Tag: Parking in Morshead Mansions

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The Notting Hill Carnival

Post author By robin
Post date August 19, 2026

This year’s Notting Hill Carnival takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from the 29^th to the 31^st. Most Morshead Mansions residents will know that although not directly in the carnival zone, there can usually be some disruption to the local area. So why does this carnival exist and what should residents be aware of?

How the Notting Hill Carnival Began

In August of 1966, local social worker Rhaune Laslett organised a multi-ethnic children’s street fayre. This was initiated to counter the Notting Hill race riots that had been taking place over previous years, fuelled by anti-immigration tensions. Post-war Caribbean immigrants had settled in Notting Hill, and faced severe housing shortages, racism and social exclusion.

So, the event was put on to bring people from different ethnicities together and promote inter-racial harmony through shared music, food and dance. It has continued ever since and this year, the carnival celebrates its 60^th year.

What area does the Notting Hill Carnival cover?

Attracting roughly two million people each August Bank Holiday weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival is an annual, community-led street festival that takes place around Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park. Morshead Mansions is to the east of the carnival zone and once the event is underway, access westbound beyond the Harrow Road isn’t possible. It should still be possible to drive through the area on Saturday the 29^th, however, during Sunday 30^th and Monday 31^st multiple roads will be closed off completely to vehicle access.

So, if you need to travel to parts of West London over the Bank Holiday weekend, you will need to plan your route avoiding the carnival area completely. It’s worth bearing in mind that there are also often restrictions to the A40 Westway, as police tend to use this as a a vantage point to view the carnival activity below.

As a rough guide to the areas the carnival covers, the 2025 carnival map is highlighted below. Closer to the event, an official 2026 map will be available on the Notting Hill Carnival website, which you can access by clicking here.

The Notting Hill Carnival — The 2025 Notting Hill Carnival Map

Local Disruptions

If you need to travel over the Bank Holiday weekend, it’s a good idea to allow more time for your journey. Roads around the area are likely to be a lot busier than usual, as will public transport. Local stations, including Maida Vale, are likely to be especially busy in the early evening and there will be no entry to Westbourne Park station from 11am on Sunday and Monday. Night Tube and Night Overground in the local area will not run on Sunday or Monday nights.

Bus routes that will be disrupted include 7, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 52, 70, 228, 295, 316 and 328 during the day and the N7, N27, N28 and N31 night buses. Cycle docking stations in the carnival area will be temporarily suspended from 2pm on Saturday the 29th to 8am on Tuesday 1st September.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that most of the carnival’s surrounding areas tend to get used for parking by people who drive to the event. Maida Vale is no exception. You can expect Morshead Road and the surrounding streets to be a lot busier than usual and parking spaces more difficult to find. If you need to go out locally, it may be worth considering walking instead of driving so that you don’t lose your parking spot.

To find out more about the Notting Hill Carnival and what is planned for the weekend, you can visit the official website here.

If you’d like to find out more about living in Westminster generally, take a look at our previous post here.

Tags Elgin Avenue, Living in Westminster, Maida Vale, Morshead Mansions, Parking in Morshead Mansions, The Notting Hill Carnival

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Tree Works

Post author By robin
Post date January 21, 2025

In case you’ve missed them, there are signs up in the street with notifications of parking suspensions for a selection of the bays in Morshead Road on Friday 24th January and Monday 27th January. The reason for the suspensions is tree works, which are planned to take place on both days.

If you own a car and park it in the street, make sure that it’s not left in any of the restricted bays after 8.30am on either day while the tree works are taking place. If it is, you’ll risk having it towed away! If you think your car may have been towed, you can find out more by clicking here.

On a seperate note, if you’re new to the street and would like to find out more about how to apply for a parking permit for your car there is a feature on the ‘news’ section of the Morshead Mansions website that tells you everything you need to know. If you’d like to take a look, just click here.

It’s also handy to know that if you have people visiting you or tradespeople working on your flat, you can find out where pay-to-park spaces are located nearby by accessing the MyRingo app here.

Tags Living in Westminster, Maida Vale, Morshead Mansions, Parking in Morshead Mansions

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Parking Permits for Morshead Mansions

Post author By robin
Post date August 10, 2023
1 Comment on Parking Permits for Morshead Mansions

Most Morshead residents will no doubt already be well-versed with the processes of obtaining parking permits for Morshead Mansions to legally park in the street. For those who may be new to the area though, here are some tips on how to apply.

Westminster has zoned parking areas and Morshead Mansions falls within Zone C, which covers Maida Vale and a large part of St. John’s Wood. In order to qualify for a parking permit, your sole or main residence must be in the area for which you’re applying. For standard residency, there are several forms of proof that you can use, including a property lease agreement, property purchase document, tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, bank or building society agreement, credit card bill, utility bill or inclusion on the council tax register.

You will also need to prove ownership of your vehicle by supplying a copy of the vehicle registration document (V5), a certificate of insurance and the insurance schedule, all showing your current address. Westminster Council will not issue a permit for vehicles that are not insured in Westminster and kept there. If you have more than one vehicle, it is possible to cover up to two, however, only one vehicle can be parked on the street at any time.

A parking permit is usually issued for a period of twelve months and you will need to renew it once that time has elapsed. It’s worth noting that a permit may not be issued if you have three or more unpaid Penalty Charge Notices at Order for Recovery stage and having an issued permit does not guarantee you a parking space. It’s always your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is legally parked and also to ensure that your permit is valid.

Morshead residents are fortunate that the building only occupies one side of the street, whereas parking is available on both, so there are generally plenty of spaces available. If this isn’t the case, you will usually be able to easily find parking spaces in the adjoining streets, such as Grantully Road or Elgin Avenue. Your resident permit will allow you to park in ‘Resident Permit Holders Only’ bays in the zone for which it is issued, it also entitles you to park in ‘paid for’ parking bays without payment for the first and last hours of their controlled times.

There are a few other things to be aware of, for example, you cannot park in ‘suspended’ bays, which can be identified by temporary signs in the relevant areas. Any suspensions will usually be advertised a week or two in advance and it’s always your responsibility to keep an eye out for them. Your vehicle must also be able to ‘fit’ into a space, so if it’s unusually large you will need to seek out more information on the Westminster Council website. Your vehicle must also be roadworthy, if the council considers it not to be it may be towed away.

If for any reason you need to use a temporary courtesy car, you may be able to get temporary cover, which must not exceed 14 days at a time. You may also be able to qualify for a free ‘eco permit’ if your vehicle meets the requirements, further information can be found on the Westminster Council website.

When you first apply, if you’re unable to supply all of the relevant documents straight away, you will usually be issued with a ‘temporary’ permit which will last for 6 weeks, provided that you can supply documents in accordance with the requirements listed on the Westminster Council website.

As of a few months ago, parking permits for Morshead Mansions and the rest of Westminster are no longer being issued in paper format, if you are granted a permit, it will be registered digitally and automatically verified by a traffic warden’s hand-held device when being checked on the street. You should always check on the Council’s website for all the latest rules and regulations regarding parking permits. You can apply for a parking permit online and find all of the official information here – https://www.westminster.gov.uk/resident-parking-permits

If you’d like to find ot more about other aspects of living in Westminster, click here.

Tags Living in Westminster, Maida Vale, Morshead Mansions, Parking in Morshead Mansions