Answers to Local Elections Questions 2026

This year’s local elections take place on Thursday 7th May. This looks set to be a busy ballot paper, unusually with a full 3 candidates standing for the Green Party and Reform, in addition to the normal representation from The Conservatives, Labour and The Liberal Democrats.

On this page we outline the candidates for Hyde Park Ward, and provide their responses to the HyPER questions that were assimilated from those submitted by HyPER members.

We asked the candidates to provide a photograph and biography of themselves, which we have included below where received. We have listed the parties in alphabetical order.

We wish to thank all prospective candidates for giving their time to HyPER answering our questions and providing the information below.

Conservative Party

From left to right: Greg Ero, Elliot Keck and Arran Wedderburn

The candidates for the Conservative Party in Hyde Park Ward:

Greg Ero is a long-term Westminster resident with strong connections to Hyde Park ward. He has a professional background in the energy sector and is an active volunteer and supporter of local community initiatives. He served as a member of the parish finance and properties committee at Our Lady of the Rosary church on the Hyde Park ward border, and as a member of a Diocese of Westminster Education service working party supporting schools.
Elliot Keck has lived in Paddington Basin, in Hyde Park ward, for the last six years with his wife, and was born just a few hundred metres away at St Mary’s. He is passionate about making the area a better place to live and has led successful campaigns to save the post office on Praed Street, stop the redevelopment of Travis Perkins into international student accommodation and tackle antisocial behaviour on Kendal Street.
Arran Wedderburn has lived in central London for a decade and works as Head of Political Engagement for a London-based technology firm. A long-standing Conservative campaigner, he has led efforts across Westminster with a particular focus on Hyde Park, including the successful ‘Save Our Post Office’ campaign.

What will you do to address crime and deal with anti-social behaviour on the Hyde Park Estate? Do you have any plans for increased CCTV coverage?

Crime and anti-social behaviour is the number one issue for the majority of residents not just of the Hyde Park ward but of the whole of Westminster. The Council’s own City Survey confirms it: 52% of residents want the Council to prioritise tackling antisocial behaviour, and drug dealing remains the single most reported concern. People should not have to change their route home, hide their phone or worry about their children walking to and from school. Whether you live in the Paddington Basin, the Praed Street area, the Hyde Park mansions or the Hyde Park estate, the experience of residents is that under the current government, mayor, and council, this issue is deteriorating.

If we are elected, and if the Conservatives are elected to run the council, we will use every power we have to champion safe streets, and will demand better from the Mayor of London who does control policing. This includes:

A Dedicated Cabinet Member for Enforcement: We will create a new Cabinet Member for Enforcement on day one, placing safety and accountability at the heart of the Council’s work. One named politician responsible for coordinating and driving results across every enforcement function the Council controls: City Inspectors, licensing enforcement, street trading, environmental enforcement and championing community priorities with the police.
Real enforcement on dockless bikes: We will convene a summit with operators to agree binding parking standards, geofenced no-go zones and a credible penalty regime. Bikes that are parked badly will be removed and impounded, tougher fines, and action against non-compliant operators to make sure accessibility comes first.
Drug use and street drinking: We will tackle open drug use with firm enforcement while working with expert service providers to support those struggling with addiction. We will look at strengthening the public space protection order for the Kendal Street area, where there has been a significant problem with ASB since the benches were installed
Visible policing: We will hold the Metropolitan Police to their commitment to prioritise neighbourhood policing, call for community-focussed officers in Westminster’s highest-pressure locations and build on the My Local Bobby initiative and other BID-funded uniformed patrols we have launched in opposition.
CCTV: We will ensure CCTV camera networks in the Council’s control are proactively monitored. We will explore the use of AI and facial recognition technology on Council-owned cameras and work with partners, including the police and property owners, to ensure all camera networks are focussed on fighting crime. We will absolutely look at whether CCTV coverage should be expanded and will engage with residents on dark spots. However, in recent years there has been too much focus on simply installing new CCTV without any consideration as to whether this footage is actually being monitored. The deployment of cctv camera networks should also go hand in hand with credible enforcement action.

Protecting our parks: Following the disbandment of the Royal Parks Police, we will champion robust enforcement of Park Regulations in Hyde Park. These spaces must remain safe and welcoming for everyone.

We nearly had a low traffic neighbourhood several years ago, but instead the Council put in place measures that failed adequately to address the traffic issues. What would you do to deal with the traffic?

The traffic strategy of Labour-run Westminster and Labour-run London is all wrong. They have narrowed and slowed down major arterial roads, like Sussex Gardens and Park Lane, with plans to do the same for the Bayswater Road and to shut to traffic large parts of Oxford Street entirely, which has led to the inevitable displacement of traffic onto quieter, residential streets. They have further narrowed important entrances and exits into areas with schemes like the Brook Street cycle lane, which leads to significant traffic back-ups and engine idling. The better approach is to work on ensuring free-flowing traffic on major roads, while looking at traffic calming measures on what should be calmer, more residential streets like Sussex Place or Hyde Park Crescent.

Many houses on the Hyde Park Estate are unable to install double-glazing due to planning constraints. This results in increased noise pollution and poor energy efficiency. What can you do rectify or mitigate this?

Westminster contains some of the most significant heritage assets in the country, and the Hyde Park Estate is a conservation area, something which residents broadly support. But the council needs to get better at encouraging sensitive heritage retrofitting by allowing a more permissive and flexible approach to interventions where public benefit can be clearly demonstrated. This includes enabling discreet modernisation, energy efficiency upgrades such as double glazing and accessibility improvements that allow historic buildings to remain viable, occupied and desirable as a place to live, supporting their long-term conservation. We will look to introduce an estate wide planning permission to allow well design solutions to be installed without each property having to apply individually.

Accommodation that is short-let illegally can cause untold misery to residents. What will you do to control Airbnbs, and ensure if they have approval that they also show appropriate insurance and pay taxes?

Illegal short-term lets drive up housing pressures and cause misery through dumped rubbish, late-night parties and constant noise. The proportion of residents who see short-term letting as a problem in their area has risen in the last year alone, and it is an issue that constantly comes up on the doorstep in every part of the ward, in particular on the Hyde Park Estate. We will make enforcement a priority, press the government to deliver the promised national registration scheme and hold platforms like Airbnb to account. Locally, we would like to set up a dedicated channel for residents in Hyde Park to report potential illegal short-term lets for the council to then investigate. We will change the approach to investigations to accelerate prosecutions and publicise these to show action, and will serve cease and desist orders on suspected offenders.

Green Party

From left to right: Niki Moosavi and Koye Candide-Johnson (awaiting photo for Jenny Turton)

The candidates for the Green Party in Hyde Park Ward:

Niki Moosavi has been living in Westminster for 9 years. She is a musician and a graduate of the Royal College of Music in South Kensington. Niki is particularly passionate on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls. She works with the charity Solace Women’s Aid, where she performs and delivers educational workshops at their women and children’s shelters. To wind down, Niki enjoys playing in a recreational netball league in Hyde Park.
Koye Candide-Johnson hails from Nigeria, having been born in France. Koye understands that home is not so much about where but who. While not a direct resident of Hyde Park, he has spent the better part of a decade in the Westminster area. He is determined to create safe spaces for children and provide them with programs where they can enjoy learning. When he isn’t organising activities for SEND kids, he is avidly creating imagined worlds that he hopes could one day mirror our own.
Jenny Turton (awaiting biography)

What will you do to address crime and deal with anti-social behaviour on the Hyde Park Estate? Do you have any plans for increased CCTV coverage?

Westminster Council plans to install 350 new CCTV cameras by 2030 and we would work alongside the council to ensure this happens. 200 have already been delivered.
Residents tell us that the biggest issue is not the lack of CCTV but the lack of follow‑up when problems are reported. We want the Council to work with the police so residents actually get responses, not reference numbers.
We support practical measures that make people feel safe, including visible community policing.
We also want investment in youth services and community programmes, because prevention is always more effective than enforcement alone.

The following is an example of a Green Party Councillor tackling crime in Bristol: In 2023, Green councillor Mohamed Makawi, whose friend had been fatally stabbed in Castle Park, proposed a motion to bring down knife crime in Bristol that was passed by full Council. Rather than simply calling for more policing, the Green motion outlined practical solutions and addressed the social factors underlying knife violence. It introduced simple but vital steps to save lives, such as providing emergency bleed kits and staff training for night-time venues, and providing more lighting and CCTV to fix ‘blind spots’ in areas of high knife crime.

We want a fresh, resident‑led traffic plan for the Hyde Park Estate that actually reduces through‑traffic rather than shifting it from one street to another.
Any scheme must be co‑designed with residents, businesses and emergency services not imposed from above.
We support measures that cut rat‑running, improve crossings, and make streets safer for walking and cycling, while protecting access for disabled people and essential vehicles.
We would also push for better enforcement of speeding, idling and illegal manoeuvres, which residents consistently raise as daily problems.
The goal is simple: quieter, safer streets where people can move around without constant congestion and pollution.

We want planning rules to allow residents to live in warm, quiet, energy‑efficient homes.
We will push the Council to adopt modern, conservation‑grade double‑glazing and secondary‑glazing solutions that are already permitted in other conservation areas.
Improving insulation and reducing energy waste is essential for both climate action and household bills and we believe the Council should enable it, not block it.

We personally have also noticed an increase in noise pollution since Labour took over Westminster council. It seems a lot more construction is being allowed and whilst we appreciate this grows the economy, it feels as if residents’ needs have been neglected. One of us resorted to installing secondary glazing in our home after having a miserably loud building extension permitted directly opposite. Westminster council needs reminding that people live here.

Westminster Council currently has 2500 cases of illegal subletting open for investigation. This is clearly a problem that overwhelms the council and needs more staffing, which we would push for.
We will push for proactive enforcement not just responding to complaints so residents aren’t left to police the problem themselves.
Short‑lets must not undermine community stability or reduce the supply of homes for people who actually live here.
We support strict enforcement of the 90‑day rule and stronger action against illegal short‑lets that cause noise, security issues, and loss of long‑term housing.
We want the Council to require registration of all short‑let properties, with proof of insurance, safety compliance, and tax obligations.

Labour Party

From left to right: Nigel Medforth, Judith Southern and Md Shamsed Chowdhury

The candidates for the Labour Party in Hyde Park Ward:

Nigel Medforth lives in Hyde Park Ward with his husband and pug dog. Since moving to the area in 2013 he has been active in the Labour Party, supporting the election of Rachel Blake MP and our local councillors. He works in London as a technology consultant and believes that the skills and knowledge he has developed from 30 years in IT could be put to strategic use for the Council and the community. His focus is to work for residents and accurately voice their concerns and views to the Council.
Judith Southern grew up in rural Cumbria and trained to be a nursery nurse. She then worked in West Yorkshire as a bus driver before starting nurse training. She worked at Paddington Green Children’s Hospital and has lived in Hyde Park ward since 1985. Before retiring she worked at Trinity Hospice at Clapham Common where Judith says she felt privileged to be able to give the best palliative care possible.
Md Shamsed Chowdhury has lived and worked in Westminster since 2016. He is experienced in the business and hospitality industries and uses his knowledge to support young people into work. Shamsed is also a volunteer with a homeless charity in Westminster. He speaks English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali and is keen to support all residents in the ward to ensure everyone has a decent home and feels safe on our streets.

What will you do to address crime and deal with anti-social behaviour on the Hyde Park Estate? Do you have any plans for increased CCTV coverage?

After the previous Conservative administration scrapped the Council’s CCTV cameras, Labour has improved safety and security by installing new CCTV cameras at the following locations in Hyde Park Ward as part of 200 new CCTV cameras in Westminster: Burwood Place, Praed Street/South Wharf Road, Connaught Street, Connaught Village Green, Connaught Place, Norfolk Crescent, Spring Street/Conduit Place, Norfolk Place/Norfolk Square, Southwick Street, Sussex Gardens/London Street, Star Street/Sale Place.

The cameras are monitored 24/7 and the footage is available to the police to identify those responsible for crime and anti-social behaviour. Already, arrests have been made and those responsible for crimes have been apprehended. In addition, the police have installed CCTV cameras at Marble Arch and on Edgware Road.

If re-elected, we have plans for 150 more CCTV cameras across Westminster. Please let us know which locations in Hyde Park Ward would benefit from a CCTV camera hplabour@gmail.com.

“Rat running” through our residential streets is a real problem in Hyde Park. The upcoming pedestrianisation of the west of Oxford Street has the potential to increase motor through-traffic in our area. If elected, we’ll work with the Council and TfL to keep main road traffic on main roads and keep residential streets free from traffic that is just using the area as a cut-through.

We will support well planned measures to reduce rat running and make walking and cycling safer, for example the recently re-opened Stanhope Place junction with Bayswater Road which has created a safer, low traffic route into Hyde Park.

If Labour is elected, we will consult with the local residents and deliver area-based transport plans that maximise benefits and consider neighbourhoods holistically for example to bring together school street zones with wider traffic management, safer crossings, greening, shade, and seating provision, or developing local mobility hubs where transport modes and interchanges are improved.

Over the past 4 years we have helped to slow down car traffic and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety through a wide range of practical actions including:

Two new pedestrian crossing points along Hyde Park Crescent
Three new zebra crossings at Transept Street and Cabbell Street
New pavements along Star Street, Stanhope Place, Southwick Street and Old Marylebone Road
New bollards and regular enforcement by the City Inspectors keeping clear the pavement in front of the Car Wash in Kendal Street.
New dropped kerbs across the ward.
More raised tables to slow down traffic, e.g. at Connaught Village Green

We want to make it easier for residents to upgrade their homes while protecting the character of our historic city. Double-glazed homes are quieter, warmer and cheaper to heat.

If we are re-elected in May, we will allow residents to replace old single-glazed windows with modern double-glazed ones without needing to apply for planning permission, provided the replacements are very similar to the originals.
https://www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/issues/2026/03/18/cutting-red-tape-to-help-residents-double-glaze-their-homes/

A total of 2,712 properties are currently being investigated by Westminster City Council for unlawful short-term letting as of 30th March 2026.

Last year, Westminster City Council doubled the size of the Short-Term Lettings Team and opened 499 short-term letting investigations for suspected breach of the 90-night rule, under which landlords and property owners in London can legally rent their property as a short-term let for a maximum of 90 nights within a calendar year. Beyond this, they need to request planning approval from the council.

The Labour Government is to launch a new registration scheme for short-term lets, intended to help better police the sector.

Over the summer, Rachel Blake MP heard directly from residents about the impact of short-term lets on their communities, with the work of her Short-Term Lets Commission. She supports the Government’s actions in starting a registration scheme which will for the first time gather crucial data on every short-term let in England. She has called for this scheme to be trialled in the City of Westminster and City of London, as the local authorities with some of the most short-term lets of any in the country. We will work with Rachel and the Labour Government to make this happen.

Liberal Democrats

From left to right: William Dunbar and Jean Ronald Cenejuste

The candidates for the Liberal Democrats in Hyde Park Ward:

William Dunbar is a writer and journalist and a lifelong resident of the area.
Jean Ronald Cenejuste is a Frenchmen living in Hyde Park ward since 2010. He has a professional background in the banking industry and is a member of the Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club and the London Knights Basketball Club. He is a regular volunteer for various charities and has run the London Marathon or the Royal Parks Half Marathons to support Cancer Research UK and Prostate Cancer UK in the past. Air quality, safety in the parks and low traffic area are at the front of his concerns for the ward.

What will you do to address crime and deal with anti-social behaviour on the Hyde Park Estate? Do you have any plans for increased CCTV coverage?

Our policy is to prioritise investment in visible policing as a means to combat ASB. We believe having more visible officers on patrol in the Hyde Park Estate is the best way to reduce both opportunistic crime and anti-social behaviour.

On the issue of traffic, we believe that the main priority for the ward must be mitigating any negative consequences from the forthcoming pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Without careful planning and the maximum possible input from local residents there is a risk that the Hyde Park Estate could see more traffic as vehicles are diverted from Oxford Street. Our policy is to work closely with residents’ associations to plan the best path forward.

Regarding double glazing–we couldn’t agree more. Westminster Council have declared a climate emergency, yet simple solutions like double glazing and solar panels on roofs not visible from the street are frequently blocked. We believe that energy efficient and climate friendly interventions like double glazing can be carried out in a way that maintains the character of the conservation area.

Finally, on Airbnbs and other short-term lets: yes, this is indeed a significant issue across Westminster and especially in the ward. We bear the brunt of much of London’s tourism, and the negative impacts on residents need to be addressed. We are pushing for stronger enforcement of the rules, action against noise and correct waste disposal and collection, but most of all we want to see levies on short-term lets increased, and to make sure that Westminster receives a higher share of the London Overnight Visitor Levy so that there are more funds in place to deal with this issue.

Reform UK

From left to right: Stewart Robbins, Robert Midgley and Plamen Popgenski

The candidates for Reform in Hyde Park Ward:

Robert Midgley is a business owner who has worked and lived in London for over 12 years. He is a former journalist, civil servant in central government and Army Reservist.
Plamen Popgenski is a local resident and father, experienced in building management, standing for safer streets, pedestrian friendly pavements and a stronger local voice.
Stewart Robbins is a project manager for Wimpey Construction and project director for LMC London. Server 17 years as an Essex fire officer and NPT police officer, one of only two since 1945. Family businessman, author of four books, and still playing football at county and England level.

What will you do to address crime and deal with anti-social behaviour on the Hyde Park Estate? Do you have any plans for increased CCTV coverage?

Crime and anti-social behaviour are issues that require both visible presence and consistent follow-through. We believe we need a stronger, more visible approach to tackling crime and ASB on the Hyde Park Ward.

We would work closely with local policing teams to ensure stronger neighbourhood engagement and push for targeted patrols in known problem areas.

On CCTV, we support expanding coverage where it is genuinely needed—but more importantly, ensuring existing systems are properly maintained and actively monitored. CCTV must be alongside proper monitoring and enforcement , not just cameras for the sake of it. Residents need to feel safe walking home, letting their children outside, and living without constant disruption.

We would also push for clearer reporting channels, so residents see action taken, not just incidents logged. Within our first year, we would aim to establish regular joint meetings between residents, council officers, and police to track progress and hold services accountable.

Traffic remains a real concern, and previous measures have not delivered the improvements residents expected. We believe we need a more balanced and evidence-led approach. We need a more balanced and effective approach, one that actually reduces through traffic without simply pushing congestion into neighbouring streets.

We would review what has worked and what hasn’t, using real data and resident feedback, and ensure any future interventions are properly trialled and evaluated. We would push for practical solutions based on real data and resident feedback, not one size fits all schemes.

We are open to revisiting low traffic neighbourhoods or alternative solutions, but only where there is clear evidence, they will improve safety and reduce congestion without displacing problems elsewhere.

The goal should be safer, quieter streets without creating new problems elsewhere. Any changes must be transparent, with clear measures of success and regular updates to residents.

We recognise the frustration many residents face balancing heritage restrictions with modern living needs. We would advocate for a practical review of current planning constraints, particularly where they impact energy efficiency and quality of life such as properties that face busy roads. It is simply not reasonable that residents are forced to live with excessive noise and poor insulation due to outdated planning constraints.

This could include exploring approved double-glazing solutions that meet conservation standards, or clearer guidance that allows residents to make improvements without unnecessary delay. We would work to introduce sensible compromises, such as approved designs that meet both heritage considerations and modern living standards. Families should not have to choose between compliance and comfort.

Where full changes are not immediately possible, we would work to promote alternative measures that reduce noise and improve insulation, while continuing to push for longer-term policy adjustments.

Illegal short-let properties undermine communities and place unfair pressure on residents. Such unregulated short-term lets are a growing problem and can seriously affect the quality of life for permanent residents.

We support stronger enforcement of existing rules, including proactive investigation rather than relying solely on complaints. There must be consequences for those who ignore the rules. Our community should not be treated like a revolving hotel.

We would work with council enforcement teams to ensure properties are compliant with regulations around insurance, safety, and taxation. Where breaches occur, penalties should be applied consistently.

At the same time, where short lets are permitted, there must be clear accountability so that residents are not left dealing with the consequences alone.

One of us (Plamen) is part of the estate management team for a large local estate, and is already working closely with Westminster’s planning and building control teams on this issue, and we are seeing positive results.

Conservative Party

Green Party

Labour Party

Liberal Democrats

Reform UK

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