Green Party launches petition for more affordable public transport in London

 

 

The London Green Party has launched a petition for more affordable public transport in London:

 

The cost of public transport in London is higher than any other global major city.

 

We need the Mayor of London and Transport for London to urgently focus on reducing the cost of getting around our city. 

 

In the run up to the next Transport for London budget, we are asking the Mayor to prioritise measures to reduce costs of travel to help all Londoners with the cost of living.

 

We are calling on the mayor to:

• Freeze fares at current levels.
• Extend free bus travel to under-22s
• Make free travel available 24 hours a day for Freedom Pass holders.
• Offer free travel to all emergency services staff.
• Provide free bus travel for people seeking asylum

 

SIGN HERE  

Will the London Mayor's new London Plan guidance on Whole-Life Cycle Carbon Assessments and Circular Economy Statements help reduce carbon emissions?

 

The Mayor of London has issued new guidance which should help environmental campaigners in assessing Brent Council claims about the carbon impact of new developments and demolitions:

The Mayor of London has adopted two new pieces of London Plan Guidance (LPG), which set out the requirements for Whole Life-Cycle Carbon (WLC) Assessments and Circular Economy Statements. These apply to the largest developments in London that are referable to the Mayor, however, boroughs are encouraged to apply the policies for smaller developments. 

These support the Mayor’s priorities, such as a Green New Deal, and implementation of London Plan 2021 policies SI 2 Minimising greenhouse gas emissions and SI 7 Reducing waste and supporting the circular economy.

Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments

The WLC guidance requires developments to show how they have calculated and minimised the carbon emissions that come from the materials, construction, and the use of a building over its entire life, including its eventual demolition and disposal. It gives a true picture of a building’s carbon impact and encourages the retention and reuse of existing structures and materials.

Circular Economy Statements

The CES guidance puts circular economy principles at the heart of designing new buildings, requiring buildings that can more easily be dismantled and adapted over their lifetime. It treats building materials as resources rather than waste, and puts in place a clear hierarchy, prioritising the retention of existing structures above demolition, where this is the more sustainable and appropriate approach. 

 

·       Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments guidance https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/london-plan-guidance/whole-life-cycle-carbon-assessments-guidance

·       Circular Economy Statements guidance https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/london-plan-guidance-and-spgs/circular-economy-statement-guidance-consultation-draft

Free trees for Brent community groups

Trees on the King's Drive Estate in Wembley Park

From Brent Council

Community groups in Brent are being encouraged to apply for free tree packs to brighten up their local area.

In partnership with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) the Mayor of London is making available 25,000 trees for community groups, free of charge, to plant in their London neighbourhood.

To find out more and apply for a community tree pack, visit https://www.london.gov.uk/community-trees.

Advice from our Parks Service:

• Groups or interested residents should contact Brent through the parks service to discuss where they would like to plant the trees
• Trees can be planted on private land with the permission of the landowner, which may or may not be Brent Council
• To ensure a good spread of trees throughout the borough, we would encourage local groups to apply together and share a tree pack
• Not all trees will be suitable for all locations and trees on public land will be maintained by Brent Council, so make sure to get in touch to discuss

If you have any questions, please contact the Parks Service at brent.parks.services@brent.gov.uk

Brent Council hails Wednesday's Planning Committee decisions

This is Brent Council's press release which I am sure everyone will find really reassuring.

Plans for 4,850 new homes, a new school and student accommodation around Wembley Stadium have been given the green light.

The creation of 7,000 new jobs, new retail and leisure space as well as new community facilities and parking spaces around the national stadium all formed part of the planning applications, which were submitted by property developer Quintain. More than £80million will also be provided by Quintain to improve local infrastructure.

After listening to a number of representations about the proposals, including hearing speakers from The FA, the council's Planning Committee granted approval to the applications yesterday evening (May 11).

During the three and a half hour meeting, Members discussed in detail matters relating to transport, safety and design and found that, on balance, the plans should be granted approval subject to a number of conditions including ones to improve transport, safety and the exit of fans from the stadium.

A council spokesperson said:

"These plans mark the next phase in the regeneration of Wembley and will create much needed new homes, jobs, leisure and educational facilities around the iconic home of football.

"While these plans will help accelerate the transformation of Wembley, the committee did consider all representations in detail and these concerns have been taken on board with the series of additional conditions which were imposed."

"Safety always comes first and we are confident that the plans will ensure that fans and other visitors to the national stadium can continue to enjoy these facilities while providing the significant regeneration which the area needs."

Quintain's plans will now be subject to consideration by the Mayor of London.

To view details of the planning applications, see the Planning Committee report.

Brent Bikers & the Ballot Box: Hustings Wednesday 14th May in Wembley

Brent Cyclists, the local group of the London Cycling Campaign, are organising a public election hustings for candidates in the Brent Council elections, to take place at:

 

7pm on Wednesday 14 May at CVS Brent, 5 Rutherford Way, Wembley HA9 0BP

cycling.

London Cycling Campaign has been running a capital-wide campaign in the run-up to these elections, under the slogan “Space for Cycling”. Local campaigners have identified one change to the streets in every ward which would make their area better for cycling, and in the hustings Brent Cyclists will be asking candidates to respond to their local ward demands for Brent, and to the wider policy area of improving conditions for cycling and walking. The hustings will be open to the public, and it is hoped to have representatives from all the main parties there, as well as independent candidates.

 

Brent Cyclists Co-ordinator David Arditti said:

Our campaign is about making our streets more pleasant places for everyone. We need better streets in order to liberate the suppressed demand for cycling; most people say they would cycle if there was protected space for cycling, but the cycle lanes in Brent are very poor and give little protection, and the minor roads are generally hostile rat-runs full of parked and moving cars. 

 

The policies that we need are a combination of providing dedicated, protected space on main roads, removing through-traffic from minor roads, and providing routes through parks and open spaces. These policies would allow children to get to school by bike, allow the elderly and disabled to use electric bikes and powered wheelchairs easily, and everyone else to do the short journeys for which the bike is the most efficient option, in comfort and safety. Or town centres and shopping areas would also be improved and be helped to thrive by creating better cycle access. There is funding from the Mayor of London available, and now is the time for our local politicians to take a lead on providing for cycling.

The public can support our campaign, by emailing their council candidates through www.space4cycling.org

Willesden Green regeneration: 'Never mind the deadline, let's make a decision'

Brent Planning Committee is to consider the planning application for the Willesden Green Cultural Centre on February 13th despite the Public Inquiry for the Willesden Town Centre continuing until February 14th.  This is also the final date for submissions on the planning application.

The Council get over this little problem by recommending that the Committee (which is supposed to be independent of the Council) grant consent in principle and delegate the final decision to the Deputy Director of Planning and Development who will make the decision:

(a) taking into account any further representations received on or before the 14th February 2013;
(b) any direction by the Mayor of London to refuse the application. In accordance with Article 5 of the Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 following the Council’s determination of this application, the Mayor is allowed 14 days to decide whether to allow the draft decision to proceed unchanged or direct the Council under Article 6 to refuse the application;
(c) Satisfactory prior completion of a Section 106(s) under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 and/or other form(s) of agreement/undertaking in order to secure the S106 matters as detailed in this report

and for the conservation area consent:

 (b) any direction by the National Planning Casework Unit, the Secretary of State having considered the matter, to refuse the application

The planning application reports can be read on the Keep Willesden Green blog  HERE