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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 17 October 2008

Government of the people by the property business

• A FEW years ago a small group of major West End property owners, some with holdings in the historic east end of Oxford Street, sat down and drew up a plan which was breathtaking in its scope and anti-democratic effects.
The basic idea was to take over the governance of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street and the surrounding streets, a vast area of the West End which was democratically the province of Westminster City Council.
They commissioned a report from the firm of architects who designed the O2 Centre in Finchley Road.
The report claimed the pavements were too crowded; that taxis and cars should be removed from Oxford Street; that there were hundreds of people arriving in the West
End and not knowing where they were or how to get where they wanted to go; that some 10,000 more people arrived in the West End each day than
left it.
The report introduced as the main item the redevelopment of the historic east end of Oxford Street,
The New West End Company (NWEC) complains about what they say is the poor state of historic east Oxford Street.
They complain about souvenir shops and other small shops that they don’t like.
But there are souvenir shops in the west end of Oxford Street and endless lines of mobile phone stores but the west end of Oxford Street has none of the gorgeous old buildings of historic interest that the east end of Oxford Street has.
If you read the comments of Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, the newly appointed chair of the NWEC in the October 6 Evening Standard, you would be forgiven for thinking that she and her organisation run Oxford Street.
Well, let us make it crystal clear to her that there is a city council and there are local councillors for Oxford Street.
Fortunately local residents and architectural groups are taking steps to protect the historic part of Oxford Street namely its gorgeous, vibrant and eclectic east end.
The Evening Standard article points out that rents in the historic east end of Oxford Street are 50 per cent less than rents on the west side.
Curious that the country’s most successful retailer, Sir Philip Green, has some of his best stores in east Oxford Street.
This is government of the people by the property business for the property business.
It is the unacceptable face of the property business.
Help us and local residents fight this injustice.
Email us at our addresses below.
Cllr Ian Wilder
Cllr Glenys Roberts
Cllr Frixos Tombolis
Conservative, West End ward
igwilder@btinternet.com
glenys.roberts@dailymail.co.uk
fgt@dial.pipex.com

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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