FN Newsletter 04-07-2025

Early-July 2025 round up of news, features, comment, public consultations, and local democracy reports from The Fitzrovia News

Jul 04, 2025

I’ll be taking a bit of a break over the summer and I don’t intend to publish another newsletter until the beginning of August with the following one being at the beginning of September. I will, however, be publishing stories on our website throughout the summer but at a less frequent rate than the rest of the year. I’ll revert to twice-a-month in the autumn.

The three-day event in Warren Street caused a lot of nuisance from noise, air pollution and general disruption to local residents. I’ve been contacted by residents who told me they never received any advance notification. Please get in touch if you want to comment to me in confidence.

A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of a site in Warren Street and Euston Road. See the July list here.

It was incredibly disappointing to see all four Labour MPs serving Camden and Westminster vote to agree cuts to welfare benefits this past week. This is not what anyone expected from a Labour government and all those MPs should be ashamed of themselves for passing this cruel legislation. Labour has become the new “nasty party”. The Camden New Journal has again had excellent coverage of this important issue locally. And there is an excellent report by the Big Issue on why 49 Labour MPs stood their ground against Keir Starmer’s benefits bill.

A reminder that in August there is the Fitzrovia Fete taking place, which is organised by the Fitzrovia Community Centre who are also seeking volunteers to help on the day.

If you are interested in events in London this summer you may want to check out a new publication: ldncalendar.substack.com

Once again, thanks to everyone who has made a donation to keep this newsletter and our main website sustainable.

Look after your and others’ health: Covid cases are at “historically lower levels” but repeated infections are leading to more cases of Long Covid. Wear a face mask if you are indoors in public spaces.

If you want to get in touch with us to tell us what you think of our reporting, have a question, or would like to contribute to The Fitzrovia News please email us at news@fitzrovianews.com — and you can keep up with the latest by following us on Bluesky.

Have a great summer!

— Linus Rees, editor

News

Cycling campaign group unveils dream of a low traffic West End

The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has published a report calling for a low traffic area across the whole of the West End to create “people-friendly streets”, but fails to provide any real detail of how motor vehicles, including buses and taxis, will be re-routed.

Features

Camden Mela 2025 at Coram’s Fields

Camden Mela, a celebration of South Asian heritage, will take place on Sunday 13 July at Coram’s Fields in Guilford Street.

Public consultations

Licensing application: Naroon Counter, basement and ground floor, 63 Great Titchfield Street

63 GTS Ltd has applied to Westminster Council for a new premises licence for Naroon Counter at the basement and ground floor of 63 Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia West.

Local democracy reports

Plaque to mark site of first Caribbean Carnival unveiled at Camden Town Hall

Two women members of Camden Council standing in front of a blue plaque.

Camden Council has unveiled a blue plaque on its Town Hall building to mark the site of Britain’s first Caribbean Carnival.

Westminster Council’s anti-corruption service identifies more than £1mn of fraud

Westminster Council identified more than £1mn of fraud in the past financial year, a new report has revealed.

Westminster Council reviews premises licence of Naroon Marylebone

Westminster Council held a licence review of Naroon Marylebone after local residents claimed the premises was causing a regular nuisance from noise, cooking smells and customers and staff smoking.

St Mary’s Paddington faces long-standing challenges says hospital chief

Rusted pipes, leaks, patched flooring. In some ways, visiting St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington was exactly what you would expect.

Printed newspapers

Our next printed news-sheet will be available in September from outside Fitzrovia Community Centre, 2 Foley Street. See the newspaper archive for back issues of The Fitzrovia News. We aim to produce a two-page, printed issue at least four times a year. Local weeklies the Camden New Journal and the Westminster Extra are also available outside the Community Centre and they have an archive of the Camden and Westminster printed editions.

News from elsewhere

‘This whole thing has been terrifying’: Anger over government's Welfare Bill chaos

Cutting payments to vulnerable people is an act of cruelty – and the government’s last-minute climbdown, triggered by a backbench rebellion over benefit reforms, does little to fix the damage, Camden disability rights groups warned.

Here's why 49 Labour MPs still voted against Starmer's benefits bill: 'It's not the Labour way'

Rebel Labour MPs explain to the Big Issue why they could not 'in good conscience' vote for the welfare bill – despite government promises that the personal independence payment (PIP) cuts would be paused.

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