Adam Hug, Labour leader of Westminster City Council

A REFURBISHED children’s centre and extra community gardens have been signed-off as part of a scheme aimed at supporting some of Westminster’s most disadvantaged communities.

The four-year North Paddington Programme, which focuses on the Westbourne, Harrow Road and Queen’s Park wards, is intended to deliver improvements across areas including employment opportunities, green spaces and the “quality of the high streets”.

Approved in February 2023 with a budget of £20million, the programme’s first year involved investments in schemes such as youth centres and a new council office in Harrow Road.

Other initiatives included retrofitting 300 social homes to improve energy efficiency and rolling out a “Digital Dash” programme, which mentored 20 young people in technology. The next phase, covering years two to four, was given the green light at a city council cabinet meeting on Monday.

Costed at some £10million, the projects approved include a £4.5million grants pot for organisations to apply for funding, £1.5million for community hubs (Bayswater children’s centre, which also serves as a housing drop-in centre, and Ernest Harris House), £320,000 towards Maida Hill market, and £300,000 to deliver more community gardens.

Geoff Barraclough, cabinet member for planning and economic development, told members the programme had been designed “bottom-up”, with input from residents, charities and businesses.

“In isolation, these and each of the main proposed projects you see in the paper will make a small but measurable difference,” he said, “But when added together, the North Paddington Programme should help bring about lasting change.”

Commenting on the next phase of the scheme, Adam Hug, Labour leader of Westminster City Council, said: “The investment in north Paddington represents a major change in the way this council works to improve our communities, not making decisions behind closed doors, but sitting down with people to discuss problems and, more importantly, come up with solutions. It’s a place-based approach, focused on improving the lives of north Paddington’s residents.

“Since taking office we made it clear that all parts of the City of Westminster deserve the full support of their council to flourish. North Paddington has historically suffered from higher levels of worklessness, poverty, and poor health than other parts of the city. This programme is the first step towards addressing this gap.

“The North Paddington Programme is also important because this is the model we will use for all our regeneration schemes going forward whichever part of the city we are in – making sure the voice of local people is heard loudest.”