London Assembly MQT – 11 September 2013 14th Mayor’s Report to the Assembly

This is my fourteenth report to the Assembly, fulfilling my duty under Section 45 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. It covers the period 4 July – 28 August 2013.

Executive Summary

New Hub Airport Proposals

On 15 July, I set out a detailed vision for transforming London into the greatest economic powerhouse of the 21st century, with a new airport to complement the new seaport about to open in the Thames Estuary, and new road and rail connections to boost the economy of east London, Kent and Essex.

I outlined the details of an extensive, independently peer-reviewed investigation carried out by my team at TfL which concludes that there are three optimal locations for a new airport: on the Isle of Grain in north Kent; at Stansted; or on an artificial island in the middle of the Thames Estuary.

I also revealed the enormous potential economic benefits of building a new hub airport, which would be able to support more than 375,000 new jobs by 2050 and add £742 billion to the value of goods and services produced in the UK.

TfL to take over key commuter rail routes out of Liverpool Street Station into west Anglia

On 2 July, the Government announced its decision to devolve the operation of a number of commuter train services running between Liverpool Street station, six London boroughs and Hertfordshire. As a result of this decision, TfL will take over the West Anglia franchise, .These route run from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford, numbering 25 stations in total. Of the 25 stations, TfL will become responsible for 23.

It is hoped that TfL will take over services “during 2015” although no date has been fixed.

Next two routes to be served by New Bus for London

On 6 August, I announced that the third and fourth routes in the capital to be served by the iconic New Bus for London will be the 9 and 390.

Following the conversion of route 24 and the forthcoming conversion of route 11, the next two routes will be converted by the end of the year.

Next steps to improve rental standards for Londoners

On 26 July, I published the final version of my London Rental Standard. The London Rental Standard details 12 core commitments to empower tenants in their dealings with landlords, and

both tenants and landlords in their dealings with letting agents. It recognises and promotes good standards in the industry from transparency of fees and protection of deposits, to emergency and urgent repairs response times, as well as landlord and letting agent training and development through professional training courses.

Boost to London 2012 Legacy with UK’s largest ski facility in Stratford

On 25 July, after joint working, I welcomed ambitious plans by Westfield to build the UK's largest indoor ski facility in Stratford, East London.

Westfield Stratford City will submit a planning application to LLDC by the end of the summer for a major leisure attraction on land adjacent to its retail operations, to include London's first indoor ski facility. The new ski centre would be more than double size of other similar UK centres and be comparable with Ski Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The planning application is also expected to include retail, hotel and restaurant opportunities.

Ride London

Between 3 – 4 August, the inaugural Prudential RideLondon festival of cycling came to the streets of London and Surrey. The weekend was an enormous success, with over 65,000 people participating over the weekend.

The festival included the largest mass participant cycling event ever held in the UK and various elite events with some of the world’s top cyclists.

Notting Hill Carnival

On 25 and 26 August, I again supported London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the largest free street festival of its kind in Europe. This fantastic event featured a broad range of music including masquerade bands, steel pan, soca and calypso. Around 1 million people attended the event over the weekend.

Policing and Community Safety

Policing Global Cities conference

On 8 – 9 July, our first international conference for city leaders and senior police officers, Policing Global Cites, took place at City Hall. It brought together police and civic leaders from 16 global cities across six continents. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and I addressed delegates and welcomed them to London, setting out the approach we are taking to make London safer.

Representatives from a range of global cities shared experiences on how best to address the policing challenges that major cities encounter. Topics for discussion included:

 The pressures and challenges that cities face when they become a key international destination and a focus for major world events;  How policing needs to adapt to social change, the growth of cities and keep pace with technological innovation and new crime threats; and

 How cities from across the globe can work together to tackle organised crime across borders.

International “Secure Our Smartphones” Initiative

On 7 August, I announced that I have joined forces with the New York State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, and San Francisco District Attorney, George Gascón, to support the Secure Our Smartphones (S.O.S.) Initiative. Launched earlier this year, the S.O.S. Initiative is a groundbreaking coalition of prosecutors, police chiefs, attorneys general, state and city comptrollers, and public safety activists, working to encourage the smartphone industry to implement meaningful solutions that will end the international epidemic of violent thefts of mobile communications devices such as smartphones and tablets.

The S.O.S Initiative is working to encourage the industry to find technical solutions that will remove the economic value of stolen smartphones, targeting secondary markets and the national epidemic of violent street crimes commonly known as “Apple Picking.”

Home Affairs Select Committee

On 9 July, as part of a special session on policing in London, I appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee. The Committee asked questions about undercover policing, the Police and Crime Plan and diversity in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). During the session I discussed the work that MOPAC is conducting to explore the role of an independent ethics panel which could examine and advise on controversial issues that impact on public confidence in policing.

Challenging the MPS on performance figures

On 11 July, I chaired the quarterly MOPAC Challenge meeting at City Hall. The session focused on recent MPS performance in key areas of crime that matter to Londoners. The meeting also discussed how to reduce delays in the criminal justice process in London. Criminal justice partners from Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary attended and reported on their work.

Croydon Visit

On 1 August, my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Stephen Greenhalgh visited London Road in Croydon with Steve O’Connell AM to discuss the impact of the 2011 riots and progress on making the final payments under the Riot Damages Act.

Stephen met residents and business owners and spoke to the council and representatives of the insurance industry about what more could be done to speed up the final payments, despite the complex nature of these cases.

The Challenge of Change

On 18 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick spoke at the London launch of the report ‘The Challenge of Change – Improving Services for Women involved in Prostitution and Substance Use’. The launch, held at City Hall, was attended by representatives from the voluntary sector, MOPAC, the Probation Service and local authorities. The report, funded by the Pilgrim Trust, examined policy and practice in this area as well as the relationship between substance use and prostitution.

Transport

New Hub Airport Proposals

On 15 July, I set out a detailed vision for transforming London into the greatest economic powerhouse of the 21st century, with a new airport to complement the new seaport about to open in the Thames Estuary, new road and rail connections to boost the economy of east London, Kent and Essex. There is also the opportunity for a new town in west London, housing up to 250,000 people on land currently occupied by Heathrow Airport.

Speaking at City Hall, I outlined the details of an extensive, independently peer-reviewed investigation that has been carried out by my team at TfL over the last year into the potential options for new aviation capacity. This demonstrates conclusively that there are three optimal locations for a new airport: on the Isle of Grain in north Kent; at Stansted; or on an artificial island in the middle of the Thames Estuary.

I also revealed the enormous potential economic benefits of building a new hub airport, which would be able to support more than 375,000 new jobs by 2050 and add £742 billion to the value of goods and services produced in the UK.

Roads Task Force Report sets out plans to deliver 21st century roads and streets

In July, my Roads Task Force (RTF) published a report outlining a bold vision for a 21st century road and street network in the capital. Its proposals are designed to ensure the capital will be able to cope with major population growth, support jobs and thousands of new homes, while remaining one of the most vibrant, accessible and competitive world cities.

TfL is working with partners, including the London boroughs, developers, businesses and representatives of road users, to build on the improvements seen in the investment in and management of London's roads, streets and public spaces in recent years and to take forward many of the RTF recommendations.

In addition, TfL is working closely with the freight and logistics industry to ensure future proposals can best support the economy and functioning of a world city with a growing population. The RTF’s proposals include retiming freight outside peak hours to cut congestion and improve road safety, as well as air quality. They also include well planned and managed access for freight and deliveries in central London, town centres and new developments to support businesses and local communities.

TfL to take over key commuter rail routes out of Liverpool Street Station into west Anglia

On 2 July, the Government announced its decision to devolve the operation of a number of commuter train services running between Liverpool Street station, six London boroughs and Hertfordshire.

As a result of this decision, TfL will take over the West Anglia franchise, .These route run from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford, numbering 25 stations in total.

This follows work I carried out alongside TfL to set out the benefits of devolution in the model of London Overground, which has proved a huge success since TfL took control at the end of 2007.

Of the 25 stations, TfL will become responsible for 23, while two larger stations (Liverpool Street and Cheshunt) will remain the responsibility of Network Rail, or Greater Anglia. TfL are planning a wide range of improvements to the service for many thousands of people including station refurbishments, improved reliability, improved security and better passenger information.

It is hoped that TfL will take over services “during 2015” although no date has been fixed.

The London 2012 Games transport legacy: one year on

On 19 July, TfL published its ‘Transport legacy – one year on’ report. The most visible Games legacy is the £6.5 billion invested in new and improved infrastructure, providing greater capacity and reliability across the transport network, including to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This was delivered a year ahead of the Games, providing an early legacy of better transport options, particularly for people living in east London, supporting population growth and economic development for generations to come.

TfL is working to build upon this legacy through further investment in new, upgraded and extended transport links and road networks, with unprecedented levels of collaboration between transport operators being maintained.

The Games also provided a unique opportunity to change behaviour and perceptions of travel and TfL will build on this approach to continue to manage the demand for travel on London’s network, particularly during large-scale events and works to improve the transport system.

Paying Congestion Charge in shops and petrol stations to end as popularity falls

On 26 July, TfL removed the option for drivers to pay the Congestion Charge in shops and petrol stations.

The change followed a public consultation and was a direct result of the vast majority of customers now paying the charge through the automatic payment method, Congestion Charge Auto Pay (CC Auto Pay). CC Auto Pay is completely automated, offers users a reduced daily charge of £9 (rather than £10 if paid using other methods) and also ensures they need never be fined for non-payment of the charge.

The popularity of paying the charge in shops and petrol stations had fallen dramatically, from 37 per cent when the Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003, to just four per cent of all payments at present. Removing the option to pay the charge in shops and petrol stations is estimated to reduce the cost of operating the Congestion Charge by £600,000 a year.

Drivers can still pay the Congestion Charge using a wide range of other means including online, by phone, by text message or by CC Auto Pay.

Green light for Crossrail station at Woolwich

The Crossrail station at Woolwich was given the green light following the confirmation by sponsors TfL and the Department for Transport that Crossrail services will call at Woolwich following the conclusion of a funding agreement for the completion of the station.

Crossrail Limited has been given permission to begin the procurement process for the station fit out which will mean the station can open, alongside the rest of the central section of the Crossrail route, in December 2018. The new station at Woolwich will support the regeneration of this part of London, improving connectivity and access to job opportunities.

Work on the station box was completed by Berkeley Homes four months ahead of schedule in March 2013, when it was handed over to Crossrail Limited. A deal has now been reached to fund the remaining works required to fit out the station with contributions totalling £54 million being provided by Berkeley Homes, the Royal Borough of Greenwich (via a GLA grant and local developer contributions), and TfL. Any further funds required to make the station fully operational will be provided by Crossrail Limited from its existing budget.

Crossrail submits plans for new landmark station at Abbey Wood

Proposals for a new Crossrail station at Abbey Wood have been submitted to the London Borough of Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich for approval.

Crossrail represents a major improvement public transport for the local area, and is the single biggest addition to the local rail network since the North Kent line was built in 1849. It will be a significant spur to regeneration in Abbey Wood, encouraging investment and development as well as supporting jobs and businesses in the local area.

The new two-level station will open in 2017 and will be built above two new dedicated Crossrail tracks and those used by North Kent services. The design includes a bright, spacious concourse that leads directly onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway dual carriageway which runs above the current station; two new ‘island’ platforms for Crossrail and North Kent services; and six lifts to help passengers get around the station and to provide step- free access to every platform.

TfL confirms shortlist of bidders for ticketing and fare collection services

Following the issue of the OJEU in March for the contract to take the capital’s transport ticketing systems into the next decade, TfL has announced the shortlisted bidders.

The shortlisted bidders are:

 Cubic Transportation Systems Ltd  LG CNS Co CNF  Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH

The shortlisted bidders will be invited to submit detailed bids, with the contract awarded by October 2014. The new contract will commence from August 2015, upon the expiry of TfL’s current contract for ticketing systems.

The Electra contractor will assume responsibility for the provision and maintenance of front and back office revenue collection systems for all of TfL’s services at 400 Tube, DLR and London Overground stations, 250 National Rail stations in London and an off-system retail network of 4,000 Oyster agents. This includes ensuring that all of the gates are maintained and available;

that Oyster readers on buses and at stations, platforms and retail outlets are working reliably; that the systems transferring transactions from the Oyster readers to the back office are operating efficiently; and that systems are integrated to support TfL’s plans for the widespread use of contactless payment cards across the network.

The Electra contract term is for seven years, with an early exit option at five years and extension options of up to three years.

TfL and Crossrail unveil new images of Tottenham Court Road station as major new transport hub takes shape

The future of London’s transport network in the West End is moving ahead at speed as the new £1 billion Tottenham Court Road station takes shape.

Work on the station is now around 60 per cent complete, while Crossrail has completed an estimated 35 per cent of works to the station’s new Dean Street ticket hall and station tunnels.

London Underground has completed civil engineering work for almost 300 metres of new passageways, a new entrance, and the vast new Tottenham Court Road ticket hall, six times the size of the existing ticket hall. Fitting out has begun at the station and Phase 1, including two new entrances and expanded Northern line access, is due to open in 2015.

The ambitious plans to rebuild Tottenham Court Road station, which is over 100 years old, will create a ticket hall six times bigger than its current size and a station with over a third more capacity.

Transport for London invites architects to submit plans on 55 Broadway

TfL has begun the process of tendering architects to assess the potential use of its historic London Underground Headquarters at 55 Broadway, once its staff relocate in 2015. The building is no longer fit for purpose as an efficient office building so TfL has issued a tender inviting architects to submit proposals for converting the building into residential accommodation.

Next two routes to be served by New Bus for London

On 6 August, I announced that the third and fourth routes in the capital to be served by the iconic New Bus for London will be the 9 and 390.

Following the conversion of route 24 on 22 June and the forthcoming conversion of the route 11 on 21 September, the next two routes will be converted by the end of the year.

Route 9 is operated by London United and runs between Hammersmith and Aldwych, via Olympia, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Piccadilly, Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square. New buses will appear on this route from Saturday 26 October. During peak hours, 22 of the new buses will be in passenger service to carry the 17,000 people who travel on the route each day.

Route 390, which is a 24-hour bus route, is operated by Metroline and runs between Notting Hill Gate and Archway, via Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Euston, King’s Cross and Tufnell Park. New buses will appear on this route by the

end of the year. During peak hours 20 of the new buses will be in passenger service to carry the 18,400 people who travel on the route each day.

TfL and its policing partners step up enforcement of ‘bike boxes’ to help improve cycle safety in the capital

TfL, working in partnership with the MPS and City of London Police, has stepped up the enforcement of Advanced Stop Lines, more commonly known as ‘bike boxes’, to help further improve safety for cyclists on the capital’s roads.

Advanced Stop Lines are the boxes marked on the road with a bike symbol painted inside, located at many traffic lights. The cyclist has a stop line several feet ahead of the line used by everyone else in order to give bikes more space so they can be seen more easily and are not right in front of a vehicle’s bonnet or wheels. However, significant numbers of drivers are not currently stopping at the rear line.

Drivers caught crossing the first or second advanced stop lines when the signal is red are liable for a £100 fixed penalty charge and three points on their licence. The only exception to this rule is if the traffic signal changes from green to amber and drivers cannot safely stop before the first stop line.

In addition to stepping up enforcement on motorists, rogue cyclists are also being targeted. Cyclists are being targeted for jumping red lights and are being issued with a £50 fine if caught doing so.

Passengers on the Waterloo & City line to benefit from extended hours

As from 16 September, passengers who want to have an evening out will be able to use Waterloo & City line trains during weekdays and Saturdays until 12.30am – up to six hours later than currently. More trains will also operate on weekday evenings, with a train available approximately every three and half minutes until around 9.30pm, then every six minutes until 11.30pm, followed by a 10 minute service for the last hour.

Passengers on the Central line to benefit from increased services

The frequency of services on the Central line will be increased during the busiest times. This will result in the line having the most intensive train service in the UK for the busiest part of the morning rush hour, the equivalent of 34 trains per hour, with passengers waiting less than two minutes between trains. For the rest of the morning and evening peak times more frequent trains mean customers will still only wait around two minutes for a train.

Works underway to boost capacity and reliability on the Docklands Light Railway

Work to increase capacity from 5,500 to 6,600 journeys an hour on the Docklands Light Railway’s (DLR) route between Stratford and Canary Wharf/Lewisham is currently underway.

TfL has started work to install a second set of tracks - ‘double tracking’ - as part of a wider project with Crossrail that will see the redevelopment of Pudding Mill Lane station.

The work will enable passengers to benefit from better reliability and an increase in capacity of more than 1,000 journeys an hour by the spring of 2014, along with a brand new station that is set to have the largest capacity on the DLR network.

Transport & Works Act Order to authorise a depot and sidings at Plumstead for Crossrail Limited

I have granted consent to Crossrail Limited to submit an application to the Secretary of State for Transport for a Transport and Works Act Order authorising the construction and operation of a depot to provide infrastructure maintenance facilities and passenger train stabling at Plumstead.

London Underground application in relation to Croxley Rail Link

I have agreed to London Underground’s (LUL’s) proposal for the closure and discontinuance of services to and from Watford Metropolitan line station, Cassiobury Park Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 7LE; subject to the following condition:

 That if any such closure and discontinuance is implemented by LUL it does not take effect before two new step-free access stations (Ascot Road and Watford Hospital stations) are open to the public; and train services to and from both of these new stations, and existing stations in Watford town centre (Watford High Street & Watford Junction), are operational.

I require LUL to encourage Hertfordshire County Council to implement public realm improvements in the vicinity of the two new stations and reassess bus routes with relevant partners to best relieve any potential hardship.

I agree that TfL can provide a discretionary fare scheme for up to three years to the extent that this is reasonably practicable for Watford residents, who, upon any closure of Watford Metropolitan line station, transfer to Watford High Street or Watford Junction stations to access Metropolitan line services.

Business, Enterprise and the Economy

London reaps £4 billion foreign investment since Games

London is reaping the rewards from hosting the greatest Olympic and Paralympic Games ever with billions of pounds of inward investment, supporting economic growth and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

One year on since the start of the 2012 Games, London has seen a surge in foreign interest, which has led to a series of major investment deals secured by my office in recent months, totalling more than £4 billion, with the potential to deliver tens of billions of pounds additional value into the city's economy. The deals will help regenerate locations across the city and include:

 £ 1.2 billion investment into the Royal Albert Docks by Chinese developer, ABP;  £1 billion investment into Croydon through a joint venture between Australian developer Westfield and UK property developer Hammerson;  £700 million into Battersea Nine Elms from Dalian Wanda Group.

This is in addition to £1 billion of inward investment flowing into London, which was confirmed in a £9.9 billion figure released on 19 July by UK Trade and Investment relating to UK-wide

Games-influenced trade and investment. Collectively, these investments are expected to support tens of thousands of new jobs in the capital.

Record tourism figures for London

A record number of tourists from overseas visited London in the first quarter of 2013. According to the latest International Passenger Survey (IPS) figures, published on 11 July, 3.4 million visitors came to London in the first three months of this year, a 4.2 per cent boost on the same period last year.

Expenditure over the same period reached £2.1 billon, a significant 11.5 per cent increase compared with the first quarter of last year. London has experienced increased expenditure from overseas visitors for the last seven quarters. This illustrates that London as a visitor destination is more popular than ever following the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Innovation Centre

On 29 July, my Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise, Kit Malthouse, launched the Innovation Centre in Croydon. The centre will attract new high growth businesses to the borough to enable them to succeed, create jobs and establish a high-tech business network. It is designed to be financially self-sustaining over the medium to long term.

European Regional Development Fund 2007-13: commitment of remaining funds

I have delegated authority to the Executive Director of Resources to formally approve allocation of the remaining funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-13 programme, for projects endorsed by the ERDF Programme Review Group and the Local Management Committee where the funding recipient is not the GLA.

I have also delegated authority to the GLA Head of Paid Service to formally approve allocation of the remaining funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-13 programme, for projects endorsed by the ERDF Programme Review Group and the Local Management Committee where the funding recipient is the GLA.

Smart London Demonstrator programme

I have approved the receipt of £3 million income from TSB to fund the Smart London Demonstrator programme.

I have also approved the following projects and expenditure of £3 million for delivery of the same; the revenue budget of £3 million, to be held over three financial years: £0.5 million in 2013-14, £1.5 million in 2014-15 and £1.0 million in 2015-16:

 Agile Urban Logistics: addresses congestion and emissions caused by the growth in smaller delivery vehicle (light freight) journeys on London’s roads, associated with the growth in e- commerce;  Networked Utilities: brings together data from utilities on the location and condition of underground assets and to automate the inquiry system for new data requests; and  Work and Volunteering Platform: utilises an online ‘time management’ platform to ‘match- make’ work and volunteering opportunities with those looking for flexible, short-term work.

Finally, I have delegated authority for consequent decisions on the programme, including procurement of goods and services, to the Executive Director for Development, Enterprise & Environment.

London Enterprise Panel SME Implementation Plan Delivery

I have approved expenditure up to a maximum of £1 million of the Growing Places Fund, over 2013-14 to 2015-16, to deliver the programme of SME activities set out in this decision which will support delivery of the London Enterprise Panel's Jobs and Growth Plan.

Market Gardening Project

I reached a funding agreement with London Borough of Enfield to support the development of an ambitious project to resurrect the Boroughs food growing heritage with the potential to support an estimated 1200 jobs. The project was selected in recognition of its plans to massively increase the amount of food grown in Enfield, create new jobs and potentially pave the way for large scale production of salad crops.

Housing and Land

Next steps to improve rental standards for Londoners

On 26 July, I published the final version of my London Rental Standard. The London Rental Standard details 12 core commitments to empower tenants in their dealings with landlords, and both tenants and landlords in their dealings with letting agents. It recognises and promotes good standards in the industry from transparency of fees and protection of deposits, to emergency and urgent repairs response times, as well as landlord and letting agent training and development through professional training courses.

I have achieved industry-wide support for the scheme, which sets a benchmark for tenants and landlords alike to measure quality of service in the private rental sector. It follows an unprecedented response at consultation and close working with industry and accreditation bodies since the blueprint was launched in December 2012. This has been the first attempt to persuade all existing accreditation schemes to work together to raise standards across London’s growing private rental sector.

I will invest up to £150,000 to deliver the initial year of the London Rental Standard public awareness campaign and £100,000 to improve the website, systems and products of the accreditation scheme.

Major milestone in the transformation of Elephant and Castle – ‘One the Elephant’

On 1 August, I officially launched the start of construction at ‘One the Elephant’, marking a major milestone in part of the £3 billion transformation of Elephant and Castle.

Working with Southwark Council, I have successfully brought forward the regeneration of the area alongside TfL and developer Lend Lease. Work has now begun on the site, which when complete will be home to a 37 storey residential tower containing 284 new homes, retail and business space, as well as a community leisure centre next to the site with a swimming pool, gym, café and crèche.

Feeding into a £140 million fund, made up of contributions from the GLA, TfL, and Southwark Council, the development will contribute £2.6 million towards local transport improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. These include a new Northern Line ticket hall at Elephant and Castle station which will double capacity, with escalators and step free access; a reconfigured northern roundabout to transform the urban realm with a new peninsular next to the shopping centre with seating, exhibition and performance space; and a new road layout to radically enhance the layout for cyclists by 2016.

The Elephant and Castle development is also one of 18 ‘Climate Positive Development Program’ projects across 6 continents that aims to achieve net-negative on-site, operational greenhouse gas emissions by reducing emissions on-site and off-setting emissions in the surrounding community.

Ground-breaking housing deal for Elephant and Castle – Newington Butts

On 31 July, I announced a ground-breaking deal that will see institutional investment used, for the first time in the UK, to build a large-scale residential rental development. The move will set the stage for further institutional investment in the capital’s residential property market, accelerating delivery and boosting the economy.

The development of the Newington Butts site in Elephant and Castle, owned by the GLA, will see preferred developers, Mace and Essential Living, using institutional investment to deliver one of the largest professional rental developments seen in the capital for decades, containing 462 units, 188 of which will be affordable, and creating hundreds of new jobs. In a major milestone for London’s property market, the tower will also contain one of the largest number of homes for long-term private rental in the country when complete.

London needs secure, reliable funding now to build the homes of tomorrow

On 22 July, I reiterated my call for urgent action to help meet the increasing demand for housing in the capital as I announced details of a £137 million fund to kick-start delivery of the next phase of affordable homes to rent and buy in the capital.

The funding, which will deliver over 6,000 affordable homes and secure up to 12,500 jobs, has been allocated to 56 housing providers who will all begin work in this Mayoral term.

Reiterating the recommendations of the London Finance Commission Report earlier this year, I called on the Government to look again at granting the capital a continuous, reliable funding stream for housing enabling us to get the best deal for Londoners, negotiate longer-term agreements with developers, and secure the housing the capital needs to continue to thrive and grow.

Housing boost for older and disabled Londoners

On 24 July, I announced almost £30 million of funding to build hundreds of specialist, high quality homes for older and disabled Londoners, helping them to remain independent and part of their local community.

The funding forms the first phase of my Care and Supported Housing Fund, delivered in partnership with the Department of Health, and will see 669 purpose-built affordable homes on 35 supported housing developments across the capital.

Designed to stimulate the specialised housing market, the fund which will eventually help around 1,500 older and disabled Londoners and forms a key part of my ‘Housing Covenant’ designed to improve housing options while boosting jobs and growth in the capital’s construction industry. The programme reflects the importance of delivering more specialised accommodation as the proportion of older Londoners increases and people live longer.

Department of Health Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund - Update

I have given approval for the GLA to enter into contracts with the phase one successful bidders for up to a maximum of £30 million and delegated any further decisions with regards to contracting to the Executive Director of Housing and Land in consultation with the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property.

Finally, I have agreed for the GLA to engage with the legal panel to procure legal services in drafting and negotiating contracts for phase one of the Fund, for up to £50,000 as set out in MD1073.

Additional budget for London Sustainable Industries Park (LSIP)

I have approved an additional gross budget of £1 million (£0.6 million net) to bring a gas connection to the London Sustainable Industries Park in Dagenham. I have also approved a contingency budget and a further additional gross budget of £1.989 million to complete the new infrastructure works on LSIP North and LSIP South.

Finally, I have delegated authority to the Executive Director of Housing and Land and the Executive Director of Resources to jointly deal with the contingency budget and other matters.

Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence, Lease Amendments

I have approved the amendments to the existing lease and delegated authority to finalise the terms for any minor alterations of the CEME lease to the Executive Director for Housing and Land in consultation with the Deputy Mayor for Housing Land and Property.

Housing Covenant - Building the Pipeline funding allocations

I have approved the GLA’s:

 Acceptance of grant being made available by DCLG through the affordable homes guarantee programme; and  Allocation of grant funding (subject to contract) with an aggregated value of up to £136.5 million as a contribution to recipients’ costs of delivering 6,190 homes; and  Use of the Mayor's Housing Covenant first round headroom towards the delivery of the covenant's "Building the Pipeline programme" strands; and  Expenditure of up to £50,000 on services required for the preparation of documentation required for the award of allocated funding.

I have also delegated authority to:

 The Executive Director of Housing and Land and Executive Director of Resources to take all steps necessary to finalise allocations and the award of funding to each recipient including the final agreement of terms on which funding is awarded and agreement of reasonable

substitutions for other schemes to be included within funded activity (subject always to the application of equivalent criteria) ; and  The Executive Director of Housing and Land, with agreement of the Executive Director of Resources, to approve movement of outputs and budgets between years in the programme.

Compulsory Purchase Order compensation claims

I have approved the steps recommended in relation to a number of claimants who had land acquired under compulsory purchase powers arising from the LDA (Lower Lea Valley, Olympic and Legacy) Compulsory Purchase Order 2005.

I have also approved the terms for the payment of compensation to the former owner of a property vested by LDA under the Silvertown Way Compulsory Purchase Order.

In addition, I have approved the increase in provision for outstanding Compulsory Purchase Order cases by £23.9 million to cover all outstanding Compulsory Purchase Order liabilities as at 31 March 2013.

Finally, I have delegated authority to the Executive Director of Housing and Land and the Head of Financial Services, jointly, to approve expenditure within this budget, as recommended by TfL on a case by case basis.

Loan agreement between GLA and GLA Land & Property Ltd

I have approved the entry into of a £300 million loan agreement between the GLA Land and Property Limited and the GLA, relating to the assets transferred to the former.

Environment

London Schools Hydrogen Challenge

On 9 July, I called on London’s secondary school children to get creative with green technology and come up with new and innovative designs for hydrogen-fuelled cell cars.

Schools are invited to register now for the chance to take part in my 2014 London Schools Hydrogen Challenge - a series of 30 interactive workshops where around 900 students will design, build and test a hydrogen-powered model car.

Using custom-designed Lego kits and 1.5W hydrogen fuel cells supplied by Arcola Energy, teams from schools across the capital will pit their designs against each other for a chance to snap up prizes including remote control cars and hydrogen kits, while learning about renewable energies, mechanics and the environment.

The Hydrogen Challenge is designed to inspire the next generation of renewable energy engineers to get involved in developing cleaner, greener transport and help contribute to my commitment to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality in the capital.

New grants to tackle London’s litter – Capital Clean-up

On 27 August, I called on local communities to join this year’s Capital Clean-up, and help tackle litter, rubbish and graffiti in their local parks, streets, estates, residential areas and waterways.

My Capital Clean-up campaign, in partnership with McDonald’s, is inviting community groups and local businesses to apply for grants of up to £500, or a special litter picking clean-up kit, to bring volunteers together in rubbish clearing events to create cleaner, greener, and safer local environments.

In the recent spring Capital Clean-up campaign, 1560 volunteers took part in 77 events and collected over a thousand sacks of litter, 55 tonnes worth of fly-tipping, and helped freshen up around 240 thousand square metres of the capital.

Procurement of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as passenger cars

I have approved the GLA’s procurement of a framework provider of fuel cell electric vehicles leases which can be called off as required by end users (with a maximum call off value of up to £2.8 million).

I have agreed the award of, entry into and execution of a framework agreement (by the Executive Director of Resources on behalf of the GLA) with the bidder submitting the most economically and technically advantageous proposal.

Finally, I have agreed the award of grant funding to and entry into and execution of funding agreements with end users under which the GLA will fund 56 per cent (set by the European Commission grant agreement) of their lease costs for four years and fuel costs for two years, conditionally upon end users meeting certain project obligations.

£2 million to improve London’s green spaces

On 18 July, I announced a £2 million fund for projects across the capital that will link and improve access to London’s green spaces and waterways.

Six projects across the capital will receive up to £420,000 each from the Big Green Fund. This builds on the work already underway to make London leafier, such as creating 100 pocket parks and planting an additional 10,000 street trees by spring 2015. It follows on from the successful east London regeneration project that transformed the area around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2012 and which continues to provide a real legacy for surrounding communities.

The six funded projects are:

 Poulter Park and Watermeads (Wandle Valley Regional Park, Sutton and Merton) - £390,000. This project sits within the Wandle Valley Regional Park and was submitted by the Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust.  Lea River Park (London Legacy Development Corporation, Tower Hamlets and Newham) - £240,000. This project is the first phase of the long term Lea River Park project aiming to join the Olympic Park with the River Thames and Royal Docks.  Walthamstow Wetlands (Waltham Forest, Hackney and Haringey) - £420,000 will open the reservoirs to wider public access, creating access to one of the largest areas of inaccessible open space in London  Lesnes to Crossness (Bexley) - £300,000. This project will link the Thamesmead community to the wider area through an enhanced network of green connections that maximises its place on the River Thames

 Thames Chase Big Green Destinations (Havering and Barking & Dagenham) - £350,000. The Thames Chase Big Green Destinations project will create direct links between Dagenham East and Upminster stations to the Ingrebourne Valley, Rainham Marshes and the River Thames at Rainham and the Thames Chase Community Forest.  Blue Corridor Seeds of Change (Richmond, Hounslow and Hillingdon) - £300,000. This project will deliver a number of improvements along two river corridors in west London - the River Crane and River Colne.

All six projects, which aim to better link existing green spaces, rivers and streams, across the capital, should be complete by spring 2015.

Climate Change Mitigation

I am pleased that the results from a recent study by Newcastle University have shown how London is leading the way in mitigating the impact of climate change within the UK. A new map has been produced by scientists at Newcastle University showing how prepared UK cities are for climate change.

The scientists have revealed a ‘postcode lottery of preparedness’ across the country based on what each city is doing to not only reduce greenhouse emissions, but also adapt to future climate change and extremes of weather such as flooding and drought. I am very pleased that it has been shown that London has one of the most advanced strategies in place, mitigating the impact on climate change through, for example, energy efficiency and saving, increasing the use of renewables, waste management and the introduction of greener modes of transport.

ERDF Bid for Business Food Waste Solutions Delivery

I have approved the GLA’s entry into and execution of funding agreements with (i) DCLG under which the GLA is granted up to £500,000 funding; and (ii) LWARB under which the GLA is granted up to £130,000 funding; as contributions to the GLA’s costs of its Business Food Waste Solutions Project

I have agreed an allocation of £370,000 (£121,000 of which is to be provided as GLA staff time, the remainder to be allocated from 2012 - 2015 GLA Food (£150,000 - £50,000 each year) and Central Programme (£99,000 - 2013/14: £52,000 and 2014/15: £47,000)) budgets to the project.

I have also agreed the GLA’s procurement and award, entry into and execution of contract(s) for supplies and services required for the delivery of the project with a total aggregated value not exceeding £879,000.

Finally, I have delegated authority to the Executive Director of Development, Enterprise and Environment to: (i) enter into and execute the funding agreements on behalf of the GLA; and (ii) facilitate the delivery and implementation of the BFWS project within the budget.

Social Inclusion and Health

Visit to Guy’s Hospital breast cancer research laboratory

On 9 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick and my Breast Cancer Ambassador for London Zandra Rhodes CBE visited the breast cancer research laboratory at Guy’s Hospital to raise awareness of breast cancer research and to promote the work of the laboratory.

Meeting with British Heart Foundation

On 23 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick met with Simon Gillespie, the Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, at City Hall to discuss the current work of the Foundation and its plans for the future.

Home Safety Conference

On 25 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick spoke at the Home Safety Conference held in London’s Living Room, ‘Keeping London Healthy – Reducing Falls’.

Victoria provided the opening address to the Conference and welcomed delegates to City Hall. The Conference addressed issues around the health and wellbeing of older people in London.

Haringey Hepatitis C Event

On 26 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick attended the Haringey Hepatitis C event held at Bruce Grove in Tottenham which aimed to promote awareness of Hepatitis C and to improve rates of assessment and treatment.

ISIS Project Visit

On 17 July, my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick visited the ISIS Project in Islington. The ISIS Project is a consortium of NHS and non-statutory substance misuse providers offering a range of services.

Education and Youth

London Schools Excellence Fund

My London Schools Excellence Fund has received 336 applications so far in Rounds 1 and 2. The objective of the Fund is to raise achievement of pupils in London schools by focusing on teaching, subject knowledge and subject specific teaching methods.

This is a major deliverable under the theme of ‘promoting teaching excellence in all London schools’, alongside London Schools Gold Club and the London Curriculum, within my Education Programme. The Fund will accept further applications to Round 2 in the autumn.

Mayor’s Academies Limited

I have approved the Mayor’s Academies Limited’s resolution to resign its membership of the London Academies Enterprise Trust.

Olympic and Paralympic Legacy and Sport

Boost to London 2012 Legacy with UK’s largest ski facility in Stratford

On 25 July, after joint working, I welcomed ambitious plans by Westfield to build the UK's largest indoor ski facility in Stratford, East London.

Westfield Stratford City will submit a planning application to LLDC by the end of the summer for a major leisure attraction on land adjacent to its retail operations, to include London's first indoor ski facility. The new ski centre would be more than double size of other similar UK centres and be comparable with Ski Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The planning application is also expected to include retail, hotel and restaurant opportunities.

The LLDC and I have also announced multi-million pound contracts to convert the Olympic Stadium, securing its long-term, multi-purpose use. The E20 Stadium Partnership - set up between the LLDC and Newham Council - has awarded a series of major contracts, with Balfour Beatty Group Limited delivering a £41 million contract to carry out works on the stadium roof. This will help convert it into an all-round multi-use venue and deliver a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy in east London.

Olympic Stadium

On 23 July, a historic deal was signed to ensure that the Olympic Stadium will be the new home of grassroots athletics in the UK. UKA will have use of the Stadium from the last Friday in June to the end of July each year under a 50 year agreement, starting from 2016, when the stadium will be fully operational following its legacy transformation.

UKA will hold its annual London Diamond League meetings at the Stadium and in 2017 the Stadium will host the IAAF World Athletics Championships and IPC Athletics World Championships - the first time these prestigious global events have been staged in the same venue in the same year.

The Stadium will also be used for other sporting, cultural and community events, including the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

North Park and Copper Box opening

On 29 July, the first areas of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park were opened to the public.

Over 23,000 people visited the North Park in its first week of opening to experience the parklands and the brand new Timber Lodge, a new community and events space including the Unity Kitchen Café, and Tumbling Bay playground.

The Copper Box Arena, the first 2012 venue to open to the public, has now had over 10,000 visits since it opened on the 27 July. Approximately 6,000 people enjoyed the first major event to take place at the Copper Box when Great Britain men’s basketball team took on Puerto Rico. Over 5,000 watched the first home match to be played by the London Lions at the Copper Box against Iowa University on Wednesday 14 August.

The venue is establishing itself as a community venue with 200 people joining its new gym in the first week alone. Operators GLL are well on their way to a target of 1,500 gym members and 400,000 visits per year.

RideLondon

On 3–4 August, London hosted Prudential RideLondon; a two day cycling festival spread across the streets of London and Surrey. The weekend was an enormous success, with over 70,000 participants for FreeCycle and 16,000 riders for the Prudential RideLondon - Surrey 100.

Prudential RideLondon was largest inaugural mass participation cycling event ever to be held, encompassing four individual events spread across the two days. Prudential RideLondon also capitalised on the incredible achievements of Team GB’s Olympic cyclists and Paralympics GB’s hand cyclists through the RideLondon GrandPrix and the RideLondon-Surrey Classic.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park hosted the start of the Prudential RideLondon - Surrey 100 which raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities and good causes. I and members of my team took part in the 100 mile race to raise money for the Mayor's Fund for London, the Mayor's Fund for Young Musicians and The Legacy List.

I look forward to welcoming back RideLondon on 9-10 August 2014 and believe the event will soon become an integral part of our city’s sporting events calendar.

Summer events series on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

On 30 June, the Hard Rock Calling music festival marked the start of the Summer Series of events taking place in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The public’s appetite to visit the Park and venues has been enthusiastic, with around three quarters of a million people visiting to date, to see events including the Wireless Festival, Mumford & Sons, Electric Daisy Carnival, Open East Festival and the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games and Lollibop children’s festival. Along with thousands of others, I watched Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill, David Weir and others compete over three days of elite athletics.

These events have helped to boost awareness of developments on the Park and re-capture the Olympic and Paralympic spirit in the run up to and during the anniversary of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, whilst also enabling hundreds of thousands of people to experience the Park before it fully re-opens in spring 2014.

London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games Legacy Reception

On the 24 July, I hosted a reception at the Guildhall with the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor of the City of London Alderman Roger Gifford to celebrate the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games and the start of the London Anniversary Games. I was delighted to welcome Olympians, Paralympians and a number of business leaders, along with key players involved with organising the Games and supporting the continued delivery of Olympic and Paralympic legacy.

Sporting legacy and east London regeneration

On 25 July, I hosted an international media press conference organised by London & Partners in London’s Living Room at City Hall. I chaired a panel session with the Rt Hon. Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and Tourism, Lord Deighton, Anna Watkins (Olympic gold medallist) and Martine Wright (Paralympian). The event was targeted at International media and their interest was primarily in the sporting legacy and east London regeneration.

Housing in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

On 24 July, I announced plans to accelerate by six years the development of 1,600 new homes within two new neighbourhoods in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Chobham Manor, the first neighbourhood on the Park with 850 homes, is set to receive its first residents by 2015. The Legacy Corporation will now speed up the creation of the East Wick and Sweetwater neighbourhoods to include 1,600 homes completed and fully occupied by 2023, rather than 2029 as originally planned. Homes in the East Wick neighbourhood would be ready first with residents moving in from 2016.

Olympic & Paralympic Legacy Cabinet Committee

On 9 July, Neale Coleman, my Advisor for Olympic and Paralympic Legacy, attended the Olympic & Paralympic Legacy Cabinet Committee on my behalf. The agenda focused primarily on the publication of the Government and my joint legacy publication – ‘Inspired by 2012: the legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ as well as one year anniversary events and media activity.

Mayor’s Fund for London – Look and Feel auction programme

I have approved the transfer in ownership of ‘Look and Feel’ assets to the Mayor’s Fund for London to be included in a charity auction programme.

Crystal Palace – National Sports Centre Contract extension

I have approved the extension of the contract under which Greenwich Leisure Limited provides leisure management services to GLA Land and Property Limited for a further two years, expiring 31 March 2016 (with a nil management fee).

I have approved a related exemption from the requirements of section 3.6 of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and expenditure of £610,000 in order to carry out essential maintenance work at the National Sports Centre in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Mayor of Toronto’s Cricket Team Visit

On 24 July my Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick hosted the Mayor of Toronto’s Cricket Team at City Hall.

Culture and Events

Young musicians battle it out to be named best in London

On 18 July, musician Robbie Boyd played an intimate gig at the top of The 02, becoming the first British musician to perform at the summit of the iconic structure. The exclusive performance launches the live phase of Gigs Big Busk 2013, which is one of the biggest music competitions in the UK.

Gigs gives young Londoners aged 11-25 the chance to gain exposure and performing experience. They have been playing at a variety of locations, including the London Underground, mainline railway stations, St Paul's Cathedral, The O2, Westfield London W12 and in Green Park when the Prudential RideLondon cycling event took place.

This year's competition attracted over 1,800 entries, more than three times as many as in 2012 and the biggest number in the competition's history. Soloists, groups and choirs entered, covering a variety of styles, from pop to classical and country to hip hop.

Eid Fesitval in Trafalgar Square

On 17 August, approximately 15,000 Londoners celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr at the Mayor of London’s festival in Trafalgar Square.

This free event, marking the end of the holy month of fasting, welcomed people from all communities and faiths with exhibitions and activities for the whole family to enjoy, including stage entertainment, arts and crafts, henna and face painting. For the first time there was a food festival, which offered people the opportunity to sample delicacies from across the Islamic world, including Turkey, Lebanon, India and Morocco. There were also live performances from Nasheed artists such as Saif Adam and Suhail Ahmed and singers Jasraj Joshi and Tariq Khan.

Notting Hill Carnival

On 25 and 26 August, I again supported London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the largest free street festival of its kind in Europe. This fantastic event featured a broad range of music including masquerade bands, steel pans, soca and calypso.

As well as the children’s parade, the Grand Finale showcased a sea of vibrant colours as 60 bands in magnificent costumes danced to the tantalizing rhythms of the mobile sound systems. Around 1 million people attended the event, bringing the streets of Notting Hill alive with the sounds and tastes of the Caribbean. Notting Hill Carnival is one of the capital’s most important cultural events and is a key event in supporting tourism in London.

Get Reading

On 13 August, I supported the Evening Standard’s free ‘Get Reading’ event on Trafalgar Square, which featured famous authors and celebrities reading stories. ‘Get London Reading’, launched two years ago to help struggling readers, has so far raised £1 million, including £500,000 from the Mayor’s Fund for London. The cash supports almost 700 reading volunteers that help more than 2,000 children across 147 London primary schools.

Thankful Villages Run 2013

On 30 July, my Deputy Mayor, Victoria Borwick, attended and supported the Thankful Villages Run 2013 at Horse Guards Parade. The national campaign raises monies for ‘Help for Heroes’ and the Royal British Legion.

Volunteering

London reaps the benefits of lasting volunteering legacy

Many of the Team London Ambassadors, Gamesmakers and other 2012 volunteers were reunited on 19 July a year on from the start of the Games, at ‘Go Local’, an event celebrating volunteering at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, organised by Team London and the national volunteering charity Join In. I returned to the Park with Lord Coe, London 2012 medallists and

sporting heroes to recognise the valuable contribution volunteers make in their local community and inspire more people to get involved.

The Games inspired a legion of new volunteers, reversing a seven year decline, with 91 per cent of Londoners believing volunteering plays an important role in bringing communities together and improving quality of life.

ICM Research commissioned by my office has shown the Games motivated 42 per cent of people to volunteer for the first time or more often. More than 68 per cent of Londoners have been involved in some form of volunteering over the last 12 months, with 86 per cent feeling that volunteering plays an important role in helping people to develop skills for work.

Team London Ambassadors

The Team London Ambassadors hit the streets of the capital again this summer with the return of the Visitor Welcome programme, which proved a big hit with tourists during the London 2012 Games.

Up to 800 specially trained volunteers will have responsibility for assisting visitors and Londoners out sightseeing at 11 famous landmarks, visitor hot spots and travel hubs.

My Team London volunteering programme has also seen Ambassadors placed in London schools to inspire young people to volunteer. In addition, unemployed young people are being recruited as volunteers at major sporting and cultural events throughout 2013.

GLA Organisation, Budget, Finance and Appointments

Breast Cancer Ambassador for London

On 9 July, I announced that award-winning fashion designer Zandra Rhodes CBE is to be my Breast Cancer Ambassador for London.

In her new role she will help me raise awareness of the disease, encouraging women to check and seek advice if they see anything unusual or have any concerns. We will also promote London as a leading centre for research into breast cancer and its treatment.

Fifth London Safety Plan and LFEPA budget for 2014-15

I have agreed to direct LFEPA in relation to its Fifth London Safety Plan 2013-2016.

Revised terms of appointment for Chair of the London Food Board

I have approved the revised terms of appointment for the Chair of the London Food Board to allow for a maximum of £54,000 per annum.

Audit reports presented to July 2013 Audit Panel

I have noted the contents of the nine internal audit reports presented to the 16 July 2013 meeting of the London Assembly’s Audit Panel.

GLA Outturn 2012-13

I have approved the transfers to and from reserves set out in the report summarising the 2012- 13 GLA Outturn.

Planning and Development Control

Redevelopment in Earls Court and West Kensington

On 3 July, I approved plans for major redevelopment in Earls Court and West Kensington. The plans for the 32 hectare site will see the development of more than 6,700 homes and a raft of infrastructure and public realm improvements over a 20 year construction period. It is expected that the scheme could generate 36,000 jobs in construction as well as a further 9,000 to 10,000 permanent jobs in the longer term.

The scheme will see development for a wide range of residential, commercial and retail use, including new offices, hotels, a new school, health centre, sports and leisure facilities, a new park and public squares. It will also deliver a range of improvements to public transport links, including at Earls Court, West Kensington and West Brompton tube stations.

Green light for Greenwich Penisula creating jobs and homes

On 13 August, I announced significant progress in one of London’s largest residential schemes, creating thousands of new homes and jobs for south east London.

The final stage of planning consent, to build almost 3,000 homes on the 190 acre Greenwich Peninsula site, the majority of which is owned by the GLA, has now been secured by development partner Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Ltd (GPRL), a joint venture between Knight Dragon and Quintain. Construction work on the southern quarter of the site will begin by the end of the summer to deliver the next phase of residential development, comprising 704 homes. It is anticipated that a further 850 homes will start on site in March 2014, subject to planning.

The next phase of development in the southern quarter of the Greenwich Peninsula site further marks a commitment to the provision of affordable homes, with 325 social rented and intermediate homes coming forward as part of the proposals. The overall development will eventually deliver around 10,000 new homes – including approximately 3270 affordable homes for rent or part-rent – along with 600 student beds, and 3.5 million sq ft of commercial floorspace transforming what was an old gas works into a major new residential, business and leisure district.

Since the Greater London Authority became the largest public land owner in the capital last year I have negotiated similar deals on sites including the Royal Albert Docks, Silvertown Quays and the former Catford stadium, providing a total economic benefit of £3.5 billion.

Have your say on the development of Euston

On 5 August, I urged residents and businesses to have their say over plans for the future redevelopment of Euston station and the wider surrounding area.

In response to the current proposal from Government for a new High Speed rail link from London to the Midlands – known as HS2 – the ‘Euston Area Plan’ is being prepared to help shape development in this part of the capital over the next 15 to 20 years.

The plan is being prepared jointly by the GLA, Camden Council and TfL, with the key aims of minimising the impact of the proposed HS2 project, which Camden Council are opposing, and to realise the huge economic potential of Euston and the surrounding area.

There will be opportunities to comment on the emerging plan throughout its production, details of which and more information on the project can be found at: www.eustonareaplan.info. The consultation runs until 7 October.

Planning Decisions (Stage II referrals)

Land Bounded by West Cromwell Road, Warwick Road, Philbeach Gardens, Eardley Crescent, Lillie Road, Old Brompton Road and the railway lines, LB Hammersmith & Fulham and RB Kensington & Chelsea I have written to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Earls Court 2 Exhibition Centre, Lillie Bridge Rail Depot, West Kensington and Gibbs Green Housing Estates, LB Hammersmith & Fulham and RB Kensington & Chelsea I have written to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

66 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, City of Westminster I have written to the City of Westminster stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Site at Romford Ice Rink, LB Havering I have written to the London Borough of Havering stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Car Park associated with Chaucer House, LB Havering I have written to the London Borough of Havering stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Dollis Valley Estate including Barnet Hill School, LB Barnet I have written to the London Borough of Barnet stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Hanworth Rectory, Feltham, LB Hounslow I have written to the London Borough of Hounslow stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

HMP Thameside, RB Greenwich I have written to the Royal Borough of Greenwich stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Kings Reach Tower, LB Southwark I have written to the London Borough of Southwark stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Peninsular Quays, PlotsNO601, NO602, NO607, NO608, NO504, NO5, RB Greenwich I have written to the Royal Borough of Greenwich stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Copthall School, LB Barnet I have written to the London Borough of Barnet stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Portland House, City of Westminster I have written to the City of Westminster stating that I am content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Holy Trinity Power School, Dalston, LB Hackney I have written to the London Borough of Hackney stating that I will act as the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the planning application.

Southwark Free School, 355 Rotherhithe New Road, LB Southwark I have written to the London Borough of Southwark stating that I will act as the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the planning application.

Delegated Planning Decisions (Stage II referrals)

The Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, under powers I delegated to him, has sent letters in response to the following statutory referrals:

Former North Westminster Community School, City of Westminster The Deputy Mayor has written to the City of Westminster stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Shell Centre, LB Lambeth The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Lambeth stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Former Colindale Hospital Site, LB Barnet The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Barnet stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Wood Dene, LB Southwark The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Southwark stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Sutton Point, LB Sutton The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Sutton stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Land adjacent to Langdon Park Station, LB Tower Hamlets The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Waldegrave School, Twickenham, LB Richmond upon Thames The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

St Lukes Woodside Hospital, LB Haringey The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Haringey stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Smithfield Quarter, City of London The Deputy Mayor has written to the City of London stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Former Ram Brewery Site, LB Wandsworth The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Wandsworth stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

West Hendon Regeneration, LB Barnet The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Barnet stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Former Powergen Site, LB Hillingdon The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Hillingdon stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Woodcote Grove House, LB Sutton The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Sutton stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

632-652 London Road, LB Hounslow The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Hounslow stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Park Plaza12-18 Albert Embankment, LB Lambeth The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Lambeth stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Faircharm Trading Estate, LB Lewisham The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Lewisham stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Beddington Farmlands Waste Management Facility, LB Sutton The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Sutton stating that he is content to allow the Council to determine the application itself.

Planning Decisions (Stage I referrals)

I have asked officers to send letters giving comments about the following stage one referrals:

 Convoy’s Wharf, LB Lewisham  South Bank Tower, LB Lewisham

 Clearings 1&2 Draycott Avenue and RBKC Depot and Marlborough Primary School, RB Kensington & Chelsea Site  CarltonHouse, LB Wandsworth  Royal Botanic Gardens, LB Richmond upon Thames  Former Arla Depot, LB Borough Hillingdon  South of Ballinger Way and East of Broadmead Road, LB Hillingdon  Land to rear of Love Lane and land to side of Harrington Road, LB Croydon  Former Mulberry Business Park, LB Southwark  Paragon Heights, Ilford Hill, LB Redbridge  Hogarth Business Park, LB Hounslow  Monier Road, E3, London Legacy Development Corporation  Heron Quays West, LB Tower Hamlets  575 North End Road, LB Brent  Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, LB Bexley  Brentford Community Centre, LB Hounslow  Western District Office, Rathbone Place, City of Westminster  Reed House, 82-84 Piccadilly, City of Westminster  Former News International Site, LB Tower Hamlets  27-29 Albert Embankment, LB Lambeth  Battersea Power Station, LB Wandsworth  Olympic Office Centre, LB Brent  Former BBC Television Centre, LB Hammersmith and Fulham  Old Coal Depot, Yiewsley, LB Hillingdon  Land between Sweets Way and Oakleigh Road North, LB Barnet  Salesian College, LB Wandsworth  Tollgate Gardens, Kilburn, City of Westminster  Land at Great Eastern Road (Stratford City Zone 1), London Legacy Development Corporation  251-258 Tottenham Court Road, LB Camden  1-9 Lillie Road, LB Hammersmith and Fulham  Copley Close Estate, Hanwell, LB Ealing  Land off Millennium Way, PlotMO401, Greenwich Peninsular, RB Greenwich

Opportunity Areas

I have adopted the following Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks:

 Upper Lea Valley Opportunity Area Planning Framework – adoption

Stopping up Orders

The Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, under powers I delegated to him, has sent letters in response to the following statutory referrals:

Land at Sedan Way, LB Southwark The Deputy Mayor has written to the London Borough of Southwark stating that with regard to the special circumstances of this case, it is unnecessary to hold a public enquiry.

Decisions made under delegation to Assistant Director - Planning

 15 Stockwell Green, LB Wandsworth  St Georges Hotel, City of Westminster  Westminster City Council Local Development Framework – NPPF Revision to Wesminster’s Core Strategy  St George’s Hospital, LB Wandsworth  Former Alfa Laval Site, LB Hounslow  Land at Plot N0202, Greenwich Peninsular, RB Greenwich  Waltham Forest Council Development Management Policies Document Proposed Modifications: Post Examination Consultation  Southwark Council Local Development Framework: Canada Water Area Action Plan Review – Consultation on preferred option  Dagenham Dock (Pinnicle Terminal) Thunderer Road, LB Barking & Dagenham  Former Palace of Arts and Palace of Industry Site, LB Brent  Cannon Bridge House, 24 Dowgate Hill, City of London  Kings College Hospital, LB Lambeth  Land adjacent to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, LB Lambeth  Charles House, RB Kensington & Chelsea  KSS3 Oakend and Shops Woodberry Grove, LB Hackney  Land at Royal Mint, LB Tower Hamlets  Perks Field, RB Kensington & Chelsea  Hounslow Local Plan – Consultation on Policy Options for the Local Plan

Key Engagements

Among my additional engagements since my last report were the following:

 I visited the Battersea Power Station Development Site alongside the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 4 July  I met with Sir Peter Hendy, Transport Commissioner on 4 July  I had my regular meeting with representatives of the Taxi Trade on 4 July  I hosted drinks for the members of the London Finance Commission on 4 July  I attended the opening of the Emirates Aviation Experience at the Cable Car on 5 July  I met with Ron Dobson, the London Fire Commissioner, on 5 July to discuss progress with the Fifth London Safety Plan  I attended the Rolling Stones concert on 6 July  I met with various Mayors attending the International Policing Conference on 8 July  I addressed the International Policing Conference at City Hall on 8 July  I had my regular meeting with Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, on 8 July  I attended the International Policing Conference Reception on 8 July  I attended the Congress of Leaders on 9 July  I appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee on 9 July  I attended the Policy Exchange Summer Reception on 9 July

 I attended the launch of the Mayor’s Roads Task Force Report at the Elephant and Castle on 10 July  I chaired my regular planning decisions meeting on 10 July  I attended the Royal Parks Summer Reception on 10 July  I attended a joint visit with the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, to promote the School Food Plan and the London Food Board on 11 July  I attended the MOPAC Challenge on 11 July  I had my regular meeting with Transport for London on 11 July  I met with Chris Gibson Smith, London Stock Exchange, on 11 July to discuss aviation  I attended a dinner hosted by Sid Khanna, Chairman of India Equity Partners, on 11 July  I attended the funeral of Fusilier Lee Rigby at Bury Parish Church, Bury on 12 July  I held an aviation press conference on 15 July  I met with Elizabeth Truss MP, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Education & Childcare, on 15 July to discuss childcare issues  I attended the Beyond London 2012 Awards Ceremony on 15 July  I had breakfast with Anthony Browne, British Bankers’ Association, on 16 July  I met students from the Malcolm Arnold Academy on 16 July  I chaired my Legacy Advisory Group on 16 July  I had my regular meeting with Dennis Hone, London Legacy Development Corporation, on 16 July  I attended the DLA Piper Summer Reception on 16 July  I attended Mayor’s Question Time on 17 July  I attended the Global Medical Conference Reception on 17 July  I attended the London Civic Forum 25th Anniversary Reception on 17 July  I held my regular “Ask Boris” Twitter session on 18 July  I had my regular meeting with Transport for London on 18 July  I met with Stuart Osborne on 18 July to discuss policing and security  I attended the Ashes Test Match at Lords on 19 July  I attended the Olympic Legacy ‘Join In’ event alongside the Prime Minister at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 19 July  I visited Belvedere Park and Bexleyheath on 22 July  I had lunch with Michael Arthur, UCL, on 22 July  I addressed the British Bankers’ Association Annual Dinner on 22 July  I had dinner with the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, on 22 July  I attended an Honours and Awards ceremony at RAF Northolt on 23 July  I chaired the London Legacy Development Corporation Board Meeting on 23 July  I met with the Associated Press Board of Editors on 23 July  I attended the Bureau of Leaders on 23 July  I attended the Assembly Plenary on 24 July to answer questions on my 2020 Vision  I chaired the London Enterprise Panel on 24 July  I met with Cllr Keith Prince, Leader of the LB of Redbridge on 24 July to discuss borough issues  I met with Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority on 24 July to discuss Olympic Legacy  I attended the Olympic Anniversary Reception at the Guildhall on 24 July

 I attended the unveiling of the new art installation on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square on 25 July  I attended the Legacy Press Conference on 25 July  I met with James Cleverly AM, Chair of LFEPA, & Ron Dobson, London Fire Commissioner, on 25 July to discuss progress with the Fifth London Safety Plan  I had my regular meeting with Mark Boleat, the City of London Corporation, on 25 July  I had my regular meeting with Craig Mackey, the Deputy Police Commissioner, on 25 July  I attended the Olympic Anniversary Games on 26, 27 and 28 July  I had lunch with Sir Nigel Rudd and Colin Matthews, Heathrow, on 29 July  I visited DP World London Gateway on 30 July  I had my regular meeting with Dame Ruth Carnall on 30 July  I had my regular meeting with Paulette Rowe, Chair of the Mayor’s Fund, on 30 July  I attended the RideLondon Press event on 31 July  I had lunch with David Dismore, Editor of the Sun, on 31 July  I chaired my regular planning decisions meeting on 31 July  I met with Sir Terry Farrell on 31 July to discuss aviation  I visited the Lendlease development site in Elephant & Castle on 1 August  I met with David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science, on 1 August to discuss higher education in London  I had an introductory meeting with Mark Carney, the new Governor of the Bank of England, on 1 August  I visited Walthamstow with the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP on 2 August to look at progress in LB Waltham Forest targeting gang crime  I took part in RideLondon on 4 August  I met with Sir William Castell, Chair of the Wellcome Trust, on 5 August to discuss London and the knowledge economy  I had my regular meeting with Transport for London on 5 August  I had my regular meeting with Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, on 5 August  I held my regular “Ask Boris” Twitter session on 6 August  I visited the Royal London Hospital to see the work of the London Air Ambulance on 6 August  I had my regular meeting with Gordon Innes, L&P, on 6 August  I had dinner with the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 6 August  I visited the King Cross Station Development Worksite on 7 August  I met with Sir David Higgins, Network Rail, on 7 August to discuss rail service in London

Ends