Camden Council and UCLH were in the local and national media for all the wrong reasons over last weekend, after they were caught red-handed throwing away and crushing the tents of homeless people in Huntley Street. Adam Harrison, Bloomsbury ward councillor and acting deputy leader of Camden, later issued an apology on behalf of the council. Aside from our reporting, please pick up a copy of today’s Camden New Journal which has a lot of news and comment on this incident (Pages 1, 8-9, 15, and 16).
Camden Council will tonight (16 November) decide whether to approve plans for a huge new tower block on Museum Street. Despite the council in 2019 declaring a climate emergency its planning department are recommending the demolition of an existing 17-storey tower block and the building of a new 19-story block in its place. Opponents of the scheme say the existing building could be refurbished at a greatly reduced cost to the planet and local environment. Planning officers would do well to read the report of Camden’s Circular Economy Scrutiny Panel which was discussed on Monday.
Westminster Council has renewed its call to the government to give it greater powers to tackle the proliferation and public nuisance of short-term letting.
Businesses in West Fitzrovia have voted in favour of proposals by the Fitzrovia Partnership to create a new business improvement district. Oh, dear…
Monday was a busy day for the London Fire Brigade which tackled a fire in Warren Street in the morning and another blaze in Mortimer Street in the evening.
The new nursery at Holcroft Court which was due to open in September will now open on Monday 20 November. There is an open day on Saturday 18 November from 10am to 12.30pm.
Covid continues to remain a major threat to health. Although infections and hospital admissions and cases have declined recently, deaths remain high, and the disease has damaging long term impacts. Please follow NHS advice to avoid catching and spreading the virus.
Next month we we will be publishing some historical features on the history and culture of the neighbourhood.
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
— Linus Rees, editor
The latest on our website
Camden Council and UCLH caught red-handed taking tents from homeless people
Camden apologises for destroying homeless people’s tents
Westminster Council calls for a ‘return to pre-2015 planning policy’ on short-term letting
Firefighters put out blaze at rear of Warren Street building
Fire damages basement at commercial building on Mortimer Street
West Fitzrovia BID gets the go ahead after ballot success
Advice forum to help tenants renting in the private sector in Camden
Local Labour councillors’ political moves ahead of 2024 elections
‘An Ideal Husband’ – at the Bloomsbury Theatre
UCL Students’ Union Drama Society is putting on a performance of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband at the Bloomsbury Theatre this week.
Public consultations
Launderette site on Cleveland Street could be lost to a cafe
Licensing application: Spearmint Rhino, 161 Tottenham Court Road
Licensing application: Kef, 42-48 Great Portland Street
Licensing application: 23 Rathbone Place
Licensing application: Titu, 40-41 Great Castle Street
Planning applications in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia East, November 2023
Planning applications in Fitzrovia West, November 2023
Westminster Council seeks views on developing an evening and night-time plan
Printed newspapers
Our next printed edition is out in December and available from outside Fitzrovia Community Centre, 2 Foley Street, along with the weekly Camden New Journal and the Westminster Extra. See the newspaper archive for back issues of Fitzrovia News. We aim to produce a two-page, printed issue at least four times a year.