The latest on the Council's work with Police and the Marble Arch Street team to address nuisance parking, noisy pedicabs and anti-social behaviour
Our Parking Marshals worked with Dedicated Ward Officers (DWOs), PCs Lorna Sutton and Claire Napper, and the Marble Arch Business Improvement District’s uniformed Street Team for a joint operation at the end of November against some of the problems that affect streets near Edgware Road, including speeding “supercars” and noisy pedicabs. PC Sutton reported to our community’s Ward Panel earlier this month that by mid-December, only one pedicab was detected on the night shift.
The BID Street Team, paid for by local businesses, does not have powers of arrest but can challenge, photograph and report beggars, rough sleepers and nuisance street traders and call 999 where necessary. Despite cuts in local police, the DWOs are aiming to work night shifts 8pm-6am three to four nights in succession every six weeks. They report: “It does help having a uniformed presence, particularly from 11pm to 3am”. WCC’s neighbourhood problem solving officer James Richards has been serving community protection notices (CPNs) and seeking Criminal Behaviour Orders (the replacement for ASBOs) where appropriate.
In the New Year, the Paddington BID is aiming to replicate the Marble Arch Street Team, with a uniformed, multilingual, four-strong team operating night shifts as needed. The DWOs are also working with British Transport Police to identify offenders around Paddington Station.
Your councillors continue to make available late night parking marshals EVERY Thursday through to Sunday night to tackle misuse of residents’ bays and parking obstruction, as well as alerting the police to stolen mopeds. In October they issued 80 PCNs.
We are also funding new double yellow lines on corners across the Estate, including the Kendal Street/Connaught Street/Norfolk Crescent area and also building entrances (such as Park West) to stop dangerous and inconsiderate parking.
Photo: Cllr Acton, three City Inspectors, other WCC officers and SEBRA Chairman John Zamit out checking the Edgware Road street environment
Getting tough with BT on filthy phone boxes
Around 300 planning contravention notices are being prepared for phone network operators which do not keep their phone boxes in good order. Residents who attended last month’s South East Bayswater Residents Association (SEBRA) annual general meeting heard from senior WCC officers how they are using the law to oblige operators to remove installations which attract urination and illegal advertising. Phone boxes in this area are being monitored by WCC to check whether they are out of order, because if they are not regularly used, the law requires them to be removed at the operators’ expense. Poor condition phone boxes have been a significant obstacle for the council as it seeks to improve the street environment. The cost of getting UK Power Networks to disconnect the equipment is material, so getting the phone company concerned to foot the bill is good news for council taxpayers.
A series of boxes have been removed from Sussex Gardens, Westbourne Terrace and elsewhere in recent years, following campaigns by your councillors and residents’ associations. While certain historic red phone boxes have conservation status, it’s time for the largely obsolete recent designs to go.
Challenging residents who place rubbish bags on street outside collection days
Our City Inspector first sends an advisory letter to addresses where residents put out their rubbish on the wrong days, making our streets untidy and potentially attracting beggars, foxes and other vermin. Our inspector recently wrote to Connaught Close residents, following a request from one concerned homeowner. Often it may be cleaning staff unaware of the rules who put the waste out on the wrong day. Everyone in the locality would be grateful if all residents find out the correct collection days and advise all the household of the rules. Please contact your councillors, using the details above, if you would like a reminder letter to be sent to neighbours.
In Westminster your council has protected twice-weekly general waste collections and weekly collections of recycling. Our contractors sort the recycling into paper, glass, metal and recyclable plastics, rather than requiring residents who may not have space in their kitchens to do this.
That high quality service is unusual outside Westminster, with many Labour controlled boroughs collecting waste and recycling only once a fortnight.
Our City Inspectors are out regularly on our streets to report fly-tipping, broken paving stones and licensing and planning infringements. You can also report faults on "Report It" and expect a response within 48 hours.
