London can solve its housing crisis – if the public sector stops sitting on land November 5, 2014 THERE is a wonderful description of London from 1622, written by the pamphleteer Donald Lupton. He evokes the “Great Beehive”, “swarming” with people, the capital “a glutton that desires always to be full”. Now the largest city in Europe, Lupton’s characterisation of 400 years ago will be one that many Londoners recognise today. Of course, [...]
How many hours do you waste on the Tube? Millions every month… November 3, 2014 Has it ever felt like you are wasting your life away on public transport? Turns out that feeling might not be too far from the mark. Official figures show that Londoners lost a total of 7.1m hours on the Tube in the second quarter of this year – that's 47 per cent up on [...]
Check out Transport for London’s snazzy new uniforms for tube staff, designed by Wayne Hemingway November 3, 2014 Transport for London (TfL) has updated uniform for London Underground staff. They're pretty snazzy. The uniforms, designed by Wayne Hemingway, are the first update in a decade – and are also the first time there has been a uniform "specially tailored" for female staff. Hemingway said the experience had "challenged us all". The "various mix [...]
Businesses expect UK energy infrastructure to worsen as political uncertainty discourages investment November 3, 2014 British businesses see politicians as more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to improving the UK’s infrastructure, with the vast majority wanting power to be transferred to an independent commission. Two separate surveys published this morning show business leaders slamming Westminster over the state of Britain’s transport and energy capacities. A poll [...]
New c2c Smart card: The only way is Oyster, as Essex commuters tap in November 3, 2014 Thousands of commuters based in Essex will benefit from Oyster-style travel cards on trains from today. The c2c Smart card will allow c2c season ticket holders to “tap and go,” for journeys into London’s Fenchurch Street, as well as outside the capital, speeding up the commuting process and making season tickets more secure. [...]
Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye wants the City to speak up for airport expansion November 3, 2014 For most of us, airports are a necessary headache a couple of times a year. For others, they are the root of all evil. Which is probably why the debate over airport expansion has rumbled on for so long and become one of the most divisive in modern British politics. Somehow along the way, the [...]
Bow, Tower Hamlets: All you need to know about London’s new eastern hotspot October 30, 2014 Everyone knows how well Hackney is doing in the property stakes, with house price increases outstripping any other borough in London over the last 12 months. But how about its neighbour Tower Hamlets? As a borough, it’s building more new homes than any other in the country. Bromley-by-Bow, in particular, has been popular with [...]
Merchants Walk in east London: Affordable house prices, yet very commutable October 30, 2014 As the fringes of the City soar in both popularity and price, first-time buyers and young professionals on modest incomes are looking to move a bit further afield. In this case “further afield” means 15 minutes away by Tube. Bow in Tower Hamlets, east London, has seen a spurt in popularity as a result, [...]
Leigh and Spall turn on the style October 30, 2014 FILM MR TURNER Cert 12a | By Alex Dudok de Wit ★★★★★ François Truffaut once suggested that there’s something about England’s countryside – “The subdued way of life, the stolid routine” – that’s “anti-cinematic”. If only he’d lived to see Mike Leigh’s latest movie, which is about all of these things and yet is a [...]
Battersea Power Station wins £1.35bn finance deal to fund new development and build Electric Boulevard high street October 28, 2014 Battersea Power Station has secured one of the biggest UK real estate finance deals in recent memory, after a £1.35bn fund was agreed yesterday. The deal represents £750m to fund the development of the power station building on the banks of the river Thames and £600m to build London’s newest high street, Electric Boulevard, in [...]