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Improved layout news.fitzrovia.org.uk Fitzrovia News Fitzrovia News is produced by residents and volunteers and distributed free to business and residential addresses in Fitzrovia Issue 147 Winter 2017 Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans divert traffic into neighbouring areas By Linus Rees nesses along Oxford Street saying the “option remains open to allow Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed some access overnight if re - more details on his proposal to quired”. pedestrianise London’s Oxford Residents in the neighbour - Street and confirmed exactly what hoods of Marylebone, Mayfair, residents in surrounding districts Fitzrovia and Soho are alarmed Fighting fascism feared — all vehicles will be sim - about the plans and are angry that ply diverted into neighbouring the mayor has done exactly what page 12 streets but with a reduction in he promised not to do: pedestri - buses serving the area. anise Oxford Street at a cost to The plans put out for consul - surrounding streets. tation this November by West - People in these districts want minster Council and Transport for traffic calming and pollution re - London are to completely close duction in their residential areas, Oxford Street to all but emergency directing the bulk of motor traffic vehicles between the Selfridges to major roads which has been and John Lewis department done in the “Mini-Holland” stores. schemes to be found in outer Lon - The number of bus routes don serving the area will be reduced “What sort of reality does the from nine to two with the 139 and Mayor live in where he thinks 390 running every six to eight that all this traffic should be taken minutes in each direction east and out of an almost 100 per cent com - Englishwoman west along Wigmore Street and mercial area and pushed through Henrietta Place during the day its surrounding residential in New York and every 30 minutes at night. TfL streets?” says Michael Bolt of Bet - will also make all buses in central ter Oxford Street, the campaign page 8 London less polluting by 2019 set up by local community with up to 250 zero-emission groups. Is it an art installation or is it rubbish? We think it’s rubbish. Westminster buses by 2020. “Shifting congestion, pollu - Council have been asking residents what they should do with it. (Letters, p2) Taxi ranks will be relocated to tion and road safety issues rather nearby streets with the total num - than tackling them is unaccept - area, who know the consequences A further consultation giving ber of rank spaces to increase by able,” he says. of these hasty and ill thought out details of the Oxford Street east 20 per cent by 2020. All new taxis In a press statement Better proposals, don’t want it,” says the plans will be conducted in the and private hire vehicles licensed Oxford Street warned that the ban campaign group. early summer of 2018. These from 2018 must have reduced on motor vehicles using Oxford A previous consultation could propose diverting traffic emissions. Street after 7pm will mean that all found that most local residents along Mortimer Street, Goodge Some of the surrounding the evening and night-time traffic and businesses did not support or Street and other streets in streets will be converted from — taxis, private hire vehicles, pri - have concerns about the plans to Fitzrovia if Oxford Street east is one-way to two-way and in some vate cars and pedicabs — will be pedestrianise Oxford Street. closed. one-way streets the direction pushed into the side streets. The current consultation will Goddess of would be reversed to help the “The majority of those that run until December 2017. If given Public consultation: Have your say road network “function more effi - live and have businesses in the the go ahead work will start in the on the transformation of Oxford ciently” says TfL. West End are against this scheme. summer of 2018. This consultation Street. Closes Sunday 17 December Wisdom Despite the transfer of traffic Instead it is being pushed through is also seeking views on the “prin - 2017. Visit: bit.do/oxst into Wigmore Street, TfL says that to the detriment of the wider West ciple” of transforming Oxford (More on Oxford Street on p5.) “fewer vehicles would use the End. The people who know the Street east. page 14 street in future”; a claim that is met with scepticism by local resi - dents who believe that a reduc - tion in buses will lead to more trips by people using private motor vehicles. Cycling will not be allowed along Oxford Street but there will est1958 be improvements for cyclists along nearby streets. “In Summer 2018 we will consult on new high- Awarded The home of traditional quality cycle routes along quieter tripadvisor roads to the north and south of certificate of fish and chips. Oxford Street,” says TfL. excellence four GIGS TfL has not ruled out night years running Fully licensed Greek restaurant 2014 - 2017 time deliveries to service busi - 12 Tottenham Street 020 7636 1424 2 — Fitzrovia News issue 147 Winter 2017 Fitzrovia News Formerly The Tower Letters, email and comment established 1973 news.fitzrovia.org.uk Write to [email protected] or post to Fitzrovia News, Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association, 39 Tottenham Street, London W1T 4RX twitter.com/fitzrovianews facebook.com/fitzrovianews instagram.com/fitzrovianews We need those bins back Every little kindness [email protected] 020 7580 4576 I am a resident of Hanson Street the bottom of Hanson Street does Issue 147 Winter 2017 and when some of the big black serve to illustrate why the big Some weeks ago I popped into so very kind as to see my purse bins for both rubbish and recy - black bins were useful. I have my local Tesco on New Cavendish and give it to the cashier, and to Published 5 December 2017 cling in the area first disappeared signed a local petition asking for Street to pick up some supplies the very nice staff at the store who Editorial Team some months ago, I rang West - their reinstatement, and if I have after work. Much later in the kept it safe for me. It is very heart - Mike Pentelow: minster Council to enquire as to rubbish to put out which does not evening, I looked in my bag for ening indeed to know that hon - editor and features editor their whereabouts. I was told they coincide with collection times I something only to realise that my esty and kindness still prevail! Linus Rees: had been taken away for cleaning. am currently walking it round to purse was not there. I immedi - website and assistant editor Only subsequently did I discover the big black bins that, for the mo - ately panicked and thinking back Grateful resident Pete Whyatt: that they had been permanently ment, still stand outside West One quickly remembered that Tesco news and production editor removed. House on Riding House Street. was the last place I had been. I Car crime? Clive Jennings: Later still, FitzWest circulated I took this picture today (see rushed downstairs and across to information regarding an addi - front page) at the bottom of Han - the shop feeling incredibly anx - Having lived on Greenwell Street arts editor tional recycling collection which son Street, though I have seen ious as my bank card was in the for over seven years, I am aston - Brian Jarman: means that recycling is now col - piles of rubbish much worse than purse along with some cash I had ished as to why Greenwell Street writer and sub-editor lected twice a week, however I do this here. just withdrawn on my way home. has been listed as a car crime Janet Gauld: not feel this compensates for the The Council would do well to Breathless with alarm I ad - hotspot (FN 146, page 3). Green - associate editor absence of the bins. remember that most of the flats on dressed myself first to the security well consists of two resident park - Barb Jacobson: I appreciate that the Council Hanson Street and the surround - guard and then to the cashier, de - ing bays, which enables four cars associate editor is attempting to deal with an ing streets are small, and residents scribing my purse. To my absolute to park. The remaining spaces are Jennifer Kavanagh: enormous amount of waste de - need to be able to dispose of rub - delight the cashier reached down, designated for ambulance and associate editor posited on our streets and that bish at will and when required, picked it up and gave it to me, emergency vehicles, which are they are concerned that the pres - particularly in this age of over - and everything was inside just as never left overnight. I have never ence of the big black bins offers whelming amounts of packaging. it had been! Apparently I had left seen any evidence of car crime. Contributors: some sort of carte blanche for it on the self-service machine and Sounds suspicious to me. Ann Basu dumping, but the spread of rub - Disgruntled resident someone had handed it in. So, I Sue Blundell bish around the small street bin at am writing to thank whoever was Suspicious resident Jayne Davis Angela Lovely Helene Parry Wendy Shutler Is that pollution I hear? Clifford Slapper Magic trees and By Tim Waterman Sunita Soliar Beth Lynette Thyr It’s 8.30am on a Monday morning, and the generator, pump, or com - Chris Tyler pressor that’s been clattering away incessantly on Bourlet Close for the mystic lamp posts Kipper Williams last few weeks has just fired up for yet another day.