St. James's

St James's map

St James's is the largest ward in the constituency, stretching from Vincent Square to Chancery Lane, and from the river to Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue. It is the heart of the nation's government, the centre of its cultural life, home to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the great departments of state, the National Gallery and the Royal Opera House. Its residential communities are large and diverse, encompassing not only the elegant townhouses of Smith Square, but also the bustling energy of Chinatown and the close- knit residential blocks near Covent Garden and behind Victoria Street. The ward's thriving businesses are key to the prosperity of Westminster and of the country as a whole.

The ward is currently represented by three Conservative councillors; Louise Hyams, Tim Mitchell and Mark Shearer.

To find out more about them, you can visit their respective pages by clicking on the links below.

People

Louise Hyams

Louise Hyams

Louise Hyams has had the honour and privilege of representing St. James's Ward since her election to the Council in 1998. She is totally committed to improving the quality of life for all the residents of this diverse ward in the centre of London. Having been involved in most areas of the Council's work, she is currently the Deputy Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Licensing. She also serves on the Planning and City Development Committee, theLicensing Committee and the Standards Committee and the Adoption & Fostering Panel. Louise was Lord Mayor in 2008/9.

Tim Mitchell

Tim Mitchell

Tim Mitchell has lived and worked in Westminster for over 25 years and is a self-employed computer consultant. An active member of the St James's area community, he serves on the committees of several local groups including Covent Garden’s Jubilee Hall Trust and the Abbey Community Centre. A councillor since 1998, he has had experience of every part of the Council. Presently, Tim is Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management and Chief Whip.

Mark Shearer

Mark Shearer

Mark Shearer is a Chartered Surveyor and also Co-Founder of Semble (www.semble.org) - previously called Project Dirt. Mark’s surveying focus is on "retail-led" city centre regeneration.

News

Christchurch Gardens Improvements

Work has started on a major refurbishment of Christchurch Gardens on the junction of Victoria Street and Broadway.

Merry Christmas!

"It is a huge pleasure, as always, to join in the many festive events across the ward which make Christmas such a special time for our residents and businesses" says local Councillor Tim Mitchell.

Christmas Tree Lights – Strutton Ground, Wednesday 4th December at 3.45pm

As your Councillors, we are delighted to be supporting the St James’s ward Christmas tree this year. The tree will be at its usual place in Strutton Ground, close to the junction with Old Pye Street and Vic. 

Once again, we will be joined by the choir of St Matthew’s Primary School.  

Tackling abuse of short-term letting

We know that most homeowners who let on a nightly basis do so within the law and maintain excellent standards. However, we also know short-term letting can cause problems for local people.

20mph speed limit: have your say!

Westminster has begun a consultation on extending the 20mph zone that had been successfully trialled around schools in the Little Venice area and other parts of Westminster.

Westminster-Wide 20mph speed limit

Conservative run Westminster is making our roads safer and greener by planning to introduce a City-wide 20mph speed limit. ​

This week, the Council launched a consultation on implementing a 20mph speed limit to cover the entirety of Westminster. ​

Council Trials Electric Bin Lorries

In a London-first, Conservative-led Westminster City Council is trialling two electric powered waste collection vehicles over the next two years.