Join our campaign calling on Mayor Khan to keep promise to stop disruptive tube noise
Resident complaints about tube noise have increased over recent years and despite a massive effort by local Conservative Councillors, Transport for London is no closer to solving the problem.
Conservative London Assembly Member, Tony Devenish, has been working with local councillors and resident groups to lobby TfL and Mayor Sadiq Khan for nearly two years to stop the noise, which is blighting lives.
Many local people have complained of experiencing increased vibrations and tube train noise. Warwick Ward, Pimlico Councillor, Jacqui Wilkinson explains: “From the growing number of complaints local councillors are receiving the problem is clearly getting worse. I have heard from people living across Pimlico and south Westminster who report some worrying experiences of serious shuddering of furniture in their homes, and can hear the rattling of trains beneath them. I am being contacted by local people living not only in basement flats, but on higher floors.”
Last year Cllr Tony Devenish AM secured a meeting with Mayor Khan who finally agreed to see him along with Councillor Wilkinson and local residents. Cllr Devenish said: “We welcomed the time the Mayor gave us and he promised to tackle the problem. But several months on we have had no follow up and confirmation of what solutions he has directed TfL to undertake to reduce the disruptions our residents are suffering. Everyone appreciates that we have to live with some noise but what people are reporting is of unprecedented levels and the Mayor must keep his problem and tackle this ongoing problem.”
Please support us and send a message to Mayor Khan to keep his promise and tackle disruptive tube noise.
Click here to sign our petition
Local councillors tackling road safety
As previously reported, Warwick Ward councillors have been campaigning to improve road safety across the Ward. We secured a speeding notification camera on St George’s Drive last autumn to analyse the speeds as we felt it was becoming increasingly dangerous. We are now working with council officers to understand the data collected and if as we suspect there is a speeding issue we will lobby for sensible speed calming measures to be installed.
Now we are turning to the traffic lights on the Warwick Way/St Georges Drive/Eccleston Square junction. We are campaigning to have the sequencing extended in order to give pedestrians more time to cross. Cllr Flight commented: “We have found that over recent years, the light changes have shortened quite dramatically making it more dangerous for people to cross. This is a much used junction by both people and vehicles and we want Transport for London to increase the sequencing to allow people to walk across safely.”
Let us know your views: simply email us, or call our office in Ebury Street on 020 7730 8181.
Do you have an electric car or thinking about getting one?
There has been a growing interest among our residents in having electric cars.
Westminster City Council recognises this and is planning to install over 100 new lamppost-charging points across the City.
If you are interested in having a charging installed in your street, you can now apply on-line to the Council at www.westminster.gov.uk/request-vehicle-charging-point.
Petition against merging of Westminster Police with two other boroughs
Towards the end of last year, we arranged a petition to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urging him to rethink his plans to merge Westminster’s local police teams with Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.
We had a great response from local residents and businesses, as well as across Westminster. Warwick Ward Councillor and Council Leader Nickie Aiken presented the petition signed by thousands of worried Westminster residents and businesses to GLA Members Tony Devenish Gareth Bacon at City Hall. They will ensure the Mayor receives and acknowledges concerns that have united the City of Westminster as well as those living in the other two boroughs.
Commenting Cllr Aiken said: "The Mayor's plans to merge Westminster police with the two other boroughs is utter madness. It will leave massive gaps within our neighbourhood teams, which are already stretched, having to deal with London-wide responsibilities such as Changing of the Guard and the hundreds of protests and marches that take place in our city.
"I would like to thank all the local people and businesses who have supported our campaign and signed our petition. I hope the Mayor will appreciate the true concerns we all have about his plans and decide that they go too far and reverse his decision.
You asked, we delivered
• Eccleston Square residents have been complaining about a persistent pigeon feeder whose actions are attracting scores of birds to land on the pavement and surrounding window sills, leaving mess etc.
We have been liaising with the Council’s public protection team and local police as the lady is becoming increasingly aggressive and sometimes violent towards residents who ask her to cease. Although not completely resolved we are confident following a meeting we had with residents that working together we can gather enough evidence for the authorities to act once and for all.
• There have been recurring problems with the drain in Churton Place being blocked. In October we arranged for Westminster’s highways maintenance contractor to unblock it. Over the Christmas break, a resident reported that it was blocked again.
We had it investigated and found that the outlet pipe was full of cement! This now been cleaned and the adjacent developer will be charged for the cost of the works.
• We have working closely with CWH to resolve two particular problems in Sherborne House and Russell House where residents suffered from long-standing leaks.
We pressed CWH at the highest level to get these cases sorted out and the damages made good. This has now happened.
Westminster City Council Election on 3rd May: Are you registered to vote?
On 3rd May 2018, voters in the City of Westminster will have the opportunity to have their say on the future running of the Council at the London-wide local elections. The Conservative-led Westminster City Council continues to have the lowest council tax in the country, outstanding children’s services and is the top local authority nationally for social mobility. If you want this to continue, then please make sure that you are registered to vote.
Anyone who is already registered to vote does not need to re-register. If you have moved home in the last few months and not registered to vote at your new address, you can find out more and register at www.westminster.gov.uk/register-to-vote. As this is a local election, if you have more than one address, you are entitled to join the electoral register, and vote, in both places.
