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

Westminster Matters: Leader's Update March 2019

Westminster Matters: An update from Cllr Nickie Aiken, Leader of Westminster City Council

It has been an incredibly busy time since I last updated you on the work of Conservative-run Westminster City Council.

A supporting hand for those sleeping on the streets

Sadly we continue to see an increase in the number of rough sleepers on our streets. Westminster attracts more than the next four boroughs combined. Being the “capital of the capital” has always meant more people bedding down on our streets.

Update on the Holocaust memorial and learning centre

As many residents will be aware, the UK Government have plans to install a national Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens adjacent to the Palace of Westminster. The plans can be seen online here and there was also a public exhibition in September.

Council implements leafing clearing plan

You may have noticed that our trees have started to shed their leaves. From 5th November, Westminster City County began implementing its ‘Leafing Plan’.

Armistice Remembrance

The weekend of 9th – 11th November saw Westminster Council commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. As a Council, we work very closely with the Armed Forces supporting a number of initiatives.