Hammersmith & Fulham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Residents of a Hammersmith road claim it’s been ‘completely neglected’, with reports of drug use and antisocial behaviour, including weed found in front gardens.
The Hammersmith and Fulham Council claims to be taking “real action” to clean up Uxbridge Road, from paying to upgrade storefronts to having its Law Enforcement Team patrol the area.
Residents of Shepherd’s Bush are requesting additional council funding to rebuild a portion of a “neglected” local road where they believe criminality and decay have taken hold.
At the time of writing, a petition to improve Uxbridge Road had amassed nearly 2,200 signatures, much over the 250 required for the Cabinet of Hammersmith and Fulham Council to consider it.
Nigel Singh, 65, one of the residents concerned, described the area as ‘fantastic’, though told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):
“This is a bigger issue that we need tackling so that we can live in a decent, peaceful area and feel safe. We don’t feel safe in this area now. It’s gone downhill over the years, and it’s been neglected by the council.”
The Hammersmith and Fulham Council listed a variety of initiatives it is working on to make Uxbridge Road better. Its Law Enforcement Team (LET) has conducted 2,400 patrols annually on average, removed 96 graffiti tags and 68 flyposters since April 1, and improved shopfronts by, for example, paying for two establishments to have artwork painted on their shutters.
According to a council spokeswoman, the local government is “determined to work with local residents and businesses to make Uxbridge Road an even better place to live, work, and socialise” and is taking “real action.”
Residents supporting the petition assert that a portion of Uxbridge Road, a vital thoroughfare that connects Shepherd’s Bush and Uxbridge in Hillingdon, has deteriorated as a result of a lack of enforcement and insufficient investment.
Noor, a Shepherd’s Bush resident who began the petition but declined to reveal her full name, claimed that she was surprised by problems when she moved into her house two years ago.
She said:
“Having moved [to the area I] became quite shocked quite quickly at the level of drug addicts that were openly on the street.
They’d be swinging in office chairs outside of news agents and no-one stopping them. People come up to me in quite an intimidating manner. Just the level of loitering and the level of dereliction…it just felt like almost, other than the criminal behaviour, all of the loitering that it was a forgotten street that no-one wanted to do anything to.”
Noor’s worries on the condition of Uxbridge Road were mirrored by other locals who were also hesitant to reveal their complete names.
One said:
“We thought we had problems 28 years ago and it’s nothing compared to what we have now. These last two years it’s really gone downhill.
The things that we see and the things we have to live with in the 21st century, one of the richest capitals in the world, it’s just unbelievable the way we live, the things we see. We have people defecating, urinating in our front gardens.”
Another claimed that she became involved with the petition after someone “off their face” hit her three-year-old in the face as they were walking to school.
“It shouldn’t be the way that if you take your child to school or from school that they feel anxious about walking on that street,”
she said.
“I feel it’s a very simple request.”
All of those the LDRS spoke to said they feel let down both by the level of investment by the council into the area and the actions by police to tackle criminality.
Noor said that it’s beyond criminal behaviour, it’s also the fact there’s this street that’s completely neglected. So many shops are either closed down or openly broken with graffiti everywhere.
The flats above them are maybe not lived in and maybe old and need just a face lift like rusty satellites everywhere.
A spokesperson for the Met said that they want people to feel safe and secure in their communities, which is why their neighbourhood policing teams regularly patrol residential areas to deter antisocial behaviour.
So they can tackle this behaviour. They ask residents to report any criminal activity they witness, so they can act accordingly and help keep communities safe.
Hammersmith and Fulham are urged to take “urgent action” to clean up Shepherd’s Bush, specifically 100 to 500 Uxbridge Road, “by supporting shopfront and streetscape improvements and tackling drug addicts, crime and anti-social behaviour,” according to the petition, which is available on the council’s website.
It explains how the specific road segment has “visibly deteriorated” as a result of abandoned storefronts, abandoned apartments, and “inconsistent” council supervision.
“Crime and anti-social behaviour thrive in neglected environments,” the petition reads.
“While the Council cannot control policing directly, it does have clear powers – and a responsibility – to address the environmental decline that fosters criminal activity and makes residents feel unsafe.”
In order to address the problems, the petition requests that the council create plans for road upgrades for three, six, and twelve months.
It also requests that the council implement measures such as prohibiting the use of temporary signage and initiating a “visual uplift scheme” for shops and apartments.
On the petition, Noor said:
“The voices are really clear and really loud that change needs to happen. Not just from an antisocial behaviour and a drug addict point of view. But the area needs to be more habitable for people, for women, for single people to be able to walk through at any time of day and to have a vibrant city variety in their shopping and lived experience here.”
Locals have also raised concerns about the threshold of the 5,000 signatures needed for the petition to be debated at Hammersmith & Fulham Council. One person said they believe the benchmark is set ‘unnecessarily high’.
Another resident, Jack Dryden, told the LDRS that with planning permission recently granted to refurbish Shepherd’s Bush Market, now is a golden opportunity for investment in Uxbridge Road to ensure the whole area benefits from regeneration.
A visual uplift scheme would support business owners to take advantage of the local momentum and unlock the vibrant potential of our high street. It’s fantastic that locals are working together to encourage the council to look again at Uxbridge Road and how they can support it to flourish.
A council spokesperson said that they are taking real action in Uxbridge Road. They are removing defunct phone boxes.
They are paying for businesses to have their shutters painted by a local artist. They are implementing deep cleaning of the entire road. They are going to revamp our waste collections so there are fewer rubbish and recycling bags on pavements. And they will work with shopkeepers to make the area a Business Improvement District to enhance the environment and local services.
They are giving the Met Police unprecedented support to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. As a council, we now have the largest Community Safety team in London.
Officers from our unique Law Enforcement Team are making 33 patrols of Uxbridge Road every 24 hours and they will be stepping up these patrols alongside the Met. They are also investing an extra £4.5 million in our ground-breaking high-tech CCTV network so we’re able to share incidents in real time with police officers.
There’s still more they can all do. They need help from residents and businesses. They need more people to report crime to the Met. By arming police with more intelligence, they will enable them to better deter, prevent and fight crime.
They are determined to work with local residents and businesses to make Uxbridge Road an even better place to live, work and socialise.
What specific actions are being taken to address the neglect of Hammersmith Road?
To stop unwanted developments and preserve the borough’s identity, the council uses its planning authority in accordance with a Local Enforcement Plan.
In order to maintain clean and aesthetically pleasing streets, this involves enforcing the law proportionately against violations that endanger the environment, such as abandoned buildings or improper signage.
According to the Hammersmith & Fulham Community Safety Partnership Plan 2024-2025, the council has spent around £10 million on enhancing community safety and combating crime. Increased patrols, improved lighting, CCTV installation, and better street design are some of the steps taken to lessen “dead zones,” which are areas where crime and neglect flourish.
The council has formed a Damp and Mould Action Group, which is led by top authorities, to address housing neglect issues, such as damp and mold.