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

Westminster Matters: Leader's Update March 2019

Westminster Matters: An update from Cllr Nickie Aiken, Leader of Westminster City Council

It has been an incredibly busy time since I last updated you on the work of Conservative-run Westminster City Council.

A supporting hand for those sleeping on the streets

Sadly we continue to see an increase in the number of rough sleepers on our streets. Westminster attracts more than the next four boroughs combined. Being the “capital of the capital” has always meant more people bedding down on our streets.

Update on the Holocaust memorial and learning centre

As many residents will be aware, the UK Government have plans to install a national Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens adjacent to the Palace of Westminster. The plans can be seen online here and there was also a public exhibition in September.

Council implements leafing clearing plan

You may have noticed that our trees have started to shed their leaves. From 5th November, Westminster City County began implementing its ‘Leafing Plan’.

Armistice Remembrance

The weekend of 9th – 11th November saw Westminster Council commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. As a Council, we work very closely with the Armed Forces supporting a number of initiatives.