What is the Community Street?
Westway Trust has secured funding from the GLA Good Growth Fund to make significant improvements to the estate through a project called Community Street. The Community Street encompasses the whole Westway estate from Westway Community Transport on Acklam Road to Stable Way and will include improvements to lighting, additional greening, tackling poor air quality and improving a number of the Trust’s buildings.
Community Street Principles
Increase and enhance connectivity to make a ‘street’ along the Westway
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Interventions focused on key sites of pedestrian difficulty, poor visibility, perceptions of safety
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Partnership working with RBKC Highways and Transport for London to increase impact of interventions in relation to public highways, bus infrastructure etc
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A coherent approach to street furniture (dwelling), lighting, wayfinding, surfaces and play to build a sense of continuity and orientation below the raised carriageway
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Creation of a coherent, reassuring and safe public realm throughou
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Assist in integrating the Westway estate to neighbouring places, including as part of wider west-east connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
Support trader, cultural and community activity by bringing key facilities and spaces back to life
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Targeted improvements to existing infrastructure and spaces to provide, for example, clean water for food traders and toilet facilities for public use
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Focused budget on key estate assets
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Explore opportunities to bring underused or neglected assets into public and community use
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Ensure interventions support existing traders and community groups and respond directly and clearly to their needs
Increase biodiversity, greening and ecology across the estate to improve air quality and increase access to and enjoyment of nature
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Take opportunities to increase access to, use of, and quality of green areas and intensive planting across the estate, in a way that is responsive to the existing latent network of green spaces and existing sites of Nature Conservation importance.
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Build on the strong tradition of community ‘ownership’ and care for green spaces across the estate to make a loved, cared-for network of productive, wild and educational green places
Celebrate and continue the history of the Westway as a place claimed for community and cultural use
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Orientation and wayfinding as an opportunity to celebrate the cultural significance of the Westway and adjacent spaces
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Renovations and improvements to buildings and spaces to reflect the long-term and recent aesthetic history of community use below the Westway, including as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire, in a manner that is (as appropriate) commemorative and celebratory of the area’s unique history and cultural meaning
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Set measures of success that value the social benefits to the community and inform a wider trust approach.
Elements of the Community Street
We will work with the community to develop a vision for the Community Street and explore a range of improvements including those listed below. We have a fixed budget for the first phase of the Community Street and through the co-design and design phase will agree priorities to be delivered in the next 18 months
A range of air quality improvement interventions including green infrastructure. We will also work in partnership with Universities to trial new and innovative solutions to poor air quality.
Illumination and animation across the mile long estate including Feature/artistic lighting. A specific focus on areas which feel unsafe and unloved to create distinctive and interesting light features.
Better integration of Portobello Green Arcade, Portobello Green, Thorpe Close and the Market Canopy resulting in a better trading and visitor experience.
Refurbishment of public toilets on Acklam Road – to provide facilities for market traders, visitors and those attending events in Acklam Village
Refurbishment of Portobello Green Arcade
Locally commissioned artwork on the walls and on the motorway pillars along the Westway estate which celebrate local heritage and culture
New street furniture and signage along the estate
As part of our commitment to place the community at the centre of everything we do, we hosted a series of briefings in early March 2021 to update stakeholders on the current work of the Trust and specifically to discuss the Community Street Project and to hear and take on board your feedback.
You can also watch a recording of one of the online events here.
View the interactive map of the Westway Estate
