The Mayor’s Budget for 2025-26

Priority should be given to tackling homelessness and making rentals more affordable. High cost of renting is putting more households at risk of being homeless. 

More funding is needed for domestic and commercial building green retrofit for higher energy efficiency - this will also help reduce costs. 

Our justice system is broken - investment in this public service is urgent - most police and other justice roles are handling a caseload significantly over what is considered burn out levels. This is how mistakes and oversight happen.

Hammersmith Bridge. Hammersmith Bridge 

Hammersmith Bridge

This is where a chunk of the budget needs to go urgently  

Stop passing the financial buck and get something done so the bridge can be used for its purpose as a major road artery into west London and beyond. 
What other major city anywhere else in the world would ignore the hardship and jams caused by a major bridge’s closure?
And it must be used again by cars and the small buses. Not just bikes. Since the bridge shut, the traffic which would have used it has overflowed into a semi permanent gridlock stretching south of the river from Kew to Richmond to Mortlake to Barnes to Wandsworth. 

School children on both sides of the river are affected… 

The elderly are affected. Plus the disabled - 

Journey times are more than doubled for locals using buses and cars, not to mention small working vans. It’s an inexcusable disgrace. 


 










 

• Given the TFL cyber emergency concentrate on securing your IT.
• The public view cameras on the TFL road map occasionally point into flats. Better camera management would help avoid obvious privacy issues.
• Look at your delayed, postponed and incomplete projects and finish these as a priority.
• Given your the largest electricity consumer, look for efficiencies.
• Understand the carbon footprint of your projects / services and publish these. Show some leadership in understanding the current gaps.

Agree- the Mayor needs to get the Police to tackle the number of cyclists and scooter users who are taking over pavements and forcing pedestrians to take evasive action. 

Remove private e scooters from the roads and especially the pavements of greater London. It is illegal in any case ,please incentivize our Police too start applying the law against these offenders, with the fines going directly to the Mayors account.

To aid this please ensure every ward has 2 PC`s and 1PCSO as dedicated ward officers  as promised by the mayor and without the high level of abstractions we currently have.

Please ensure any increase in tax is within the inflation level of 2.5%, If the Mayor needs any more he should be asking his colleagues in the Government for more funding, as he did with the previous government.

OK, maybe it’s not exactly an immense priority for the mayor but PLEASE can we have fewer route, security and general ‘mummy knows best’ announcements on trains, buses and at stations. They come with machine-gun like frequency. Oh and please hold the handrail as surfaces may be slippery when you don’t mind the gap. 

I chose not to fill in the last section as I found it impossible to prioritise - crime, housing, the transport system, environment and economy are all crucial for creating a successful capital city that works well for all. It’s imperative that city planning has to be improved to learn from recent mistakes, it’s foolish to spend huge amounts of money on initiatives that clearly haven’t been properly thought through and have just caused more traffic build up and pollution. 
I would really like to know why so many London police stations were sold off for commercial development. I have never heard any explanation for this or the wisdom in the huge reduction in police numbers. The upsurge in reckless crime needs to be addressed, there seems to be little deterrent for perpetrators and everyone I speak to feels unsafe in London now. 
I gave my car up a few years ago and have adjusted. Whilst for some Londoners this would be impossible, if you really wish to encourage other modes of transport and a reduction in car ownership, you have to create a great public transport system. Part of this should be increasing car club options and availability and making them even better value than they currently are to encourage use. 
There should be a change in law to stop investors buying property in the city and leaving it unoccupied. This isn’t right and has contributed to the housing shortage, loss of community and support for local businesses. 

Few people drive around London for fun - it is a vital necessity for most, especially shift workers, as public transport is inefficient, unpleasant and not 24/7, while with the budget cuts to police and the closing of the Safer Transport Teams - now unsafer too. London is bigger than some countries, telling me to walk or cycle 20 miles a day is not serious, especially when I finish work in the middle of the night. "Every journey matters" is a joke, as those who have to drive have continuously been penalised at the expense of wishful thinking, especially in outer boroughs where cycle and even bus lanes are empty most of the time, while there are long traffic queues which didn't exist before. At the same time, there are pedestrian lights and bus stops every 50 metres - let pedestrians walk and drivers drive! My commute has gradually gone from 25 mins to an hour and a half through all the "road improvements" over the last 5 years. What's the point of 20mph restrictions, if the average speed in London is 9-12 mph anyway!? Unblock the roads, let traffic flow and scrap unnecessary massive pavements, cycle and bus lanes in outer boroughs. Build a bridge at Woolwich, instead of the ferry - that costs millions and does little for the traffic - it is unacceptable that there are 20 miles of London with nowhere to cross between the Blackwall tunnel and Dartford bridge. Also unacceptable that we have to pay to cross the river - it's one city! When will SE London get underground or a proper Circular instead of the joke the A205 is? Transport infrastructure is woefully inadequate, but millions of new homes keep getting crammed in with no consideration for parking, getting to work or accessing services. Meanwhile crime has gone up because the police is too worried about keeping everyone happy, instead of being allowed to fight crime without fear of lobbies.

Thank you for giving Londoners the opportunity to engage with the budget. 

Of particular concern to the people of Greenwich and their visitors is the state of all escalators in the Cutty Sark DLR station and the lift. This station receives millions of visitors every year and the station is simply no longer adequate.  Full replacement of all escalators and a larger lift are absolutely imperative. 

 

Silvertown tunnel is a terrible mistake and will make matters worse, not better. Since we on the eastern side of London have had it forced upon us and are going to be charged (tolled through it and Blackwall tunnels) even though the project is supposed to benefit London as a whole, then all river crossings should be subject to a toll. But of course that won't happen as it would impact the wealthier and more vocal in the west of the city! 

Review bus routes: contrary to comment by CatherineS, in SE3, SE7, SE10, SE18 many routes run east-west and more are needed going N-S.

LTNs just aren't working and must be scrapped before parts of London become completely gridlocked, or someone dies because emergency services can't get through. 

Imposing the 20mph limit should be reversed until and unless there is a wider democratic decision. I'm not aware of any specific mention in the election manifesto.

Misuse of hired dockless bikes and scooters has become a serious problem in some areas. They are ridden dangerously including on busy pavements and pedestrian areas, abandonded thoughtlessly, and used to complete drug deals. Regulation isn't enough: enforcement action against those who abuse is the only way to prevent this kind of bad behaviour.

I think the mayors office should listen to local planning officers, local residents and STOP overriding planning decisions made at a local level for the Mayors ego projects.  Put speed cameras in to stop speeding rather then LTNs.  LTNs do not work 0 just create bigger more concentrated problems.

Re cars : no borough is an island . LTNs and traffic schemes are grid locking London .  Traffic measures need to be coordinated London wide. Many tradesmen telling me their prices going up to reflect fact that because of congestion they do 3 rather than 4 jobs a day . Tradesmen can’t carry their tools on a bike !!!!!

The nightlife, music and arts venues that attract millions of people to London are suffering extremely and they need proper support and money put into them. As a young person, I feel like the exciting cultural venues that should be attracting young people to the city are suffering so much.