All London Uber drivers will now have to prove their English skills October 17, 2016 All Uber drivers in London will now have to prove they have the required level of English to get a license to operate in the capital, in new rules set down by Transport for London. Anyone wanting to become a driver for the billion-dollar startup, or any other minicab firm in the capital, will have to [...]
Focus On Holloway: How the area went from “no-go area” to a thriving hotspot for independent businesses October 17, 2016 Holloway may be one of the oldest neighbourhoods in north London, but it hasn’t always been popular. Londoners who weren’t Arsenal fans might only pass through to get on to the M1 and its infamous women’s prison on Parkhurst Road hardly does wonders for its reputation. For a long time, its only cultural claim to [...]
Half of London businesses say it’s time to look again at the Green Belt for housing October 17, 2016 Almost half of London's business leaders say the government must re-evaluate the use of Green Belt land for housing. In a new survey commissioned by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 47 per cent of the city's business decision makers said poor quality Green Belt land could be used to foster new development. The [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan has taken an axe to his plan to plant more than 2m trees by 2020 October 13, 2016 London mayor Sadiq Khan has quietly axed his own election pledge of planting 2m trees across the city in his first term in office. Khan made the vow as part of his plans to make London a more environmentally friendly with a package of measures including the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. However, his deputy mayor for [...]
Advertising spend forecast increased, showing companies have “held their nerve in the face of Brexit uncertainty” October 12, 2016 A closely-watched report has forecast advertising spend in the UK will increase by 1.9 per cent in 2016, up from a previous estimate of a 0.2 per cent fall. The IPA’s Bellwether Report suggested that its forecast revision shows marketers “have held their nerve in the face of Brexit uncertainty”. Read more: TfL awards Outdoor Plus [...]
London Chamber of Commerce warns a “dramatic rethink” is needed on London traffic October 12, 2016 The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said a “dramatic rethink” is needed when it comes to London traffic and how it’s managed. It has made recommendations in a submission to the London Assembly's Transport Committee congestion investigation, noting the capital was fast approaching "mega-city status". It also warned congestion measures previously introduced – such as [...]
Spurs are doing an Arsenal as they look to rename White Hart Lane station October 12, 2016 Tottenham Hotspur wants to rename White Hart Lane station, which is fine with Transport for London (TfL), but apparently the club will have to shell out £12m to do so. The North London football club wants the London Overground station renamed Tottenham Hotspur station ahead of the opening of its new £400m stadium. It's not the [...]
TfL signs £17.6m advertising contract with Outdoor Plus October 11, 2016 Transport for London (TfL) has signed up Outdoor Plus as its advertising partner in a £17.6m contract to bring digital advertising screens across road underpasses in the capital. TfL said the network of roadside screens would generate at least £13m to reinvest in modernising the transport network over the next ten years. Initially, Outdoor Plus [...]
Every new house in Europe to have an electric vehicle charging point by 2019 October 11, 2016 Is the take-up of electric cars about to accelerate? A draft EU directive expected to be introduced by 2019 states that every new or refurbished house in Europe will need to be equipped with an electric vehicle recharging point. The guidelines due to be published by the end of the year will also state that ten per [...]
Government watchdog warns taxpayers stand to lose £22.5m should Garden Bridge project collapse October 11, 2016 The National Audit Office (NAO) has announced the findings of its investigation into the use of public funds to pay for one of Boris Johnson’s projects as London Mayor: the Garden Bridge. And it’s not impressed. Meg Hillier MP, chair of the committee of public accounts, said: “It worries me that whenever the Garden Bridge [...]