting in measures to keep people safe.”
Sussex Gardens/Norfolk Place
We again asked Thames Water to fix a water leak in the road at the junction of Sussex Gardens and Norfolk Place.
Star Street
The new paving along Star Street is almost complete and residents tell us that it is a big improvement.
Southwick Street
We asked the Trees Team to investigate the subsoil following the completion of Thames Water repair works in Southwick Street.
Praed Street taxis
Nearly 300 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued to taxi drivers on Praed Street, for parking illegally outside the Hilton Paddington Hotel, as well as on nearby Craven Road. The volume of tickets marks a significant escalation in enforcement at this location by Transport for London and Westminster City Council. https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/praed-street-pop-up-taxi-rank-sees-nearly-300-pcns-issued-as-enforcement-intensifies
Norfolk Square
We asked the City Inspectors to remove a sticker which was obscuring the refuse and recycling collection times on a lamppost in Norfolk Square. We are pleased the sticker has now been removed so that residents can see when to put out their rubbish for collection.
We also asked the Street Lighting Team to fix a defective streetlight in Norfolk Square. UPDATE – The streetlight has now been fixed.
Norfolk Square/London Street
We asked the Bike Hire Team to instruct the e-bike operators to manage the bike bay better at the corner of Norfolk Square/London Street and to enforce infringements with fines.
St Mary’s Hospital
Patients and local residents are invited to take part in workshops to help shape the design of a new St Mary’s Hospital. Two workshops will be held on 1st May at the Mint Wing Education Centre at St Mary’s. Attendees will be reimbursed for their time in line with the Trust’s policy, and St Mary’s will support any accessibility needs. If you’re interested in taking part, please fill out the expression of interest form or get in touch at imperial.redevelopment@nhs.net.
Edgware Road
Edgware Road/Praed Street
We asked TfL to fix a broken kerb at the corner of Edgware Road and Praed Street.
Edgware Road/Old Marylebone Road
We asked the City Inspectors to investigate the graffiti above the shops at the corner of Edgware Road and Old Marylebone Road.
Edgware Road/Sussex Gardens
We asked TfL to fix a damaged traffic light on the junction of Edgware Road and Sussex Gardens.
Edgware Road/Kendal Street
We asked TfL to fix a damaged street sign at the corner of Edgware Road and Kendal Street.
Edgware Road
We asked TfL to fix a defective lamppost wiring cover, outside Paul café at 32 Edgware Road.
209 Edgware Road
There was a fire recently at 209 Edgware Road which is being investigated by the London Fire Brigade and the Police. A Police spokesperson said:
“On Thursday, 9 April at around 03:45hrs, police on patrol were flagged down to reports of a fire on Edgware Road, Paddington. On arrival, officers discovered a shop on fire with a 36-year-old man inside and alerted the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade, who both attended.
“Police entered the building to rescue the man. He was taken to hospital and his injuries have since been assessed as non-life threatening or life changing. While rescuing the man, a police officer was injured and taken to hospital. His injuries have also been deemed non-life-threatening or life changing.
“The cause of the fire remains under investigation. There have been no arrests. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD902/09APR26.”
Cambridge Court
A planning application has been submitted to install ‘architectural lighting to the front and side facades of Cambridge Court’ (reference 26/01101/FULL). You can see the plans and make comments at www.westminster.gov.uk/planning-search using reference number.
Marylebone Flyover
We again asked TfL to remove the graffiti from the Marylebone Flyover crossing Edgware Road. Also, there is a great of debris and rubbish at the side of the Westway as it climbs towards the west. We asked for this to be removed too as part of the current works. TfL say, “We’ll raise this with our assets team.”
New shopfronts
A new Shopfront Design Toolkit has been produced by Westminster Council to help businesses maintain, refurbish and replace shopfronts in a way that enhances individual buildings and the wider high street. The toolkit offers practical, step‑by‑step guidance to help businesses understand the process of making improvements. https://marble-arch.london/news/shopfront-design-toolkit/
Chapel Street, Cabbell Street and Transept Street area
Chapel Street
Following concerns raised by residents, we asked the Parking Team to investigate three vehicles in Chapel Street all displaying Disabled Blue Badges. The Parking Team say, “A check on the Disabled Blue badges was undertaken by our fraud team. The badges are all valid and have not been reported as lost or stolen. The Marshals also attended the location earlier today and issued 2 PCNs; 1 to a Disabled badge holder.”
Hyde Park Mansions
We continue to press the freeholders of Hyde Paek Mansions and their insurers to resolve the long-standing dispute over responsibility for fixing a much damaged flat caused by water flooding from above.
Harrow Road underpass
We asked the City Inspectors to ensure the underpass at the end of Cabbell Street, under Harrow Road, be swept regularly. It is also very smelly so needs a good wash down, too.
The Chapel pub
Residents have raised concerns at the impact of the proposed new hotel where construction work has started to replace The Chapel pub. https://westminstertimes.co.uk/2026/04/08/residents-rail-against-seven-storey-hotel-development-over-loss-of-light-concerns/
Paddington Basin/Sheldon Square area
Aster House
We are in discussion with the managing agents of Aster House about the provision of fobs for residents to access the garden area. The managing agents say, “If Aster House residents complete the provided form and provide proof of ID to verify their identity, they will receive a fob once all fobs have been programmed.”
We also raised the issue of a communal pipe being blocked and causing an overflow of dirty water through residents’ flats for several months with the Managing Agents and asked what action is being taken to resolve this issue.
Dudley House
We urged Pinnacle Housing to ensure that heating and hot water is back in service urgently at Dudley House.
Sheldon Square
We are helping Sheldon Square residents with Council Tax banding enquiries.
We also made enquiries with First Port about the use of indoor fireworks at a restaurant in Sheldon Square. First Port say, “I have contacted the managers at the restaurant for confirmation that they use these items and will let you know of any response from them, which we will follow up accordingly.”
5 Harbet Road
We urged Octavia/Abri to resolve a flooding problem at 5 Harbet Road. Residents say, “We have a big issue of flooding that needs to be sorted out urgently. On Saturday we called the emergency number few times without any response.
The kitchen drainage is completely blocked and water is coming back into the washing machine and dishwasher and flooding in the kitchen sink.”
Westway and Marylebone Flyover closure
Until late-April 2026, the A40 will be closed in both directions between the Westway roundabout and Marylebone Flyover. This includes the Marylebone Flyover. More information is available at: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/a40-westway-works
This is to allow safety-critical renewal work on the flyover structure. Parts of the structure have reached the end of their service life and TfL has been carrying out renewal works for several years. The next phase of work involves replacing two joints on the Marylebone Flyover section of the Westway. The joints allow the flyover to safely expand and contract with temperature changes and vehicle movements.
Travis Perkins site
Some residents contacted us after receiving a letter from the Council about the planning situation at the Travis Perkins site. The Planning Team say, “This is an automatic letter sent out to people who made a representation as the permission has only recently been completed, with the GLA (who took over as local planning authority in this instance) finalising the S106 legal agreement. It is not a letter stating that works are starting, but that the planning permission has been granted.”
Unite have already said they will not be proceeding with the development.
Promoted by Jonathan Charles on behalf of all Labour Candidates, all at 4g Shirland Mews, London W9 3DY