This is our first Action Report for 2025. It’s been another busy couple of months right across the ward. In our report below you’ll find news about the West End – Soho, Fitzrovia and Mayfair – as well as the issues we’ve taken up on behalf of local residents.

Please do get in touch is there’s something in your area that needs action or if there’s an issue we can help with. You’ll find our contact details below.

We hold a regular advice surgery on the second Saturday of every month at 68 Dean Street in Soho (10-11am), and at Mayfair Library, South Audley Street, Mayfair (11.30-12.30pm).

• Contact Councillor Paul Fisher: pfisher@westminster.gov.uk
• Contact Councillor Patrick Lilley: plilley@westminster.gov.uk
• Tele: 020 7641 5377 – leave a message
• Sign-up for our regular action reports direct to your inbox

Patrick and Paul

NEWS, CASEWORK AND ACTION

CCTV Network Is Making A Difference

Making Soho safer is one of our top priorities. As your local Councillors we successfully lobbied for CCTV cameras at sites in Soho to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The cameras are part of a huge investment by Labour Westminster Council to make the borough safer using 100 relocatable CCTV cameras after the previous Conservative Council scrapped the network in 2017. 

CCTV cameras have been installed at the following locations:

• Peter Street
• Old Compton Street at the junction with Frith Street
• Hollen Street
• Berwick Street
• Broadwick Street
• Ingestre Court
• Dean Street (x 2)
• Brewer Street

The new CCTV will help the Police crack down on anti-social behaviour and capture evidence for prosecution in court. They will be monitored 24 hours a day and connected to the City Inspectors and the Police for rapid response – and they are already making a difference.

CCTV has recently assisted in arrests for a commercial burglary in Broadwick Street, robbery with a knife in Old Compton Street and assault in Berwick Street/Broadwick Street.

Regulating E-Bikes And Scooters

We’ve all seen e-bikes strewn across pavements causing problems for pedestrians, so we welcome the Government’s announcement that it intends to legislate to allow Local Transport Authorities – like Transport for London – to regulate on-street micromobility schemes such as e-bikes and scooters. The decision comes following a long campaign by Westminster Council and other London Councils as well as Rachel Blake, our local MP. See here for more information.

In the meantime, here are some of the contact details of the main e-bike operators. Please let them know if you see nuisance bikes parked badly outside of the Council’s 360 designated bays across Westminster:

• Lime: london-ops@li.me
• Forest/River: cs@humanforest.co.uk
• Voi scooters: support@voiapp.io

Pedicabs Regulations – Have Your Say!

The Pedicabs (London) Act 2024 gives Transport for London (TfL) powers to regulate pedicabs in public places in London. Click here for more information from Fitzrovia News.

We have long campaigned for pedicabs to be regulated to tackle the noise, parking and congestion issues and to ensure they operate safely and professionally, charging fair fares.

TfL has now opened its consultation on the regulations and we would urge you to let them have your views about how pedicabs should be regulated. The consultation closes on 7 March 2025. Click here to have your say.

Great Portland Street Post Office Under Threat

We were alarmed to hear that the Post Office in Great Portland Street is again under threat following the announcement that the Post Office is reviewing the future of 115 Crown Post Offices – 32 of them in London. Crown Post Offices are those run directly by the Post Office.

Our local MP, Rachel Blake, has asked for an urgent meeting with the Post Office as nine other Post Offices in her constituency are also on the list, including the one on Baker Street.

Rachel has also started a petition which we hope you will sign to show your support for saving our local post offices. Click here to sign.

Save Prince Charles Cinema

We’re supporting the campaign to save our local independent cinema which is under threat of closure due to actions by the landlord. More info here and here

Sign the petition by clicking here.

The Save the PCC Campaign says: “The PCC is not only a popular and successful local independent business with a large, loyal community of fans, but culturally important as perhaps the UK’s most famous cinema. We are renowned throughout the industry for our programme of over 850 films a year, spanning the history of cinema, across just two screens.

We are one of the last remaining independent cinemas in central London, receiving no public funding and attracting over 250,000 customers a year at a time when the industry is struggling. As a significant local landmark, we act as an anchor institution for the Leicester Square community, as well as the wider film and creative sectors.”

Amazon Delivers West End Parcels On Foot To Reduce Emissions

We welcome this new initiative to help reduce emissions in the West End. In partnership with Amazon, Westminster Council has introduced a new, sustainable approach to deliveries in the West End. Instead of relying on large delivery vehicles, parcels are now transported on foot via trolleys, significantly reducing traffic, emissions and improving air quality. With 50,000 parcels already delivered in just 10 weeks, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Mortimer Street And Wigmore Street – Two-way from 23 February

From mid-day on Sunday 23 February the following changes will come into effect:

• Mortimer Street will be two-way between Regent Street and Great Titchfield Street;
• Great Titchfield Street will become one-way from south to north between Mortimer Street and Margaret Street;
• Wigmore Street and Cavendish Place will operate two-way traffic between Wimpole Street and Regent Street;
• Cavendish Square (west side) will be one-way from north to south.

To allow the necessary alterations to be carried out, Mortimer Street and Wigmore Street will be closed to all traffic from 8 am on Thursday 20 to 12 noon on Sunday 23 February. Click here for more information

Meard Street

We continue to provide support to local residents on Meard Street who are concerned by the decision to grant a licence to a new gin distillery. We have raised concerns around public safety and have requested that the matter return to Committee to be re-determined based on new evidence.

Berwick Street

We have requested that the current yellow gates at the northern end of Berwick Street be removed and replaced with a more permanent solution. The gates were put in place due to bollards being stolen. We have made it clear that the gates cannot be a permanent solution to the problem of traffic management on Berwick Street and should be removed as a priority.

New Connected London Wifi Service

Connecting to cellular networks is a particular issue where large numbers of people congregate, especially in areas like Oxford Street, Soho and Covent Garden. The demand for mobile data is growing every year, but the capacity of the mobile operators has not kept up with demand. 

Labour-run Westminster Council is trialling a new service – Connected London – that will make it easier for people to connect to public space Wifi networks in central London. Simply scan the QR code to download a “profile” to your device and it will automatically connect to any participating Wifi network. There’s no need to register or provide personal details.

The new service will start with 50 locations in Westminster including Berwick Street Market, Strand Aldwych and the Council’s libraries and community centres. If successful, it will be rolled out across Westminster and throughout London.

Action To Strengthen The Short-lets And Noise Enforcement Teams

Anti-social behaviour can blight the lives of local residents whether it be from noise and disruption from short-let accommodation or from activities on our streets. We welcome the Council’s announcement that is doubling the size of the Short-Lets Enforcement Team with more two dedicated officers. There will also be more Noise Investigations Officers in the Council’s Noise Team to resolve noise complaints across the borough.

These are part of a series of initiatives this spring designed to do even more to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime wherever it is found in Westminster. They follow the earlier announcement of a new six-member Street-Based Intervention Team to tackle abusive behaviour and drug dealing , which preys on the vulnerable in hotspot areas. The Team has started work in Victoria and will then be deployed in other areas across Westminster which are facing similar issues.

Housing Repairs

We are continuing to support residents in Fitzrovia, Soho and Mayfair who experience problems with their housing. Noise, lifts that don’t work, boilers that don’t heat water, and leaks that are not repaired are just some of the problems encountered by NHG, A2Dominion and Peabody residents. If you have any issues with your housing, please get in touch.

Keep the Royal Parks Police

Westminster Labour Councillors have joined Rachel Blake, MP for Cities of London and Westminster and Joe Powell, MP for Kensington and Bayswater, calling on the Metropolitan Police not to cut the Royal Parks Police Unit.

Parks currently policed by the Royal Parks Police include Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’ Park and Regent’s Park. In a letter to Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Rachel Blake MP and Joe Powell MP point out:

• Criminal incidents reported in the Royal Parks increased substantially from 2022/23 to 2023/24, from 76 reported incidents to 101, in addition to an increase in broader incidents, near misses and accidents. This is significantly higher than the 6% increase in crime reported across London.
• In Westminster and Kensington, where residents have limited access to green space in their own homes, it is of crucial importance that residents feel safe in their local parks, the one piece of outdoor space available to them.

Rachel is the Labour Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster Constituency. Here are her contact details – and don’t forget to sign up for her regular newsletter.

Email: rachel.blake.mp@parliament.uk
Post: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/RNBlake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelBlakeLabour
BSky: @rachelblakemp.bsky.social

Rachel also holds regular advice surgeries. Email for an appointment. Click here to sign up for Rachel’s regular newsletter

We hope you found this newsletter useful. Do get in touch if there’s anything in your local area we can help with. If you do not want to receive future emails, please unsubscribe below.

Paul & Patrick

• Contact Paul: pfisher@westminster.gov.uk
• Contact Patrick: plilley@westminster.gov.uk
• Tele: 020 7641 5377 – leave a message