Tube Update

Last week we asked Council officers to find out whether the collapse of Metronet would affect the works underway in Maida Vale.

We've had a lovely glossy official leaflet back which tries to square the circle of saying "no change" to current upgrade plans whilst leaving wide open the possibility that the works could be frozen at any time. So, for the moment, the work is apparently continuing. We'll see how long that lasts.

We'll continue to monitor and let you know if we find out anything further.

Lee

InTouch with Maida Vale - Summer 2007

We are currently distributing our latest InTouch newsletter, highlighting our work on Thames Water, the recent police meeting, our success in increasing the amount of cleaning in Andover Place/Lanark Road, improvements to the street in Delaware Road and our work to crack down on graffiti.

You can access a pdf copy here.

Lee

Bike Racks in!

They're in!

The bike racks which we have lobbied for over the last few months were installed last week. Shirland Road (pictured above), the Lauderdale Road-Ashworth Road, Lauderdale Road-Biddulph Road, Elgin Avenue-Castellain Road and Castellain Road-Sutherland Avenue junctions all now have additional storage for bicycles.

We're very glad to be able to deliver on the promise we made to cycling residents last year.

The Council is currently seeking ideas for where to put cycle racks in the next round of installation. Please let us know if you would like a particular place to be considered.

Lee

Lanark Road: No more rubble

A month or so ago, for reasons that still aren't quite clear, a pile of rubble appeared outside the Maida Centre on Lanark Road. Naturally, we expected that whoever placed it there might consider removing it too. But, apparently that wasn't the case.

Last week we asked our Streetworks Team at the Council to investigate and they have had the rubble quickly cleared by the contractor.

As local Councillors, we think it's very simple: builders or utility companies should clean up after themselves. And we'll keep making sure this happens in Maida Vale.

Lee

Another green flag for the Rec

Paddington Rec has won a green flag award for another year!

The awards, which were announced last week, seek to identify and reward the best green spaces in the country. Westminster was delighted to receive eight green flags this year for a number of its parks all around (and outside) the City - no mean feat for an inner-city urban borough. Paddington Rec has now been awarded a green flag for four years in a row.

As local Councillors we're exceptionally proud of the Rec. The green flag is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the staff in the Rec and at the Council who work so hard to make sure we have such a fantastic park on our doorstep.

Jan

Shirland Road: Traffic Management Consultation

The Council have launched a consultation on changing the streetscape around the Shirland Road-Marylands Road junction.

The proposals are being made as part of suggested "safety measures" for the new Paddington Academy and involve:

• introduce double yellow line waiting restrictions at the junction of Marylands Road and Shirland Road (reducing parking by 1m) to allow for a new uncontrolled pedestrian crossing
• introduce double yellow line waiting restrictions outsides No. 94 - 96 Shirland Road on both side of the road (reducing parking by around 11 metres)

Please do let us know if you'd like a copy of the proposals. The deadline for written responses is 10th August.

Alastair

Queen's Park Station Development: Meeting

It's been a while since we wrote about the redevelopment proposals for Queen's Park station, over the border in Brent (see here and here).

Since the end of last year, the new Conservative-Lib Dem Brent Council have changed the planning specification for the development, with the original proposals for a 20/26-storey tower being scrapped in favour of a building no more than 12 storeys high.

Brent are overseeing a competition between four architects to determine how the new development will look. They have been holding a series of meetings in the last few weeks for residents to view the entries and to give their comments. The last meeting will be held tomorrow (Monday 23 July) at the Albert Road Community Resource Centre, Albert Road, NW6 from 7pm. Please do go along if you would like your views to be heard.

More information on the event and the competition entries can be found here.

Lee

St. George's at Parliament

Last week, I was very excited to be invited by St. George's School to join pupils on a visit to the House of Commons to discuss anti-social behaviour and knife crime, as part of their Citizenship work.

I was really impressed with the presentations I watched - young people discussing serious issues in a mature, practical manner; asking the right questions; and demanding the right kind of support from government. I listened to four separate presentations, each of which took a part of the knife crime debate and sought to explore it sensibly and sensitively.

What particularly impressed me about the event, however, was the willingness of the pupils to enter into debate afterwards. They knew as much as anyone in the room that issues such as knife crime have to be a dialogue - that there are no hard-and-fast answers and that it takes time to change attitudes and behaviour. They were also willing to listen and debate the answers they put forward - many of which I agreed with (the need to treat young people respectfully, the need for more after-school activities, the need to challenge stereotypes) and a few which I wasn't so sure about (the answer to everything is not always more CCTV!)

I have to say when 'Citizenship' classes were first mooted several years ago, I thought the whole concept sounded like just another headline-grabbing gimmick. I've changed my mind. What St. George's has shown me in the last year is that they allow young people the opportunity to debate very serious issues affecting our communities in a sensible and rational manner.

Many thanks once again to the pupils from St. George's and their teacher, Mr. Menzies, for inviting me to be part of the debate.

Lee

Oh dear

Metronet goes into administration. See here.

We're currently seeking information from our Transport Department to find out whether the upgrade works to Maida Vale tube will be affected. It's a fair bet they probably will be.

Lee

Alastair's Surgery Tomorrow

Alastair will be holding her surgery tomorrow evening (17 July) between 7pm and 8pm in the Maida Centre, Lanark Road.

If you have any problems or issues we can help you with, please do come along.

Alastair

Tube Noise

Earlier this year we were approached by a number of local residents who expressed concern that the noise from the tube beneath their properties had gotten louder in recent months.

We asked the Council's transportation department to lobby Transport for London, who are (allegedly) undertaking an upgrade to the Bakerloo line at the moment. TfL agreed to investigate and have confirmed that a number of tracks in the tunnels just south of Maida Vale tube station have deterioriated slightly, causing additional noise.

Following our lobbying, TfL have agreed to upgrade the relevant pieces of track this month (July) to reduce the noise issues.

Jan

Randolph Avenue Sweep-Up

Last week we highlighted yet more problems being caused by Thames Water in Maida Vale - this time caused by water works on Randolph Avenue preventing the street being cleaned properly.

At one stage two weeks ago the rubbish had really started to pile up. We were alerted by local residents and after a couple of calls and e-mails the street was quickly cleaned. The Council has also re-arranged its collections to make sure that all the street (and particularly the big black bins) can be accessed. Temporarily, the big black bins have been replaced by slightly smaller mobile ones with wheels.

If you have any issue with the cleanliness of any street in Maida Vale, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us.

Jan

Kilburn Park Road: It's Happening!

Late last month we reported that Brent Council had finally agreed, after years of pressure from Maida Vale Councillors and local residents, to resurface (the frankly shocking state of) Kilburn Park Road.

We tempered our excitement in June in case Brent pulled out at the last minute, like they had done in the previous financial year. But, this time, they've done it! We even have the photographic evidence to prove it. And local residents have already commented to us how much of a difference it has made.

The resurfacing of southern part of Kilburn Park Road was one of our major commitments at the last election - we knew just how important it was to local residents and we promised to sort it out. We're very glad to have been able to deliver on that promise.

We're also exceptionally grateful to the many local residents who've never given up on this one and have done so much to help achieve this result - you know who you are!

Jan

Wymering Mansions Garden Party

Last Saturday Lee and I were delighted to go along again to the annual summer party held by Wymering Mansions.

Wymering obviously have a direct line to the weatherman as they managed to find the only day without rain in recent weeks! There was a great turnout from residents, a great band and a raffle which raised over £300 for St. Mary's. It was great to meet so many residents in a non-official capacity!

Our thanks once again to Robert, Fiona, Saran and all of the committee for such a wonderful event.

Alastair

Thames in Ashworth

The Thames skips and fences have appeared in Ashworth Road in the last few days. According to the schedule they are a week early (which, of course, means we'll be watching to make sure they are out a week earlier too!)

The schedule says Thames are due to be in Ashworth for 4 weeks; the parking suspension signs say only 3 (until 24th July).

If you are a resident of Ashworth Road, don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments on these works.

Lee

PS Thames also look to be going back into Grantully for a week on 12th July.

(Official) graffiti to be removed

More Thames Water. Oh gosh, I hear you say.

One of the more irritating aspects of Thames's work in Maida Vale has been their tendency to leave little pieces of artwork - usually drawn in bright blue pen - in each street after they leave.

As local councillors, we think that (in the most part) Thames have usually caused more than enough bother to leave a lasting impression, without needing to permanently autograph the road at the same time. And we've spent several months - sending e-mails and getting council officers to put pressure on Thames - asking them to come back and clean-up properly after themselves.

Finally today we received notice from Thames that they will come back and clean up after themselves in the worst affected street - Castellain Road. Thames kindly scrawled in massive letters there after a water leak several months ago.

It's not the biggest thing in the world - but it does matter. And we're glad that we've been able to get Thames to see sense on this one.

Lee

Randolph Avenue: Consultation

We're really grateful to the residents who took the time to attend the Maida Vale Area Forum last Tuesday to discuss the parking proposals for Randolph Avenue. We've also sent a copy of the proposals to those residents who have requested it via e-mail.

Council officers are now moving towards a final decision on the current proposals. They are to undertake one additional round of consultation on Randolph Avenue, with a letter to be distributed shortly. In order for the proposals to go ahead, residents will have to express a clear preference during this consultation that things need to change.

If you are a Randolph Avenue resident and would like to discuss the proposals, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us (maidavale@maidavaleconservatives.com).

Lee