The draft Neighbourhood Plan contains various proposed projects to improve the area. A summary of these is given below, and further details are contained in the draft Plan. If you have any comments or questions, or would like to volunteer to promote these projects, please get in touch at info@maidahillforum.org.uk

Project MHa:            Widening usage of existing facilities

The Forum welcomes opportunities to open existing community and/or third sector facilities for use by the public. We aim to connect to managers of such facilities, and potentially encourage adoption of Community Use Agreements to promote wider community use.

Project MHb: Community safety

Community Safety is a key priority for the Forum and we aim to work with Westminster City Council and the police to improve CCTV coverage and street lighting in priority areas. In addition, we seek to encourage greater provision of facilities and activities for teenagers and young adults, and we welcome advice and inputs from those with an interest in either agenda.

Project MHc: Engagement and communication

We are keen to develop better ways of communicating with residents, through such means as improved street displays, newsletters, and website.

Project MHd: New affordable workspaces

The Forum is keen to explore new locations for affordable workspaces. Suitable locations might include Canal Boats, Underused Housing Association undercroft car parks, empty retail and commercial buildings. The Forum also takes part in feeding in views and advice to the Council’s economic development strategy.

Project MHe: Empty homes and affordable housing

The Forum is keen to reduce the number of empty homes in the area, and to tackle illegal holiday letting arrangements, while supporting increased levels of affordable housing, and higher numbers of affordable canal boat moorings. As part of this process, the Forum is keen to facilitate an up-to-date register of empty properties.

Project MHf: Shisha bars and E-cigarette retailers

The Forum is keen to work together with Westminster City Council’s Licensing Team, Retailers Association and community groups from diverse backgrounds to improve and promote the understanding of needs, concerns and wishes of the local community on shisha bars. The Forum is also keen to encourage responsible behaviour by retailers in relation to the sale of e-cigarette / vape products to children and young people.

Project MHg and MHh: Improvements to retailing in Maida Hill

The Forum seeks to work with Westminster City Council and the Harrow Road Business Association to promote the Maida Hill branding, and promote actions to enhance the branding and appearance of the area.

Project MHi: Delivery and parking strategy

The Forum is keen to work with Westminster City Council, the Harrow Road Retailers Association and other local stakeholders, to contribute to the development of a formal parking and delivery strategy for the local centres.

Project MHj: Maintenance of residential properties

The Forum is keen to support the work of Westminster City Council, in conjunction with resident associations and other community organisations, to promote the principles of sound maintenance and repairs plans and activity (for instance by signposting, via its website, to Westminster City Council’s guidance on adhering to planning rules).

Project MHk: Public realm projects

We firmly believe that opportunities to improve the setting of local and neighbourhood centres, and the quality of the public realm within them, should be taken. Where public realm projects are taken forward, the Forum is keen for these to follow the Healthy Streets approach to design, and embed the Vision Zero objective for road safety. 

Project MHl: Maintenance and appearance of the public realm

The Forum supports opportunities which help improve the maintenance and appearance of public spaces. The Forum seeks to work with the Council on a better online reporting and response system, and to support the Council and other stakeholders’ actions to inform residents and businesses on waste collection issues.

Project MHm: Green spaces within gated developments

The Forum is keen to see existing green spaces within gated estates become accessible to the community as a whole, and would like to explore the potential for this with the relevant Housing Associations and where access is achieved in a way that meets concerns over potential anti-social behaviour.

Project MHn: Pocket Parks and Parklets

The Forum is working with Westminster City Council and other partner organisations to explore the installation of Parklets and Pocket Parks on streets within the Neighbourhood Plan area, providing small areas of greenery, potentially integrated with seating and public art.

Project MHo: Raingardens, street tree planting and flood resilience

The Forum is keen to promote greener streets, particularly where this will help reduce risk of flooding from surface water run-off. Actions could include street tree planting, ‘raingardens’ and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). We also believe that there should be encouragement to ‘de-pave’ existing areas of hard standing and replace them with permeable surfaces. The Forum aims to work with Westminster City Council to explore possibilities for such improvements.

Project MHp: Connections to canal crossings, maintenance and tow-paths

If new canal crossings were to be provided close to our area, the Forum is keen to see access between these and the Neighbourhood Plan area provided, allowing greater accessibility to the south side of the canal. Complementary to this, the Forum is keen to work with Westminster City Council and other partner stakeholders to undertake a review of how best to uphold a good quality ambience for tow-paths. 

Project MHq: Active, Healthy and Liveable neighbourhoods

The Forum has identified various locations for new and or improved walking and cycling routes, and is keen to explore the design and delivery of these further with Westminster City Council and other partner organisations.

The Forum is also keen to explore opportunities that help minimise the volume and speed of through traffic in the Plan area, particularly on residential streets. These might initially take the form of a series of trial projects that include well-designed and non-intrusive traffic calming measures. The Forum will seek to feed into opportunities and proposals developed by Westminster City Council that support active travel.

Project MHr: Garden Streets, Homezones and Play Streets

The Forum is keen to explore, with Westminster City Council, opportunities for transforming existing streets into Garden Streets and Homezones, for example as part of as part of annual car free days and similar events. The potential for Play Streets (where residents agree to close their road to cars for a few hours a week or month so that children can play safely) is also supported.

 Project MHs: Air quality

The Forum would like to explore opportunities to better measure, monitor and introduce strategies to reduce air pollution within the Neighbourhood Plan area (such as the ‘Breathe London’ initiative), including the requirement for air quality positive development schemes.