The Westway Trust estate, 23 acres of land underneath and adjacent to the Westway flyover in North Kensington, plays host to several community celebrations both in the lead-up to and during Notting Hill Carnival each year.
This year, we have been working closely with users of the estate, and event planners, to ensure the Westway estate not only remains safe and welcoming throughout Carnival but is best utilised for maximum community benefit and enjoyment.
An overview of the activities, restrictions, and access across the Westway estate is outlined below.
Portobello Canopy
Portobello Canopy will provide much needed toilets for carnival attendees, stall holders and responders. We trialled this last year which resulted in improve waste management along Thorpe Close and in Portobello Green.
Acklam Square
Westway Trust will be managing Acklam Square which will feature food and drink traders. A part of the square has been licensed to House of Vibes who will manage their section within the Westway Trust overall event management plan.
Thorpe Close
Thorpe Close will remain open as a pedestrian thoroughfare during Carnival. The pods on Thorpe Close will be closed and fenced off. Fencing along both sides of Thorpe Close and Portobello Green will be erected in the lead-up to Carnival. Entrances will still be accessible and market stalls will be able to continue their usual trading days on Friday and Saturday.
Portobello Green
Portobello Green will serve as a multi-use space with music, a chill out zone and stalls. We will have charging points, security, and stewards for rubbish clear up. Over the weekend we will have security starting from Saturday night who will provide a safe environment for staff, traders and carnival goers.
Areas of Portobello Green will be fenced off to protect the work our garden team does throughout the year.
Maxilla Memorial and Community Healing Space
While the Maxilla Area sits outside the official Carnival footprint, we have liaised with local stakeholders and in compliance with RBKC and LMP will support limited authorised community-led activities in the space; minimising disruption. Planned events include food stalls, cultural programming, and a help desk supported by Westway staff, with all participants duly licensed and self-managed. Additional provisions include accessible toilet facilities and an emergency base at Maxilla Social Club.
Carnival-goers are asked to respect the space and the importance placed on the memorial by members of our community.
72-second silence for Grenfell
Carnival-goers are urged to observe a 72-second silence at 3pm on both days of Carnival, to remember the 72 lives lost in the tragedy at Grenfell Tower.
Carnival is a time to come together as an international community and celebrate our unity. During the celebrations, we urge the public to please take a moment at 3pm to remember where you are and what happened here on 14 June 2017, as the shared silence of millions sends a powerful message.
Post-Carnival clean-up
It’s always a huge job for Westway Trust staff and contractors to return the estate to it’s pre-Carnival condition. Clearing and cleaning the entire Westway estate will be a meticulous process, aiming to restore the area to its original condition as quickly as we can. We are committed to working diligently, and starting from Monday night, we will focus on the Portobello Road spaces, continuing throughout Tuesday after the Carnival.
Throughout both event days we will have cleaning stewards positioned on the estate where events are taking place.
While we will make every effort to restore the entire estate to its pre-Carnival condition, this may take a number of days. Your understanding and cooperation during this clean-up period is greatly appreciated.
Contacting us
For any emergencies requiring immediate attention, please contact the police on 999 or 111.
As always, you can report a problem on the Westway estate any time at www.westway.org/reportit. We will do our best to respond and rectify any issues as quickly as possible, although our ability to respond immediately during Carnival will be limited.
We will have a security team on hand during both days on Carnival, based under the market canopy on Portobello Road. For any localised issues during the event, please notify one of the uniformed security officers under the canopy.
We wish all residents of North Kensington a safe and enjoyable Carnival 2025.