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SEBRA NEWS W2 ISSUE No 90 SUMMER 2017 HEIGHTS OF FOLLY In this Issue THE BLIGHT TALL BUILDINGS SAFETY VALVE 6 OF NANDO'S 12 IN WESTMINSTER The Blight of Nando's 6 A6 Bus Route 10 River of No Return 11 TALL BUILDINGS SPECIAL Councillor Daniel Astaire's Statement 12 Building Heights Questionnaire 12 Is "High Rise" Right for London? 13 Pro-Tower Policy "A Disaster" 15 Skyline Campaign Petition 16 Labour Challenges Plans 17 AROUND BAYSWATER Westminster's New First Citizen 18 Green Plaques in Bayswater 20 Westbourne Park Villas Regeneration 28 Victory in Bott's Mews 37 LORD COE VISITS SUMMER AT THE Another Fine Spot of Lunch 38 30 HALLFIELD SCHOOL 72 SERPENTINE GALLERIES A Personal Profile - Ian Lieber 42 Going Green with Blue Solutions 44 Oh What a Lovely Boer! 50 Shopping and Restaurants 56 Historic Royal Palaces 64 THE ROYAL PARKS Kensington Gardens Update 66 Smashed Avocado at Café 67 News from the Friends of HP&KG 68 The Serpentine Galleries 72 POLITICAL AND LEGAL NEWS City Hall News 74 Property Issues Explained 82 The Hitchhiker's Guide to Policing 86 Mayor Sadiq & Assembly Watchdogs 88 THE HITCHHIKER'S LATEST NEWS PLANNING AND LICENSING 86 GUIDE TO POLICING 98 ON WHITELEYS Property Market Update 92 Planning Bayswater 97 Licensing Bayswater 100 HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC Highways Report 102 Traffic Bayswater 104 Curtailing Buses Affects Bayswater 106 Better Oxford Street Campaign 107 LETTERS AND ABOUT SEBRA Letters to the Editor 108 Join SEBRA 109 About SEBRA 111 SEBRALAND 112 SEBRA NEWS W2 - SUMMER 2017 1 From the Chairman Chairman: John Zamit Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 7727 6104 Mobile: 077 6806 8277 Address: 2 Claremont Court Queensway, London W2 5HX Don't forget: t seems like just a few weeks ago that Nor are we against taller buildings in This year’s we published the previous edition of appropriate locations, but they must SEBRA AGM SEBRA NEWS W2, yet here we are preserve or enhance Westminster, Nov again with another bumper issue! especially in our treasured Conservation Weds 22 I Areas. Tall buildings can be acceptable in Porchester Hall This time round we have a special section on Tall Buildings, so head over to page 12 certain locations and we have supported 6:30pm for 7pm to read all about our hot topic. tall buildings in our area in places such as Merchant Square and Paddington Central. THE NEW LORD MAYOR What SEBRA opposes is tall buildings for BAYWATCH Page 18 features an article from the new the sake of growth. We do not believe such I am not talking about Pamela Anderson Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Ian buildings are necessary to achieve that or the latest Baywatch movie but about Adams. We offer him our congratulations aim. Indeed, Westminster City Council’s SEBRA's constant desire to improve the on his appointment and hope he has a present planning policy on building height area. Every year we report thousands of wonderful year in office as Westminster’s has generally worked very well. Where issues to the council on your behalf: from new 'First Citizen'. We look forward to there has been a failure it has been lack fly-tipping and fly-posting to dangerous welcoming Ian to the summer garden party. of provision of affordable housing. Time paving slabs and potholes, to broken lamp and time again we’ve seen developers columns, graffiti and much more. THE GENERAL ELECTION claim that such a provision is not viable I’m pleased to say that our efforts have As we go to press, campaigning in our due to affordability issues. We believe met with a great degree of success. We two constituencies is in full swing. By the this situation comes about because many also work hard to get major repairs and time you read this article the results will developers pay over the odds for the sites. improvements to SEBRALAND and we’ve be known. In Westminster North Karen This has to stop. enjoyed many notable achievements over Buck (Lab) is running for election against the years. However, we need your help Westminster's current policy states that Councillor Lindsey Hall (Con). Karen has a to tell us of problems on the street and on all housing developments over 10 units, majority of just 1,977 so there’s little doubt suggestions for improvements. Please keep around 30% of the site should be dedicated that this will have been a very close-run me informed of such matters and we can to affordable housing. If we made sure this contest. There’s no UKIP candidate this work together to make Bayswater an even time round and whilst there is a Liberal policy was adhered to there would be better place to live in. Democrat standing, the party is unlikely no need to saturate the skyline with ill- to receive a significant share of the vote. conceived inappropriate eyesores. Better use SUMMER PARTY AND AGM must be made of existing buildings rather As I write I’m certain that your MP for I hope to see many of you and your guests than fast buck projects focused purely on Westminster North will be a woman! at our summer garden party on Thursday profit. Such projects are to the detriment of 29 June - let's hope the sun shines. residents, visitors and tourists alike. PIE IN THE SKY Also we have fixed a provisional date for the When the Council first announced the THE LONG & WINDING ROAD 2017 AGM of Wednesday 22 November. consultation on 'Building height: Getting You’ll be advised once the date has been the right kind of growth for Westminster' In my previous 'From the Chairman' article confirmed. I wrote on our 'Field of Dreams' hope for I was very sceptical and I believe I have Best wishes and happy reading! been proved right. It seems clear that the the future of Queensway. I’m sorry to consultation has been designed with a single report that we've heard no more on the long outcome in mind, to get the green light for overdue Public Realm improvements and no taller buildings. I have no doubt that should word from Councillor Robert Davis on the an upwards expansion become Westminster- matter. Now that Whiteleys has received an wide policy, it will ruin our unique part of amended planning consent (see page 98) it is the capital. SEBRA is not against growth, my hope that the various major landowners we want businesses to be attracted and to in the street can use their influence with the flourish here. Council to progress matters further. 2 www.sebra.org.uk From the Editor Editor: Steve Olive Email: [email protected] Phone: 01823 661008 Mobile: 077 8606 6141 Address: 13 The Gables, Wellington Somerset TA21 8JB hen I took on the role of and behave differently. A good friend of Chase it was a place that I loved to visit Editor I considered that mine summed it up when he said; "Women and at some point around 30 years ago I looking after three issues aren't just female men". I'd agree with that. discovered the reasoning behind the name. of SEBRA NEWS W2 each Take shopping for example. Mrs Olive It turns out that “Eagles Nest” was what a Wyear would neither be too taxing nor too certain Elvis Presley called his innermost bought a new pair of rather fine shoes. time consuming, but having reached my I commended her choice and asked how sanctum at Gracelands. fifth publication I must admit to having a much they had cost. "They were in a sale." This made perfect sense as Uncle Brian slightly different view. I gave her one of "those" looks which adored Elvis. He had the sideburns and Taxing? Well it's not too bad. In fact the she then countered with: "Oh I don't an eight-track of his Greatest Hits in his job can be very enjoyable, especially know, forty pounds, something like that." Jaguar. The memories came flooding back. now that I'm getting more familiar with (Another common response is; "They were Weekends on the Isle of Wight, my first the people involved and the subjects we half price".). In my mind I settled at fifty ever Chinese takeaway, taking bites out of cover. However, when it comes to the time pounds and everyone was happy. apples still hanging on the trees in Auntie required to put a magazine together my Us men on the other hand, well we just Gwen’s garden and best of all, caravanning assumption was rather wide of the mark. can't resist a bargain. The 300 wall tiles in the New Forest. Even before John Zamit has signed off on that I have in my garage are testament to We’d spend the weekends there, my one issue the next one is in production, so that. They'll never see a wall, just a skip, brother and me, my Mum and Dad, and there's a certain 'Forth Bridge' aspect to but they were very cheap. Uncle Brian’s equivalent family. They had the pages you're now reading. I was going to give another example of more room in their caravan, and I suspect In truth the bridge comparison is only valid the planetary gulf between the sexes, the Jag towed it a little more easily, but from September through to June, but even I have many, but having reached the when it came to telling jokes around the so I pretty much have SEBRA NEWS W2 halfway point on the page I decided to camp fire my Dad took centre stage.