Warwick Avenue Public Realm Project
Westminster Council will shortly begin a new stage of consultations after narrowing down four options for the future of the Warwick Avenue tube station. The catalyst for the project was an inspiring proposal put forward to the council from Paddington Waterways & Maida Vale Society with ideas for what could be done to improve the area including proposals for greening, especially in the area where the recycling bins and ventilation tower are located.
The four options are based on resident feedback following several walks with the design team and a series of online presentations. The response has been very positive so far but I will continue to be involved in ensuring we get the best outcome and design for the area.
This design is one of the four put forward.
Baltic Wharf Overdevelopment
Alongside fellow Labour ward councillors from Hyde Park, I have objected to the revised development proposed by Travis Perkins and Unite Students. The scheme is for high-density student housing (605 rooms) sitting on top of a new builders’ merchants. The proposed building is far too tall and out of scale with the low-rise residential Little Venice section of the Canal.
Our objections can be found here and you can see the full documents online.
Paddington Green Police Station and West End Gate
Demolition of phase 1 of the old Paddington Green Police Station (8 storey tower) is now complete and phase 2 (17 storey tower) will be done by November 2024. Westminster City Council and Little Venice councillors, myself included, opposed the proposal for the site. Work on the last two blocks of West End Gate situated to the side of the police station has begun and I continue to attend regular meetings where residents from the nearby Hall Place Estate and Westminster tenants who live in West End Gate discuss joint issues with Berkeley Homes.
Joe Strummer Subway
Works on the new sustainable drainage system and rain gardens at the Joe Strummer subway at Edgware Road / Harrow Road continue albeit rather messily with a lot of disruption to the area. The works are expected to be completed by the end of July. The rain garden will help reduce the risk of local flooding.
Successful Little Venice Cavalcade
This year’s Canalway Cavalcade was a successful and enjoyable event! Well done to all of the fantastic volunteers that made it happen and congratulations to all of the award winners. Also Westminster City Council did a great job of overseeing sweeping and clearing up during and after the event which welcomed many tens of thousands of visitors to the area over three days.
Action to Prevent /Safeguard Against Oil Spills and Pollution in Little Venice
Following concerns over the Environment Agency’s (EA) and Canal and River Trust’s (CRT) slow response to the cooking oil spill which reached Little Venice in January, myself and the cabinet member for climate and ecology Ryan Jude invited all the main players for a meeting to discuss ways forward. This is the first time that a meeting between all of the relevant stakeholders and WCC was held. We discussed incident protocols so that there is a coordinated response in the case of a new emergency.
We had senior representation from the EA, CRT and the Swan Sanctuary and the council’s new ecological emergency team. The EA and CRT told us that they face serious financial restraints which limit the scope of their action. The original genesis of the meeting was the oil spill however there had also been algae bloom a week earlier which killed 60 kg of fish. I’m grateful to all the residents in Little Venice who contacted me and sent me photos of unusually high numbers of dead fish in the canal which I was then able to report. We will continue to liaise on what tangible actions can be taken and we hope to be able to work to convene the group on a regular basis in the future.
Westminster City College Safety Event
I was delighted to be offered a cake as a gesture of thanks for work to improve personal safety around the College. Several months ago, students presented me with results of a survey done through grassroots democracy initiative Citizens UK suggesting that many of them felt unsafe in the area following the stabbing of a teenager. I walked around the area with students and have been able to solve a number of issues such as getting the fence separating the green and the estate reinstated and strengthened and removing gardeners storage boxes allegedly used to store knives and exchange drugs. I also had meetings about lighting and CCTV.
We have established joint meetings between Westminster College, the local police team, IGXU (WCC Gangs Unit) and Westminster Housing to plan for the start of the new academic year in September. We have asked for them to bid for sufficient police resourcing as early as possible before summer to cover opening events to try and extend a police presence in the locality for the first few weeks of term. In addition, the college have agreed to include respecting the local community in their student induction classes, including a reminder not to trespass into local blocks of flats.
Senior Housing Officers Visit to Hall Place
I requested a visit by senior housing officers after several scheduled works and repairs were not undertaken. I took them to the Gilbert Shelden House where works on the communal areas are desperately needed, and to see where works were needed at Devonshire House and Hall and Braithwaite Towers.
Untidy Garden Removal on the Hall Place Estate
I have requested the tidying of the ignored area on the Hall Place/ Adpar junction. The delay to-date has been the fact that this was on private land belong to the College and not the council. There were also discussions that the areas maintenance would be taken on by the management of the Adpar Development.
John Aird Court
After ten years of neglect under the former administration, the residents of John Aird Court are finally getting new windows. While the decade long delay has seen costs soar, we do hope we are now finally on track. A ballot with different window options and costings will go to residents by the end of July. The chosen option will then be sent to WCC’s planning committee.
Formosa Street and Al Fresco Dining
I’ve been approached by local residents keen to campaign in support of the pedestrianisation of Formosa Street or other options including one way traffic. I’m looking into this and would like to support this but I’m also keen to hear views both for and against so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Narrowing /Raised Roundabout at Junction with Warwick Avenue
People are growing increasingly concerned about cars speeding in Warwick Avenue especially outside St Saviour’s School. I have asked WCC if we could have a new zebra crossing or raised roundabout to help with this.
Ginger Café
A warm welcome! I was delighted to see a new business open in Little Venice last month. Ginger, a cafe with artisan ice cream and Italian coffee will be a welcome addition to Shirland Road.
Little Venice Film Festival
The Little Venice Film Festival is due to return this year. The dates are set for the 24th to the 27th of September.
General
A lot of my time is spent helping people on housing including over the last few months. This includes urgent housing repairs, homelessness, and sometimes with wayward landlords. I’m also regularly reporting overflowing rubbish including at Warwick Avenue station, wobbly paving stones and street obstructions where workman leave waste in parking bays or on pavements.
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