Christmas Lights
The Bayswater and Lancaster Gate councillors have once again approved funding for Christmas lights this year. They will be turned on by the Lord Mayor at an event taking place at 18:30 on November 28th on the northern end of Queensway. It would be great to see as many local residents there as possible!
Westminster Tea Dance
The Sir Simon Milton Foundation is inviting 1,000 older residents in Westminster to join them at their annual Tea Dance on Sunday 10th December at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane for an unforgettable afternoon of entertainment, live music, afternoon tea and great company. You can apply for a maximum of two tickets. If you are applying for a friend or carer, please include their name and address so that we can send their ticket directly to them. The best place to apply is online at sirsimonmiltonfoundation.com/tea-dance.
After Dark – Shaping Our Evening and Night-time Plan
Westminster plays a key role in London’s nightlife, supporting good jobs and a world leading array of cultural, entertainment, and culinary attractions. However, as a Council, we recognise the challenges that come with so much night-time activity, including crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour, and noise disturbances, which often adversely impact our residents.
Residents can begin sharing their perspectives on Westminster’s evening and night-time environment through our dedicated engagement portal.
Queensborough Terrace / Mews ASB
We have been listening to residents who have indicated they have seen an uptick in anti-social behaviour in and near Queensborough Terrace and Mews. We are organising a site visit with council and policing colleagues to review the site and understand how we can alleviate the issue.
Chilworth Mews/40 Eastbourne Terrace
We attended a site visit with a local resident to discuss ongoing issues at Chilworth Mews, unrelated to the planning matters that have been noted in previous newsletters. These included concerning issues with the drains, which we are raising with Thames Water, and rubbish and food waste issues, among others. We are also keen to revisit previous discussions around exploring a one-way street, which we have already discussed with Highways. If you are a local resident please contact us with your views, as clear and unanimous resident support will help in such discussions. We will also continue to engage with the ongoing planning issues.
Hallfield Green Flag
Eagle eyed residents will have spotted a Green Flag flying proudly over the Hallfield Estate. We were absolutely delighted that the Hallfield has been awarded a Green Flag for the first time ever and Westminster is the only borough in the UK to have Green Heritage Accreditation for a housing estate. We are therefore very proud of this achievement and hope residents can be too!
Free IT Support on the Hallfield Estate
We were delighted to host another free IT support session in Pickering House on the Hallfield Estate in partnership with Paddington Partnership and their Vodafone volunteers on the 28th September. The final session of the year will be held 30th November. It is first come, first served – no appointment necessary.
Hallfield Estate – Short Term Lets
Short-term letting is not permitted in all Westminster properties. Leaseholders who do so are in breach of the terms of their lease. We are concerned to see an increase in short-term lets on the Hallfield Estate and encourage any residents who suspect a property is being used for a short-term let to report this here: Short-letting | Westminster City Council. We have already had success in shutting several short-term lets on the estate.
Pickering House Security Works
We are pleased to tell you that we are planning security works to external areas at various locations around Pickering House. The need has arisen for this project due to persistent and escalating anti-social behaviour and non-residents affecting the residents within the block. Based on these inspections, the works proposed include: installation of security gates, security fencing, access control and door entry to external areas throughout Pickering House and electrical power and lighting. If you have any questions, you can contact the team by calling Westminster City Council Housing on 0800 358 3783 (freephone) – ask to speak to Shah Alam in the Resident Advocacy Team or emailing residentadvocates@westminster.gov.uk, please quote reference ‘project AC114’.
‘Know Ball Games’ on the Hallfield
Further to our first round of consultation on the Council’s pilot to support a national campaign called ‘Know Ball Games’ on the Hallfield, Phase 2 has begun. The aim of the national campaign is to make streets, parks and open spaces more accessible for play and physical activity, particularly for children. Posters will be put up across the Estate with details on how to feedback your views.
New Food Waste Bin
The council are proposing to install another neighbourhood food waste recycling bin on Inverness Terrace in front of Hallfield Estate, W2 6JF during November 2023. Please do let us know if you have any comments or queries. We are also exploring new communal food waste bins near locations such as Westbourne Crescent, and are happy to explore elsewhere if you think needed.
Hallfield Bin Chutes
We are pleased that after chasing, we have had new bin chute signs put up on the Hallfield Estate, which are clear and secure. We know this has been a concern for residents. Please let us know if the signs have not gone up around the chutes in your block.
Bike Theft – Craven Hill Gardens
We were concerned to hear reports on bike thefts near Craven Hill Gardens. This is one of the reasons why the council is pushing to expand its cycle hanger programme so residents can have secure storage for their bikes. We’re expecting two new hangers on Inverness Terrace and Leinster Place to be installed soon, and two additional are being consulted on located on Inverness Terrace and Chilworth Street. If you haven’t already, register interest in secure council cycle storage and ensure you’re on the waiting list for when local spaces become available: Find cycle parking | Westminster City Council.
We are working with policing colleagues to fund bike marking events, including the recent even on Monday 23rd October outside Waitrose on Bishops Bridge Road, which Cllr Jude was pleased to attend. We hope to support another event soon.
Private Renters
We have been supporting a number of residents who have been issued Section 21 notices by their private landlords. The current legal protections set by national government for renters are inadequate, but please don’t suffer in silence as we are on hand to support and offer advice.
Homelessness and Social Housing Applications
Given the current housing crisis and increase in evictions we are seeing locally, we are seeing increased demand for homelessness support and applications for social housing. Please do reach out if you need help and support on your application.
Resident Engagement
As well as our twice monthly surgeries, it was wonderful to receive such a warm welcome door knocking on Inverness, Queensborough and Porchester Terrace with our parliamentary candidate in the next General Election, Joe Powell. Moreover, it was great to collaborate with stakeholders on Queensway to discuss the street’s challenges and opportunities at our quarterly Queensway Strategic Group.