St James's

St Jamess

About our ward

St James's is the largest ward in the constituency, stretching from Vincent Square to Chancery Lane, and from the river to Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue. It is the heart of the nation's government, the centre of its cultural life, home to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the great departments of state, the National Gallery and the Royal Opera House. Its residential communities are large and diverse, encompassing not only the elegant townhouses of Smith Square, but also the bustling energy of Chinatown and the close- knit estates of Covent Garden and the Abbey Orchard. The ward's thriving businesses are key to the prosperity of Westminster and of the country as a whole. Such a lively ward has an equally lively committee and programme of events.

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Our local team

Chairman: Tom Borwick

Vice Chairman: James Carson and Jessica Stewart

Hon Secretary: Andy Xue

Councillors: Louise Hyams, Tim Mitchell & Mark Shearer

People

Louise

Louise Hyams

Louise Hyams has had the honour and privilege of representing St. James's Ward since her election to the Council in 1998.

Tim

Tim Mitchell

Tim Mitchell has lived and worked in Westminster for over 25 years and is a self-employed computer consultant. An active member of the St James's area community, he serves on the committees of several local groups including Covent Garden’s Jubilee Hall Trust and the Abbey Community Centre.

Mark Shearer

Mark Shearer

Mark Shearer is a Chartered Surveyor and also Co-Founder of Semble (www.semble.org) - previously called Project Dirt. Mark’s surveying focus is on "retail-led" city centre regeneration.

News

Christchurch Gardens Improvements

Work has started on a major refurbishment of Christchurch Gardens on the junction of Victoria Street and Broadway.

Merry Christmas!

"It is a huge pleasure, as always, to join in the many festive events across the ward which make Christmas such a special time for our residents and businesses" says local Councillor Tim Mitchell.

Christmas Tree Lights – Strutton Ground, Wednesday 4th December at 3.45pm

As your Councillors, we are delighted to be supporting the St James’s ward Christmas tree this year. The tree will be at its usual place in Strutton Ground, close to the junction with Old Pye Street and Vic. 

Once again, we will be joined by the choir of St Matthew’s Primary School.  

Tackling abuse of short-term letting

We know that most homeowners who let on a nightly basis do so within the law and maintain excellent standards. However, we also know short-term letting can cause problems for local people.

20mph speed limit: have your say!

Westminster has begun a consultation on extending the 20mph zone that had been successfully trialled around schools in the Little Venice area and other parts of Westminster.

Westminster-Wide 20mph speed limit

Conservative run Westminster is making our roads safer and greener by planning to introduce a City-wide 20mph speed limit. ​

This week, the Council launched a consultation on implementing a 20mph speed limit to cover the entirety of Westminster. ​

Council Trials Electric Bin Lorries

In a London-first, Conservative-led Westminster City Council is trialling two electric powered waste collection vehicles over the next two years.