The weather has been miserable and gloomy for weeks, but we have some good news to report for Belgravia: three projects in our neighbourhood area have been awarded funds from the Westminster City Council’s CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy – moneys collected from developers in the area to mitigate the effects of development and benefit the local community).
These are
- Repair, renovation and protection of the Headfort Arch. This is a Grade II listed structure on Halkin Street, which was designed by Thomas Cundy as part of the original plans for Belgravia. In recent years it has been damaged by construction traffic and is in a poor condition. The funds will be used to repair the damage and safeguard it for the future.
- Upgrading of the parish hall community space at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, including lift replacement and installation of a new kitchen. This space is a rare and vital amenity for the whole community, serving a multitude of uses ranging from toddler groups, choir practice, language classes, AA meetings, wedding receptions and funeral wakes.
- Extension of the play space for children at St Peter’s School, Lower Belgrave Street. Children at this lively school have long been short of play space. This project will provide facilities to include wet weather provision.
The Belgravia Neighbourhood Forum supported all these community projects with their application for funding. One of the tangible benefits of having an adopted Neighbourhood Plan, which we achieved in 2024, is that our share of local CIL moneys rose from 15% to 25% – giving us more funds for such local projects.