FN Newsletter 05-06-2023
Man dies in collision with lorry driver from construction site, West Fitzrovia BID announced, Fitzrovia Arts Festival, the latest news and public consultations
In this issue we bring you the very sad news of a death from a collision on Charlotte Street. A young man cycling lost his life after he was hit by a driver of a 32 tonne lorry which had just left a major construction site on the corner of Howland Street and Whitfield Street. The site remains closed while an investigation is carried out into why the driver was allowed to leave the site at 7.40am and turn down Charlotte Street — both acts in breach of the construction management plan agreed with Camden Council. Developers ignoring construction management plans is nothing new in Fitzrovia, unfortunately. Residents have long complained about lorry movements and out-hours-working with “years of developers and constructors doing largely what they wish”.
Camden needs to pull its finger out and proactively enforce construction management plans to make sure developers and their contractors and subcontractors are sticking to the agreements that Camden have made with them rather than just have faith in these property developers to do the right thing. There are good reasons why Camden has set down these requirements, but they’re not worth the paper they’re written on if they’re not enforced.
The largest businesses in Fitzrovia West will be voting this month on whether to create a business improvement district. For residents this will mean a change in the character of the neighbourhood — increased commercial activity, and an expansion of the evening and night time economy.
The Fitzrovia Arts Festival runs from Sunday 11 to Saturday 17 June at various locations across the neighbourhood.
Fitzrovia Community Centre is also holding events this summer.
June is also Pride in London month with events taking place at various locations up to the parade on 1 July.
Westminster Council is due to open a public consultation on its revised Oxford Street Programme at the end of this month.
If any of you are members of history societies in Westminster, such as the St Marylebone Society, I would like some help in producing occasional features of historical interest to our readers.
Be aware that Covid remains a public health concern, and Post-covid-19 condition (long Covid) remains a global public health crisis. Please follow NHS advice to avoid catching and spreading the virus. Vaccination information is on Camden’s website and Westminster’s website.
Our latest printed newspaper is available from outside Fitzrovia community Centre, 2 Foley Street, and the following issue will be out in September.
We’ll be taking a bit of a break over the summer. So maybe expect a newsletter once a month and fewer articles. 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 Fitzrovia News please email us at news@fitzrovianews.com
Enjoy the summer!
— Linus Rees, editor
The latest on our website
Cyclist killed in collision with driver of a truck on Charlotte Street
Arts festival takes ‘Fitzrovia is a Forest’ as theme for its seventh edition
The Fitzrovia Arts Festival runs from Sunday 11 to Saturday 17 June with events at various venues.
Fitzrovia West businesses to vote on new business improvement district
Cycling report praises Camden for progress on ‘Climate Safe Streets’
The London Cycling Campaign has praised initiatives to make travel greener in London and identified the Borough of Camden as “one of the stars” in the capital, writes Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter.
Manager of The Wheatsheaf says: ‘We are open. It is business as usual’
Since my article was published about Shaftesbury Capital’s plans to convert the upstairs of The Wheatsheaf pub into flats, “large numbers of customers” have apparently been asking the manager: “When is The Wheatsheaf going to close?” writes Angela Lovely.
Artist Erin Bird at Great Titchfield Street pop-up
The Covid pandemic and government decision-making under stress
Journalist to talk about uncovering London’s forgotten and untold stories
Dan Carrier, author of Untold London, will give a talk at Holborn Library in June, describing the background to his book and how he gathered together the “forgotten stories” of central London.
Public consultations
Planning applications in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia East, May 2023
Planning applications in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia East, June 2023
Planning applications in Fitzrovia West, May 2023
Westminster Council validated planning applications in Fitzrovia West during May 2023.
Have your say on the Government’s short-term lets consultation
Printed newspapers
Our printed newspaper is available from outside Fitzrovia Community Centre, 2 Foley Street, along with the weekly Camden New Journal and the Westminster Extra, in early June. The following printed edition of Fitzrovia News will be published in September, and subsequent issues every three months, with the occasional special issues. See the newspaper archive for back issues.
News from elsewhere
Cyclist death leads to questions over rush hour construction lorry traffic
Residents say construction traffic must be better policed after a cyclist died in a collision with a lorry, writes Anna Lamache in the Camden New Journal.
Questions arise about construction projects in Fitzrovia
Floral tributes grow in our area for the young man who lost his life on his bike on Charlotte Street. — Letter in Camden New Journal.