Dear Residents,
Several years ago I was elected as the 3rd Chairman of the Belgravia Residents Association. Since then I've worked with my fellow members of the committee to protect the beauty and atmosphere of this most interesting part of London.
No one who visits us can fail to be impressed and intrigued by the many interesting streets and landmarks. From the bustling farmers’ market of Orange Square to the grace of Belgrave Square, we have so many hidden treasures and historic monuments waiting to be discovered.
Although we have spent much of the recent past working with developers and planning groups, we are determined to broaden our reach over the next few years to include many other areas of social engagements and activities.
Local residents and businesses are helping us to understand how we can increasingly support them to foster a warm and welcoming neighbourhood, and encourage more of them to join us in celebrating a local way of life that is, without doubt, extraordinary.
I look forward to meeting you at one of our forthcoming events.
Yours sincerely,
James Wright
Chairman
🖌️
& What We Do
Our Team
The Executive Committee
James Wright, Chairman
Function: Day-to-day chief executive officer
Chairman of the BRA and a committee member since 1995. A local resident since 1989 and a self made businessman hailing from The isle of Mull in Scotland. James is a hotelier by profession and has extensive interests in property both in the UK, The Philippines and in India. Active in all sectors of the BRA's activities and has a good working relationship with WCC, TFL, Grosvenor and the Police. This has helped spearhead several successful campaigns which include keeping the red route out of Belgravia, Sloane Square campaign, Chelsea Barracks scheme; varying traffic calming schemes on behalf of members effecting changes to traffic flows (upper Eaton Terrace/Groome Place) and seeing the installation of zebra crossings, latest one in Pimlico Road.
Amanda Bond-Elliott,
Events Lead
Function: Social events manager
Andrina Waddington ,
Secretary
Function: Executive Assistant
Anthony Owen,
Treasurer
Function: Financial affairs officer
Anthony is a specialist litigation lawyer practising in Fleet Street. He has been assisting the BRA committee for last 4 years, and has more recently taken on a role of Treasurer. Anthony has a life-long interest in mathematics, music and chess.
Clive Knott,
Traffic & Police Liaison
Function: Residents' affairs officer
Clive has lived in Belgravia for over 30 years. With years of leadership experience in the legal and tech sectors, he works as an IT Director and Consultant for Law Firms. For the past seven years, Clive has played a critical hands-on role in remediating
traffic issues in the neighbourhood by liaising effectively with the Westminster City Council.
Karyna Kasimova,
WASF Liaison
Function: Amenities affairs officer
Karyna’s experience includes contributions to policy recommendations at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Geneva. A distinguished youth member of Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations, Karyna is passionate about shaping ethical global policy and fostering sustainable security in Belgravia.
Kobe Busia,
Membership Lead
Function: Web & contacts manager
Kobe is a technologist at JPMorgan Chase, where he leads a new app service launching in the UK for the first time. Kobe moved to London from New York, where his family resides and his career began. He offers expertise in financial technology, website development, data analytics, and strategy in service to the BRA.
Marie-Athena Papathanasiou,
Sustainability Lead
Function: Royal Parks affairs officer
Dr. Marie-Athena Papathanasiou is an International Environmental lawyer and Sustainability Advocate. Educated in France and the UK, she holds a doctorate degree, LL.M, and PhD from the University of Paris II Sorbonne and the London School of Economics. She's lived in Belgravia for 30 years and is involved in community initiatives for green spaces and biodiversity.
Mike Parts,
Information Technology Lead
Function: Residents' information officer
Randa Hanna,
Planning Lead
Function: Development affairs officer
Randa is an architect and founding partner of Map Projects, a design and architecture studio in Belgravia, the first designers of “parklets“ in London. Randa has extensive experience working with Neighbourhood Forums and planning groups, but remains, at her core, dedicated to the art of creating beautifully-crafted buildings and homes.
Ulviyya Taghizade,
Events Assistant
Function: Social media manager
Ulviyya has made significant contributions to the Belgravia community through her unwavering commitment to creating memorable experiences for all. As a committee member, Ulviyya has organised several key events for the BRA, including successful raffles, engaging music performances, and valuable networking opportunities.
Lobbying Mandate
Our
The Belgravia Residents Association has a fine history of lobbying both for and against change in Belgravia. Over the past forty years we have brought residents together to discuss issues that affect our way of life. There is an art to lobbying and it’s an art we take very seriously. We work closely with City of Westminster and Grosvenor to ensure regular dialogue. This means we are ideally placed to understand the various objections and to work towards resolutions that benefit all parties.
Our main areas of involvement include:
🖌️ Planning and applications and building developments in Belgravia
🖌️ Review of local traffic problems and general road works
🖌️ Residents parking and the impact of the congestion charge
🖌️ Street cleansing, waste collection and recycling
🖌️ Policing, crime prevention and noise pollution
🖌️ Impact of local licensing legislation
🖌️ Promotion of a greener environment with tree planting, provision of hanging baskets and the up keep and protection of the garden squares
🖌️ Working to limit the impact of large scale public events in Hyde Park that generate unacceptable noise, disruption and environmental damage
🖌️ Liaising with TfL and Westminster City Council for a fully integrated transport system to replace the existing outdated Victoria Coach Station
Annual General Meeting
Our
The BRA convenes its Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year, at which the following items are addressed:
🖌️ Chairman’s Report on the previous year’s activities
🖌️ Treasurer’s Report, including the presentation of financial statements independently verified by a qualified independent accountant
🖌️ Election of the Chairman, Executive Committee Members, and any other matter(s) disclosed when calling the AGM
Indicative date and the venue for the next AGM will be announced in due course.
We look forward to seeing you there!
