Have your say on the draft London Budget for 2023-24

I agree that the police should not be funded any further until they can demonstrate significant improvements, especially on their treatment of people of colour and disability hate crime.

The ULEZ scheme needs to be much more mindful of how it affects disabled drivers.

It's difficult to comment on a budget without the figures being finalised but my initial thoughts are:

ULEZ in the greener outer boroughs isn't a great idea without improved transport connections.  I guess it's only a matter of time before motorists are charged per mile for driving?

We have a great bus service for very local trips but to get very far on public transport outside the borough can be difficult, often having to travel into London then back out again.  It would be useful to see how the £94.4m is to be allocated.

The police should be allowed to get on with policing rather than filling in endless forms etc. but that's not to say they should be above the law themselves.  There should be more officers on the beat and strong links with local communities.  The budget increase to support the MET is welcome providing it is allocated in a sensible manner.

Where are all the new homes going to be built?  Hopefully there won't simply be lots of new high rise blocks of relatively small flats with little immediate access to green space.  That would not be suitable for families or encourage down-sizing to free up family homes.  Similarly, the green belt should be protected rather than built on.  Perhaps it would be better to address the number of empty homes / homes only used for a few weeks a year that are already in London.

Greener means of heating homes is a good idea and to be encouraged, providing adequate insulation is in place.  Solar panels / PV panels are already tried and tested but domestic air source heat pumps (in my experience) are still relatively new technology and expensive both to instal and to run.

The increase in council tax is presumably only the part that goes to the GLA?  No doubt, the local councils will need to increase council tax as well to cover increased costs that aren't picked up through the centre.

No more restrictions on cars and parking. This is strangling commerce in London. By all means encourage cleaner cars but people still need them. If you want more people to use public transport make it better. All tube stations should have step free access. South London needs tube and train lines that travel east west. Until that is achieved there should be no more restrictions on cars.

There should be a means of identifying cyclists and there should no places where they are permitted to ride on the pavement and mix with pedestrians.

The Broadwater Farm estate is scary and dangerous. As a woman who lives nearby it makes me feel very unsafe walking in the area when there is so much crime around and people passing me wearing balaclavas. Please improve it. 

I strongly support LTNs despite living on a boundary road. Should go further: e.g. on Green Lanes remove parking spaces for private vehicles, close the road to private transport, leave only for buses and bikes. Currently I do not shop on Green Lanes because I don't want to breathe the toxic fumes. Fundamentally London is too crowded for mass car ownership. We need better east / west transport links in north London to support reduced car ownership. Including Crossrail 2. 

Property taxes cause friction in the market that create unnecessary journeys. I have recently taken a job on the other side of London that is a pain to get to. I would love to either A) sell my home and buy one nearer my job or B) rent out my home and rent somewhere nearer my job. But option A hits me with stamp duty and option B would hit me with income tax on the rental income without me being able to deduct the rent / interest that I would be paying (plus capital gains). So I'm stuck making unnecessary journeys that pollute London. Reform taxes to reduce this friction and you will see fewer journeys. If you had asset tax instead it would also stimulate supply of homes onto the market.

Please may I implore you to reconsider the ULEZ expansion and the spending of public funds on this scheme

.I maybe am a typical outer London driver. Age 62. drive a 13 year old diesel car in very good condition. I drive approximately 1000 miles a year. I drive 2-3 times a week. 1 supermarket run. 1 journey to work a. and possibly 1 time a week to swim when the weather is not conducive to cycling. I only fill my tank 3 times a year  I am not a big polluter in the grand scheme of things.

My options are scrap the car or sell it out of London. either causing pollution via scrappage or to the environment in the other regions of the UK. (particularly as it is unlikely someone out of London would have such restrained mileage)

Keep the car and pay the £12.50 fee every time I drive. This will not reduce pollution.

If I take the 1st option i could buy an electric car but too expensive or a less aging petrol which will still pollute and in a few years probably be subjected to the same or similar scheme again.

If i take option 2 I can continue to pollute but be poorer.

If we all trade in out polluting vehicles you will not raise the revenue to pay for the scheme, cameras and scrappage. If none of us do. we will pollute but you will be richer !

Would it not be better in the short term to put compulsory fuel conditioner in at the petrol station. This would mean fuel is a little more expensive but the biggest users would pay most. people like me who fill their tanks 3 times a year would only be marginally affected. This may incentivise the biggest users to change their vehicles a little sooner but in the meantime we will all be helping the environment

This scheme would allow us all time to change our cars at our leisure and according to the governments time scale. Cost considerably less to the GLA.

Overall I think the plans are ambitious but the right priority areas. The impact of climate change on cities where there is a heat island affect is even greater and the lack of action by government for many years means we now need to accelerate changes to reduce carbon emissions. 

It would be great if central government had the competence and political will to come up with plans as well thought out as these are. I know that changes like the expansion of ULEZ are very controversial for some people but critics rarely offer alternative solutions to reducing pollution.

The focus on women's safety is good and there is a lot of ground to make up, especially with recent history of the Met Police. Perhaps one of the things that mentors for young people can help with is to influence attitudes and behaviour towards other people and especially women, so we can break out of the cycle of misogyny and domestic abuse.

Lack of affordable housing continues to be a problem. Glad to see the GLA setting targets given the chopping and changing at a national level about whether there should be targets for housing and constant turnover of govt ministers. Glad to see resources linked to homeless people - a housing first approach with plenty of early support for health issues could allow people to build their lives again.

As someone who would not be prepared to be a politician I think these plans are brave and challenging. If there are practical ways that citizens can  help with making  these plans a reality then do let us know in due course.

Happy New Year

To help with climate issues (and energy costs) all new builds and major refurbishments (such as building lofts, re-builds etc) should have to include solar panels as part of the build. Initial costs might be expensive but long-term effects and benefits will be positive, plus the extra demand for the solar energy systems will reduce costs.

Some of the extra policing costs should go towards the youth support section, with extra youth clubs (containing sports and educational skills), staff to work at those clubs and relevant training for them will make a massive difference and may help reduce some of the youth crime. Plus, this ties in with the mentorship program for every London young person in need that is planned.

Communication between organisations and councils with regards street works needs to be better controlled. I see there is increased reserves for streetworks but a lot of congestion from streetworks comes from the same sections of roads being closed and opened constantly due to water, broadband, cycle lanes and other changes instead of them all being done at the same time. A road in Camden had traffic diversions numerous times in the past couple of years due to works not being co-ordinated. The congestion, extra cost of machinery and labour, diversions and local business suffering, not to mention the costs of doing the tar, destroying it and then re-tarring it over and over, could surely be reduced if these works were coordinated.

Agree with others on comments about increasing safety for women. Also increasing accessibility in areas and on pavements for wheelchair users. Restrictions should be enforced with the electronic bicycle providers so that there is a way they can't be left anywhere and everywhere as they often block pavements and shops, and this impacts the space available on pavements.

A better way of enforcing litter reduction is also needed. It is embarrassing that this is such a littered capital city. 

Hi

I feel the budget needs help to improve the way black women are treated by the police and those who deal with all forms of harassment.  I feel ethnic minority women really need help when they contend with varying forms of brutal violence, harassment and more.  There's been no talk of harassment and terror in housing and this really needs to be addressed.  The activity used by the police to terrorise women in general got some attention but there really needs to be thrown at the forms of harassment they use.  Open discussion, however disturbing they are, need to be had and a budget should be set aside for this.  I feel that unlike other women certain minorities will shy away from expressing their true experiences in fear of backlash which is very sad.  

If there's no resources given to this then there will be persistent issues where they will feel very unsafe.  In certain cases harm also comes to those dealing with such situations and it I feel there really needs to be more emphasis on this and solid support behind tackling these issues.  The founder of Sistah Space is not the exception in dealing with hateful backlash but in those quieter cases there's more than just backlash, there are more than threats and with police activity is it shocking where they go and the things they actually do.  I feel that there needs to be separate methods to ensure those women (not only ethnic minorities) who are targeted whether racially or otherwise have safe spaces to go.  I find that the resources are severely limited and not enough is done.

I feel that digital violence isn't taken as seriously as it should be in some spaces and the devastating effects it has on those that deal with.  Corrupt police are becoming known but there really needs to be more done to tackle this.  It's not fear that the UK still holds very sick methods where terrorising those from a certain background can be done with impunity and no one is non the wiser.  

I really support the growth in LTNs and the prioritisation of improving air quality (partly resulting from the LTN plans, hopefully).  It would be good to see more activity to support sustainable transport for lateral/short local journeys for families, particularly as much of London's local neighbourhoods are bisected by railway lines and busy roads which are virtually impossible to navigate on foot with a buggy or pram.  Parallel financial support alongside the LTN and sustainable transport physical infrastructure to help enable individuals and families to move to more sustainable forms of transport would be great - the existing offering seems pretty limited.

On the prioritisation of the warmer homes programme alongside the funding of new affordable housing, this is great, but even more of a positive carbon reduction impact could be had from some relatively small moves to encourage private home owners and landlords with more means to undertake retrofit and install renewable technologies.  The success of the solar together schemes indicates that there is demand for more coordinated support and advice to homeowners who are keen to act collectively in their neighbourhoods, but lack the expertise or knowledge to know how to make these changes on an individual level.

ULES being expanded this will cause problems as transport links are bad or non existing in many areas  … not to mention still far too many stations not stepfree 

net zero by 2030 is totally unrealistic, impractical and impossible 

cycle lanes have messed up the roads .. causing problems to ambulances. 
As for the cost of living how about the mayor and government just get some backbone and tell the utilities that their increases are criminal and cap or block  their ridiculous increase… increasing council tax is not helping and just adding to the cost of living problem 

affordable housing …yeah right….  affordable to who ? Not to the low paid or unemployed 

all in all this budget just does not add up 

As a woman in business who WALKS to my small Independent Business and passes The Mayor of London's home to walk to work, here is what I have to say.

To make the area safer and to help with crime, areas such as the footpaths and pavements through Tooting Common/by the Athletic Track, more light is needed. Yes, LED lights are great for saving electricity, but they are far too dark to make an area safe for a single woman walking in the evening. Lighting up paths on both sides would immediately make people less of a target in those areas. I hope some money is spent in this way.

I am confused as to how the Mayor is going to help businesses. At present many businesses are petitioning and filling in multiple surveys about how the LTNs have increased pollution and stopped people from shopping in the areas where their businesses are. We have not seen more people cycling, we are not getting customers cycling to our businesses and supporting us! Footfall is plummeting, many neighbouring businesses are closing down or selling at the moment. I am likely to have to be joining them if things do not improve very soon. With all business, we are having to find money for business rates, bounce back loan payments in addition to all the other bills going UP.

Sadly my business has had a "trial" cycle lane with poles enforced - this trial should have ended in March 2022. This has stopped all elderly and disabled customers from being able to access the High Road and means that couriers get fined when they can't park to drop off stock or collect parcels, customers can no longer park in the evenings and ambulances are frequently stuck (as moving across into the solid while lined cycle lanes = £160 fine so anyone using a vehicle whether for work or leisure cannot pull over). 

The feedback from former customers is that they now stay away from the area. Yes, many customers do walk, but when there are train, tube and bus strikes and drivers are so heavily penalised, the support is not seen!

The ULEZ is being expanded again soon to cover to the edge of all London boroughs. However, transport links in these external London boroughs is not being improved. If I need to travel from an outer borough to another (say, Kingston to Bromley), I have to travel all the way in to the city centre, and then all the way back out again. How is this more efficient, cost effective or eco friendly than simply driving there? 
Transport connections are great if you want to get into or out of the city. Moving around the outskirts however (where most people acutally live) is difficult, slow, unreliable and expensive, so everyone still drives.

What bothers me is that the government will always prioritise big money spinners in the finance sector etc who work in the core of the city. But nobody actually lives there, as was blindingly obvious during lockdown when entire sections of London were completely dead. Meanwhile in outer boroughs, where people actually live, it's really hard to get around if you want to travel across rather than in or out. Sometimes I see the London transport network as this kind of horrible pump: push workers and spenders into the middle, and then suck them all out again and spit them into a wash of suburbia where they scatter. No alternatives.

Net Zero by 2030 is impossible.  Maybe look at saving money and get rid of Khan!

It would be nice to see active travel prioritised beyond air pollution. The NHS is struggling and people choosing to sit in their personal vehicles causes health problems beyond obesity. The built environment of this city has not been designed to accommodate motor vehicles, especially not the Range Rover-sized personal vehicles that seem so popular. The most vulnerable among us--children, the elderly and those who are unable to drive--should be made a priority by closing more roads to local traffic only, reducing on-street parking, and any other options that free up more space on pavements and roads for safe active travel including children on bikes and scooters. There are fantastic examples from cities in Denmark and the Netherlands. 

I agree with supporting the police but not in every incidence. Money should be diverted from the police to support mental health services that can safely respond to distress calls. Police aren't trained to provide help in many of these instances and shouldn't be responding. They are then able to commit more time to what they're trained to do.  

According to the recently released Inrix report, London is the most congested city in the world, at a cost, to drivers of $5.7bn annually. Clearly, the message about abandoning cars for public transport has not sunk in and drivers continue to drive even when it is self harming. London needs some radical thinking here, beyond what this budget proposes. 1) joined up thinking on the impact of new development on existing and potential congestion. For example, Hammersmith bridge being down was called out by the Inrix report as exacerbating congestion in SW London. It’s not the Mayor’s responsibility, but insofar as he can influence he should make every effort to resolve and also to seek a strategic solution to ensure vital shared infrastructure like bridges have an adequate repair fund in the future. The Mayor can immediately and at no extra cost call in and turn down all major development proposals where the preparation of transport infrastructure is inadequate and/or multiple developments will compound congestion. An immediate example is Manor Road/StagBrewery/Barnes Hospital- all use the already highly congested, Hammersmith Brdige impacted  A205 and Mortlake High Street as major roads and are within 2 miles of each other. It does not take a traffic expert to predict that adding thousands of residents in a two mile area will have severe transport impact. The mayor must do the joined up thinking if developers and councils won’t. I support the ULEZ extension: the long term brain disease impacts of high pollution are becoming very clear. Long term, why can we not give a discount on Mayoral tax to London residents who do not own a car, reflecting their positive contribution to improved environment and reduced congestion over car owners. Or place an incremental tax on car owners and use it to fund services in boroughs with lower public transport provision. The only way London will lose its most congested status is radical intervention.

I fully support the slow and gradual removal of petrol cars and buses in London, privileging electric way of transport and cycling. Anything to reduce emission and to achieve of the zero-emission goal. As a cyclist myself, I am very happy with the increased number of cycling lanes.

The bad conditions in which most of the road surfaces is appalling. I would like this to be considered for renovation.

I can see from official data that London has a high crime rate however it is lower than Paris for example. And not all crimes are similar. A more in-depth analysis is needed as increased police presence is not always the answer. 

Children safety and affordable childcare is the government responsibility, but I would like to see this issue addressed in London's budget as the capital faces different challenges than other parts of the country.

Top of my list is getting the police out on the streets again. I don't know any large city in the world that doesn't have police on the streets!!?? No wonder we have so many problems in London and the whole of UK for that matter.  Not only to urgently start policing soaring crime but also to do something about the public's anti-social behaviour.   Why it takes so long to get anything done is mind-boggling.  Past experience tells us that a lot of money is bound to be wasted!

I’m keen to see the investment in the police force and Fire service as described as we need fast response times but we need to guide some of it to tackle the issues against women that have been outlined in various reports etc inc not feeling safe on the streets or in work,  misogyny etc - we need to see more being done for women to feel safe when out in public spaces. 

I’m keen to see the ULEZ zone expansion but also see more done to improve 

1) charging zones for all types of electric vehicle and increased electric buses 

2- the parks as biodiverse green spaces, with better care for trees being installed in parks and streets (the watering system was inadequate last year), see less waste in terms of annuals planted and wasted, mulch made available to the community, grass clippings and leaves made into compost and see more green roofs and walls in london  

Can we also do more to help people make their homes better insulated for the cold weather? 

I’d like the Mayor to put a formal guide/ mandate to the councils to install water fountains in all parks to encourage fitness and hydration and also to re-install public toilets where there are none to help make parks affordable  destination places for everyone inc families - this is vital in our increasingly warm climate and for many residents who do not have gardens - it will also help people take up more activities in the park which is greta for our physical and mental well-being . I’ve recently helped with guided mindfulness walks and people were reluctant to attend in one park because of the lack of toilet facilities and the walk is only an hour long! 

I’d also like to see more accessible areas - public transport and places to visit as wheelchair users are really impacted on the lack of accessibility in London

thank you for the chance to comment 

Money will be wasted IF the outer boroughs have ULEZ. Our pollution levels are LOW, every day!!

The borough of Sutton has very poor transport links and people rely on their cars, for work and leisure. 

The Met police must have more funding to operate fully. Residents are losing faith in them due to lack of numbers and presence.