• THIS August will see the start of the Connaught Village Green project (Connaught Street W2).

It will establish a village green with new trees, public seating, a water fountain, and improved pedestrian access.

This project offers no active traffic calming for Connaught and Kendal Street, now both “rat-runs” to the Edgware Road. Shopkeepers want more footfall and less traffic.

Pedestrians want a safer crossing point at Kendal Street.

This could be achieved by making Kendal Street one way.

However traffic and pedestrian safety is not the priority of a very vocal group who see public seating as a make-or-break issue.

Encouraged by a former Conservative councillor, their worry is that the village green public seating will “bring the wrong people”.

This is a reference to the professional beggars who slept on a stretch of the Edgware Road.

They have now been moved on thanks to the pro-active work of Labour councillor Md Shamshed Chowdhury.

He engaged with Criterion Capital, the leaseholders of the 20 commercial units beneath the water gardens, and they took decisive action.

This also reduced the anti-social behaviour in the neighbouring area.

Offering positive solutions and enacting them, instead of allowing a problem to dominate the improvement of our environment, is the way forward.

They can make our village green a progressive and welcoming experience for our community and our neighbours.

JIM HILL
Albion Street, W2