It appears that West Hampstead's intensive lobbying during the O2 debate has borne fruit.

Alex Williams, TFL's Chief Customer & Strategy Officer has announced: "I'm really pleased that we're now able to confirm that work will resume at Northolt and that we are starting design work at North Acton and West Hampstead as the next stations to be upgraded, building on feasibility work that started last year."​

Good news for West Hampstead station, but sadly no news of step-free access at the more important Finchley Road station.

In a letter dated 11 December 2023 the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Jules Pipe, informs Camden Council that he, under delegated powers from the Mayor of London, does not intend to refuse the application (from Landsec) or intend to take over the application for his determination. 

This means that Landsec has cleared all three hurdles - Camden Council, the Secretary of State, the Mayor of London - and is now free to proceed with the first stage of its O2 Centre redevelopment. 
​
A sad end to 2023. 

Camden has launched a consultation on proposed new trees, planting and other changes in Goldhurst Terrace. These changes are partly to make the area more resilient to future flooding. The consultation is open at:
​Goldhurst Terrace Consultation open until the 22nd September.

​It has been announced that the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP) has declined to use the power granted to him by parliament to 'call in' the O2 redevelopment. He is prepared to allow the decision made by Camden Council to stand without review by his department.

A decision from the Mayor of London is still awaited.

On Monday 3rd July the CRASH AGM was held at the Crossfield Centre on Fairhazel Gardens. The well-attended meeting agreed to the re-election of all the existing officers and members of the committee. Draft minutes of the meeting will be available shortly on the website.

Our former Member of Parliament, Glenda Jackson, has died at the age of 87. She represented Hampstead as an MP for twenty-three years, sandwiching her time as a politician between two periods as one of the greatest actors of her generation, For her  work on the stage, film and television she was  showered with awards, including the rare 'triple crown' of 2 Oscars, 3 Emmys and a Tony. A truly great actor, but never, ever, a 'luvvie'.

This year's AGM will be held on at 7:00 pm on Monday 3rd July at Likewise (formerly The Hub, formerly The Crossfield Centre), 8 Fairhazel Gardens, NW6 3SG.

Full details of the meeting will be confirmed nearer the date but will include the following items:
1. Welcome
2. Guest Speaker: Dr. Victoria Harding of the Heath and Hampstead Society talks on why every tree counts
3. Guest Speaker: Nina de Ayala Parker, South Hampstead Councillor, on her leading work for the Council on green issues/biodiversity
4. Update on South Hampstead flood issues: Joan Munro and Kumiko Matsuoka
5. CRASH AGM -- Apologies for absence
6. Approval of minutes of 2022 AGM
7. Chairman’s report
8. Treasurer’s report
9. Election of Officers and Committee Members
10. Any Other Business

Draft Minutes of the 2022 AGM are available at the bottom of the 'About Us' section of the CRASH website.

We hope that you are able to make it and look forward to seeing you.

​Just announced in the King's Birthday Honours that our long-time neighbour, and CRASH member, Barry Humphries has been posthumously awarded his country's highest honour. His existing Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) has been upgraded to the order's highest rank, a Companion (AC). A final salute from the land of his birth.

Following the standing down of Councillor Will Prince  - to take up an offer of employment in the USA - a by-election was held on Thursday 1st June to find his replacement. Votes cast were:

• Tommy Gale (Labour) 882
• Don Williams (Conservative) 766
• Patrick Stillman (Lib-Dem) 531
  
• Lorna Jane Russell (Green) 295

​Mr Gale, a 26-year-old social worker, was duly elected to serve as a councillor for the ward, maintaining the triumvirate of Labour councillors in South Hampstead. He joins his fellow ward councillors Nina De Ayala Parker and Izzy Lenga.

On the evening of Thursday, 30th March, Camden Council's planning committee met to consider Landsec's application to develop its O2 Centre site between Finchley Road and West End Lane. The council's planning department were recommending approval of the scheme, subject to the usual legal agreements. 

CRASH's Chair, Eric Bergsagel, spoke in opposition to the scheme, as did our ward councillors Will Prince and Nina De Ayala Parker. Our third ward councillor, Izzy Lenga was also in attendance supporting her colleagues. There was little in the way of opposition from the West Hampstead councillors.

At the end of the evening the Chair of the committee called for a vote, with 7 councillors voting for approval of the application and 3 voting against. The three refusing to give consent were:

Councillor Andrew Parkinson, Conservative, Frognal

Councillor Will Prince, Labour, South Hampstead

Councillor Tom Simon, Lib Dem, Belsize

The scheme now goes to the Mayor of London for a decision, and there may also be grounds for an appeal to the Secretary of State. South Hampstead may have lost the first round in this boxing match, but the fight isn't over yet. Watch this space.