Maida Vale Police Team: Latest Update

The Maida Vale local police team have sent us their latest update:

• Priorities: Police priorities in oura rea remain tackling anti-social behaviour in Elgin Avenue and the Rec, along with a continuing campaign to reduce residential burglary;
• Elgin Parade: groups of youngsters have continued to gather at this area in the evening, with some anti-social behaviour occurring as a result. The mobile police station has been deployed as a visible deterrent and have spent time trying to work with some of these young people to find them alternative thigns to do (including a number who have been introduced to the Army Cadet scheme). Further work continues.
• Paddignton Rec: The Rec remains, on the whole, quiet. The mobile police station has been deployed on a regular basis to both deter any anti-social behaviour and to provide a point of contact for the public. A total of 13 people have been banned in the last 12 months from the Rec for poor behaviour.

As local Councillors, we know that the top priority of many residents around Elgin Avenue, Lanark Road and Hamilton Court is tackling the youth congregation issue. Further work has been undertaken since this update was provided to us and we will continue to press for a resolution. As part of our determination to solve this problem, we have allocated monies from the Maida Vale Community Fund to support two additional uniformed City Guardians in the area until March 2010.

Jan

Dear Karen: Lancaster Gate is two miles that way >>>

As many regular readers will know, we don't often mention our political opponents on this blog, but on this occasion we couldn't resist ...

Short note to Karen Buck MP - thanks for the Maida Vale Labour leaflet through my door the other day.

What I'm struggling a bit with, though, is why you talk about making Lancaster Gate "an even better place to live". I'm sure that's wonderful, but we live in Maida Vale!

Lee

Kilburn Park Road: Meeting with Brent Councillors

Yesterday morning we held a meeting with two senior Brent Councillors to discuss their plans to massively change Kilburn Park Road and build on the current roundabout.

We met close to the roundabout during rush hour to make sure that the Councillors were aware of the high volume of traffic which use it - and particularly the large number of buses (sometimes up to half a dozen a minute) which pass by. We were promised a report from Brent Council officers several weeks ago which apparently proves that the roundabout is not needed given the volume of traffic which uses it (something which we disagree with) - we are yet to receive that report.

We also took them down Kilburn Park Road to show how all local residents will be impacted by the potential changes. In addition, we highlighted many of the comments and concerns that local residents have raised in the last couple of weeks in their correspondence to us.

In addition, we have also raised our real concerns about the failure to involve Kilburn Park Road residents in these discussions at an earlier stage and the very short timeframe they are now giving local residents to comment - which really isn't acceptable.

We are grateful for the Councillors coming to Maida Vale and listening to our concerns. Although we don't expect to change their minds (and we understand that their overall goal is to remove some tower blocks which everyone accepts are pretty bad), it is important to try. We will ensure the views of local residents are paramount in their thinking going forward.

The next step for local residents is to attend the public open meeting at Essendine School on Friday 13th November between 6pm and 8.30pm. This will be you opportunity to question Brent Council officers and to let them know your thoughts on the plans.

Alastair, Jan and Lee

Tollgate Gardens improvement: Meeting

Local residents in Tollgate Gardens should have recently received a letter from CityWest Homes telling them about the next stage of the proposed redevelopment.

Two more meetings are planned over the next few weeks to show residents what might be possible for the future of Tollgate. Three different architects have been asked to study the space available on the Estate and give their views about what could be improved. If you are a local resident and interested in their ideas go and have a look -

• between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday 24th November, or
• between 5pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th November.

Both of the events will take place in the Hall of Tollgate Tower.

At the moment, these are just ideas - and it is for the residents to now give their input. A few weeks ago we brought the Cabinet Member for Housing to Tollgate to answer questions from local residents - and she confirmed that all local residents could have a say in what happens next. Now is the time to do so!

Jan

Kilburn Park Road: Public Meeting

Thanks to all local residents who have got in touch with us over the last 10 days to give their views and thoughts on Brent Council's plans.

We have had a good number of responses and it is clear that you do not support the removal of the roundabout to build 135 flats. You have raised concerns about traffic, parking, bus vibrations, the loss of green space, the loss of trees, the ability for the road to cope with that number of additional flats, the proposed traffic light junction, overlooking and overshadowing, amongst other things. A number of residents who have lived on the road for many years told us about 40 years ago when the road was last a four-way junction - and how they did not want to go back to that.

We have also arranged a public meeting especially for Maida Vale where local residents will have the opportunity to question Brent Council on their plans. This will be held on Friday 13th November between 6pm and 8.30pm in Essendine School on Essendine Road. It will include a presentation on the plans from Brent, before an open session which will allow any resident to ask about anything.

We understand that Brent are intending to make a planning application to build the flats within weeks. Although everyone will have the chance to comment during that planning process, we really feel this is not good form. It indicates that Brent are not terribly interested in changing their plans following feedback from Kilburn Park Road residents - people who will live just feet away from the new flats if this goes ahead.

Given the short time frame, if you are a local resident and have views, it is important that you attend the meeting on Friday 13th November. We look forward to seeing you there.

Alastair, Jan and Lee

PS Local residents will have received a letter in the last few days which advertises the public meeting on the 13th (an image of the letter is above). A number of residents have asked who this is from - it is a letter from Brent Council, although you can hardly see their logo in the top right of the letter. The letter advertises two meetings. As local Councillors, we recommend that you attend the Friday meeting only. The Tuesday meeting will be information about the plans for the wider South Kilburn regeneration project - which stretches from Maida Vale all the way up to Queen's Park. If you have specific concerns about the roundabout proposal, it is the Friday meeting that you want.

Lauderdale Parade

Several weeks ago, local residents raised the issue of the cleanliness of Lauderdale Parade.

This is one of those difficult to crack problems, not least because it is often due to the carelessness of students at the City of Westminster College across the road. Every so often, a reminder is needed.

As a result, the area had a deep clean a few days ago and the street cleaning teams have been asked to pay special attention to the Parade. Four extra bins have also been installed to try to stop the problem at source (dependent, of course, on individuals actually using them). The local college, who to their credit have always been willing to engage and anxious to mitigate any issues caused by their students, are re-inforcing the message that littering is unacceptable.

The cleansing teams have been asked to monitor the situation over the next few weeks to ensure that the issue has been resolved.

As your local Councillors, we are keen to help with any issues on your street. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to get in touch. And if you live near Lauderdale Parade, do let us know if you still think there are issues with the cleanliness.

Jan

Brent Council planning massive changes to Kilburn Park Road

On Thursday night we attended a hastily convened meeting, at our request, with planning and housing officers from Brent Council at Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street.

A little while ago, as local Councillors, we had got wind of new plans being promoted by Brent to regenerate South Kilburn. This is a long-standing project which Brent have been naturally keen to do for many years, with a number of false starts and unsuccessful attempts.

Another plan has now emerged and Brent Council seem to have decided that it must be all pushed through exceptionally quickly. Irrespective of the merits of the plans, this is most alarming and shows a lack of respect for those residents on our side of the border who have not yet been publicly consulted about the plans. This message was conveyed in no uncertain terms at the meeting on Thursday to Brent.

Details of the plans are still being worked through, but we can see that they have the potential to have a huge effect on local residents in Maida Vale, particularly in Kilburn Park Road and Carlton Vale.
The headlines of the first stage of the plans are:

• to block off the roundabout at the top of Kilburn Park Road: and instead create a four-way junction controlled by traffic lights;
• to build 135 flats on the roundabout site: which will mean the loss of the open space, the grass and the 40 trees;
• to narrow parts of Kilburn Park Road and Carlton Vale: which will bring existing traffic a little bit closer to the houses currently in Kilburn Park Road and may reduce traffic capacity on the part of Carlton Vale which is just outside Westminster.

This is all part of a plan to remove the large high-rise tower blocks, in stages and over a number of years, which are such an eyesore at the moment.

We asked a lot of questions for Brent and went through their plans in as much detail as we could in two hours. We have further questions and need to get more answers from Brent about just how affected local residents, particularly in Kilburn Park Road will be.

The most single disappointing thing was that Brent Council, throughout this process, have not sought to engage with local residents in Maida Vale on plans which could hugely change our area. After quite a lot of questioning, it also seems like there is about 3 - 4 weeks left now for Brent to do some consultation with Maida Vale residents before the planning application has to go in. This is absolutely unacceptable.

The officers from Brent asked our views about how to consult with local residents. Bearing in mind the limited time that is now left, we have asked Brent to get in touch with local residents as soon as they can and also to set up a meeting so that they can present their views to all interested residents. Affected residents should receive further information from Brent shortly.

In the meantime, we will today be distributing a letter to all potentially affected residents alerting them to these plans and asking for their initial feedback on it. If you are a resident in the area, please do let us know what you think. Clearly the aspiration to improve South Kilburn is a laudable one, but is the loss of the roundabout, the green space and the potential effect on traffic a price worth paying for this? We need your views, as residents, as soon as possible.

Alastair, Jan and Lee

Paddington Rec Environmental Area wins award!

Great news for Paddington Rec!

The new Environmental Area, which was officially opened by the Lord Mayor last month, won the Institute of Groundsmanship's 'National Environmental Project of the Year' award this week.

The Institute, which is the leading professional organisation for grounds maintenance, commended the Council for bringing an area previously not accessible to the public back into use and in promoting nature in the way that it does.

This is excellent news and shows just how far the Council is going in transforming Paddington Rec.

Jan

Neighbourhood Watch: Does your street want one?

Westminster City Council and the local Maida Vale police team have been working closely with groups of local residents over the last few months to set up Neighbourhood Watches in our area.

Neighbourhood Watches, as you will know, have been around for years in an official form - and help both reduce crime and foster a sense of community in an area like ours, where meeting neighbours is often more difficult than you think!

In the last couple of weeks, the police and Council have worked with residents in Wheatfield House, Kilburn Park Road and Essendine Road to discuss the possibility of setting up a neighbourhood watch.

If you are interested in doing the same for your street, do get in touch to let us know.

Lee

Maida Vale Station In Bloom

Just a quick note to say a belated congratulations to the staff of Maida Vale tube station for coming 3rd over the Summer in the 'Stations In Bloom' competition.

Thanks also to everyone in Paddington Rec who were able to help the tube station out with some planters for the competition.

Jan