A petition urging for more work to be done to the street received almost 3,000 signatures, with additional chairs having to be found for residents attending the council cabinet meeting
West London residents packed out a council cabinet meeting as they called for additional action cleaning up a road they claim has been ‘neglected’. The residents attended Monday night’s session (September 15) in support of a petition urging Hammersmith and Fulham Council to implement a range of upgrades to Uxbridge Road.
Noor, who lives locally and introduced the petition, told members residents “demand radical visual improvements, enforcement, accessibility, and safety”. Council Leader Cllr Stephen Cowan committed to working with residents to deliver improvements to Uxbridge Road, though warned there are legal impediments to what the local authority can do and how quickly.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said the local authority is “fully committed to improving Uxbridge Road” and is “pleased that everyone agreed to work together in good faith to act on the issues raised”. The petition, entitled ‘Fix Uxbridge Road, No More Neglect, No More Crime’, was published in April calling for action to clean up part of the highway in Shepherd’s Bush.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited the road with concerned residents in May. Nigel Singh, one of those in attendance, described the area as ‘fantastic’, though added: “This is a bigger issue that we need tackling so that we can live in a decent, peaceful area and feel safe. We don’t feel safe in this area now. It’s gone downhill over the years, and it’s been neglected by the council.”
The petition requested Hammersmith and Fulham develop a three, six and 12-month plan for improvements to the road, and to implement actions including launching a “visual uplift scheme” for shops and flats and ban the use of temporary signage. Due to it receiving 2,917 signatures, one of if not the most ever in Hammersmith and Fulham, the petition was considered by the council’s Cabinet.
An officer report prepared ahead of the meeting noted the council ‘welcomes’ the petition, adding the local authority “resolves to work closely with residents, businesses, cultural venues, and community groups to deliver enhancements that improve safety, cleanliness, and vibrancy while protecting the identity and diversity that make Uxbridge Road a place to be proud of”.
A list of actions which the council is either undertaking or committed to are also detailed. These include doubling the number of patrols by its Law Enforcement Team (LET), undertaking street washing of the road and a deep clean of footways, lobbying operators to remove defunct phone boxes, and working on improving the street design and wider aesthetics of Uxbridge Road.
Concerns about the number of fried chicken takeaways is also addressed, with officers writing the council’s Local Plan is currently under review. A public consultation on the draft plan is to begin this autumn.
‘No more surveys, consultations or delay tactics’
A large number of residents attended Monday night’s meeting, with the session delayed as additional chairs were sought. Some were unable to enter the room in which the meeting was held and were forced instead to sit just outside with the door left open.
Introducing the petition, Noor claimed the council had failed to deliver “tangible outcomes” in its efforts so far on the road. “Why do you treat Uxbridge Road differently from other parts of the borough?” she asked.
“Are you implying that because it is more ethnically diverse, the residents deserve less? You are a £250 million council with a £532m signed-off budget in the next four years to spend on improvements. How much will you commit to Uxbridge Road and will you agree to this plan tonight?”
“No more surveys, consultations, delay tactics,” she added. “Urgent, visible and bold action on the street now. Not in years.”
Cllr Cowan proceeded, over the two-hours spent on the item, to query what Noor and other residents wish to see done regarding the phone boxes, A-boards and other concerns raised in the petition. Much of the discussion revolved around the extent to which the council is restricted legally when it comes to the actions it can take.
On the matter of gambling premises, for example, Cllr Cowan said Hammersmith and Fulham has joined with other local authorities to lobby Government for more powers. Noor pushed on whether the licences can be revoked when they come up for renewal, to which Cllr Cowan said the council would use “the full powers of the law to revoke where we can”.
However, he added he is not clear whether the local authority currently has the ability to do so. “If we have the powers…I promise you we will act,” he said.
Asked whether the council has attempted to revoke licences in the past, Cllr Cowan said: “We have regularly tried to revoke licences, we have regularly tried to stop new licences, and we’ve lost cases either at the Inspector level when people have appealed or when they’ve sued us. I’m saying we will go through the legal advice individually with every single licence and we will try and do that. But I’ve been advised we don’t have the power to revoke the licences as you’re arguing.”
Another issue debated at-length was that of the need to declutter and expand the pavements, with particular regard to improving accessibility. Bram Kainth, Executive Director of Place, said increasing pedestrian space on the road is ‘definitely’ something the council can look at though that a scheme would need to be developed.
“Obviously there’s a challenge because there’s so much demand on the road space, so something has to give,” he said. “So if we’re going to give more space to pedestrians and cyclists, then we have to move forward a scheme on that.”
One resident, who said she has a disabled son, described the area as a “really miserable experience from [an] accessibility [perspective]”. She added: “I think there are lots of little things that you could do and particularly putting the raised tables in would make a big difference to us and controlling the illegal parking.”
At one stage, towards the end of the meeting, Cllr Cowan asked if residents had seen any improvements over the last decade. This elicited a fairly unanimous ‘no’ from those in attendance, with one woman saying Uxbridge Road has ‘deteriorated’ over that time.
Mr Singh asked Cllr Cowan if he wishes to come to the area and do a walkaround, to which the Leader said he visits weekly. “Uxbridge Road has definite challenges, and we’ve said about how we will work with you to remedy them,” he added. “We’ll talk about the quick wins we can try and do, and we’ll also talk about the more substantial challenges, not least the multi-million-pounds we need to raise to do some of the more substantial public realm works.”
‘Symbolic gestures’
Following the meeting Noor told the LDRS: “The council has publicly committed to doing what it can to meet the petition’s aims, which is welcome but Monday’s Cabinet meeting was still heavy on ‘we’ll look into it’ and light on action.
“They pledged to revoke betting, chicken shops and other over-clustered licences where possible, yet admitted they didn’t know how to revoke temporary licences and pressed me to cite the law in each area – when in fact it is their legal duty to know the powers they hold and to enforce them. On the 24-hour bingo that opened recently, the Leader claimed every power had been used to stop it, while the council’s own solicitor didn’t even know about the application.”
Noor noted the need for further chairs to be provided for residents showed “how much people care”. She added: “We welcome the promise to share shopfront improvement findings and want Hammersmith and Fulham to learn from other councils who have worked successfully with residents.
“If Kensington and Chelsea can help close a betting shop in Earls Court, and if Waltham Forest and Haringey can recreate entire streets through shopfront renewal, then so can Hammersmith and Fulham. Even the City of London has now banned all A-boards from its narrow pavements to prioritise accessibility – there is no reason Hammersmith and Fulham cannot enforce the same on Uxbridge Road.
“The council claims to need to ‘find budget’, but this is a £250m council with £532m committed to improvements from now until 2029 – the money is there.
“Residents are tired of symbolic gestures. We need clear timeframes and visible change on the visual state, accessibility and safety of Uxbridge Road in the next three months if the council wants to rebuild trust.”
‘Fully committed to improving Uxbridge Road’
The council has said that while betting shops have five-year licences which do come up for renewal, if they have not breached their conditions they cannot be revoked. This is the same with fast-food restaurants. Councillors had also refused the recently-opened new casino, though the decision was overturned by the Planning Inspector.
In a statement to the LDRS, a Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to improving Uxbridge Road. And we welcome the insights of our residents and businesses and believe in the importance of working with them to get things done. We are therefore grateful to the petitioners for raising their concerns. We were pleased that everyone agreed to work together in good faith to act on the issues raised.
“Improving Uxbridge Road significantly has been a priority for Hammersmith and Fulham Council for more than a decade. In the last five years we have invested millions of pounds to enhance the look and feel of Uxbridge Road and the surrounding area, improve the local arts and culture scene, and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. We intend to invest considerably more in the coming months and years.
“Shepherds Bush boasts some of the best arts, culture and shopping venues in London, such as O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, Bush Theatre, Westfield, The Hoxton, Dorsett, Television Centre, Bush Hall, Nextdoor Records and Exhibition which attract visitors from across the globe. The plans to revitalise the historic Shepherds Bush Market will further bolster Uxbridge Road’s excellent food, drink and retail offerings.
“Hammersmith and Fulham Council wishes to thank and acknowledge the many hard-working and diverse range of businesses who have invested in Uxbridge Road and provide important services and enhance the area for the enjoyment of all. But it is not without its challenges. The solutions lie in partnership with all residents and businesses.
“Improvements in any neighbourhood cannot just be down to a taxpayer-funded council. That’s why Hammersmith and Fulham has been proactive in persuading private investors to put their money into the area, attracting hundreds of millions of pounds. Uxbridge Road is a fantastic place to invest and we hope everyone will help us talk up and sell the benefits of the area so we win more.
“We share the concerns of residents about the number of betting shops and gambling premises on high streets. That’s why we’re leading the way locally and nationally in focusing on those businesses which prey on some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“The national law sets out that councils have to ‘Aim to Permit’ gambling licences. However, we require any applicants to explain how they will prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder before we consider any application.
“We’ve introduced a new tougher gambling policy to protect residents. The betting industry has launched a legal challenge to our policy, but we will fight our case in court and continue to do all in our powers to protect residents and our local community.
“Our recent work to improve Uxbridge Road also includes:
- serving legal notices to remove 15 defunct phone boxes
- opening 154 separate enforcement cases with property owners to clean up how the street looks. These Section 215 notices will be used to require remedial works, such as painting, cleaning and repairs. We have worked with other businesses to make improvements, such as Nando’s which has been fully repainted, and a number of units where damaged or missing signs were repaired and loose wires concealed
- doubling the number of patrols from our Law Enforcement Team to help the Met Police crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour
- significantly improving the enforcement of illegally parked cars and mopeds, and changing the parking restrictions in Devonport Road to cut down on idling drivers obstructing our residential streets
- exploring the support for a new Business Improvement District with all local businesses contributing financially
- deep cleaning the pavements, removing hundreds of flyposters and graffiti, while readying a new waste and recycling service with specific times for collections
- removing or relocating dozens of unnecessary signs, lampposts, bollards, and cycle hoops to create a cleaner, more open pavement
- continuing to install dropped kerbs and better crossings as we work with Disabled residents as we look to widen Uxbridge Road to help create more space for pedestrians
- preparing to introduce a permanent segregated cycle lane to protect cyclists
- inspecting all food and drink venues to ensure they meet their required hygiene standards
- carrying out inspections to check for illicit goods and test purchases of age-restricted products, including the seizure of 730 dangerous vapes.”
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