Jan/Feb 2024 Updates

The Royal Parks are considering making permanent the all-week closure of South Carriage Drive, which has been in place for over three years now. In the past the road was always closed on Sundays. You can comment via this link: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/SouthCarriageDrive

Elsewhere, the Crown Estate, which owns much of the Regent Street area,  has looked further at greening and prioritising pedestrian space, in conjunction with Westminster council.  You can find out what is planned here: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/future-regent-street-haymarket-and-piccadilly-circus-public-realm

Frameless, the “immersive art experience” at Marble Arch, is offering talks by art historians on mid-week afternoons: https://frameless.com/art-talks/

The Marble Arch Business Improvement District is launching an app with discounts at local businesses: https://mailchi.mp/marble-arch.london/february-2024?e=5ea3061ad6

The Connaught Village Green scheme, without the originally proposed one-way on Kendal Street, is now out for a second consultation, ending 13th March.  We are generally supportive, except for the planned outdoor seating which we believe will attract anti social behaviour. Only recently WCC had to move a bench in nearby Southwick Street because drug dealing and aggressive begging from it were causing real difficulties for local residents. A bench which historically existed in Connaught Village caused the same trouble, forcing some residents to avoid the area, and the aggressive begging and rough sleeping problems on Edgware Road have been a constant cause of complaint more recently.. Please share your views via https://connaughtvillagegreen.commonplace.is/ or email to (tmo.westminster@wsp.com ref 8058?HWB). by 13 March 2024.

We will also be calling for the Hyde Park Estate to get some of the 100 new council-funded, 24/7 monitored CCTV cameras which have been promised by WCC. I have already asked the police borough commander for proper integration of this resource with police CCTV and police live operations, rather than for use simply to supply evidence after crime or anti-social behaviour has taken place.


If you weren’t able to get to the consultation events for the proposed St Mary’s redevelopment, essential if the hospital is to retain its major trauma treatment centre status, do  take a look at the plans for St Mary’s: St Mary’s development | Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 

Also there is an opportunity to say what you think of Baltic Wharf’s revised plans for student housing above the Travis Perkins builders’ merchants site at the Harrow Road roundabout: 

The website is https://www.balticwharfpaddington.com/

I would also like to share some sad news. Members will be sorry to hear of the death of HPEA member Caroline Duff, who lived with her husband Jimmy, now 101, until very recently in Sussex Square. I always enjoyed Caroline’s spirited company and was grateful for her advice to my elderly father on how to deal with partial sight loss. Jimmy has moved to a home near Henley-on -Thames. We send him our sincere condolences.  Caroline?s memorial service will take place there on 20th April.

There will be a Service of Thanksgiving for Alderman Anne Mallinson, OBE, JP, at St John’s Church on Friday 17th May at 12 noon to which everyone is welcome, especially those representing the many institutions, charities and organisations with which Anne was involved during her life.

Paul Akers, Westminster council’s very hardworking and committed former arboreal officer, passed away earlier this month. Members will remember him as a doughty defender of many of our area’s trees, which survive him.