Soho gets a new Landmark

The new sculpture of Selene, a piece of public art created on the façade of the Nadler Soho Hotel in Carlisle Street was revealed last week.

The work is by Hew Locke from Guyana and represents Selene, Goddess of the moon and of magic. Locke was inspired by Soho’s long tradition of association with the creative arts and Selene represented as a black woman is surrounded by a galaxy of floating stars. The sculpture incorporates the masks associated with drama since Greek times as well as representing Hypnos, sleep, which will hopefully be available to the guests in the hotel behind triple glazed windows!

The work was further inspired by the artist witnessing a group of tall glamorous drag queens parading down the road in Soho at three in the afternoon but also has references to Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as the Queen of the Night and to Ziggy Stardust representing the range of diversity, activity and influences in Soho and the surrounding area.

It is great to welcome such an important piece of public art in Soho and I hope it will become a new landmark as well as setting a new quality threshold for future works on other new developments.

Completion W1W Tree Planting Initiative

As part of the W1W Street Tree Initiative, the latest tree planting on Great Portland Street will be completed today (15th May). The W1W Initiative is supported by the Big Tree Plant which was launched by Defra and the Forestry Commission in 2010 with the aim of planting one million trees by 2015.

So far, 475,000 trees have been planted and funding has already been allocated to 152 groups for almost 965,000 trees. In the West End we have played our part in this great project and the tree planting on the 15th May will celebrate the achievements of the W1W Street Tree Initiative which won an award for the best street tree project in 2013.

Since the project started in 2009 over 600 trees have been planted thanks to the hard work and dedication of volunteers in the community, especially Mark Gazaleh, who has inspired others to get involved in the project, and has also been recognised with his own award.

The W1W Street Tree Initiative has been supported by a £10,000 grant from the Big Tree Plant, which has helped plant 240 street trees in East Marylebone and Fitzrovia. I am delighted by the success of the project and the achievements it has reached in greening the West End.

This award is a due recognition of the hard work everyone has put in and I give me whole hearted congratulations to those involved. This project has transformed parts of Marylebone” This morning there will be a ceremonial planting of a very distinct liquid amber tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) to celebrate our success in greening this Central London neighbourhood.

Next MOPAC Challenge on violence against women and girls (VAWG)

On 23 May at 10am, the Deputy Mayor will be chairing a thematic MOPAC Challenge. The theme of this MOPAC Challenge will be violence against women and girls (VAWG) and it will coincide with the launch of the Mayor’s draft second VAWG strategy for consultation along with the publication of ‘Capital Exploits: A Study of Prostitution and Trafficking in London’.

The meeting will be held in the Chamber at City Hall and will be webcast livehere

W4 Development Newsletter

Please find attached the latest newsletter for the W4 development.


W4 April newsletter -

Rathbone Place - Public Exhibition

The new owners of the post office site in Rathbone Place and Newman Street are preparing a new and detailed Planning Application for the site to be used as commercial and retail space with the creation of a new public area and through routes.

The application is a subject to an Public Exhibition taking place on site and where residents and people working in the area can have their chance to view models of the scheme and discuss it with the development team.

There will also be formal consultation with effected parties and Amenity Societies as part of the formal planning process as it begins.

Please take this opportunity to view the attached and make your comments so that the local voice is heard.

A consultation website is now live which will have a PDF of the boards to download – www.GPErathboneplace.co.uk

Rathbone Place Public Exhibition Boards

Honoured to pay my last respects to Baroness Thatcher

Honoured to have the opportunity to pay my last respects to Baroness Thatcher as she left Westminster from St. Clement Danes for the very last time on Wednesday.

Fitzroy Place Newsletter

Please see below the latest newsletter on Fitzroy Place.


Fitzroy Place Newsletter April 2013 -

W4 Development Newsletter

Please find attached the latest newsletter for the W4 development.


W4 newsletter -

Berwick Street Celebrates Record Store Day

The independent vinyl and record stores of Berwick Street Soho are joining forces on Saturday 20 April to celebrate Record Store Day.

Berwick Street has been a destination for vinyl record collectors since the 1980s when it became known as ‘The Golden Mile of Vinyl’. This corner of Soho is still home to central London’s largest concentration of thriving independent record shops; Reckless Records, Sister Ray and The Music and Video Exchange as well as Sounds of the Universe around the corner on Broadwick Street, Black Market Soho on D’Arblay Street and Phonica on Poland Street.

On Record Store Day music lovers will head to Berwick Street for exclusive vinyl and CD releases and to enjoy live music, bands and DJs performing throughout the area. Berwick Street will be showcasing a range of British music talent from 12-7pm including a special appearance from a cult rock band and a punk/folk singer-songwriter as well as an eclectic mix of solo artists, bands and DJs across all genres from reggae to electronica.

The shops, pubs and restaurants will also be getting into the spirit; expect DJs in store, music quizzes and in-store parties. The iconic Berwick Street market will be open as usual with flowers, fruit and vegetable traders as well as street food including Napoli style pizzas served by the Pizza Pilgrims from the back of a converted Piaggio van. For one day only the market will feature a music history experience from The Museum of Soho and a vinyl fair.

The official film of Record Store Day, ‘Last Shop Standing’, is a documentary which charts the rise, fall and rebirth of the independent record shop. This will be screened on the day in a pop-up cinema space. Graham Jones, the author of the book that inspired the film will make a special guest appearance for a Q&A and to sign copies of the book and DVD.

Berwick Street is a vibrant urban community with a rich heritage in the heart of London’s Soho. Discover traditional London pubs, bespoke tailoring, textiles, vintage, food, fashion and of course independent record stores. Berwick Street is London for Londoners.

www.berwickstreetlondon.co.uk
@berwickstlondon

Margaret Thatcher 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013

My own tribute to Margaret Thatcher. First, best and greatest female Prime Minister and political heroine. We will not see her like again.

Clarges House Street - Public Exhibition

The exhibition below displays the proposals by British Land (appointed Squire and Partners) for the redevelopment of Clarges Street and Bolton Street.

The exhibition, which is to be held on Thursday 8th April from 5pm to 8pm on site at Clarges House, 6-12 Clarges Street, will provide an opportunity to view plans and speak to members of our team about any questions you may have.

You may want to comment on this application whilst still under consultation as this will be the unique opportunity to improve this large and important site.

09047-130325-PublicExhib-Boards-AMAC02-lowres _1_ -

Bond Street Station Upgrade.

Please find attached an activity notification, detailing forthcoming works for the Bond Street Station Upgrade.


Activity Notification April Sewer Lining Works -

Bond Street Station Visit

The Tunnel Boring Machines have entered the subsoil of the West End on their way from the Park Royal portal to Farringdon as work on Cross Rail races ahead.

Last week I had the chance to visit the Bond Street site and see first hand the work being done. The photos below show the works at Hanover Square as part of the new Bond Street Station (east entrance) which will be a major interchange between Cross Rail and the Tube network.

Housing centre stage in #aspiration budget

Housing took centre stage in the Chancellor's Budget last week. Here's a quick summary of the major renouncement:

Help to Buy - £3.5 billion Equity Loan scheme, helping home buyers with a 5% deposit access the funds the need to secure a bank mortgage. Under the scheme new and existing homeowners can receive a 20% equity loan that will help them buy a new build property, with the added boost to get house builders to get on and deliver new homes we desperately need.

At the same time a separate option, called Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee, will enable lenders to use Government-backed guarantees to offer £130 billion worth of mortgages with smaller deposits, as little as 5%, on new and existing properties.

Right to Buy- The Budget announced further boosts the scheme by: 

1. raising the discount cap to £100,000 in London, from Monday 25 March, to recognise higher prices;
2. lowering the eligibility criteria, so that tenants can apply to buy their homes after 3 instead of 5 years; and
3. looking at ways to simplify the application process for tenants

This is extremely welcome and will be very good news for many social tenants in Westminster who have worked hard and saved but always found homeownership just out of reach with Central London prices.

Private rented homes - The Government’s flagship Build to Rent Fund will be dramatically increased to £1 billion to support the construction of new homes specifically for private rent. This is a Government investment with a commercial return for homebuilders struggling to finance ‘shovel ready’ building projects through conventional finance.

Affordable housing - Funding for the Affordable Homes Guarantees Programme to £450 million. Up to 30,000 affordable homes will now be delivered through the expanded programme, with all new homes started on site by the end of March 2015.