Church Street Neighbourhood Management is one of Westminster's five Local Area Renewal Partnerships (LARPS)
Church Street ward is a natural neighbourhood bounded by the busy Marylebone and Edgware Roads to the south and west, and the Grand Union Canal and railway to the north and east. It has a large, diverse, residential community of 4,200 households that exists alongside a significant commercial sector. A wide variety of statutory services are provided in the area complemented by voluntary and community services. It has one of the highest concentrations of social housing in Westminster with 2,500 homes managed by CityWest homes on the Church Street and Lisson Green Estates, and a further 500 Registered Social Landlord properties.
The neighbourhood is ethnically diverse with over 30 languages spoken and it is home to the largest Bengali community in Westminster. The number of young people under 25 and the number of single parents are both double the Westminster average.
At the heart of the area is a street market, managed by the City Council, on Church Street itself. At the west end of the street there are some 60 retail units leased by the City Council, and at the east end retail units that contain an established antique sector.
Key Aims of Church Street LARP
· Better co-ordination of services in Church Street
· Improve educational provision and skills and tackle barriers to employment
· Reduce health inequalities
· Tackle child poverty
· Meet the needs of Church Street’s diverse communities
· Tackle problems caused by disaffected youth e.g. responsible for car crime, vandalism and graffiti in the area
· Reduce drug and alcohol related crime
· Provide more youth and community facilities and a community focal point
· Provide facilities for children, young people and parents
· Improve housing in Church Street