May 22nd: Local and European elections
In the run up to the local and European elections, we’ll explain what you’re actually voting for, why it matters, who the candidates are, and – nearer the time – how you can put your questions to them.
Local elections
Why should you vote? (aka “what does the council do”?)
What’s my ward?
What happened in 2010?
What do the parties say?
Watch/Listen to all the hustings videos
The big issues: Housing; Schools
What do candidates tweet?
Get the scoop and meet the candidates in:
West Hampstead
Fortune Green
Kilburn
Swiss Cottage
Rubbish collections, roadworks, developments, parking, schools…
Issues that affect your daily life in West Hampstead are determined by the council. Who represents you on the council, and its make-up, really matters.
On May 22nd, go and vote – then you’re entitled to moan and whinge to your heart’s content about what happens next. If you don’t, then STFU. Click the links above to find out more.
European elections
European elections: The basics
What do MEPs do / why vote?
Who’s standing?
It’s always harder to get your head around the European elections. Decisions taken in the European parliament seem remote, and the EU policy is run far more as a coalition. Nevertheless, London – the largest city in the EU – will elect 9 MEPs on May 22nd, so make sure that the party you think best represents you is as well represented as possible in Europe.
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Tom enjoys some good kombunations at Ham
Finally it was my time to sample Ham, the new upmarket restaurant on West End Lane, which arrived to plenty of interest, and with a chef with a reputation. Ham kindly invited me to try it out and the welcome from David and the team was very warm. We gazed around at the interior, with […]
George Rose: Death in the Caribbean
Actor George Rose travelled an unusual path from Bicester to Broadway. He lived in West Hampstead for the best part of a decade while he learned his craft from great actors and directors such as Tyrone Guthrie, Laurence Olivier, Peter Brook and John Gielgud. And after a very successful career on the stage, he died […]
The artist and the punks of West Hampstead
In April 1977, Tony Drayton moved to London from Cumbernauld, a new town in Scotland between Glasgow and Edinburgh. From 1976 to 1979, Tony was the editor of the early punk zine, Ripped and Torn. He lived in London, Paris, and Amsterdam and had a very varied career, including fire eating. In the summer of […]
Raising the roof on the student housing block
The new owner of the student housing block on Blackburn Road, has put in a planning application to add 41 additional rooms (studios) to the block buy adding extra floors on top. The development already has 347 units and has already been given planning permission to add an extension to the internal courtyard and a […]
A walk up West End Lane
Following our recent walk down the Kilburn High Road, we took a similar walk up West End Lane. Joining us was John Saynor, chair of WHAT (West Hampstead Amenity and Transport), which takes a keen interest in these matters too. We didn’t really focus on the litter situation, because – dare I say it – […]
Luxury retirement development ‘can’t afford’ to pay for affordable housing
West Hampstead is facing yet another large-scale property development. It’s the third proposal to redevelop the site at the former Gondar Gardens reservoir. The history of the previous proposals have been well documented on these pages, but what really caught our eye about this one was that it offers no affordable housing either on-site or as […]
Bringing West Hampstead insight to national property statistics
Sponsored post Every week newspaper headlines vary between ‘house prices rise’ or ‘house prices fall’ – but which headline is accurate? We thought we’d delve behind the headlines for this month’s West Hampstead Life column; we’ll be sharing some interesting stats and sprinkling them with some local insight to bring them to life. First-time buyers […]
West Hampstead property price rises set to outpace London average
Sponsored post It can be easy to generalise when talking about the London property market. However, London has often been described as a collection of villages, each with its own unique style, atmosphere and charms. For this reason, when discussing the London property market, it’s important not to look at the capital as the sum […]
Positive sentiment in West Hampstead property market for 2018
Sponsored post As we move into 2018, there are signs that the property market in West Hampstead is improving. Despite what others may say, there is evidence of a market out there for those looking to sell their home. With changes to stamp duty in the autumn statement and the hesitation caused by Brexit beginning […]
Overground redevelopment (just about) on track
It’s been a year since the redevelopment of the Overground station started in earnest and it’s taking a while. Inevitable, as TfL chose (wisely) to keep the station open during the works, even though that also means higher cost. For those of us using the station, it’s been impossible to miss the arrival of the […]
No step closer to step-free access for West Hampstead tube station
Many local organisations have been pushing for step-free access to West Hampstead tube station over the past few years – even if opinion diverges on what the solution should be. It was therefore disappointing, as local residents association WHGARA pointed out recently, that West Hampstead was not included in the recent batch of stations to […]
West Hampstead passengers top 20 million a year
As long-suffering commuters in (and through) West Hampstead are aware, it’s feels ever more crowded at our stations – especially the tube station. But do the numbers back up that perception? We crunched the numbers, and we were surprised at the results. The line up to "tap" on at WH underground. A temporary 1 tap […]