Item 4 London Assembly 18 July 2007
Seventy-Third Mayor’s Report to the Assembly Author: The Mayor
This is my seventy-third report to the Assembly, fulfilling my duty under Section 45 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. It covers the period from 7 June—4 July 2007.
Attempted terror attacks
Following the discovery of the attempted bombing in London on Friday 29 June, I have been in contact with the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, and Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
I congratulated the police on the extraordinarily professional job they have done working with the other emergency services. Members of the public have also played a key role both in discovering the threat in London and in dealing with the attack in Glasgow. This co-operation is the most vital protection we all have.
Terrorism is ultimately defeated not by sheer police numbers but by the intelligence supplied to the police - as we have recently been reminded in trials of blocked terrorist attempts. It is for this reason that vigilance and the supply of information to the police are the most important assets we have to meet this and any future threats.
Londoners will see an extra police presence at key locations over the forthcoming weeks. I would like to stress that this is not in response to any specific threat but is a routine precaution and for public reassurance.
In line with this I would like to echo the words of the First Minister of Scotland that these criminal actions are carried out by individuals not communities. I note that every responsible and mainstream Muslim organisation in Britain, including the broadest, the Muslim Council of Britain, have completely condemned what one Muslim organisation rightly called this 'sinister plot' and called for all members of the community to come forward and assist the police. This is exactly what is required. Every act of bigotry will necessarily lead to a drying up of information, which is the police's most vital requirement and therefore endanger us all.
The Metropolitan Police have reviewed the security arrangements for the major events taking place this weekend such as the start of the Tour de France and the Live Earth concert. These will be proceeding as planned.
Government Liaison
New Prime Minister
On 27 June, I gave a statement looking forward to working with Gordon Brown to continue to deliver improvements for Londoners, after Mr Brown became Britain's new Prime Minister.
1 As Chancellor Gordon Brown played a decisive role in restarting public investment in London after decades of neglect, and London has benefited greatly from the six thousand additional police officers, the two million extra bus journeys a day and the beginning of the reconstruction of the transport system that has resulted. Without the investment we have seen London would not be able to sustain the huge success it is currently enjoying and I am sure that as Prime Minister Gordon Brown will develop this further. I particularly look forward to working with Gordon Brown and his new government on the key projects for London of the Olympics, more affordable housing and Crossrail.
Transport
Bus Fare cut
On 18 June, I announced that from 30 September the single bus fare, at any time of the day will be reduced by ten per cent from £1 to 90p on Pay as You Go on the Oyster Card and that the price of a weekly bus pass will be reduced from £14 to £13.
During the last seven years London has seen the biggest expansion of investment in its transport system since World War II. This started with the bus system and continued on the Tube when this was taken over by Transport for London.
Overall investment has therefore almost doubled from £1.5 billion in the financial year 2004/05 to £2.9 billion in the current year. This increase in investment is vital to sustain the forty per cent increase in bus passengers since 2000, the record level of tube ridership, and the transport requirements of rapid growth in London - but this unprecedented investment programme had to be financed by fare increases in the last three years.
I am pleased that the strength of London's economy, and efficiencies achieved by TfL, mean that fares can now be reduced with no cutback in the investment programme or financial risk to the transport budget. This economic strength and operating efficiency creates benefits that should be returned to Londoners.
This fares cut will allow the investment programme in London's transport system to be fully maintained while allowing Londoners to benefit from Transport for London's successes in lower fares.
London's overland rail network
On 19 June, I announced that services on a key part of London's overland rail network, which is to be radically transformed and extended by 2010, will be operated by MTR Laing.
From 11 November this year, ‘London Overground’ services will operate on the North London Railway, which is currently operated by private firm Silverlink Metro.
The new system, brought closer to public control through a tightly managed contract with Transport for London, will bring far-reaching improvements with a total of £1.4 billion of investment, more staff, new trains, a vastly upgraded service, and refurbished and new stations. I will set the fares, and revenue will be retained by Transport for London for reinvestment in the transport network.
2 London Overground will serve 20 of the capital's 33 boroughs, its high-frequency metro style services also operating on the East London Railway when it opens in 2010, following Transport for London's £1bn extension of the East London Line.
London Overground services will create 400 more jobs over the next three years, and all those currently employed on the East London Line will be offered new roles within London Underground.
London Overground will deliver a wide range of benefits to passengers including:
• Safer stations, with staff at all stations during hours of operation, and improved CCTV • Oyster readers at all stations, with better revenue protection to reduce fare evasion • A fleet of new trains between Gospel Oak and Barking from 2009, in addition to the 44 new London Overground electric trains already ordered by Transport for London • The refurbishment of all stations • A commitment by the operator that, by 2012, 94 per cent of trains will arrive on time • Increased levels of passenger satisfaction • Improved track and signalling, meaning less disruption and more reliable journeys
This contract paves the way for the radical revitalisation of London’s rail services, which have suffered from years of neglect and under-investment.
By joining together the North and East London Railways ahead of the 2012 Games, we will create a new rail artery around the city serving 20 London Boroughs, including some of the poorest. This will not only create new opportunities and encourage inclusion across our diverse economic and cultural centres, but it will also be a vital means of increasing capacity on public transport as London’s populations grows over the next twenty years.
As part of the restructuring of these rail services, 11 Silverlink stations are to be transferred to direct London Underground control when the new London Overground contract comes into force. The range of improvements to these stations will match those on the London Overground network.
Freedom Pass
On 28 June an attempt to radically alter London's Freedom Pass scheme in the House of Commons was voted down by MPs.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, Paul Rowen MP, proposed that Parliament remove the ability of the Mayor to guarantee the Freedom Pass, which benefits older and disabled people in London. His proposal was defeated by 139 votes to 244.
During the debate, Conservative transport spokesperson, Stephen Hammond MP, called the Freedom Pass scheme, ‘onerous’ which many take to mean it should be reduced in scope. The debate followed suggestions by London Councils, representing London boroughs, that the pass costs too much. For example, London Councils’ transport leader Daniel Moylan called it a 'stealth tax on Londoners'.
It is extraordinary that people in Parliament should be trying to overturn how London's Freedom pass scheme is delivered. This is a matter for London. Londoners do not find our Freedom Pass 'onerous'. Eighty per cent support it. We have the most generous scheme in the country because more Londoners depend on public transport.
3 On 20 June, a huge coalition of celebrities, trade unionists, older people's groups and organisations representing disabled people stepped in to defend London's Freedom Pass, which provides free travel on public transport for over-60s and disabled people. The protest coincided with a lobby outside City Hall on 20 June where I joined pensioners and others to make the case for the retention of the Freedom Pass.
Londoners who have supported the lobby and the statement of support is a clear demonstration of the strength of backing for the Freedom Pass. The Freedom Pass is a lifeline for thousands of older and disabled Londoners, saving them hundreds of pounds a year.
Proposals to make the London scheme like the rest of the country would abolish free travel on the Tube, trains and trams. The politicians who think the Freedom Pass costs too much should tell us what they would cut and put those cuts to the people of London. While I am Mayor the Freedom Pass stays.
Local Implementation Plans
I have approved the Local Implementation Plan of the London Borough of Haringey being consistent with, and adequate for, the purposes of my Transport Strategy.
LIP Closing Timetable
I have issued a direction to London Boroughs setting a closing date of 27 July for submission of Local Implementation Plans.
Hovis London Freewheel
On 26 June, London’s cycle renaissance was given a further boost as I launched the Hovis London Freewheel, a major new cycling event open to all Londoners. I was joined by Konnie Huq, Blue Peter presenter, who became the first person to sign up for the ride.
The Hovis London Freewheel will take place on Sunday 23 September and is aimed at cyclists of every age and ability. A 14 km central London route will be made traffic-free allowing thousands of riders to take over the streets and enjoy the capital’s most iconic sights including the London Eye, Victoria Embankment, Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedral and the Mall.
Transport for London and I want the Hovis London Freewheel to encourage more Londoners to cycle in the capital. The number of cyclists on London's major roads has grown by a massive 83 per cent over the past seven years, but I want to increase this even further. It is estimated that 40 per cent of Londoners have access to a bike, but only five per cent use one regularly. The Hovis London Freewheel is designed to help people ride from their front door into central London and home again. There will be six ‘Freewheel Hubs’ across London where riders can gather to be led by experienced cyclists onto the vehicle-free route. The hubs will also offer the chance to have bikes checked by experts.
Hovis London Freewheelers will also be able to take part in the Freewheel Festival - an event at St James’s Park open to all participants and their family and friends. Highlights of the festival will include: a Hovis picnic, BMX, mountain and trial bike stunts, cycling acrobatics, and a cycling circus along with children’s activities and information on cycling in London. 2007 is a massive year for cycling in London. When the Tour De France arrives at the weekend, we will see the world’s top professional cyclists speeding around the streets of capital. This September, the Hovis London Freewheel will give Londoners a unique opportunity to have a go themselves and cycle past the capital’s most iconic sights on roads without other traffic.
4 The event will be a free, fun celebration of cycling aimed at everyone particularly those people who have a bike but have not ridden for a while.
Cycling is good for you and good for the environment. Having taken part in the Hovis London Freewheel, I hope people will find that cycling regularly in London is easier than they thought.
I approved and signed a sponsorship agreement with the brand Hovis (owned by Premier Foods plc) as title sponsor of The "Hovis London Freewheel" the mass participation bike ride event that takes place in London on 23 September. The event was originally agreed and reported in January 2007. I have approved the procurement of £250,000 of media with Mediaedge:cia to support the London Freewheel Event.
New Stratford DLR Platform
The Docklands Light Railway has opened the first of its two new platforms at Stratford station.
The new platform, funded by TfL’s £10bn Investment Programme and contracted to Hochtief UK Construction, is situated on the mezzanine level of Stratford station and connects directly into the Jubilee station building. It provides improved passenger waiting facilities, CCTV, information services and seating.
The second platform, marking the completion of the project, will open in September offering passengers greater capacity by allowing the DLR to run trains to and from Stratford alongside each other. The previous DLR single platform, which was part of the railway’s original 1987 route, has been permanently closed.
The platforms are required as there will be a large increase in passengers at Stratford over the next few years as a result of the opening of the Stratford International station, ongoing development of Stratford City and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As part of the new station, there is an impressive soaring roof made from steel and aluminium with several skylights to allow natural light down onto the platforms whilst underneath the roof there is backlighting. Both the roof and the station were designed by architects, Alsop.
Northern Line centenary
The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead branch of the Northern line is 100 years old. To mark the centenary London Underground staff dressed in period costumes at selected stations during the month and a special commemorative run of a 1938 train took place on 24 June 2007.
Stations marking the centenary on 22 June have included Golders Green, Hampstead, Belsize Park, Chalk Farm, Archway, Tufnell Park, Kentish Town, Camden Town, Mornington Crescent, Euston, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Charing Cross.
The Northern line derives from two separate railways – the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (known as the “Hampstead Tube”), first opened in 1907 and the City and South London Railway, the world’s first electric deep-level tube line which opened in 1890. This line ran from King William Street in the City, a now disused station, to Stockwell. The platforms were opened on 22 June 1907 by David Lloyd George, President to the Board of Trade and later Prime Minister.
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The line will undergo quite a transformation over the next five years with a new signalling system for the whole line providing improvements in reliability, journey times and an increase in the number of passengers the line can carry.
Tube ticket office changes
London Underground claims that faster, cheaper, easier Oyster ticketing has led to a massive reduction in tickets sold at stations, heralding changes in the way some Tube stations will be operated and passengers cared for.
Less than three per cent of Underground journeys are now made on single and return tickets, with Oyster accounting for over 60 per cent of all Tube trips. From March 2008, due to this reduced demand for tickets, around 40 of the most lightly-used ticket offices at Tube stations will close. Other stations will see a reduction in ticket office hours. However, the busiest stations – notably the big interchanges with a high volume of visitors – will not be affected.
New Oyster ticket machines will be in place next year before the changes occur and staff will still be available to assist passengers. All London Underground stations will continue to be staffed when the station is open. Around 240 staff will be redeployed from ticket offices across the Tube network to other roles on stations or driving trains, but there will be no job losses and overall almost 300 extra staff will be required over the next two years.
There are nearly 2,500 Oyster Ticket Stops across London where customers can buy and top up their Oyster card – and this will grow to over 3,500 locations during summer 2008. London Underground expects that use of Oyster will continue to rise, resulting in transactions at ticket office windows falling by a further 20 per cent over the next two years.
Tramlink Extension to Crystal Palace
The results of a public consultation have shown that local people and businesses continue to show strong support for the proposed extension of the Croydon Tramlink to Crystal Palace.
A total of 1,520 responses were received by Transport for London during the consultation, with more than twice as many positive comments as negative ones. Not only have the two local boroughs, Croydon and Bromley, reaffirmed their commitment to the project but Transport for London has also received a petition supporting the extension from 75 businesses in Crystal Palace.
As part of the consultation, individuals and organisations were asked which out of three potential route options for the northern part of the extension they preferred and what they thought about the extension in general.
The second option, which would run off-street along the existing railway line and through the edge of Crystal Palace Park, was the preferred option, with 67 per cent of people saying it was their first choice.
Transport for London will be looking at which route is best overall, taking into account the cost of construction, passenger numbers, environmental impact and the views of residents and stakeholders from the consultation.
A route for the extension will be decided towards the end of 2007.
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The Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Variation Order 2007
I have confirmed The Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging (Variation) Order 2007 which makes adjustments to the Greater London (Central Zone) Congestion Charging Order 2004 as amended to allow for the reissue of deposited plans and have signed the Instrument of Confirmation.
Environment
State of London's Environment report
On 29 June, my State of the Environment Report was published. This is a statutory report, which I produce every four years, offering a snapshot of the capital’s environmental quality. Covering everything from air pollution to abandoned vehicles and litter, the report sets out key statistics on London’s environment and what progress has been made. The report stated that more renewable energy is being used in the capital, but too much waste is being sent to landfill.
The latest report shows there has been significant improvement in public transport, renewable energy, recycling and air quality. Air quality is improving with concentrations of key pollutants having fallen in the last ten years – Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) fell by 13 per cent and particulates (PM10) fell by 24 per cent - due to initiatives such as the congestion charge, improvements to London’s buses, my taxi emissions strategy along with EU regulatory improvements in vehicle technology. Household recycling has increased, and now over 90 per cent of London households either receive a recycling collection from home or have access to nearby facilities.
Planning applications referable to me are required to incorporate renewable energy technologies and renewable generation capacity has started to become significant as the impact of London Plan policies start to feed through. An independent study by the London South Bank University has concluded that ‘a significant number of developments show 10 per cent renewables contribution and above is readily achievable’ and that ‘25 per cent of developments exceed 10 per cent renewable energy contribution and 8 per cent of developments exceed 20 per cent renewable energy contribution. The 10 per cent renewable target was met on average by late 2005’.
However, the report shows that much work remains to be done, specifically a reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill, an increase in the amount of waste recycled, reducing our water consumption and leakage, continued improvement of air quality, street cleanliness and prevention of litter.
The next report will be published on the threshold of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I expect that a number of policies and initiatives will be in place by then and London will be an environmental showcase to the millions of visitors from within this country and from around the world who come to the Games.
London Schools Environment Awards
On 4 July, I announced the winners of the annual London Schools Environment Awards. Now, in its fourth year, a record 752 schools across the capital registered for the awards scheme. I was joined by TV presenter and wildlife photographer Chris Packham at a reception in City Hall where 65 London schools were praised and celebrated for their work for the environment.
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The London Schools Environment Awards were set up by my Office and the 28 Capital Standards boroughs. They are run in partnership with the principal sponsor, Thames Water and are also supported by EDF Energy and the Department for Education and Skills. The Awards were set up to develop children's sense of responsibility for their environment and the focus for learning this year has been about climate change.
The winning schools from each of London's boroughs receive cash prizes of £2000 and £1000, at the London Schools Environment Awards ceremony. The categories that the schools focus on are water, litter and local environment quality, waste and recycling, energy, transport to school and biodiversity.
To make it easy for children to learn about how renewable energy can act as a way to combat climate change, each school that signed up to the awards scheme received a toolbox, which included a solar educational kit, which demonstrates how solar energy works. The Department for Education and Skills provided a grant to help fund the toolbox to support the scheme as part of the Year of Action on Sustainable Schools.
Climate change is a key issue for London and one of my dominant priorities. This was demonstrated with the launch of the London Climate Change Action Plan that sets out the beginning of a comprehensive programme to tackle climate change in London over the next twenty years.
It is important that children learn at an early age how to protect the environment by being aware of the threats posed by climate change and what they can do to make a difference. The age of an individual Londoner does not alter the impact that they can have on climate change - young and old are involved in the fight against global and local emissions. By educating children at primary school level, the London Schools Environment Awards foster children's sense of responsibility for their environment and at the same time influences the next generation's consciousness.
London and Stockholm climate change collaboration
On 26 June, I welcomed talks at City Hall between my Deputy Mayor of London, Nicky Gavron and Vice Mayor of Stockholm, Ulla Hamilton to agree a programme of co-operation and collaboration between the two cities. The programme will focus on the exchange of information and expertise on tackling climate change and the sharing of best practice on sustainable city planning.
Both cities are championing environmentally friendly urban development to highlight how the use of new green energy generating technologies and modern design and construction techniques can deliver better places to live and work as well as tackling climate change.
We announced a collaboration with Stockholm on climate change quite simply because there is no other city in the world from whom we could learn more about how to develop a sustainable city. Ensuring that London plays its part in cutting greenhouse gas emissions is my top priority, and if London and Stockholm marry our different experience and expertise we will be able to achieve our shared aims much more rapidly. With over half the world's people living in cities and producing three quarters of global emissions, what cities like ours do really could determine whether or not we can avoid catastrophic climate change.
Beckton Desalination Plant
8 On 15 June, I criticised as ‘misguided and a retrograde step in UK environmental policy’ the government’s rejection of my opposition to and its proposed acceptance of Thames Water’s plans for a £200 million desalination plant at Beckton.
I have asked my legal team to consider whether there are grounds to challenge the Government’s position. The plant, which, if built, will desalinate water from the Thames to replace that lost through Thames Water’s leaky pipes, will be on green belt land near Beckton, in east London.
The Secretaries of State for Communities and Local Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have conditionally agreed Thames Water’s plans for a desalination plant following a public inquiry in May and June 2006. During the Inquiry, in July 2006, OFWAT, the Water Regulator, levied a £150 million fine on Thames Water’s shareholder, because of its failure to meet its statutory leakage targets. I argued during the inquiry that with improved demand, leakage and resource management, it would be possible for Thames Water to ensure adequate water supplies for London without any need for an energy guzzling desalination plant. According to the water experts appearing for me at the inquiry, Thames Water could find as much as nine times the capacity of the proposed desalination plant by 2029 - and over four times as much by 2019 - if it worked to best practice in demand, supply and leakage management.
I refused Thames Water’s application to build this plant on London’s green belt because Thames Water should be fixing more leaks before they find expensive ways to spend Londoners’ money on making fresh water. They have the worst leakage record in the UK and the water produced by this plant will not even come close to replacing what they waste every day.
Building a desalination plant sends the wrong signal. We should be encouraging people to use less water, not more. An extra £200 million on Londoners’ water bills for a technology more appropriate for the desert is a disgrace. Last summer we managed to save nearly three times more water than this plant can make through our drought campaigns, a much cheaper and far more sustainable solution to our water supply problems.
Wildweb
On 7 June I announced that the Wildweb site www.london.gov.uk/wildweb is being expanded with the addition of 460 new green spaces. I am encouraging Londoners to get out and explore wild London during the summer months. These additions now bring the total number of London’s wildlife spaces on the website to over 1,400 and means that Londoners can download details of every designated wildlife site on Wildweb.
Wildweb aims to encourage people to make the most of London's wild places by exploring them online first and then getting out and experiencing them first hand. Visitors to the site are able to search for information on nature sites across London (with detailed information for those interested in biodiversity and wild landscapes), listen to the sounds of local wildlife, navigate the interactive maps and access travel information for their chosen green area.
The information is useful for schools, environmental groups, local boroughs, planning professionals, Londoners interested in the natural world, and visitors to the capital. The new sites include some well-known parks such as Norwood Park and Victoria Embankment Gardens, and much-loved nature gardens such as the Natural History Museum Garden and Phoenix Community Garden in Camden. There are also numerous churchyards, small woods
9 and a host of other green areas, which provide home for wildlife and, in most cases, opportunities for people to enjoy nature.
Wildweb was launched in June 2005 to encourage Londoners to discover their local open spaces. By typing in your postcode or clicking the interactive map of London, visitors to the Wildweb are able to find green spaces in and around their borough.
Lights out London
The GLA and functional bodies joined with Capital 95.8 on Lights out London, a unique collaboration of celebrities, statesmen and businesses, aimed at showing Londoners how a small switch can effect a big climate change.
The “Lights out London” initiative was be the world’s biggest climate change event and Capital 95.8 and its partners asked Londoners to “switch off” - to turn off their non-essential lights and appliances between 9pm and 10pm on the longest day, Thursday 21 June. The aim was save around 750 MWh of electricity in just one hour – enough to run 3,000 televisions for a year.
London Plan
Examination in Public of the London Plan
The ‘Examination in Public’ of my proposed Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan, which I published for consultation in September 2006 opened at City Hall on 18 June. Those alterations include amendments to policies on London’s sub regions, changes to ensure greater consistency between London and the two neighbouring regions and policies that focus on rejuvenating the suburban economy of London.
On 18 June I told the public inquiry that the main purpose of my most recent proposed alterations to the London Plan is to address the increasing threat of catastrophic climate change facing the planet.
The majority of the world’s population now lives in cities, so the cities of the world must confront climate change. In order to deliver my vision for London we must lead the way in showing how one of the world’s greatest cities is planning for and adapting to already inevitable warming, and even more importantly achieve very substantial reductions in our emissions of carbon dioxide.
Policies on climate change need to be bold. It is clear that a radical change in our approach to development is necessary if we are to avert the tipping point, which would lead irreversibly to catastrophic climate change. These Further Alterations provide a strong, realistic and coherent spatial planning approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Equalities
Raising the attainment of Muslim pupils in London Schools conference
On 30 June, I organised a conference to raise awareness of the educational inequalities facing Muslim schoolchildren in London.
10 Whilst many Muslim students do well at school, others face increasing barriers to fulfilling their potential. Last year, I launched the first ever report on London's Muslim community. The report showed that according to Census 2001 data, I7 per cent of Muslims in London aged 16- 24 had no qualifications, compared to 13 per cent of young people in general. 21 per cent of young people had level four and five (degree level and above) qualifications, compared with 14 per cent of Muslims.
According to a report by the Open Societies Institute, Muslims in the UK, factors that can contribute to lower levels of attainment in education are complex and can be social, economic or related to faith. They include discrimination, low teacher expectations, social class, a lack of fluency of English, and employment status of parents, poverty and deprivation.
The conference’s aim was to encourage debate and constructive solutions to these issues.
Discrimination Law Review
On 27 June, MPs, legal experts, senior trade union representatives and leading figures representing a range of equality issues from disability and race to lesbian and gay rights took part in a public debate at City Hall looking at the Green Paper on the future of anti- discrimination law.
The Green Paper has just been published for consultation and there is widespread concern that its proposals lack any incentives on the private sector to address inequality and discrimination. At the same time it could weaken measures in place in the public sector, setting back the advances that have been made over the last few years, particularly those made following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
The last decade has seen some important advances in equality law, for example in relation to sexual orientation, age and religion. The Green Paper backs away from strengthening measures to protect people in the private sector and drives a coach and horses through public sector duties. This Green Paper's proposals, if they were to be accepted, would leave millions without adequate protection. Some of the key improvements of recent years could be thrown into reverse. It fails to propose simple steps like mandatory pay audits - an important lever to ending pay inequality. This is not a strategy for tackling discrimination and needs to be reconsidered.
A wide range of opinion was represented at the seminar, including: Abdurahman Jafar, Muslim Council of Britain; Angela Eagle MP; Angela Mason, Women and Equality Unit; Ben Summerskill, Stonewall; Caroline Gooding, Disability Rights Commission; Diane Abbott MP; Sheila Dent, Princess Royal Trust for Carers; Karon Monaghan, barrister; Kurban Haji, London Older People's Strategies Group; Michael Rubenstein, Equal Opportunities Review; Sarah Veale, Trades Union Congress; Razia Karim, Head of Legal Policy, Commission for Racial Equality.
I believe a Single Equality Act needs to: • Have a clear purpose: be clearly aimed at preventing structural discrimination and disadvantage; • Be comprehensive: ensure protection against discrimination covers all grounds and all areas of people’s lives; • Level upwards: the highest levels of legal protection should be built upon; • Promote equality as a positive duty, extending public sector duties across all strands facing discrimination in practical, meaningful, measurable, accountable ways, with
11 publicly-available equality schemes; and propose how these values can apply in other sectors; • Protect the most vulnerable: such as by extending protection against discrimination to carers through a non-discrimination right in law, providing protection of the law to vulnerable workers and extending and strengthening rights to flexible working; • Take precedence: by removing or reducing areas currently exempted from anti- discrimination law; • Have meaningful tools to ensure change: such as mandatory equal pay audits, stronger mechanisms for positive action, monitoring and intervention to correct discrimination; • Ensure equality in procurement: through a mandatory duty on public bodies to promote equality through the process of procurement; • Deliver an improved framework of enforcement and access to justice: allowing for representative legal actions, a workable tribunal system for all types of discrimination cases and remedies to deter discrimination.
London Older People’s Assembly
On Monday 9 July, City Hall will host this year’s London Older People’s Assembly, which is focusing on climate change, as all Londoners whatever their age have a role to play in safeguarding the future.
I will speak at the London Older People’s Assembly, which is an annual event where older Londoners can debate key issues of concern and express their views on how they find living in the capital. This conference will bring together climate change experts, activists and older Londoners groups to discuss how older Londoners can cut their carbon emissions. Audience members will have the opportunity to discuss the issues and receive practical advice on living a cleaner, greener lifestyle.
The London Older People’s Assembly is organised by the London Older People’s Strategies Group with the support of my Office and is now in its fifth year. Up to 300 individual older people as well as representatives from older people’s organisations are expected to attend. London is often seen as a city of young people, yet almost 16 per cent of the city's population – nearly 1.2 million people – are aged 60 or over, and almost a quarter of a million people are aged over 80. We need to actively engage with London’s older people if we are to make real inroads in cutting the capital’s contribution to climate change.
The conference will look at: · Different ways older Londoners can cut their contribution to climate change from direct campaigning to energy efficiency in the home · Dr Gary Haq, author of ‘Greening the Greys: Climate Change and the Over 50’s’ will detail his research into how much of an impact the over 50s are having on climate change. · Older and younger Londoners will debate and discuss in workshops how generations can best work together and share expertise in reducing their impact on the environment. · Friends of the Earth will talk about their campaigning work and Jean Lambert MEP will give a European perspective.
Abuse and Neglect of Older People research
On 14 June, I called on the Government to do more to protect older people from abuse. My comments followed the publication of research, the UK Study of Abuse and Neglect, showing that hundreds of thousands of elderly people are being abused in their own homes, which was carried out over two years by independent researchers at National Centre for Social Research and Kings College, London, and funded by the government and Comic Relief.
12 This disturbing research shows how widespread elder abuse is. It is very often perpetrated by people who are close to the victims, who often have nowhere to turn to for help and are getting too little support from public services. I would urge the Government to take the strongest possible measures to protect older people. As well as the new guidelines for handling abuse cases I would like to see better support for carers and closer working with carers organisations, local authorities and the voluntary and community sector to help stop this unacceptable situation.
The issue of elder abuse was highlighted in my older people strategy, Valuing Older People, and was discussed at a conference supported by my office on crime and older people on 4 July in London.
This research should not detract from recognition of the enormous amount of support that carers offer to older people. It should be remembered that the vast majority of carers do not mistreat those in their care. However a clear message should be sent to those who abuse older people that it is wrong and must stop.
Children and Young People
As in previous years, I am working this summer to promote free and inclusive summer holiday activities for young Londoners. My ‘Young London’ website (www.london.gov.uk/young- london) now hosts an online ‘Summer Activities’ guide, an extensive listings of free cultural, sporting and outdoor events for children and young people. All events listed aim to promote an active, healthy and enjoyable summer for all young Londoners. I am promoting the summer activities guide via posters and postcards sent to schools, youth groups, libraries and community centres across London.
A special highlight of the online guide is Summer Uni London, whose new website was recently launched at City Hall. Summer Uni London, which is currently running in 18 London boroughs, offers free summer courses to young people between the ages of 8-25. Courses on offer this summer cover everything from an introduction to working in the city to digital photography, to Stand Up Comedy and Dance Carnival Style.
My Peer Outreach Team are now involved with young people from Summer Uni London and London Youth in a new Youth Advisory Group. This brings together young people from the respective organisations to advise me on issues, events and communication to young Londoners. This was one of the aims of establishing the team of GLA peer outreach workers as part of the Young Londoners Network.
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
International Olympic Committee visit
On 14 June, I welcomed the highly positive verdict from the International Olympic Committee on the progress that London is making towards preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Speaking at the end of the three-day visit to London by the Coordination Commission for the London Games, its Chairman and IOC member Dennis Oswald said: ‘The IOC has been very impressed with what we have seen this week. There is an excellent team in place, who work together with real spirit. Across the board – from venue construction, sport, the Olympic village, through to technology, media operations and the progress being
13 made in sponsorship negotiations, we see that the work is thoroughly thought through. Operationally and financially they are on-track; interest from the business community is high, with key new commercial partners signing up in the coming months. All this has progressed without any deviation from the vision that was laid out in Singapore. The Commission members – all of whom have a huge amount of Olympic Games experience - and I come away confident in the structures and people, and feeling energised by how the London Games will have a positive legacy and help move sport higher up the agenda – something that is so close to the IOC’s heart.’
Earlier IOC President Jacques Rogge told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The reports I am getting [show] that in the initial period of two years, London is ahead of every host city we have had in the past. That includes Beijing... Beijing is now almost ready, which means they have done a tremendous job since the beginning, and now we are one year from the Games. I think I will be able to say that again in 2011 because London is progressing extremely well.’
I welcomed this highly positive endorsement of our preparations from the IOC which is a testament to the hard work of the teams established by Seb Coe and David Higgins. London, as we have seen with the completion of the tunnelling work to bury the power lines crossing the Olympic park, is meeting its targets and is on time to stage the greatest Games ever. It is time for the pessimists and purveyors of doom to start looking at the facts as laid out and join the rest of us in backing London.
Memorandum of Understanding
On 27 June, the Government and I outlined how the National Lottery and London will benefit from the sale of the Olympic Park land after the Games.
A new 'Memorandum of Understanding' between Tessa Jowell and myself, which has been deposited in the House of Commons library, sets out how the Lottery and the London Development Agency will be paid back using proceeds from the land sale.
The agreement is the formalisation of the commitment made by Tessa Jowell in March that the National Lottery would be repaid from the financial benefits of increased land values in the Lower Lea Valley after 2012 as well as reimbursing the LDA for the purchase of the land and relocation of businesses to create the Olympic Park.
The potential proceeds from the sale of land and property are to be shared to allow both the Lottery and the LDA to recover all of their investment. In order to allow continuing spend on regeneration and to repay the Lottery good causes, the proceeds will be shared on a staged basis.
After the LDA has recovered the initial cost of buying the land, the Lottery will recover 75 per cent of its additional funding (£506m), while the LDA recovers 25 per cent of its outstanding costs (£125m) on a pro rata basis. Then each will recover their remaining costs from subsequent sales – with £169m going to the National Lottery and £375m going to the LDA. This will cover the LDA costs in remediating and clearing the Olympic Park land.
The new memorandum makes it crystal clear once and for all that the further funding of the 2012 Games agreed between myself and the Secretary of State means Londoners will not have to pay a penny more towards funding the Olympics.
14 We now have an agreed funding framework that ensures we can make the quick decisions that will be necessary if we are to continue our success in meeting all our key milestones as we prepare for the Games.
I am confident that proceeds from land sales will be sufficient to repay the Lottery in full and deliver hundreds of millions of pounds for further investment in local regeneration.
LOCOG remuneration
I have approved the mechanism for decisions by the Remuneration Committee regarding annual increases in the base salary of the Executive Directors of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games which provides that any increases will be consistent with any increase awarded to the rest of the company in line with inflation in accordance with the Joint Venture Agreement between me, the Secretary of State, British Olympic Association and LOCOG.
I have also approved the decision that the name of the company be changes to "The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited".
Housing
Affordable homes in south London
On 15 June, I welcomed a deal that secures £500,000 for affordable housing in Southwark, following negotiations with the developers of land at the corner of Blackfriars Road and Southwark Street.
On 7 May 2007 I wrote to Southwark Council directing it to refuse planning permission for an application to develop 240 Blackfriars Road, a predominately commercial development with 10 residential units, as it was contrary to the policies of my London Plan, particularly on the provision of affordable housing.
As a consequence, the developers submitted revised proposals, which included an increased contribution of £500,000 towards off-site affordable housing, up from their original offer of £170,000. This welcome outcome led me to lift my direction and allow Southwark to issue planning permission.
As people in Southwark and all over London know only too well, the cost of buying a home in London is so high that affordable homes are more in demand than ever. Thanks to this intervention, we have increased this scheme’s contribution to affordable housing by almost 200 per cent. I am very pleased that those responsible for this development have understood and responded to my concerns, allowing this otherwise welcome project to go ahead. It is crucial that we use the planning system in this way, to maximise the benefits that can be delivered for the community, and in particular to meet the simplest need experienced by Londoners – to have an affordable roof over their head.
Islington draft ‘Core Strategy’
On 2 July, I welcomed Islington Council’s decision to withdraw its draft ‘Core Strategy’ following repeated warnings from the GLA that it failed to meet agreed targets on building new homes in the borough.
15 The draft Core Strategy contained house building targets significantly lower than the targets already set for Islington in my London Plan - targets which had been agreed by Government and endorsed by independent inspectors at a public inquiry. Had Islington adopted the strategy unchanged, it would have meant fewer homes – and crucially fewer affordable homes - being built in the borough over the next decade.
But a separate independent inspector appointed to look at the Council’s strategy agreed with me and said that the issue was a ‘showstopper’ – if Islington were to carry on with plans to adopt the lower target, it would be at risk of the entire strategy being declared 'unsound' and scrapped.
More affordable homes is a key issue for Londoners, with many boroughs doing their utmost to deliver - and in some cases exceed - targets for new homes and affordable homes, but many others are not. Islington has put at risk its whole strategy by trying to avoid its responsibilities to adhere to my affordable housing targets, which sends a strong signal to those other boroughs about the risks of ignoring the London Plan.
It is unfortunate that Islington Council did not heed the advice from the beginning of the process, as it would have saved them a great deal of time and money. We look forward to seeing a new draft Core Strategy which properly reflects the agreed London Plan housing target and which will help the Council to meet its obligations to the Islington families in desperate need of an affordable home.
Trafalgar and Parliament Squares
Trafalgar Square summer events programme
The Trafalgar Square summer programme is now well underway, with a wide range of free events running into September that will appeal to Londoners and the capital's visitors.
Trafalgar Square is home to an unparalleled variety of activities that highlight London's creativity and reflect the diversity of the capital, providing a totally unique platform for performers and artists from not just London, but around the world. Its unique position in the heart of the city and as a gathering place for people from all over the world, make it an unrivalled place to stage events.
The highlight of the summer programme will be the three-week Trafalgar Square Festival of street and performing arts, which takes place in August. This year the festival forms part of the London-wide India Now! season and will celebrate London’s creative connections with India, through new collaborations and pioneering outdoor commissions from London based and Indian companies.
Also forming part of the India Now! season, the square will play host to a screening of silent Indian film 'A Throw of Dice', with live score by acclaimed British Asian musician Nitin Sawhney.
There will be an event to mark Design Week, with award winning designer Tom Dixon involved again and, as part of Becks Fusions, presented by the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) and Becks, there will be a unique show involving digital artists and live music with the Chemical Brothers.
16 Other highlights include the annual Pride Parade and Rally, one of the largest celebrations of lesbian and gay pride in the world, the Canada Day celebrations and a festival commemorating Pakistan independence. September will see the return of Liberty, the disability rights festival, which is open to all and features live performance as well as other activities.
For the first time, the Greater London Authority is also running a series of walking tours, offering the opportunity to find out more about the history of Trafalgar Square and the surrounding area, the changes made as part of the square's redesign in 2003, and the significant events that have taken place there.
Mandela Statue
I have agreed to make a one-off contribution of £50,000 to the Mandela Statue Fund towards the placing of a statue of Nelson Mandela on Parliament Square Garden. Plans are now underway to unveil the statue in late August on Parliament Square.
Trafalgar Square Café Contract
I have approved an extension and variation of the contract and lease for the Café on Trafalgar Square from 21 November 2007 to 20 January 2009. I have also agreed an exemption from the requirement to seek tenders under the GLA contracts code in order to enter into discussions and agree the extension and variation to the existing contract and lease with the current Trafalgar Square Cafe provider and if these discussions are not successful I have delegated to the Interim Director of Finance and Performance in consultation with the Head of Law, the authority to conduct a procurement exercise and award a new contract and lease for the Cafe on Trafalgar Square as necessary.
Fourth Plinth Programme
On 8 June, artist Marc Quinn, whose sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant, is currently installed on the Fourth Plinth, presented the first Fourth Plinth Primary School Awards to young Londoners from across the capital in an event at City Hall.
Backed by my Office, with support from Arts Council England, the Fourth Plinth Primary School Awards were aimed at 7-12 year olds, who were asked to design a sculpture for a public space, inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. They could explore a variety of different art forms including drawing, painting, sculpture and digital media.
The idea was to encourage children to think about the role of art in the public realm and the use of public space in general. It is part of an educational programme to support and promote the Fourth Plinth Programme itself - an ongoing contemporary sculpture commission that sees a new artwork being selected every few years for the vacant plinth and is now one of the most high profile public art programmes in the UK.
One of the most valuable aspects of the Fourth Plinth Programme is that it gets people thinking and debating about the place and value of art in the public realm. This starts to raise important questions about identity and citizenship and we wanted to include children in this debate.
The Fourth Plinth Programme is a great opportunity to encourage more young people to engage with their surroundings. We hope the new Fourth Plinth Primary School Award will help them feel more involved with both Trafalgar Square and their own, local public spaces.
17 Winners came from Barnet; Bromley; Camden; Croydon; Enfield; Hounslow; Islington; Kensington & Chelsea; Kingston upon Thames; Lambeth; Merton; Newham; Southwark; and Westminster.
Information about the installation of the next work to go on the Fourth Plinth, by German artist Thomas Schütte, will be announced soon.
Squares Annual Report
I have approved the Squares Annual report 2006/07 for publication.
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
London living wage for cleaners
On 21 June I welcomed the vote to pay the London Living Wage of £7.20 an hour to fire station cleaners at a meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority showed that progress on this issue depends on continuing to build support for the living wage.
The fire authority agreed by nine votes to eight in favour of paying the living wage to cleaners of fire stations and other premises.
This was a hard fought victory against those who prefer poverty pay to a living wage. The members of the fire authority who voted to apply decent wages to their cleaning staff are to be congratulated, but it shows there is a very sharp dividing line on this issue in London.
Given that eight members of the fire authority were willing to vote for low pay, it is quite clear that we are going to have to continue to campaign to make the living wage a reality for employees in the capital.
Londoners have the right to ask some very tough questions of each of the fire authority members who voted for poverty pay. Voting to keep cleaners on low pay is both wrong and completely out of touch with the needs of our city. I will work with trade unions and community groups such as London Citizens and all those who oppose poverty pay to secure fair pay for fire station cleaners.
The current figure of £7.20 per hour as a basic London living wage is significantly higher than the national minimum wage because of the high cost of housing in London.
LFEPA Appointments
On 20 June, I announced that I had received legal advice that there were strong grounds for concern about whether London’s councils had carried out their statutory duties to promote equality and avoid discrimination in the nominations they had made to the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.
The Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups on London Councils had put forward the same nominations as previously consisting of five white men and one white woman with not a single black or Asian member nominated by them.
For a long time now I have been asking the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups to come up with nominations to this important public body that would provide a better reflection of
18 London’s diversity and to increase from zero their nomination of black and Asian people. There are eighty black and Asian Conservative and Liberal Democrat Councillors in London – the argument that none are qualified to serve on the Fire Authority has no credibility.
It appears that the nominations from London Councils to the Fire Authority are not being made in a fair and transparent way that gives new Councillors a proper opportunity to apply and be considered fairly, and that would be against the law. Therefore I wrote to the Leader of London Councils seeking detailed information on exactly how these nominations were arrived at and how they say they have carried out their legal duties to promote equality and avoid discrimination.
To ensure the Fire Authority can function properly I have appointed the current borough nominations from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups but only until 31 August. This gives the London councils sufficient time to deal with the serious issue of whether or not they have acted in accordance with their legal duties in making these nominations. I very much hope this limited term will also provide the opportunity for those responsible to reconsider and make more appropriate nominations properly reflecting London’s diversity.
I also appointed an additional woman Assembly Member, Angie Bray, to replace one of the exclusively male list nominated by the Conservative Assembly group. This would mean two out of the nine Assembly Members on the Authority would now be women instead of just one. The appointees from the Assembly will therefore be: Val Shawcross (Lab, who is also appointed as Chair); Murad Qureshi (Lab); Darren Johnson (Green); Peter Hulme-Cross (One London); Brian Coleman (Con); Angie Bray (Con); and Roger Evans (Con).
Sport
Tour de France Grand Départ
I welcomed the arrival of the organisers of the Tour de France to London on 4 July, ahead of the London Grand Départ this weekend, which comes to the capital for the first time in its 104-year history.
A celebration of the Tour de France and cycling in London began as I officially opened the Tour de France Permanence and Press Centre at the ExCeL Centre in London’s Docklands. The Permanence is the base for the race during its visit to London and will house around 2000 media personnel.
More than two million people are expected to come and watch the free to view race during the weekend, with one million spectators in London alone. This will bring an estimated £115 million to the London and South East economy and with the event broadcast in almost 200 countries London will be promoted across the world.
The Tour de France is a free event and, alongside the race itself, there will be a host of festivals and events taking place across the capital to ensure Londoners and visitors have an unforgettable weekend.
The Tour de France Grand Départ will be the biggest sporting event hosted by London ahead of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games giving a taste of what is to come. London is already famous across the world for hosting world-class events. I believe this will be the most spectacular Grand Départ the Tour has ever seen and the weekend will underline London’s great sporting reputation.
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The Tour de France is also a superb opportunity to promote London as a cycling city. The number of people taking to two wheels has soared by 83 per cent over the last seven years. We want the excitement of the Tour de France to encourage even more people to take up cycling.
The Prologue on Saturday 7 July will be an eight kilometre (five miles) lap of central London, starting on Whitehall, taking in some of London’s most famous landmarks including Whitehall, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and finishing on the Mall.
Stage One, on Sunday 8 July, will start in central London, passing close to a variety of historic and contemporary sites including Big Ben, the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin and crossing Tower Bridge close to City Hall. The race will then travel through Bermondsey, Deptford, Greenwich and Erith before heading out into Kent. In Kent the Tour will pass through Dartford, Gravesend, Medway, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford before the stage finish in Canterbury.
There are a number of activities being organised to accompany the Tour including the People's Village - an event to celebrate and promote cycling in Hyde Park - and 18 giant screens in the capital so everyone can get a good view of the racing, plus an additional 11,000 cycle parking spaces for spectators.
London Summer of Sport
I have approved that the GLA develop, organise, fund and run the London Summer of Sport Programme with partners during 2007.
This is the second year of the London Summer of Sport campaign, which gives Londoners the chance to try out different sports for free. Supported by my Office in partnership with Sport England, the longer term aim is to increase participation in sport and physical activity in the run-up to and beyond the 2012 Olympic Games.
Inclusive and Active report
I have approved expenditure for consultancy (research and production of content) design, copywriting and print of the Inclusive and Active Sport Plan. This is a sport action plan to help more disabled people become physically active and participate in sport at any level in London. I have approved costs for consultancy of £10,000, design, £1,000, copywriting £300 and print £3,700 to a total of £15,000.
Borough Visits
Visit to Richmond and Hounslow
On 7 June, I visited the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames where I spoke at a panel discussion on 'Sustainability in a World Class City' at Kew Gardens with Councillor Serge Lourie, the Leader of Richmond Council, Professor Stephen Hopper, Director of Kew and members of the local business community.
During my opening address I told local business that adopting the range of measures set out in the London Climate Change Action Plan - 'Action Today to Protect Tomorrow', would save them money in the long term by making their businesses more energy efficient, as well as
20 cutting carbon emissions.
Richmond employers and residents do not have to reduce their quality of life to tackle climate change, but we do need to change the way we live in order to protect the environment. Simple changes like switching off lights and IT equipment and unplugging mobile phone chargers can make a real difference to the environment and cut energy bills.
Good employers want to play their part in tackling climate change and they recognise that this makes good business sense - helping cut energy bills as well creating the right sort of reputation to attract and retain the best staff.
London's employers in both commercial and public sector are responsible for 33 per cent of the capital’s emissions. If all of London’s employers introduced simple changes like turning off lights and IT equipment at night, emissions would be cut by over three million tonnes a year. Modest improvements to the energy efficiency of London’s commercial and public buildings would cut emissions by a further two million tonnes. If all of the actions in this Plan were implemented they would save employers up to 20 per cent on their energy bills.
The Action Plan also shows that, without action, London’s carbon emissions will grow from 44 million tonnes to 52 million tonnes by 2025.
On the 7 June, I also went to Hounslow Jamia Masjid & Islamic Centre, where I had the opportunity to meet Imam Sulemani, the Mosque Trustees and approximately 20 key representatives from the local community. It presented an interesting opportunity to learn more about the mosque, its work with the local community and issues of interest and concern to the local Muslim community.
Visit to Kingston On 28 June I visited Kingston to launch the borough’s new Safer Transport Team. The team will be made up of 18 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who will work to provide visibility and reassurance and cut crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour on and around public transport.
I announced new funding for an additional 378 Police Community Support Officers for London's transport network on 3 October 2006. These Police Community Support Officers will form Safer Transport Teams in twenty-one outer London boroughs, including Kingston. I was joined at the launch of Kingston’s new Safer Transport Team by, Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Laura Nicholson, Leader of Kingston Council, Cllr Derek Osbourne, Mayor of Kingston, Cllr Shiraz Mirza, Cllr Simon James, Executive Member for Transport, Steve Burton, Transport for London Deputy Director of Transport Policing and Enforcement, Susan Kramer MP, Ed Davey MP, Tony Arbour AM, Nigel Stevens, Managing Director, (Transdev) London United, Sandra Flower, Chair, Community & Police Partnership and Graham McNally, Kingston Town Centre Management.
The launch of Kingston's new Safer Transport Team will address the need to make public spaces safer. Crime is falling in Kingston and right across London, thanks to the hard work of police and local communities, and the new Safer Transport Team will make public transport across Kingston even safer. These new officers will form a highly visible presence on and around public transport in Kingston, Surbiton, Chessington and Tolworth to cut crime and provide reassurance for passengers.
By the end of July, all 378 Police Community Support Officers will be working to make transport safer in twenty-one outer London boroughs. The introduction of these Safer
21 Transport Teams sends out a clear message that crime and anti-social behaviour on and around public transport is not acceptable.
After the Safer Transport Team Launch, I took the opportunity to visit Kingston Mosque where I met with the Mosque's two Imams and representatives from the management committee and the board of trustees. I took part in and Question and Answer session with approximately 35 representatives from the local Muslim community at which we discussed issues of common concern to the local community. I also toured the neighbouring Islamic Resource Centre and met some of the woman who run the centre and learnt about the invaluable services they provide to the local Muslim community.
London Development Agency
Wembley regeneration
The LDA spending on regeneration of Wembley has now reached £100 million. Wembley is fast becoming one of London’s major success stories. Dramatic improvements are being made to its infrastructure, transport and economic growth. Wembley’s residents have an environment in which they can prosper for years to come. The hard work of local partners on the ground has regenerated local businesses and provided people with the jobs and skills they so badly needed.
Manor Garden Allotments
The LDA has been granted planning consent for a temporary replacement site for the Manor Garden Allotments. The planning application put to Waltham Forest Council received the support of the Manor Garden Allotment Society.
The allotment holders will receive compensation for the disturbance and a limited number will also be allowed supervised access to the allotments until the end of the growing season.
A new and larger allotment site will be created within the Olympic Park after the 2012 Games and will form part of the long-term legacy of the Games.
Offley Works
Up and coming architects firm 6a has won the London Development Agency, Design for London and the Architecture Foundation design competition to redevelop a former print works in South London known as Offley Works.
The six buildings totalling 6,000 square metres will be used to provide a mixed-use employment site with additional residential accommodation. 6a’s winning design is an example of good design providing good value without sacrificing vision.
Greater South East: Global Powerhouse
On 18 June, I addressed the “The Greater South East: Global Powerhouse” conference hosted by the LDA. The conference focussed on the measures needed to maintain London and the Greater South East super-region position as a driver of the UK economy.
Woolwich regeneration
22 On 19 June, I announced that three of Woolwich’s old public squares have been selected for major redesign as part of my 100 Public Spaces programme. General Gordon and Beresford Squares in Woolwich town centre as well as Dial Arch Square across in the (old) Woolwich Arsenal will be redesigned as part of a major regeneration project between Greenwich Council, Design for London and Transport for London. Ideas for the first phase of the project will be sought through an open design competition.
Whilst unprecedented regeneration is taking place in Woolwich, including redevelopment of the Royal Arsenal, we must ensure that its public spaces remain high quality places for people to live in, work and visit as well as helping to attract further investment into the local economy. Once the work is complete, Woolwich will have thriving new squares that will transform the heart of the community, and connect with the wider regeneration of this important corner of London.
It is expected that a design team will be appointed in six months time with a view to the completed public spaces being ready by 2010 to coincide and complement completion dates for other regeneration projects in the area.
Crystal Palace training facilities
On 19 June, I welcomed the decision by the Department for Education and Skills to support a National Skills Academy for the sports and leisure industry.
This follows a successful bid by SkillsActive, the body responsible developing learning and skills in the sport and active leisure sector, to the Learning and Skills Council for the establishment of a National Skills Academy paving the way for an additional £600,000 investment towards the further modernisation of training and development facilities at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
This provides crucial investment as we continue to build the national and London skills base in the active leisure sector in preparation for hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
The London Employment and Skills Taskforce for 2012 identified the potential of London Leisure Academy developing as a centre of skills excellence for the sports industry. This announcement is a huge step forward towards expanding opportunities for up to five thousand students a year.
Events and policy conferences
I have agreed to work with the LDA to develop a 3-year programme of events and an annual programme of policy conferences to be jointly agreed and funded by the LDA and GLA. I have delegated authority to the Director of Public Affairs to agree a Memorandum of Understanding with the LDA in respect of the programme and funding for the Events for London programme 2007/08.
23 Events
Pride celebrations
This year's Pride celebrations, which saw lesbians and gay men in their thousands take part in the parade through central London and the free festival in Soho Square, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square took place on Saturday 30 July.
I joined the Pride parade, as well as speaking from the main stage in Trafalgar Square. I also hosted my annual reception on 25 June at City Hall, sponsored by Morgan Stanley. City Hall is also hosting a photographic exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England.
In addition to longstanding discrimination in many parts of the world, the past year has seen lesbian and gay rights under new attack – legally and sometimes physically – in countries such as Estonia, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Nigeria, Poland, Romania and Russia. This is one of the reasons that London's Pride parade and festival are important. This is a celebration of lesbian and gay pride in London and an opportunity for the lesbian and gay community to demonstrate for full equality and to send out the message that London is one of the most gay friendly cities in the world.
The Greater London Authority has been at the forefront of promoting rights for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and trans people. I am committed to ensuring that London retains its reputation as a welcoming and safe place for lesbian and gay people to live in and to visit. A recent Stonewall survey indicates clear support for our policies of promoting equality and stamping out homophobia, but there is more to be done, not least to combat homophobic bullying in schools and the workplace. I will continue to work with the lesbian and gay community towards eradicating homophobia and achieving full equality.
City Hall is the venue for a photographic exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England. The exhibition highlights some of the milestones in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) history and the diversity of London's LGBT communities, and is organised by the LGBT Staff Network at the Greater London Authority. It includes photographic contributions from both Network members and London based LGBT stakeholder organisations and runs from 22 June to 6 July.
Rise: London United
The importance of the fight against racism to London’s success will be demonstrated in July with a free anti-racist festival in Finsbury Park featuring acts from around the world – and the festival will move east the day before to join local people in Barking and Dagenham.
The Rise: London United festival will take place in Finsbury Park on Sunday 15 July, organised by my office in conjunction with the Trades Union Congress and National Assembly Against Racism, and with acts including Kelis, Saint Etienne and the Skatalites.
On Saturday 14 July, Rise will host a stage in the Dagenham Town Show. Among those performing as part of the Rise stage at the Dagenham Town Show will be award-winning UK rapper Sway and Neils Children.
London's success depends on the international character of our city and London’s fortunes are tied up with our stand against racism and prejudice. Fighting racism is a daily fight and a
24 political priority for our city and the Rise: London United festival is a clear statement of that fact.
Linking up with the Dagenham Town Show this year will mean many more Londoners can come together for a great day out, demonstrating that they reject the politics of hate.
Party Conferences 2007
I have agreed that the GLA's activities at party conferences and the TUC conference in 2007 are underpinned by the objective to further the delivery of my objectives through discussions and meetings with key decision makers and policy makers in which the GLA can present my views and policies; discuss key current London issues and secure information and intelligence.
I have also agreed the GLAs activities at the 2007 conferences, which are to have an exhibition stand at the TUC, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative annual conferences; to host a reception at the Labour Conference, as the party of government and the TUC conference. I have also approved the budget for activities above as £65, 000 and that Hartnells Creative Communications Ltd is appointed as the stand contractor for all four conferences.
GLA Budget
2006/07 Statement of Accounts
I have agreed the adoption of three new accounting policies and have agreed the 2006/07 financial statements in accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (as amended by the Account and Audit Regulations 2006) and signed the Statement of Accounts.
I have also agreed and signed the statement on internal control within the 2006/07 financial statements.
GLA Budget and Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring Report (1 April 2006- 31 March 2007)
I have agreed the final contributions to and from the Authority's reserves. I have noted the final 2006/07 financial outturn position at 31 March 2007, which reflects decisions on transfers to and from reserves and the progress made on the implementation of strategies and performance against the corporate plan deliverables.
I have also noted that the report will be considered by the Assembly's Budget Monitoring Sub- Committee on 20 June 2007.
Statement of Internal Control
I have noted the process for preparing the Statement of Internal Control.
GLA Organisation
Smoke Free City Hall
I agreed that the smoking ban for City Hall be extended to include the balcony on the 9th floor; and that members of staff, visitors and guests are discouraged from smoking in areas directly adjacent to the entrances to City Hall. I have noted that the GLA's staff smoking
25 policy and remote working protocol be revised to reflect the changes in the Authority's smoke- free policy for approval by the Assembly's Business Management and Appointments Committee.
Annual Report
I have approved the text for the summary of the 2006/07 annual report.
Final Strategic Internal Audit Plan
I have noted the contents of the Final Strategic Audit Plan and the proposed scope of the 2007-08 audits.
Internal Audit Reports
I have noted the contents and the level of Assurances given to the following audit reviews:
Assurance Treasury Management Full Precepting Full Disaster Recovery Planning Substantial
External Audit Report on E-government Benefits
I have noted the contents and the recommended actions in the External Audit Report on E- Government benefits.
Planning and Development Control
Planning decisions (Stage II referrals)
I have sent letters in response to the following statutory referrals:
Arrowhead Quay, Marsh Wall I have written to Tower Hamlets Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
15 Ramsgate Street, Dalston I have written to Hackney Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, Corporation of London I have written to the Corporation of London stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
Former Council Depot, Shakespeare Road I have written to Lambeth Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
Essex House, 100 George Street I have written to Croydon Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
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Former GLS Site, Ferry Lane I have written to Haringey Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
James Leicester Hall, 34 Market Road I have written to Islington Council stating that I have decided not to direct refusal of this application.
Planning Decisions (Stage I applications)
I have asked officers to send letters giving my comments about the following stage one referrals:
• Riverside South, LB of Tower Hamlets • Building C, New Providence Wharf, LB of Tower Hamlets • Former Kingston Power Station, RB of Kingston upon Thames • Site at corner of Old Bethnal Green Road & Mansford Street, LB of Tower Hamlets • 45 Millharbour, LB Tower Hamlets • Gypsy Corner, Block F&G, Park Royal, LB Ealing • More London, Plot 7, LB Southwark • 61-75 Alie Street, LB Tower Hamlets • Colonite Wharf, LB Barking and Dagenham • Stockwell Street, LB Greenwich • 1 Park Place, LB Tower Hamlets • New London Bridge House, LB Southwark • Thomas Tallis School, LB Greenwich • Crown Woods School, LB Greenwich • Trad Site, LB Tower Hamlets
Local Development Plans
I have asked my officers to send a letter giving my response to the following plans:
• Ilford Town Centre Area Action Plan, LB of Redbridge • Proposed further modifications to Lambeth Unitary Development Plan, LB Lambeth • Decisions Made Under Delegated Authority
The following decisions have been made under delegated authority to the Head of the Planning Decisions Unit:
• Core Strategy & Borough Wide Development Policies, LB of Barking & Dagenham • Request to Save 2005 Unitary Development Plan Policies, RB of Kingston upon Thames • Draft Planning Brief: Victoria Street, Buckingham Gate and Palace Street Site, City of Westminster • Supplementary Planning Document: Obligations, LB of Brent • Request to Save 2003 Unitary Development Plan Policies, LB of Redbridge • Request to Save 1996 Unitary Development Plan Policies, LB of Barking & Dagenham
27 • Draft Planning Framework: RAF West Camp, Biggin Hill Airport, LB of Bromley • Further Consultation on Issues and Options, LB of Richmond upon Thames • Hounslow Council Request to Save 2003 Unitary Development Plan Policies, LB Hounslow • Denham Farm, 43 Totteridge Common, LB Barnet • Joint Waste Development Plan Document for East London, Issues and Options, (LB Barking & Dagenham, LB Havering, LB Newham and LB Redbridge) • Brent Council Request to Save 2004 Unitary Development Plan Policies, LB Brent • Local Development Framework, Core Strategy and Enfield Area Action Plan, Issues and Options, LB Enfield • 22-24 Bishopsgate, 32 Bishopsgate and 4 Crosby Square (DIFA Tower), Corporation of London
The following decision has been made under delegated authority to the Chief Executive:
• Dock Road, Olympic relocation, Silverton, LB of Newham
Delegation of authority
I have delegated to the Executive Director, Policy and Partnerships, who may be so authorised as an officer of the Authority under Section 38(2)(b) of the GLA Act 1999 to exercise my functions under the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2000 in relation to the planning application for the temporary construction of the Red Bull Air Race Aerodrome, Royals Business Park in the London Borough of Newham.
Copies of my planning decisions and background reports are available on the GLA website.
Key Engagements
Among my additional engagements since my last report were the following:
• Meeting with LDA senior management on 7 June • Guardian/ Observer Climate Change summit on 11 June • Management Board on 11 June • Meeting with the IOC on 11 June • Southbank Centre Opening Night concert on 11 June • IOC visit opening plenary on 12 June • CBI summer lunch on 12 June • MISC25 meeting on 12 June • London Assembly plenary meeting on 12 June • Meeting with representatives of the Private Hire trade on 13 June • Meeting with Riley Bechtel on 13 June • IOC dinner on 13 June • Borough Climate Change event on 14 June • Lunch with Stefano Hatfield, Editor of the Londonpaper on 14 June • Meeting with Chris Banks, Chair of the Learning and Skills Council and David Hughes, London Regional Director on the 14 June • Meeting with Seb Coe, Chair and Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG on 14 June • Meeting with TfL senior management on 18 June
28 • Meeting with Rodrigo Chaves, Venezuelan Foreign Minister on 19 June • Mayor’s Question Time on 20 June • Planning decisions meeting on 20 June • Meeting with Lord Rogers on 20 June • Property Week conference on 20 June • Meeting with Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 June • Olympic Funder Cabinet Committee on 21 June • Meeting with Dr Rana Roy, TfL Board Member on 21 June • ITV London Debate on 21 June • Barnet Refugee Festival on 24 June • Meeting with Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government and Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage on 25 June • Management Board meeting on 25 June • Meeting with Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham on 25 June • Bureau of Leaders on 26 June • London Climate Change Agency Board meeting on 26 June • Friends of the Earth “An Inconvenient Truth” screening on 26 June • TfL Board meeting on 27 June • Meeting with Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on 27 June • Meeting with Merrick Cockell, Chair of London Councils on 28 June • Meeting with LFEPA senior management on 28 June • Meeting with TfL senior management on 2 July • Building the Capital’s Capital event on 2 July • Planning decisions meeting on 3 July • Home Office Reception on 3 July • Olympic Board meeting on 4 July • Meeting with Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Olympics and London on 4 July • Meeting with the LDA on 4 July
Ken Livingstone Mayor of London 4 July 2007
Background Documents: Mayoral Decision List Director Decision List
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