Seven Percy, at 7 Percy Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. An application has been made to Camden Council for a new premises licence for the ground floor and basement at 7 Percy Street in Fitzrovia. Permission is sought for the sale of alcohol to be consumed on the premises from 2pm to 3am the following morning from Tuesday to Saturday.

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party. Photo: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon/LDRS. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has accused the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan of failing to use his platform to stand up for Londoners out of fear of falling out of favour with the Labour government. Polanski, who was elected as leader in September, also sits in City Hall as one of three Green Party members on the London Assembly.

Mid-December 2025 round up of news, features, comment, public consultations, and local democracy reports from The Fitzrovia News

Camden residents will see changes to their waste and recycling collections over the Christmas period. The council does not run a collection service on bank holidays, meaning no bin bags or recycling should be placed outside until after the normal collection days. Collections will return to normal from Monday 5 January 2026. Christmas trees can be recycled at recycling points across Camden, which will be open between 2 to 11 January 2026.

Westminster Council has been unable to validate any planning applications in December due to its computer system being shut down after a security breach on 24 November. As a result The Fitzrovia News is unable to publish the usual summaries of applications submitted so far during December 2025 nor have we been able to complete last month's list. "Planning applications can still be submitted through the Planning Portal.

The London Borough of Camden, which has one of the highest rates of people sleeping rough, is rolling out "personal passports" for people experiencing homelessness to prevent them being re-traumatised by having to repeat information about themselves over and over again to various agencies. The passports have been designed to allow residents who had experience of sleeping rough to record information about themselves to be shared with services like the NHS or housing providers, "to avoid having to repeat difficult information more than necessary".

The Elysee restaurant, 13 Percy Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. The Metropolitan Police has applied to Camden Council for a "review of a premises licence" at the Elysee restaurant, 13 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, in order to prevent crime and disorder and promote public safety. "The Metropolitan Police Service have concerns regarding compliance with licence conditions and the promotion of the licensing objectives," states the application which has been made under the Licensing Act 2003.

Westminster Council says potentially sensitive and personal information was likely “copied and taken” by thieves during a cyber attack in November, and is now warning residents to be very careful if they receive unusual calls, texts, or emails. Westminster City said the breach involved some “limited data” hosted on a shared IT system with Kensington and Chelsea Council. It said work was underway to understand exactly what details were taken and how it impacts residents.

Dila, 27-31 Charlotte Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. Fitzrovia Operations Limited has applied to Westminster Council for a new premises licence at Dila, 27-31 Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia West. Permission is being sought for the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment from 9am to 11.30pm from Monday to Thursday, 9am to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 9am to 10.30pm on Sunday.

Charlotte Street has been closed to all vehicle traffic for Thames Water to again carry out repairs to a leaking water main beneath the road surface. Drivers are advised to avoid Charlotte Street. The closure has led to an increase in road danger for pedestrians and cyclists as no diversion signs have been put in place and many drivers are ignoring the one-way street system to get around the closure.

Changing places. Empty office at 22 Tottenham Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios) have this month upped sticks and left Fitzrovia for a new home in Clerkenwell. Their offices at 22 Tottenham Street lie empty with just a few boxes still to be taken away. Their new London address is given as 27 Gee Street, EC1…

Sainsbury's has closed its larger "Local" store at 15-17 Tottenham Court Road. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd has this month closed its long-standing store at 15-17 Tottenham Court Road and re-opened at a much smaller location nearby. Earlier this year The Fitzrovia News reported the supermarket chain was "reviewing" its operation on Tottenham Court Road. It had submitted 

Closed. The landmark Spaghetti House on the corner of Goodge Street and Whitfield Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. One of Fitzrovia's longest running restaurants has suddenly stopped trading and closed its doors for the last time. After 70 years in the neighbourhood, the Spaghetti House restaurant occupying several floors on the corner of Goodge Street and Whitfield Street shut up shop this month.

Camden Council has registered more than 20 planning applications in Bloomsbury ward, which includes Fitzrovia East, so far during December 2025. Around 20 previous applications have also been decided. Among the applications this month are: Air handling unit at Level 2, Block B, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road; Change from commercial to residential at 2 Windmill Street; Addition of rooflight, railings and screen to create a roof terrace at 9 Fitzroy Mews;

Westminster City Council has confirmed bin collection dates for this Christmas and New Year season. The council said there will be no kerbside collection on Christmas Day, which is a Thursday. Residents whose regular bin day is a Thursday will instead have a special collection on Saturday, 27 December. There are no changes to collections on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

The distinctive frontage of the former London College of Fashion on Oxford Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. Westminster Council has approved plans to demolish the site of the former London College of Fashion campus on Oxford Street, and replace it with expanded office space, a reduced retail offering but with a new "cultural hub". Westminster City councillors voted unanimously to back the scheme…

Officials from the Met Police and Mayor's office answered questions on police funding. Photo: GLA webcast. The Metropolitan Police could face further staffing cuts if the impending funding settlement from the Home Office is inadequate, officials have warned. The force has already identified a £20mn budget gap in 2026-27 that they “intend to bridge through non-workforce efficiencies”. But the Met Police’s chief finance officer has suggested that they may need to look at staffing and recruitment changes if an expected funding uplift from the Home Office does not materialise in the provisional police settlement.

UCLH is one of many hospitals in the UK asking for face masks to be worn. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. University College London Hospitals (UCLH) is asking staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to stop the spread of flu, norovirus and Covid. "With rates of flu rising, we are asking staff, patients and visitors to wear the masks available in our Emergency Department as well as other areas where there is a high risk of infections spreading," …

The "shack site" from the junction with Hanway Street to Tudor Place in 1974. Photo: The Fitzrovia News archive. On 16 November Tottenham Court Road was mentioned at least four times in BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. The guest was Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web; and I was delighted to hear his life story as well as his musical choices.

Fire fighters run hoses into building on Warren Street. Photo: TFN reader. Firefighters are currently attending Warren Street in Fitzrovia to tackle a fire in a residential building near the underground station. Part of the street is cordoned off between Whitfield Street and Tottenham Court Road. A witness told The Fitzrovia News that they saw and could smell smoke. Firefighters have been checking neighbouring buildings.

Lotus Realm, 4 Berners Street. Photo: The Fitzrovia News. Lotus Realm Limited has applied to Westminster Council for a new premises licence at the ground floor and basement of 4 Berners Street in Fitzrovia West. Permission is sought for the sale of alcohol to drink on the premises from 2pm to midnight every day of the week. Lotus Realm is described as a two-storey, tea-focused dining and cultural space.