by FitzWest admin | Jul 4, 2024 | AGM, CIL, Consultations, Environment, Greening, Our Neighbourhood
Thank you to everyone who attended our very successful AGM last Wednesday 26th June at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre on Howland Street – we appreciated you choosing to spend a gloriously hot evening with us rather than in the park! You can
read the full minutes of the meeting here.
As well as all the usual business of the AGM, we had several interesting presentations. These included an update from Jordan Scammell from the Soho Poly Theatre about their development plans and how the CIL funding has been spent.
You can have a look at the presentation here.
Lee Lyons from The Fitzrovia Partnership and Lucy Mitchell from the New West End Company discussed how they are dealing with issues of crime and anti-social behaviour in Fitzrovia. Councillor Patrick Lilley also shared some of the complex challenges the police are facing and how they are working to deal with it. Greening and outdoor space is always a very popular issue for our members and Mark Gazaleh told us about tree planting and plans for future greening in the area. You can look at this presentation here.
Consultation – chance to have your say
The Fitzrovia Partnership is co-designing a sustainability strategy and action plan for the area and has been engaging the community on its environmental, social and economic priorities to make Fitzrovia a better place to live, work and visit for all.
There was an exhibition and consultation about this at the AGM and residents and businesses gave their opinions. Join The Fitzrovia Partnership for its final sustainability strategy co-creation session on 10th July ay 12.30.
This session will include a wrap-up of insights gained during the recent sustainability drop-in sessions and survey, including feedback from local residents and businesses on how they would like to see better social and environmental value delivered in the area. The session will also provide an opportunity to provide final feedback on our Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan.
by FitzWest admin | Jun 24, 2024 | AGM, CIL
AGM – Wednesday 24th June 2024 at 6pm
All members are invited to attend The Fitzwest Neighbourhood Forum Annual General Meeting.
There is also the opportunity to attend via Zoom. Please contact us directly on info@fitzwest.org and we will send you the Zoom link.
Highlights include:
- discussions on security in Fitzrovia including issues around crime and anti-social behaviour
- updates on the Soho Poly Theatre (CIL project)
- all the usual business of the AGM
- chance to meet and socialise with your neighbours over a glass of wine
Full agenda available here
If anyone is interested in being more involved in Fitzrovia community issues, then please let us know as we are always looking for new members of the Executive.
New Cavendish Street Planters
After the successful installation of planters on New Cavendish Street, Hanson Street, Great Titchfield Street and Gosfield Street last year, it was time for a spruce up with some summer colour. We were lucky to have our team of green-fingered volunteers ready to help and the results are stunning. Our volunteers also share out the watering of all the planters. We will need some more help over the summer to keep the planters watered so if you would like to be involved please drop us an email on info@fitzwest.org or talk to one of the Executive at the AGM.
by FitzWest admin | Jun 3, 2024 | AGM, CIL
All members are invited to attend The Fitzwest Neighbourhood Forum Annual General Meeting.
Date: Wednesday 26th June 2024
Venue: Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, 25 Howland Street London W1T 4JG
Time: 6pm
There is also the opportunity to attend via Zoom. Please contact us directly on info@fitzwest.org and we will send you the Zoom link.
Full details to follow shortly, but the meeting will include:
- discussions on security in Fitzrovia including issues around crime and anti-social behaviour
- updates on current and future CIL projects including the Soho Poly Theatre
- all the usual business of the AGM
If anyone is interested in being more involved in Fitzrovia community issues, then please let us know as we are always looking for new members of the Executive.
by FitzWest admin | Oct 31, 2023 | CIL, Environment, Greening, Our Neighbourhood, Public Space, Rubbish
We are delighted to announce that the long talked about and frequently delayed planters have finally been installed on Hanson street, Great Titchfield Street, and Gosfield Street at the junctions with New Cavendish Street.
These planters are funded by Neighbourhood CIL and the Tesco Bags of Help scheme.
Rebecca Heard of Fine Line Garden Design has done a wonderful job of sourcing hardy and attractive British plants and creating a very appealing planting design. It is designed to look great now, but also to grow and fill in as the months go by.
Lots of volunteers worked hard to get the planting done – including planting lots of bulbs which will come up in the spring.
We are very conscious that maintenance of these planters is incredibly important to keep them looking as good as they do now and we have a whole roster of volunteers who are watering , clearing rubbish that might appear and doing any other maintenance.
Children from All Souls School will be helping as well and it’s great to see all ages keen to be involved.
If you would like to help out and volunteer, then please do email us: info@fitzwest.org
The various locations for the planters were chosen after a public consultation. They needed to be in places where there was space away from utilities and that didn’t get in the way of passersby. It was also hoped they will serve an additional purpose of discouraging on-street dumping. We are aware this may take a little while to settle in but hope that residents and businesses will help by only putting their rubbish out at the time and in the place stipulated by WCC. The times are available here.
Hanson Street Planter
Thanks again to the many people who have helped and supported this project.
by FitzWest admin | Sep 20, 2023 | CIL, Consultations, Cycling, Public Space
There is lots happening in Fitzrovia and opportunities for you to have your say on various consultations.
New Traffic Order – changes to traffic direction in Fitzrovia
WCC are seeking comments on a new traffic order. Towards the end, there are detailed plans about proposed changes to Wigmore/Mortimer St and the junctions with Great Portland St and Great Titchfield Street.
Otherwise, there is provision for new loading bays on Mortimer St, reducing the pavement width. Overall, there will be 4 fewer residents parking spaces and four fewer bus stands (in Cavendish Place). There seems to be only one reference to cycle parking – at the western end of Wigmore St.
We have asked for projected figures for traffic movements after implementation on and around Wigmore/Mortimer St and are waiting to hear about that.
Observations and comments on the proposals should be submitted by 4th October 2023 to TrafficOrders@projectcentre.co.uk quoting the reference PCL/9333/AJ in your response.
Proposals for new docking locations for hired bikes
WCC are proposing new docks for all hired bikes in Wells, Newman, Ogle and Bolsover Streets rather than just being left on the pavements.
CIL Newsletter
Westminster Council are producing a regular newsletter with information and updates on how to make CIL applications.
The next submission date for CIL applications is October 2nd.
by FitzWest admin | May 30, 2023 | AGM, CIL, Consultations, Our Neighbourhood, Oxford Street
First of all, a big thank you to over 40 local residents and businesses and all the West End Ward councillors (Cllrs Toale, Fisher and Lilley) who attended our AGM on 18th May at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre on Howland Street. The high tech facilities meant we were also able to have people attend virtually.
As well as the usual AGM business, Cllr. Geoff Barraclough and some of the Westminster Council Oxford Street team presented initial plans to change the traffic flow at Oxford Circus. There were plenty of questions and comments and an undertaking by the Council that this would be fully consulted on before implementation. There was particular concern about suggestions of changes to traffic flow on Great Titchfield Street and the potential for increased traffic.
Our local police officer from the Safer Neighbourhood teams then gave a presentation about crime and anti social behaviour. This also generated lots of questions and gave residents a chance to chat afterwards.
Finally, there were some updates on projects that have received CIL funding. Donna Yay from Fitzrovia Community Centre explained how the works to improve the accessibility and floor covering would not have otherwise been possible. Gwilym Harbottle told us that the New Cavendish Planters will be installed this summer – and asked for volunteers to be on the planters committee – so if anyone is interested please get in touch with Gwilym at info@fitzwest.org
The AGM minutes are available here.
