London 2030: An optimist’s vision of the next urban renaissance April 1, 2014 LONDON faces acute problems of growth. We are building barely a third as many new homes as we need. Yet there is no credible plan for the other two-thirds. In 17 boroughs, the average rent is more than half the average wage, and the typical first time buyer is 32. Peak congestion is unbearable across [...]
Crossrail extends to reading March 28, 2014 LONDON’S new east-west railway will run to Reading, the Department for Transport announced yesterday, giving the Berkshire town more direct links to the capital. Crossrail, which opens fully in 2019, was originally intended to terminate at Maidenhead, but will now take in two extra stops in the west.
Letters to the Editor – 28/03 – Crossrail 2, Virtual future, Best of Twitter March 28, 2014 Crossrail 2 [Re: London will come to a standstill if we delay Crossrail 2, yesterday] Far from demonstrating a lack of political will on Crossrail 2, the mayor has long been the driving force behind getting this vital project moving. He strongly believes it is critical to boosting capacity and galvanising economic growth, which is [...]
Celebrating the art of living March 28, 2014 Here are some of the public artworks commissioned by property developers to inspire Londoners at home THE TOWER AT SAFFRON SQUARE, CROYDONThis 43-storey skyscraper in Croydon is set to grace London’s skyline in 2016. Residents can expect “five-star hotel living” set against arty interior design. The architecture of the building is inspired by the iconic [...]
New public square proves west London is blooming March 28, 2014 Homes set among spectacular public gardens by a Chelsea Flower Show medallist go on sale at Earl’s Court THE affluence of prime west London is migrating outwards to Earl’s Court where developers are hoping to establish a new Chelsea. Over 800 new homes went on sale yesterday at Lillie Square, the first phase of a [...]
10 things you never knew about Elephant & Castle March 28, 2014 1 Elephant & Castle gets its name from a long-since-gone pub popular with ivory merchants in the 18th century. The area began life as two villages, Walworth and Newington, which were set among market gardens and fields. 2 Elephant & Castle used to be referred to as the “Piccadilly Circus” of South London because of [...]
London will come to a standstill if we delay Crossrail 2 March 26, 2014 LONDON will start grinding to a halt if Crossrail 2 – the proposed new north-south rail line for the capital – isn’t built by 2030. That’s why London First, the business promotion body, has recommended a firm plan for Crossrail 2, including significant property developer contributions so that London could directly pay for a large [...]
These numbers show why commuting in London isn’t as bad as you think March 26, 2014 Some comforting news for those of us who live in the Big Smoke. Londoners have the shortest commute to work in the country – travelling an average of just 11km to get to work. According to new data from the Office for National Statistics, which compares 2001 census numbers against those from 2011, when the [...]
Tube closure means you probably shouldn’t plan any trips to Uxbridge this summer March 24, 2014 Good news: Transport for London has found a way to cut down on weekend Tube closures this summer.Bad news: This means parts of the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are going to be shut down for three and a half weeks. Between 19 July and 10 August, the two lines on the Uxbridge branch will be [...]
Budget at a glance: Osborne’s plans for Britain’s economy March 19, 2014 As growth bounces back, the focus turns to reforming savings THE ECONOMY UK growth for this year is now expected to be 2.7 per cent, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said yesterday – up from its previous estimate, made in December, of 2.4 per cent GDP expansion. A year ago the OBR expected growth [...]