Working to improve access to ultrafast broadband
As Westminster City Council’s Lead Member for Broadband, Councillor Jonathan Glanz, has been working with council officers, residents, businesses and other stakeholders to improve connectivity in the West End and across Westminster. BT Openreach are slowly upgrading some of their cabinets but new suppliers are filling the gap.
In West End Ward G-Networks have now installed fibre in Brook St, Savile Row, Harley St, Berwick St, and Bond St and are rolling out 4 streets a week. Community Fibre will be providing service to all the City West Homes blocks and the Grosvenor Estate have ambitious plans to fibre up their entire estate. Other initiative are being encouraged.
To help this process for small businesses the Council launched the Connect Westminster Scheme will provide businesses across the city with the opportunity to receive up to £2,000 worth of vouchers to put towards an ultrafast connection.
Councillor Glanz said: “The initial stage of the scheme has been a great success and we hope to see further progress as businesses and local residents start to benefit. We are committed to increasing the provision of cost –effective ultrafast broadband by working with broadband providers to improve connectivity, as part of our ‘City for All’ priority.”
Over recent months Jonathan has also raised the issue of broadband and connectivity with the Greater London Authority, appearing before the London Assembly’s Regeneration Committee on March 1st.
You can view his appearance here.
Councillor Glanz added: “In a recent “Broad-bad” report our area came 635th out of 650 constituencies nationally, and I have made it clear to the current providers that this is not good enough and that residents and businesses deserve better. Our work to bring other suppliers into the market is already producing improvements and we hope this continues.”
Improving the public realm and quality of life in the West End
Councillor Paul Church, one of your local Councillors and a West End Ward resident, has worked with Fitzrovia residents to improve the public realm and quality of life of our area.
He recently successfully nominated Fitzrovia to be one of the first places in the Borough to receive a pilot scheme, which will increase rubbish and recycling collections and ensure that these are at times more convenient for local residents.
Following this, working with the Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Forum, Councillor Church has identified a number of sites nominated by local residents which will now receive further attention from officers.
This follows a campaign Councillor Church spearheaded last year to improve the quality of Fitzrovia streets with new hanging baskets, which will soon be added to Candover, Hanson and Nassau Streets, and letters to local residents and businesses notifying them of rubbish and recycling collection times.
Paul is also working actively with the BBC, following complaints by several local residents about vehicle idling and, in particular, private hire vehicles making unwanted and unnecessary noise around residential properties.
Councillor Church explains: ‘I was really delighted to be able to work with a number of local residents to really deliver for Fitzrovia. The West End is a very special place and we need to ensure that residents are put first in everything that we do’.
Should you wish for Paul to investigate any public realm issues across any of our West End communities in Fitzrovia, Marylebone, Mayfair or Soho, please get in touch by email or feel free to come along to his monthly surgery at Danceworks (off Oxford Street), between 2 and 3 pm on the first Saturday of each month.
Sustaining small businesses
Cllr Glenys Roberts has always hoped to see Soho remain the centre of London's creative industries despite the current fashion for seemingly endless development which so often sees them having to move on due to demolished premises and rising rents.
Now she has managed to breathe life into this hope by finding a new home for a representative of one of the area's most iconic pursuits - the music business- who was about to lose his workshop.
For years Tim Marten has mended, restrung and remodelled guitars and acted as technical advisor for leading musicians such as Ray Davis, Jimmy Page and Noel Gallagher from his premises in the legendary Denmark Street affectionately known as Tin Pan Alley.
But like many others along the historic little row he has been given his marching orders by developers. Denmark Street on the East of Charing Cross Road is actually just within the borders of Camden Council but they were unable to help Tim. So when Cllr Roberts learned of his plight she invited him to the Soho surgery she holds with Cllr Glanz to see if there was anything Westminster could do.
Tim came along with the very energetic spokesman of the Save Tin Pan Alley movement Henry Scott Irvine and together they explained what was about to be a very sad situation.
And now Westminster has indeed come to the rescue by finding new premises within Soho proper yet just a stones throw from Tim's old stomping ground.
Cllr Roberts asked several local landlords if they could find a small workspace for guitar repairs which is entirely within the musical tradition of Soho with its live music venues and record stores.
And Jamie Poulton who owns Brewer Street's very successful French-style brasserie Randall and Aubin was able to help. Soon Tim will be moving, first to a small space above the restaurant, and then to a highly convenient location right opposite Tin Pan Alley on the Soho side.
Cllr Roberts says 'I couldn't be happier about this relocation. These creative activities are part of the historic Soho I want to represent. It's wonderful that Jamie was able to help and I hope everyone with space to spare in Soho will take a leaf out of his books and keep a look out for the sort of small businesses they might be able to support and keep local tradition alive. This is so important if our much loved square mile is to retain its historic identity. '
The Soho Surgery with Cllr Roberts and Cllr Glanz is held on the last Friday of every month in the Allen Room at St Anne's Church in Dean Street from 5 until 6pm. Everyone welcome.
