Mayor calls road management summit and strengthens capital's code

Mayor's Office release 25 February 2010

Representatives of London's major utilities met the Mayor at City Hall today (25 February) to sign up to a stronger version of the Mayor's Code of Conduct for roadworks in the capital. The Mayor has also invited the major utility companies and London's boroughs to attend a road management summit on 12 March where they will discuss how they can make further progress in reducing the disruption caused by roadworks.

In April 2009 the Mayor agreed a voluntary Code of Conduct for Roadworks with the five largest utility companies working in London that has already resulted in better managed roadworks. A progress report released by Transport for London today found that the code has resulted in an increase in the proportion of utility work taking place outside peak hours on TfL roads. It reports that the amount of work taking place outside peak hours on TfL roads by companies signed up to the Mayor's Code of Conduct has doubled.Read more

Government promises action to stop 'garden-grabbing'

from BBC London News (online) 19 January 2010

The government has promised to act against "garden-grabbing" by property developers, after a report showed it was a problem in many parts of England.

Fifty of 127 councils who responded to a survey said building on previous green or empty land was a concern.

Housing minister John Healey said local authorities without proper plans were leaving an "open door" and promised guidelines on dealing with "hotspots".

The Tories said Labour was "in denial" about its role in causing the problem.Read more

Shaping London: consultation for three mayoral strategies

In October the Mayor issued a draft new London Plan to replace the one that has been in use since February 2008, plus draft strategies for Transport, Economic Development, Air Quality and Water. He published also a report on London's potential housing capacity and the land available to meet it.

Comments have to be made by 5pm on Tuesday 12th January 2010. The London Plan team,Transport for London and the London Development Agency will consider responses, so there is a chance to influence the content and policies in the strategies. Read more

Chelsea Barracks chapel refused listed status

Mira Bar-Hillel
Evening Standard

The Victorian garrison chapel on the site of Chelsea Barracks will not be given listed status, Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw has decided.

The chapel, built in 1859, is all that remains of the military base, which has been bulldozed to make way for a new multi-billion-pound housing development.

Campaigners including the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, want the historic building preserved and have appealed to Mr Bradshaw to give it legal protection.

The site's owners, Qatari Diar, run by the Qatari royal family, originally resolved to demolish the chapel but have now have made its retention part of the developers' brief.Read more

Euston Arch may rise again as lost stones are recovered

Architects' Journal 21 September, 2009
by Meredith Hull

The Euston Arch Trust has revealed new plans for the forgotten landmark, including a nightclub, as lost stones are raised from an East London river

The Euston Arch, the largest Doric arch ever built, was constructed in 1837 was demolished 125 years later in 1962 despite a major public conservation battle.

Led by Dan Cruickshank in the early 1990s, a group of historians, architects and journalists founded the Euston Arch Trust following several episodes of 'One Foot in the Past' where Cruickshank tracked down the arch's remains.Read more

City's low carbon zones revealed

BBC London (online) 3 September 2009

Ten London boroughs have won funding to develop ways of pioneering energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in their areas.

Each borough will be given at least £200,000 to develop schemes ranging from solar panels for schools and electric car charging points.

Work on the new zones is expected to start in early 2010

The areas cover 13,000 homes, around 1,000 shops and businesses, 20 schools, a hospital, places of worship and community centres.Read more

Greenwich tunnel closure means 10-mile detour for many

London Cycling Campaign August 2009

Angry cyclists and pedestrians are accusing the local council of leaving them stranded while the Greenwich tunnel (pictured right) closes for maintenance later this year.

Local LCC group, Greenwich Cyclists, has criticised the poor consultative process, and the lack of alternatives being provided. They have suggested using commuter boat the Thames Clipper or allowing bikes on the DLR to minimise disruption.

The tunnel will close in the autumn, for an as yet unknown length of time, while work takes place to replace the lifts, repair leaks and improve the lighting.Read more

Mayor gives green light to energy busting 'LED' traffic signals

Mayor's office release 17 August 2009

The Mayor of London has announced that Transport for London (TfL) is to install energy busting LEDs at 3,500 traffic lights at around 300 junctions in the Capital. This represents a £2.4 million investment for thousands of new energy saving lights in traffic signals.

LED technology can reduce electricity consumption and the associated CO2 emissions that cause climate change by a massive 60 per cent. These 300 new LED (Light Emitting Diodes) fitted junctions will save 600 tonnes of these emissions a year and around £200,000 in energy costs. The bulbs will replace the existing bulbs at 3,500 traffic signal heads, each of which contain at least three bulbs.

This introduction of LED traffic lights is the largest of its kind in the UK. TfL is seeking to stimulate the development of LED traffic signals and to encourage more manufacturers to join the market. It is expected that there will be a greater take up across the UK as a result of TfL's commitment to introducing the lights in large numbers. Read more

Tourism plan aims to maximise opportunities from 2012 Games

Mayor's Office Release 14 August 2009

The Mayor of London has today published London's tourism vision for taking full advantage of the huge opportunities for the capital's economy arising from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It aims to strengthen the capital's position as the world's most popular destination for visitors.

The London Tourism Action Plan 2009-13, produced by the London Development Agency, sets out how it will deliver the Mayor's key priority of ensuring the capital remains the number one choice for international travellers and that the city provides an inspirational experience for everyone in the capital during the 2012 Games.

In 2006, a 10-year vision for tourism in the capital outlined how London was to achieve number one status with targeted, innovative, competitive and dynamic marketing. Most importantly, it committed London to become a city that welcomes the world. The Plan 2009-13 will support the delivery of this vision.Read more

New health strategy to get Londoners more active by 2012

NHS London Release 17 July 2009

In London almost half the adult population are currently inactive and some of the lowest levels of participation are evident in the 'Olympic' boroughs.

The 'Go London - An active and healthy London for 2012 and beyond' strategy sets out how the NHS in partnership with other organisations, from public, private and third sectors, will generate a significant shift in physical activity behaviour in London up to and beyond the 2012 Games.

The strategy identifies five core themes to leverage the greatest impact offered by the Games to raise participation in physical activity. Read more