Man and Van in Paddington: Removals Around the Basin and W2
Covering W2 in City of Westminster. Canal-side towers at the Basin and stucco conversions around Sussex Gardens. Fixed price agreed before we start, with the parking, the lift and the access sorted in advance.
Paddington splits neatly in two. North of the station, Paddington Basin, Merchant Square and the Sheldon Square estate are modern towers along the canal, with concierge desks, goods lifts and loading bays that are booked by slot through building management. South of Praed Street, the stucco terraces and garden squares around Sussex Gardens, Norfolk Square and Westbourne Terrace are Victorian houses split into flats and small hotels, with tall staircases, raised ground floors and permit bays outside.
They are almost different jobs. A Merchant Square move is a booking exercise with a lift at the end of it. A Norfolk Square move is three or four flights of stairs and a van parked as close as the bays allow. St Mary's Hospital on Praed Street adds a steady run of staff moves, with doctors and nurses arriving and leaving around the rotation changeovers, August above all, usually from a furnished flat nearby with a car load or two of belongings.
The buildings in Paddington
The Basin towers are new build with proper service infrastructure: a loading bay or service road, one or more goods lifts, and a concierge who handles contractor access and wants the lift booked and protected. The height limit at the loading bay entrance is the thing to check, because a Luton box van often will not clear it. The older stock is white stucco and brick terraces of four to six storeys on Westbourne Terrace, Sussex Gardens, Talbot Square and Gloucester Square, converted into flats with a communal staircase that narrows as it climbs and front steps up to a raised ground floor. Lower ground flats are reached down steep area steps. Along Praed Street and around the station there are flats above shops with narrow street door stairs, and towards Edgware Road and Paddington Green there are council blocks with lifts.
Parking, loading and access in Paddington
Paddington is outside the Congestion Charge zone, which ends at Edgware Road, so a move within W2, from the Basin to Connaught Village, does not pay it. Anything east of Edgware Road, into Marylebone, is inside. The ULEZ applies as it does across London, and both charges are in the price where the route picks them up. The Westway runs overhead on its elevated section and feeds Harrow Road and Bishop's Bridge Road, which are busy and restricted, and Praed Street is congested with station traffic and buses for most of the day. Westminster City Council controls the parking and issues bay suspensions, which on the terraces are often worth it for a full flat because the bays are permit-heavy through the day. At the Basin the loading bays are booked with each building's management, usually a few days ahead, and vehicles are not allowed onto the canal-side walkways.
Streets we work on regularly
- Praed Street
- Sussex Gardens
- Norfolk Square
- Westbourne Terrace
- Talbot Square
- Merchant Square
- Sheldon Square
- North Wharf Road
- London Street
- Craven Road
What we are usually asked for in Paddington
- Tower apartment moves at Paddington Basin and Merchant Square with booked goods lifts
- Stucco conversion flat moves around Sussex Gardens and Norfolk Square
- Staff moves for St Mary's Hospital at rotation changeovers
- Office moves in the Sheldon Square estate, usually at weekends
- Boxes and cases to and from Paddington station
- Short moves to Bayswater, Maida Vale and Little Venice
Man and van in Paddington: common questions
My Paddington Basin building says the goods lift and loading bay must be booked. Can you do that?
Yes. The Basin towers book their goods lifts and loading bays by slot through building management, and most want our insurance certificate and the vehicle registration before they confirm. Give us the building name and the concierge contact and we will arrange the lift and bay directly.
Will your van fit under the loading bay height limit?
Tell us the number on the sign at the entrance and we will bring a van that clears it. Several of the Basin bays are too low for a Luton box van, so we often use a high roof transit there and take an extra run if the volume needs it.
Is Paddington inside the Congestion Charge zone?
No. W2 west of Edgware Road sits outside the zone, which makes moves within Paddington and Bayswater a little cheaper than in the centre. If the other end of your move is inside the zone, the charge applies to that leg and is already in the figure we quote.
I work at St Mary's and am moving at the rotation. Can you help at short notice?
Usually, yes. Staff moves around the hospital are mostly a man with a van job, a furnished flat, a few boxes and a bike, and we keep some capacity for moves booked within the week. The August changeover gets busy, so ask as soon as you have the dates.
Can you meet me at the station with luggage?
Yes. Station runs with cases and boxes are a common small job. There is no long stopping outside Paddington, so we agree a meeting point and a tight time rather than waiting.
Nearby areas we also cover
Moving in or out of Paddington?
We reply to quote requests the same day, usually within a couple of hours.
Prefer to email? quotes@manandvancentrallondon.co.uk. We answer monday to sunday, 7am to 9pm.