Hello

See below for our latest Action Report with news about Maida Vale and Little Venice along with details of issues we’ve taken up on behalf of residents in the last few months.

Please get in touch if there’s anything in your local area that needs attention or an issue we can help with.

Geoff, Nafsika, Iman, and Sara

MAIDA VALE

• Councillor Geoff Barraclough
• Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis
• Councillor Iman Less

LITTLE VENICE

• Councillor Sara Hassan

Flood Risk Strategy

Many homes in Maida Vale and Little Venice were flooded in the storms of July 2021, so we’re pleased that Westminster is now consulting on its new Flood Risk Strategy. You can find more details and give your views here.

We are still hearing from residents facing difficulty getting insurance that covers the risk of flood damage as the national Flood Re scheme does not cover buildings with four or more flats. If you’re affected, please get in touch as we are working with Georgia Gould, our new MP, to put together a file of evidence to help get the regulations changed.

Planned Preventive Maintenance

Every year, we work with Paul Newman of Paddington Waterways to nominate work for Westminster’s Planned Preventative Maintenance Programme.

In Maida Vale, we have nominated Carlton Vale and Lanhill Road for resurfacing and Lanhill, Morshead, Biddulph, Chippenham and Lauderdale Roads for pavement repairs.

In Little Venice, we have nominated Lanark Road, Lanark Place and Adpar Street for resurfacing and Cuthbert Street, Blomfield Road, Warrington Crescent, Warrington Gardens, Castellain Road and Clarendon Gardens for pavement repairs.

Short-term letting

We are getting increasing numbers of complaints about unlawful short-term letting (STL) of flats in Maida Vale and Little Venice. There are over 13,000 flats in Westminster used for short-term lets for tourists when they should be housing Londoners. The Council is asking for stricter rules but, in the meantime, please report any unauthorised STL to your building management. The practice is normally against the terms of the lease. Please also report to Westminster’s planning enforcement team or, for a building owned by the Council, to the Housing team. This is a text block. You can use it to add text to your template.

MAIDA VALE

Paddington Rec

We’re very pleased that Westminster Council continues to invest in Paddington Rec. This is a much-loved local resource and every square metre needs to work hard for our residents.

The Bluebell Glade near the Grantully Gate has been restored, and there’s a new Forest School classroom by the bowls pavilion. This will help local schools teach children about nature. The tennis courts and playground have been resurfaced and the changing rooms in the main pavilion refurbished.

The issue with the locked gate between the two playgrounds (which made it difficult for parents to follow their children on the ship between playgrounds) will be resolved with a new gate that will be accessible to adults but not children.

The paths have all been renewed and the drainage much improved. This should mean we can walk around the Rec without getting our feet wet.

Attention will now turn to renewing the Village Green itself which should take place before Easter. Looking ahead, we’re hoping to invest in a canopy over the cricket nets so that this becomes an all-weather facility.

We are also hoping to add flood lighting in the playground so that children can use it after school in the Winter, install new benches, replace the Carlton Vale gate and investigate replacing one or more tennis courts with Padel tennis. Finally, we are keen to look at options for the bowling green. This is barely used today. One idea would be to turn the space into allotments for local schools and old peoples’ homes.

The Lodge at Paddington Rec

The Lodge is a large house at the Carlton Vale gate of Paddington Rec that has remained empty for some years. Unfortunately, it has been the subject of ASB with various break-ins, and small fires being started. The Lodge is now secured and will soon be converted to flats for adults with learning disabilities and their support staff.

Playgrounds with accessible equipment for children with disabilities

The Labour administration at Westminster Council recognises that our playgrounds have not so far been sufficiently accessible to residents with disabilities. We have taken some steps to address this:

• In Paddington Rec, and other playgrounds, when any equipment needs to be replaced, we will look to replace it with equipment that enhances accessibility.

• We have recently refurbished a small playground on Alfred Road with equipment to enhance accessibility and inclusion, including a communication board to support non-verbal users, wheelchair accessible roundabout and trampoline, various swings to support residents with different mobility difficulties and a wide slide to allow children to slide down while held by a carer.

• Initial plans have been made for a larger playground in Paddington Green that would accommodate children and adults with disabilities and support them to play together with everyone else.

Ward Budgets

The summer flower baskets are nearly finished now and will soon be collected. Other ongoing projects funded by the ward budgets are:

• Paddington Remembrance Service on Sunday 10 November 2.30-5.30 by St James Church, Sussex Gardens W2 3UD  for the ceremony and afterwards at The Lancaster Hall Hotel, 35 Craven Terrace, London W2 3EL 2.30-5.30. Everyone is welcome.

• Fun physical activities at Rayne House, our sheltered accommodation on Delaware Road.

• The  Christmas tree outside Glasgow House on Lanark Road. This should be in place by the end of November. We are using a different provider this year which costs less, so hopefully preserving our ward budgets funds for different projects.

• Staffing costs at North Paddington Youth Club on Lanark Road.

North Paddington Youth Club

North Paddington Youth Club is expanding with a range of new services supported by our Ward Budget and the Westminster Council Community Priorities Fund including:

• Free Basketball every Sunday 6-9pm for 18-25yr olds

• Free Women-only Zumba classes on Fridays 1-2pm for 18+

• The full October half-term program included boxing, kickboxing, trips to the cinema and Natural History Museum, indoor football, indoor cricket, and arts and crafts for ages 6-11, 11-16 and 13-21.

Silver Sunday Dog Show

Many of you will have enjoyed the recent Dog Show, held by Westminster Council at Paddington Rec. There were many categories to enjoy and Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis enjoyed judging the awards for best yearling and best elderly handler.

We were alarmed to learn of the theft of a dog from Paddington Rec. Please report any incidents to the Police and to the security team located in the office behind the main pavilion. Stealing a dog is a crime under the new Pet Abduction Act.

Silver Sunday at Beachcroft

Westminster Council arranged for Chelsea Ballet to put on a lovely performance for the residents of the Beachcroft care home to celebrate Silver Sunday. The show was much enjoyed by residents, staff and local Councillors.

Lauderdale Garages

A developer has begun early consultation with the community about proposals to build a row of townhouses on the garage site on Lauderdale Road. New housing is always welcome but there will be many issues to consider including the impact on the adjacent mansion flats and on the traders of Lauderdale Parade, many of whom rely on the garages for storage.

Oxford Road

Following a complaint about street cleaning, the Council’s contract manager wrote: “We have had Oxford Road checked. Despite some major roadworks, the Westminster side of the road continues to be swept every morning, Monday to Friday. However, the Brent side of the road is only swept once a week, which can have an impact on local street cleanliness. Nothing has changed recently in terms of shifts and sweeping.”

Elgin Avenue

We asked the Parks Team for an improved maintenance plan for the “pocket park” at the junction of Elgin Avenue and Lauderdale Road. They replied: “We have carried out some work on the planter and will continue to monitor the situation. The site will be checked daily for litter and every fortnight for maintenance duties.”

CCTV/Anti-Social Behaviour

We’re very pleased that the new Labour administration has been able to bring back a Council CCTV network. 100 cameras will be deployed across the City and monitored by a 24×7 control room. The first ones have arrived in Maida Vale – at the junction of Chippenham and Shirland Roads.

We continue to work closely with the local Police, Council officers and housing associations concerning certain flats on Kilburn Park Road linked to drug dealing. Nearby, residents of Lanhill Road are pleased that a “closure order” has been maintained on a flat suspected of being used for criminal activity.

At Tollgate Gardens, Council officers have been working with the managing agents to progress plans to prevent free vehicular access onto the estate. Much of the nuisance here is linked to groups of young people driving into communal areas, parking up and playing loud music and dropping litter while socialising. A vehicle gate design has been agreed on with the Met Police Design Out Crime Unit (DOCU) and has been consulted with residents.

The City Inspector is taking enforcement action against fly-tippers dumping waste near the bins on Castellain and WidleyRoads. You can see an example below.

Maid of Maida Vale

The new owners of the former Day True shop on Elgin Avenue plan to paint over the Maid of Maida Vale mural. Many locals feel fondly about this artwork, created in 2014 by the noted Irish artist FINDAC but, sadly, there are no grounds for the Council to refuse planning permission.

Scottish Towers

We contacted Westminster’s Housing team after residents alerted us to people sleeping rough in the lobby of Glasgow House. We’re pleased to say that outreach workers were able to engage with the rough sleepers to help them find a place to stay.

After our intervention, Westminster Housing sent a contractor to re-fit a fire door at Falkirk House that had been attached the wrong way around.

We’re pleased to learn that Westminster has finally granted planning permission for fencing around the new flats built in the undercrofts of Falkirk and Edinburgh Houses. This move will allow the residents some well-deserved privacy.

Maida Vale

We contacted Westminster’s parking enforcement after residents queried why Marshals were not issuing more tickets outside Milad Supermarket on Maida Vale. They confirmed that 10-20 tickets are given each month and wrote:

 “Upon review, I can confirm that the location in question is subject to regular visits by our parking Marshals and, also, we are not aware of any special privileges afforded to vehicles parking in the area. Feedback from the Marshals, who monitor the area, is that motorists are often able to quickly move their vehicles from being parked in contravention before any PCN are formally served. “

Further up Maida Vale, we have reminded the manager of Kish Restaurant to keep the pavement clear so that people with limited mobility can pass.

Lauderdale Mansions West

Following a spirited campaign by local residents, supported by Cllr Geoff Barraclough, plans to build flats in the roof space of Lauderdale Mansions have been withdrawn. The absentee freeholder had refused to engage with leaseholders who would have been badly impacted by the poorly designed scheme.

St Augustine’s Car Boot Sale

We have worked with Westminster and Brent officers and our counterparts from Kilburn Ward to discourage unlawful street trading outside the Saturday car boot sales at St Augustine’s School. While the traders stay on the Brent side of the roads, they are a nuisance to residents of both boroughs.

Chippenham Pub

We’re pleased to confirm that Sainsburys is moving into the old Chippenham Hotel on Shirland Road. Although we’d have preferred to keep a pub in this location, the space has been vacant for several years and a well-run supermarket will help to improve the area.

Shirland Road

We asked Council officers to investigate complaints of rubbish on Shirland Road. The City Inspector replied:

“Shirland Road has been on our hotspot list for some time now and it is checked daily. Our visits do reveal that occasionally some waste is outside of collection times, and only the other day I sent warnings to two residents on this subject. We also had a regular fly-tipper just off Shirland Road in Braden Street that we are pursuing with a view to a prosecution.”

Torridon House

It’s incredibly frustrating that building work at Torridon House still has not resumed after Osborne, the contractor, went bust in May this year. This development will provide 22 flats at social rent for local people. We’re expecting the announcement of another contractor to complete the job shortly.

Maida Hill Market

We’re delighted that the construction works at Maida Hill have finally (almost) finished. The market has reopened with nice new branding and a new toilet block is scheduled to be built in the New Year.

Carlton Dene

Work at Carlton Dene, a new 65-unit extra-care block for older residents, is proceeding well. The ground floor slabs are in place and work will shortly begin on the superstructure. However, local residents have queried whether the contractor needs to remove quite so many parking bays. We have raised this issue with the Council’s regeneration team.

Maida Vale Studios

Hans Zimmer has given more details of plans to open a recording studio and video production facility in the Maida Vale Studios once the BBC moves out in 2026.

Cllr Geoff Barraclough said:

 “I’m delighted that the long history of Maida Vale Studios will continue under new ownership. I’m particularly pleased Hans Zimmer and his team will be working closely with Westminster Council’s new North Paddington Creative Enterprise Zone to give local young talent the chance to work in this wonderful new facility. As with any planning application, there will be plenty of details to examine before the scheme is approved and we will want to ensure that residents don’t suffer during the building works.”

Retrofitting the Maida Vale Mansion Blocks

To help Westminster become a net zero City by 2040, the Council has set up a retrofit taskforce, aimed at supporting owners of historic buildings to help them become greener and more sustainable. We held a roundtable meeting with directors of some of Maida Vale’s leaseholder-owned blocks to see where there were common problems and where the Council could help find solutions. If you’d like to be involved, please drop us a line.

Ernest Harriss House – Community Hub

Work has begun on converting the basement of Ernest Harriss House on Elgin Avenue into the latest of Westminster Council’s new community hubs. The facility will be operated by a charity and will open as soon as the construction is completed in January 2025.

LITTLE VENICE

Special Christmas Lights Switch and Event at Warwick Avenue Tube Station

On Monday 2nd December, we will be holding a Christmas event outside of Warwick Avenue Station. For the first time, there will be a large Christmas tree and carols. Refreshments will be provided by Clifton Nurseries. In previous years, the Little Venice Christmas event was held on Clifton Road, however putting up a tree there became too difficult, and the pavement was too narrow to accommodate all those wishing to attend. Cllr Sara Hassan pushed hard for it to be held in a bigger space. Please come down and join us!

Petition to Pedestrianise Formosa Street

 It was an honour to present a resident petition at Full Council this September asking for the the pedestrianisation of Formosa Street between Warrington Crescent and Castellain Road. Started by John Gregson, a local resident, the petition received 365 signatures and won substantial support from local businesses.

The project could be a unique opportunity to create a safe and sociable space for members of our community to enjoy.  Traffic can easily be re-routed around Warrington Gardens and alternative visitor parking could be made available on Castellain Road and Warrington Crescent.

Warwick Avenue Public Realm Project

Following the latest round of community consultations, Westminster Council will shortly be unveiling firm plans for the future of the area by Warwick Avenue tube station. The aim is to make the space leading up to the canal more attractive, greener and safer for pedestrians crossing near the area.

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. Hundreds of people took part in the consultation either by attending the walks or sending online feedback. The response was extremely positive and the outcome reflected a diversity of views.

A New Accessible Playpark for Paddington Green  and Canalside Improvements

I’m excited to report that new consultations have begun on the Paddington Green and Canalside project in Little Venice which is set to include an accessible playground. The proposals aims to make public spaces more welcoming, safe, sustainable and accessible. A new play area was an issue which came up time and time again with parents during our 2022 election campaign.

Safer Road Crossing at Warwick Avenue

 Cllr Hassan submitted a request for a new zebra crossing/narrowing for the junction at Warwick Avenue and Formasa Street. This particular area is used a lot by St Saviour’s school children and there has been growing concern about speeding cars along Warwick Avenue.

John Aird Court Estate to Get New Windows and Fire Safety Upgrade

Westminster Council will be allocating £5.5 million to upgrade windows and improve fire safety on the John Aird Court in Little Venice in works which are due to start in mid-January next year. The project is expected to take eighteen months to complete.

Under the previous Conservative administration, the estate was neglected and left in a state of disrepair. If works had been completed when they were supposed to (over 8 years ago!), the costs would have been a fraction of what they are today. The unnecessary delays left residents frustrated with poor insulation and rusting window frames and a plethora of other problems. We have worked with WCC and leaseholders to ensure there were good payments terms with as much flexibility as possible and support available especially for pensioners who face financial challenges. We also worked to ensure that what was offered provided value for money, and that robust quality control mechanisms were in place.

Joe Strummer Rain Gardens

We recently celebrated the grand opening of the Joe Strummer rain gardens which were transformed from a derelict underpass to gardens and sustainable urban drainage at the Edgware Road/Marylebone Flyover junction. The wonderful pupils from Christchurch Bentinck came to help with the planting.

New Playground for King Solomon Younger Years Site

The new playground and woodland garden was completed last week and looks wonderful. It was a renovation strongly supported by Cllr Sara Hassan. The playground was partly supported by nCIL funding which was approved by Westminster cabinet members.

CCTV

 In Little Venice, new movable CCTV was installed at Paddington Green in September. The CCTV will cover youth violence hotspots identified by Cllr Sara Hassan who submitted the proposals. Other areas include the Hall Place Estate, Clifton Road and the area by Warwick Avenue tube station.

Hall Place Estate

Cllr Hassan has worked with Veolia on ensuring the micro recycling centre on the Edgware Road is emptied more frequently and is kept tidy. The area now seems much improved. She has also spoken to Westminster’s Housing team several times about dumped rubbish left by Hall and Braithwaite towers. Cllr Hassan has got  Berkeley homes to agree to repaint the railings and this will hopefully take place over the next few weeks.

College Students and Resident Safety

Cllr Sara Hassan has worked with Westminster City College and the police to ensure that the new cohort of students at the college do not disturb residents. She ordered a number of signs which were put up on the estate which warned that students were not allowed to disturb residents. The college also introduced a clause in student contracts which stipulated that students are not allowed to enter the nearby estates and that ASB in these areas wouldn’t be tolerated. The college has also been proactive in moving students seen congregating in these areas.

Routine Weapons Sweep

Cllr Hassan took part in a routine weapons sweep with the Police and City Inspectors on the Hall Place estate. Thankfully we found nothing and we had a great response from the community.

Baltic Wharf Overdevelopment

 Alongside fellow Labour ward councillors from Hyde Park, I 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.

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, Cllr Hassan, together with Cllr Ryan Jude, the cabinet member for Ecology,  invited all the main players for a meeting to discuss ways forward. This is the first time that a meeting between Westminster, the Environment Agency, the CRT and the Swan Sanctuary has ever been held. We discussed incident protocols so that there is a coordinated response in the case of a new emergency.

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. We are grateful to all the residents in Little Venice who contacted us and sent photos of unusually high numbers of dead fish in the canal which we were 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 regularly in the future.

Graffiti

Graffiti was reported and removed across various parts of the ward.