Resounding ‘Yes’ vote to plans for overhaul of Church Street area in Marylebone

A scheme to transform a deprived part of Marylebone is to go ahead after residents gave the plans a resounding ‘yes’.

Almost 90 per cent of voters came out in favour of the £112million project for Marylebone’s Church Street ward.

Westminster City Council now hopes that work on the scheme – to be funded by the sale of new private flats – will start within 12 months, once planning permission has been received, and be finished in five years.

Church Street councillor Barbara Grahame (Lab) said: “We are going to set up dozens of working groups to look at the details of each individual site.”

Cllr Jonathan Glanz (Con), Westminster’s cabinet member for housing, added that the project is a “real example of local people taking responsibility for shaping their communities”.

A poll last week saw 87.5 per cent of voters come out in favour, though of the 7,500 people asked only 25 per cent responded.

The centrepiece of the Church Street plans will be a new covered market square on the Salisbury Street Triangle, resulting in 300 new jobs. It also includes a new community and health centre in Lisson Grove, a new play and sports facility in Luton Street and a new area-wide heating system. New sheltered flats for the elderly will replace those that would go from Penn Road.

There will also be 50 affordable homes and 180 luxury flats.