by Julia Haythorn | Mar 13, 2017 | Archive
ARCHIVE
Press Release:
We are pleased to announce that a draft of the Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Plan has been published today. Deadline for comments 30 April 2017
Wendy Shillam, Chair of the Executive Committee says,
‘We have worked very hard to get together a coherent document, that addresses the issues discussed in our consultation meetings and the exhibition we held last year. We have tried to reflect diverse and sometimes contradictory views, balancing different visions where necessary. Now it is time for the community, our residents, those who visit, run businesses and work in the area to tell us whether we have the correct balance.
At the back of our minds, as we wrote policies was the prospect of increased access to our area from Crossrail 1 and 2 and HS2, all of which will bring further pressure of development to our area. This wealth of excellent public transport can be seen as a blessing, but also a challenge.
We’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to this document so far. It is the work of more than one person, so please point out any inconsistencies that you find. It is not yet ready for formal presentation to Westminster City Council. Over the next few weeks we wish to hold informal discussions with the Forum, the Council, our Ward Members, officers and Portfolio Holders. We also wish to update GLA and other stakeholders who may wish to make comment. In addition we are now working with the other four West End Neighborhoods in order to rationalise some policies, where we have very similar objectives.’
Nothing in the plan is cast in stone. We’d like people to go to the comment page on the website that will allow your views to be made public. Alternatively contact us directly at info@fitzwest.org
Deadline for comments 30 April 2017
by Julia Haythorn | Jan 13, 2017 | Consultations
RECEIVED TODAY FROM WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is the agent acting on behalf of Westminster City Council for a traffic management scheme affecting Berwick Street. In accordance with the consultation procedure, we would draw your attention to the effects of the proposed Traffic Orders of which further details are given in the enclosed documents: showing the existing and proposed layouts; and information regarding single and double yellow lines. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff would be pleased to receive any observations or comments you may wish to make on the proposals, in writing, by 3 rd February 2017, quoting the reference 7185/LH in any response.
At the end of the consultation period, all responses received by this date will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration. The City Council will then decide whether to proceed with, modify, or abandon the proposals. The City Council is keen that you discuss your kerbside delivery needs with your delivery and courier companies to ensure that their needs are fully understood and conveyed to the City Council when you respond to this consultation. Also if your business regularly receives guests from taxis, private hire vehicles and coaches, then please also advise us of this information in your response.
A public drop-in session, where you will be able to view plans and ask questions about this consultation or the scheme in general, will be held in the upstairs room at The Blue Posts, 22 Berwick Street, London, W1F 0QA on Thursday, 26th January 2017 between 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. and between 5.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. If you should require any further information please contact me on (020) 3116 5996.
Laura Harris WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff
Link to PDF Berwick Street North Consultation Documents
by Julia Haythorn | Dec 12, 2016 | Consultations, Public Space
We recently received this letter from Westminster City Council:
Great Portland Street Public Realm Improvements Westminster City Council, in partnership with The Crown Estate, is proposing public realm improvements on the western side of Great Portland Street between Riding House Street and Mortimer Street. The improvements are indicated on the enclosed drawing and include the following:
- Repaving the footway with new artificial stone paving footway and installing new granite kerbs, and
- Removing the level difference between the footway and the basement roof slabs.
The works are programmed to commence in February 2017. If your property has a vault/basement that extends beneath the footway and possibly the carriageway, the works being undertaken may cause water ingress or dampness to appear when the ground is disturbed if the vault/basement has not been properly protected by tanking or other damp proofing. The City Council is not required (nor can it) undertake to maintain the surface of the public highway in a watertight condition. This is in accordance with Section 180 Sub-Section 6 of the Highways Act 1980. The basement/vault to your property is a separate structure from the public highway and keeping it in a watertight condition is the responsibility of the owner or freeholder. If you are the occupier but not the owner of the property, you should make the owner aware of this notice.
Contact: Tel: E-mail:
Ref: Date: Ryan Reardon 020 7394 3020
ryan.reardon@wspgroup.com 0001-70027737-S6-1 09 December 2016
FM Conway Limited is working on behalf of Westminster City Council on this scheme and would be pleased to receive any comments you have regarding the proposals by 23rd December 2016.
Your views are important and will be reported to Westminster City Council officers for their review and consideration before a decision on the proposals is made.
Yours sincerely,
Ryan Reardon
great-portland-street-public-realm-improvements-consultation-plan
Click o the link above to view a plan.
We have replied as follows:
Dear Mr Reardon,
Thank you for consulting us. We have placed the information on our website and look forward to further responses from our members. Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Forum is currently writing its policies at the moment. These will be published early in the new year. However, we can confirm that the community – both residents and businesses wishes to see more public realm improvements and so in general we welcome this initiative. We do however have a few observations:
- The removal of a kerb cross-over, thus limiting wheelchair access in this area even more is regretted. We recommend that you re-consider this regressive action.
- We wish to see all pavements in the area re-paved with York stone which is the traditional material.
- It is a shame that works like this are simply replacement works, when it is clear that Great Portland Street needs a holistic design approach along its entire length. This re-design should, in our view include improvements for pedestrians access, crossings and disabled accessibility. It is not clear whether this pavement work will make crossovers at shop thresholds better?
With kind regards
Wendy Shillam Chair FitzWest Neighbourhood Forum
by Julia Haythorn | Jul 14, 2016 | Environment
Today newspapers are reporting a concerning development in the long running saga of the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Up till now FitzWest had been assured that there would be no pedestrianisation between Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus because there were no suitable routes for buses and taxis through our area.
However Valerie Shawcross, London’s deputy mayor for transport, has now announced to the London Assembly that the plan is to ban all vehicles from Tottenham Court Road to beyond Selfridges and the entrance to Bond Street tube station. There is no indication of how this is to be achieved.
In response to this announcement I have written to Val Shawcross as follows:
Dear Val,
PEDESTRIANISATION OF OXFORD STREET
I represent Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Forum. Our forum is a 200 strong group that represents both residents and businesses in Fitzrovia. We are united in order to create a neighbourhood plan for the area.
One crucial aspect of our plan, triggered by strong public support, is to improve the streets where we live and work. There is no public green space in our area, little sitting out space and hardly any pedestrian streets. We suffer from some of the worst pollution of any residential area in Europe.
We are in the middle of writing policies that will go public this autumn. So far public consultation has strongly prioritised the greening of streets, the reduction and calming of traffic and the improvement of arrangements for pedestrians.
In particular we wish to enhance the Great Titchfield Street/Mortimer Street hub of our area. This has become a dynamic focus for local and specialist shops, small businesses and provides the area’s vitality. But it is already stymied by the fact that Mortimer Street is a by-pass street for Oxford Street.
There are over 4000 people living in very dense flats in this area. Our population is not dominated by West End Wealthy, but by ordinary people, many of whom have lived in the area for years, whose children attend the local schools and who work in local businesses. Many people live in social housing, or housing for the elderly. They cannot choose to move out of the area if it becomes even more devastated by traffic.
This week’s announcement that pedestrianisation in Oxford Street shall go ahead leads us to fear the implications for our area, especially Mortimer Street and Newman Street. While the Crossrail project has gone ahead we have had several long term bus diversions through our area, along Mortimer and Newman Street. This has resulted in lines of jammed buses belching out exhaust. I enclose a photograph of Newman Street, taken during one of those diversions, to indicate how unpleasant those short term diversions were.
Taken 12.22 09.04.2015
If the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street results in a permanent diversion of taxis and bus routes along these streets it would be devastating for the area.
We support a reduction of traffic in Oxford Street, and have no objection to pedestrianisation per se. In fact, we too wish to look at traffic calming schemes to support improvements to Great Titchfield Street and Mortimer Street, which is the social and economic hub of our area.
Unfortunately it is not just Oxford Street that subjects the population of Fitzrovia to life threatening pollution. The diagram below (taken from the Kings College Model commissioned, as I understand it, by GLA) identifies Mortimer Street and New Cavendish Street as highly polluted as well. This pollution is exacerbated in the centre of London because of the urban heat island effect, which can trap a bubble of polluted air, stopping it dissipating, as it might do in greener parts of the capital. I am sure that enlightened traffic engineers in the GLA have already considered these limitations and are proposing alternatives. For example a bus hub at Tottenham Court Road and a further hub at Hyde Park Corner would be well supported by our community.
We are especially concerned that All Souls’ Primary School, our excellent local primary school, lies only yards from the Mortimer Street/Newman Street junction. The prospect of diverting transport onto a minor road and increasing pollution levels so close to an area where children are taught, is not worthy of the new GLA administration.
The FitzWest Neighbourhood Forum is doing all it can to improve the environment for our inner city residents, existing businesses and the hundreds of thousands of new visitors that will be attracted by Crossrail 1, Crossrail 2 and HS2 which also arrives at our doorstep. We seek help from the GLA to achieve that result, not hindrance.
Please, can I have your assurance that no scheme will be approved which diverts public transport and taxis through the streets within our area?
Yours sincerely
Wendy Shillam
Chairman Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Area Forum Executive
CC
Caroline Pidgeon Chair London Assembly Transport Committee
Tim Steer Head of Transport
Cllr Robert Davis MBE Deputy Leader Westminster CC
Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive New West End Company
Paul Dimoldenberg Leader Westminster CC Labour Group
I have also sent copies to our Ward Councillors.
Please add your comments below.
by Julia Haythorn | Jun 6, 2016 | Consultations
We’ve mad a comment regarding Westminster’s proposal to change mixed use policies in the city plan.
Our general concern is the proposed relaxation of the requirement to provide an increase of residential use as part of larger commercial developments in the Core CAZ and Opportunity Areas such as Tottenham Court Road. The West End and central parts of the City are characterised by a mix of commercial and residential uses adding variety, interest and enhancing interaction between different sized businesses and residents. The proposed change in wording will lead to more large scale, single use, ‘iconic’ developments which, although highly profitable, add very little and often detract from the quality of the built form in the City as a whole, or indeed in areas such as Fitzrovia.
For the full text go to: EXTERNAL CONSULTATION
Please add your comments if you agree or disagree with our response.
