by Julia Haythorn | May 10, 2019 | The Plan
Please take a moment to give us your thoughts and comments on the Draft Neighbourhood Plan. Previous feedback has been used and incorporated and all new comments will be recorded and will contribute towards the final plan.
Click here for the survey
Click here for the latest version of the Draft Neighbourhood Plan,
Please come to our Exhibition and AGM on 13 May 2019 at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, 25 Howland Street: https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/contact-us.
The Exhibition: from 2.30pm (note the new start time)
We’ll be presenting the latest Draft Neighbourhood Plan,(https://fitzwest.org/draft-plan/) some of our local greening projects including developments on Riding House Street and proposals for Market Place and suggestions about how to spend local CIL money (for CIL see the link below).
The Plan will help shape Fitzwest’s built environment and urban realm. This is your last chance to influence the draft before it goes out to formal consultation, so please comment if you can.
Members of the Executive will be available to answer questions and you will be able to express your views via a questionnaire. If you can’t come please answer the questionnaire (on the website soon). All views expressed will be carefully considered and our responses will be recorded in a consultation document.
The AGM: from 6pm
6.00pm Welcome. Report on our recent work and invitation to join (you need to be a member to take part in the AGM – if you know anyone who would like to join please feel free to forward this email and draw their attention to “How to join the Forum” below).
6.15pm Latest Draft Neighbourhood Plan(https://fitzwest.org/draft-plan/). Summary of key points and procedure going forward. Q&A. We will be inviting all 6 local ward councillors and relevant Westminster Council officers.
Lucas van der Steen WCC liaison Neighbourhood Planning will be there to answer questions.
6.30pm Air Quality. Adam Webber from Westminster City Council on how the council is aiming to improve local air quality. Q&A.
7.10pm Elections to the Executive. The Executive manages the day to day activity of Forum under the direction of you, the members. Any member can stand, so feel free to do so. If you send us a brief bio. in advance of the meeting we’ll circulate it. Three members of the Executive will be standing down and presenting themselves for re-election: Nick Bailey, Sharon Banoff and Barbara Corr.
7.20 Presentation of accounts.
7.25 AOB and further opportunity for Q&A
7.45 Refreshments
We look forward to seeing you on 13 May.
by Julia Haythorn | May 2, 2019 | Events
Please come to our Exhibition and AGM on 13 May 2019 at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, 25 Howland Street: https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/contact-us.
The Exhibition: from 2.30pm (note the new start time)
We’ll be presenting the latest Draft Neighbourhood Plan,(https://fitzwest.org/draft-plan/) some of our local greening projects including developments on Riding House Street and proposals for Market Place and suggestions about how to spend local CIL money (for CIL see the link below).
The Plan will help shape Fitzwest’s built environment and urban realm. This is your last chance to influence the draft before it goes out to formal consultation, so please comment if you can.
Members of the Executive will be available to answer questions and you will be able to express your views via a questionnaire. If you can’t come please answer the questionnaire (on the website soon). All views expressed will be carefully considered and our responses will be recorded in a consultation document.
The AGM: from 6pm
6.00pm Welcome. Report on our recent work and invitation to join (you need to be a member to take part in the AGM – if you know anyone who would like to join please feel free to forward this email and draw their attention to “How to join the Forum” below).
6.15pm Latest Draft Neighbourhood Plan(https://fitzwest.org/draft-plan/). Summary of key points and procedure going forward. Q&A. We will be inviting all 6 local ward councillors and relevant Westminster Council officers.
Lucas van der Steen WCC liaison Neighbourhood Planning will be there to answer questions.
6.30pm Air Quality. Adam Webber from Westminster City Council on how the council is aiming to improve local air quality. Q&A.
7.10pm Elections to the Executive. The Executive manages the day to day activity of Forum under the direction of you, the members. Any member can stand, so feel free to do so. If you send us a brief bio. in advance of the meeting we’ll circulate it. Three members of the Executive will be standing down and presenting themselves for re-election: Nick Bailey, Sharon Banoff and Barbara Corr.
7.20 Presentation of accounts.
7.25 AOB and further opportunity for Q&A
7.45 Refreshments
We look forward to seeing you on 13 May.
How to join the Forum
Membership is free and is open to anyone who lives, works in or runs a business in the Neighbourhood Area (see the map at https://fitzwest.org/fitzwest-area-map/).
People can join at the Exhibition/AGM or online at any time: https://fitzwest.org/become-a-member/.
Links
Website: https://fitzwest.org/
CIL: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200126/applications/70/community_infrastructure_levy
Notes of the last AGM:
https://fitzwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/FitzWest_AGM_minutes_0618-final.pdf
Details of Executive Members: https://fitzwest.org/meeting-notes/executive/
Constitution: https://fitzwest.org/about-2/constitution/
by Julia Haythorn | Apr 11, 2019 | Our Neighbourhood
From FitzWest Neighbourhood Forum
FAO Emily Starkie (Review Officer)
Dear Madam,
Thank you for consulting us regarding the review of Westminster warding arrangments.
We do have some observations regarding our own area that we would like to put forward. This revolves around the area known as Fitzrovia, which is now commonly marked on maps, such as google maps, but has no continuity in the ward boundaries.
I am a representeantive of The FitzWest Neighbourhood Forum, an active neighbourhood group that has been set up since 2013. On 10th April 2018 our executive group agreed that we should write to you and this letter representes the views we consider our members to hold and those of the executive meeting last night.
I enclose a link to a map which outlines where the area is located. Our area has been designated a business forum, becasue of the number of businesses in the area.
We would like to see the whole of FItzrovia within Westminster being within the West End Ward.
Evidence:
Historic parish boundary now irrelevant:
Currently most of our area is located in the West End Ward, while a small amount – North of New Cavendish Street – is located in Marylebone High Street Ward. This is an anomaly reaching back to the days when ward boundaries were linked to parish boundaries. However today the reality is that the West End with its vibrancy of mixed uses – as opposed to simply residential – extend from Oxford Strreet in the south of our area, right up to Euston Road which forms our northern boundary.
Electorate numbers in FItzrovia:
We note the electorate is expected to rise in West End Ward and Marylebone Ward – much of this expansion is due to large multi-storey blocks of luxury flats which have recently been given permission in Fitzrovia. This can be confirmed by reference to CIL forecasts.
Different nature of West End and Marylebone:
Fitzrovia is currently split between Marylebone High Street and West End Ward. We do not feel an affinity with the rest of Marylebone High Street Ward, which is a different area, having an older, more stable population and less commerce. Marylebone High Street is focused around the local shopping High Street called Marylebone High Street. While Fitzrovians look towards Great Titchfield Street and Great Portland Street as twin local shopping streets.
It should also be noted that over the years the West End has migrated east. Current regeneration projects always link Camden’s areas of Bloomsbury and Tottenham Court Road in with the rest of the wider Westminster West End, which includes Covent Garden. No longer does Oxford Street have the prevelance it once enjoyed. Bond Street and Totternham Court Road are also now equally, if not more thriving shopping streets. This reflects a national move away from shopping in department stores, to smaller nich stores and shopping neighbourhoods, which also offer office accommodation, cultural facilties, cafes and restaurants. This mix of use defines FItzrovia.
Strong community views:
When we set up Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Forum there was some controvery between our area and Marylebone regarding boundaries. At a public meeting in 2013 there was unanimous support for keeping FItzrovia as a separate entity to Marylebone and this has been a continuing theme throught our work:
“A show of hands revealed that there was a considerable majority in favour of pursuing a FitzWest application, though some people regretted that a Camden/Westminster joint neighbourhood forum seemed unlikely. There was no support for merging Fitzrovia with the Marylebone proposal.” Report of a meeting 8th October 2013,
“At this meeting, just like at the first meeting, a show of hands was taken. Only one person, who lived or worked in the area, out of over eighty people present, expressed the view that they would like to consider the Marylebone proposal, while the rest wanted to pursue the Fitzrovia West proposal.” Report of a public meeting, 13 November 2013
Better representation from West End Councillors:
Throughout our work we have received far more support and engagement from the West End councillors than from Marylebone High Street councillors.
This is demonstrated in that West End councillors regularly attend our executive meetings (all attendance is recorded in our minutes on our website)
In addition we have been far more generously funded by West End Ward Budget than by Marylebone: Between 2014 and 2019, West End Ward has funded FItzWest to the tune of £7300, while we have received only £500 from Marylebone Ward, excluding a £1742 grant for a greening project managed by FItzWest, but not part of the Neighbourhood Forum process.
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/ward-budgetsKind regards
Wendy Shillam
FitzWest Neighbourhood Forum
by Julia Haythorn | Feb 1, 2019 | The Plan
We are publishing our draft Neighbourhood Plan here for residents and businesses to consider it and give their views.
Please have a look and send us your thoughts and comments.
Click here to see the draft Neighbourhood Plan
by Julia Haythorn | Jan 23, 2019 | Consultations, Environment, Public Space
New West End Company (NWEC) presented their ideas at the last Forum meeting for a much needed green space in the neighbourhood around Market Place.
We agreed to be involved with the consultation and planning and welcomed this proposal.
You can see NWEC’s presentation in detail here:
Market Place Greening Project Powerpoint Presentation
