We are calling on Hammersmith & Fulham Council to take urgent, targeted action to improve the visual condition and vibrancy of Uxbridge Road (particularly between numbers 100 and 500), which has visibly deteriorated due to neglected shopfronts, derelict flats above businesses, and inconsistent Council oversight.
Crime and anti-social behaviour thrive in neglected environments. While the Council cannot control policing directly, it does have clear powers - and a responsibility - to address the environmental decline that fosters criminal activity and makes residents feel unsafe.
Specifically:
Numerous shopfronts are in a serious state of disrepair, with
broken shutters, exposed wiring, temporary signage scrawled in
marker pens or printed on A4 paper, and cloth banners serving as
permanent signs. This isn’t just unprofessional - it makes
the area look deprived and neglected.
Flats above shops are visibly rundown, with peeling paint, rusty satellite dishes, and front doors etched with graffiti. Fruit shops spilling out onto the road with trolleys parked on pavements making it dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists as well as unsightly. Residents live in this daily and visitors see it first. If the Council truly cares about regeneration, this cannot be ignored.
Some shops sit empty for months or years, contributing nothing to the community. Meanwhile, the area is being saturated with low-quality, short-term-use businesses like chicken shops, which offer minimal diversity or uplift to the local economy.
We are not asking for perfection - we’re asking for care, vision, and a clear plan. Here are some concrete, achievable actions the Council can take:
We ask the Council to:
Develop a 3, 6, and 12-month plan for physical and visual
improvements along Uxbridge Road (100–500). This should
include timelines, measurable goals, and regular updates to
residents.
Launch a visual uplift scheme for shops and flats along Uxbridge Road, similar to community initiatives trialled in places like Leyton and Deptford.
Ban the use of temporary, makeshift signage (e.g. marker pens, cloth banners, laminated paper signs) in shop windows and facades - enforcing design standards that enhance, not degrade, the street.
Incentivise landlords and businesses to upgrade empty or neglected units, including access to low-cost grants or temporary business rate relief schemes in exchange for visual improvements.
Coordinate clean-up initiatives for rusty satellite dishes, painted-over brickwork, and doorways marred by graffiti - especially at problem spots like 350 Uxbridge Road.
Exercise greater discretion over business licensing and change-of-use approvals - why are so many new chicken shops being approved when what we desperately need is variety, vibrancy, and dignity?
Further, the constant presence of drug users and beggars - loitering, dealing, using, and sleeping rough in doorways and public spaces has left the area feeling unsafe, unkempt, and increasingly impoverished. Residents regularly report asked for money, or intimidated on the street. We have found people sleeping outside our door on more than 1 occasion. This, combined with frequent thefts, break-ins, and visible drug use, has turned Shepherd’s Bush into a hotspot for anti-social behaviour that gives the impression of a forgotten and lawless place.
This cannot continue. The Council must take proactive steps, including:
Partnering with outreach and addiction support services to offer real help to those in need while discouraging persistent public disorder
Increasing the visibility of Council enforcement officers and joint patrols with police, particularly in high-risk areas like Uxbridge Road and Oaklands Grove
Implementing exclusion zones or dispersal orders for repeat offenders causing daily disruption
Investing in street design changes - such as better lighting, cleaned and activated spaces, CCTV and fewer “dead zones” - to make the area less hospitable to crime and loitering
Launching a coordinated plan for rough sleeping and aggressive begging, balancing compassion with the need for public safety
The current situation is unsustainable. It impacts every aspect of life here - from how safe we feel walking home, to how businesses operate, to how we feel about our area. Shepherd’s Bush deserves better.
The tools exist. We have raised these concerns relentlessly over 2.5 years through emails, conversations with Council officers, and community reports. Yet visible change remains minimal.
This petition is not just about crime - it is about reclaiming our environment, restoring pride in where we live, and holding the Council to account for the basic standards our neighbourhood deserves.
This ePetition runs from 22/04/2025 to 22/06/2025.
2194 people have signed this ePetition.