Funding London’s priorities

So much is great about London, and I think a lot has improved in recent times,  so just a couple of thoughts below.

I think on housing, the term ‘affordable’ is misleading, as is ‘social’. More council flats or houses are needed, with low council rents. Developments are going up with nothing  ‘affordable’ in them, unless you’re a City banker or overseas investor.

So much focus has gone to cyclists over the last 25 years. Attention to pedestrians and wheelchair/ mobility scooter users would be welcome now. No to making people go through cycle lanes to get on a bus - selfish madness! 

 

London's single biggest problem is endemic lawlessness. It appears that everyone under 30 is devoid of any manners or consideration for other humans. Everyone in London thinks they are the most important person here and that no laws apply to them - cycling on pavements and through red lights, driving cars dangerously, at excessive speeds and with no clue about the width of their vehicle, generally down the centre of the carriageway, sounding their horn every 2 minutes or less, and even pedestrians oblivious to others, gorping endlessly at their phones, physically bumping into elderly or differently abled Londoners. Surely teaching respect for fellow humans and adherence to the law should be the Mayor's key priority? Hefty Fines for sitting in idling vehicles, littering and general ASB would boost his coffers quite a bit too!

The survey gives the impression that clean water/water pollution was part of the Mayors remit. Is that true? If it is then there is a duplication of responsibilities with Thames Water. The survey mentioned air pollution but surely when compared to cities like LA (where I have  lived) or Mumbai (where I would never live) you notice London is better. Not the best but better. The survey mentioned about trees...if more trees are planted ensure they do not make areas unsafe at night, ensure local authorities can afford to water and maintain them, and ensure they are in keeping with surroundings. The survey mentioned more electric charging points. Not sure how that is priority with a rapid rise in homelessness. 

I guess my top priority is for the Mayor to recognise that we are not his personal purse. We are not banks. 

Ok. So thanks to the Mayor, the council tax doubled. DOUBLED!!! This is after an increased the year before. My priority is what has he done with all the money that has taken from Londoners? Second priority is when will he ACTUALLY take crime in London seriously? He created a team, the team includes a former head of a local authority who did NOTHING  for crime in the borough. And I have seen one announcement from this team, that mentioned....youth clubs I think.....what a waste of time and money!!

Perhaps a focus on social issues that are forcing people into crime. Housing is a good example. Around the country, social housing has been forgotten. Not everyone wants to buy and not everyone is a student. Stop building anymore new housing and focus on social housing. Focus on building back communities - the very thing that has been ruined by said same former head of a local authority. Focus on having police on streets and in communities. Stop cycling on pavements,stop new cycle lanes, take out unsafe floating bus stops (please note I am a cyclist but some bits of infrastructure are so awful). And can we have local authorities that actually work!? If local government does not work then people suffer no matter what the Mayor or Central government does. 

Why can’t all bikes be legally required to have number plates? It would surely stop cyclists going through red lights, riding on pavements etc  as they could be caught and heavily fined

DO NOT PEDESTRIANISE OXFORD ST. As others have said this will kill the street off totally. There is a huge amount of evidence from other pedestrianised areas around the country that these areas die because of increasing crime and ASB. I regularly use the buses in Oxford st to move between shops. This will stop me going anywhere near them. The surrounding streets cannot cope with the increased congestion.

Sadly we know the Mayor is not listening and he thinks he knows best. Another politician ignoring the wishes of the residents. Even WCC does not want it.

TfL cycleways causing the usual congestion in my area, again the Mayor ignoring consultation that they were not wanted by the majority.

Increase the number of light rail extensions, whether DLR or London Tramlink. They are cheaper than heavy rail and are very good at getting people to switch from using cars. And they are always accessible, unlike buses that are not always able to carry wheelchair users.

Extend the Bakerloo Line, regenerate the Old Kent Road area. It's a very underdeveloped and it's in a great spot. I don't understand how it has been abandonded all those decades. Campaign to fund the extension.

Also, do something about those using ebikes and wearing balaclava regardless of the weather. Help the young generation by providing opportunities for everyone and apprenticeships.

Pedestrianise Oxford Street during the weekends and give incentives to club owners to return to central London.

DONT PEDESTRIANISE OXFORD STREET, I travel from Euston road/warren street to marble arch ever day.  The buses are always so crowded that people get left behind HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING TO TRAVEL?? Lots are too old, disabled, shoppers with big bags etc etc for whom the tube is no suitable let alone having to change tubes 

There’s a constant push to “just build more homes” in London, but that ignores one of the biggest drivers of demand... population growth fuelled by migration into the city. According to ONS and GLA data, net international migration into London has been adding well over 100,000 people a year in recent periods. At the same time, London has only been delivering around 28,000 new homes annually. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see the imbalance.

A large share of new arrivals enter directly into the private rented sector, which is already under immense pressure. Research from the LSE also shows that migrants initially rely more heavily on rental housing before their long-term housing patterns settle. This means that demand rises instantly, while supply takes years to catch up. By the time new homes are built, the population has already grown again! pushing the shortage right back to where it started.

London’s infrastructure is also stretched: transport, schools, social services, even basic GP availability. Every year of rapid population growth compounds these pressures. Building more homes without addressing the pace of migration is like pouring water into a bucket with a hole in the bottom. You can keep adding more, but you’ll never stabilise the level.

None of this is about blaming individuals. It’s about recognising that policy has to match reality. If London wants sustainable housing, infrastructure that isn’t collapsing, and a market that people can actually afford to live in, then population growth has to be part of the conversation. Otherwise, we’ll keep treating symptoms while ignoring one of the core structural causes.

All this petty crime and it seems nothing much happening about. Is there anything being done done? I don’t know . Wearing masks. We’re not in covid now. E-bikes are dangerous they are not being used properly.

Disabled bays are there for a purpose. But lots of people park in them without a blue badge. Yesterday 5 spaces in car park out side shops. Not one having blue badge. Driver got really annoyed when I pointed out. Why aren’t these people fined etc?

The trouble is pretty well all of the Mayor's priorities are indeed important. But  in order of importance I would put crime, important though it is, after housing and transport.

The sheer volume of very central, low density council housing is ridiculous given the lack of housing. Anything 2 stories or less in zone 1 has got to be demolished and replaced by 6 stories minimum, with a mix of social and private housing. The social housing should prioritise key workers and be partially subsidised by the increased private housing in the development. We are missing millions of homes so to waste land on council owned low density housing in zone 1 is doing the people on the wait list for social housing a massive disservice. 

I don't support illegal immigration for housing but for our British homeless like our veterans but I do think that that crime should be prioritised and get proper coppers on our streets that will actually do a real job and and not turn a blind eye and investigate the crime that is going on and turning up and be respectful to victims and be honest for once which they are not and there will be a lot of people that don't trust the police they are useless criminals them selves 

London is becoming increasingly unsafe to travel at night and when it gets dark in winter. There should be bobbies on the beat all over London especially where people gather for social activities to be a deterrent against violent behaviour by people in general. 

The Mayor's urgent priority must be crime, especially the everyday overt low level crime and antisocial behaviour. While there are many other important areas of focus, and I acknowledge that the Mayor has had extreme constraints on police funding from central government over the last decade and more, it is now out of control. 

It seems almost mandatory now to smoke or vape on London Overground and Underground trains and platforms. Dozens of people barge their way through the ticket barriers without paying every few minutes. Drug taking on the streets is everywhere: all day every day on the benches in our local children's playground. Every other driver appears to be texting while driving, and every other cyclist barrels through red lights, in both cases threatening the lives of other road users and pedestrians. Thefts, vandalism and burglaries are frequent, and of course aren't investigated. Being threatened with violence is part of everyday life in London, especially if you confront anyone for any of the above. 

Sickening though it is to be forced to agree with the rabid right-wing press that love to paint London as a lawless den of crime, they are becoming increasingly hard to disagree with: not in terms of major crimes like murder or knife crime, but the low level abundant criminality that makes everyday life a misery. It is the reason why, after living here most of my life, I am researching the possibility of moving away.

I put Crime and Safety as the top priority. I don't think London has a worse situation with crime or safety than anywhere else. However, the complete lack of visible police officers on the beat (or on bicycles) was the single reason for putting this item top. I put Clean air and pollution at the bottom of the priorities. This was mainly due to the fact that all six items are very important and one had to go last. As a supported of ULEZ and all them work done so far on clean air, I feel that this can be seen as a lower priority for the next year. I also worry that if we go too fast with EVs we may find that there are environmental issues we regret (battery recycling) and until charging is much quicker EVs won't be attractive for most people. Let's walk, cycle and use our great public transport system.