The following article, written by Westminster City Council Leader Rachael Robathan, originally published by themj.co.uk

Up and down the town centres of the country, we felt the tectonic plates move on Saturday as, after four months of being cooped up, people finally got to go out.

The CCTV system for the Wharncliffe Gardens estate was installed in May, this is thanks to a joint campaign by local people, the Residents' Association and your local Councillor team. 

As part of the Council’s desire to make roads safer near to our schools we extended ‘School Streets’ to a further 11 primary schools from 1st June including our very own Barrow Hill Junior School.

London Zoo opened its doors on Monday 15th June after months of closure and like many organisations has been hit hard by COVID-19 which continues to have a devasting effect on its business.

It is unfortunate but inevitable that malevolent actors find new opportunities in Covid-19, to scam vulnerable people who may be thrown off-guard by these exceptional circumstances. Please be aware that it is now even more important than ever to watch out for the techniques used by scammers.

The Mental Health Foundation is hosting Mental Health Week, on the theme of Kindness.

We are often asked by residents about the best way to report suspicious behaviour to the Police. We have consulted them and been told that if a crime is in the process of taking place then you should ring ‘999’ but where an offence has happened, then you should ring ‘101’.

We are all aware of the continuing difficult period that is being experienced by everyone across Westminster. I want to assure you that your local councillors will continue to provide whatever support or advice is needed in the coming weeks.

Local people living near to the junction of St John’s Wood Road and Grove End Road will know the gully at this junction has been blocked for some time now resulting in a large pooling of water during a heavy downpour.  

A planning application (reference number 20/01662/FULL) has been submitted for a new family club, café & nursery on St John’s Wood High Street.