Mayor urged to come clean on affordable housing figures

Posted by Now London on Sep 29, 2011 in Assembly, News | 0 comments

Nicky Gavron, Labour’s London Assembly housing and planning spokesperson, has called on Mayor Boris Johnson to come clean over claiming credit for 16,000 affordable homes that will never be delivered.   

Nicky has this morning written to Richard Blakeway, the Mayor’s housing adviser, to explain why he has apparently double counted around 16,000 affordable homes.

Blakeway said this week that “around 54,000 completions” are expected over the “next four years” (2011-15), apparently including 16,000 affordable homes that will already have been counted towards the Mayor’s target of 50,000 homes by 2012.

Nicky wrote, "I am extremely concerned at the way the mayor’s office has apparently double counted this information. At best it is a lazy, yet very important, error. At worst you have blatantly misled Londoners on your housing delivery."

She went on to say that the misuse of statistics, "undermines the challenges we face, and this apparent sleight of hand does nothing to reassure Londoners we are delivering what the city needs."

Commenting today, Nicky Gavron said: "The mayor needs to be beating targets, not cheating them. He’s already broken his election pledge to deliver 50,000 homes by 2011. It now looks like he’s trying to claim credit twice for thousands of extra homes."

Mayor’s £100m+ boost to green London’s public buildings

Posted by Now London on Sep 27, 2011 in Mayor | 0 comments

Hundreds of public buildings in London including schools, libraries and hospitals are set to get a green makeover, with low cost loans from a new £100 million fund, the Mayor announced today.

London’s public buildings are responsible for 10 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions. Retrofitting these buildings with energy reduction measures will not only cut fuel bills and emissions, it is also a valuable investment opportunity estimated to be worth billions to the London economy, which will create jobs and help develop skills.

Flexible finance available from the fund will pay for measures including efficient lighting systems, ventilation and boiler upgrades, smart meters and solar panels. Returns on initial investments are made through resulting energy savings. The Mayor also revealed that a team of experts will be available to help speed public buildings through retrofitting programmes.

This is part of the Mayor’s overall plan to retrofit London’s buildings which are responsible for 80 per cent of carbon emissions. Retrofitting is a win-win for Londoners as it delivers value for money through the more efficient use of energy resulting in reduced energy costs and it significantly contributes to the Mayor’s ambitious carbon reduction targets.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘Retrofitting London is a priority as not only will it cut carbon and energy costs, but also inject billions of pounds into the city’s economy, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

‘This multi-million pound fund will assist in improving the efficiency of the capital’s public buildings. It is a great example of the type of innovative thinking that will stimulate green economic growth for the capital while also saving taxpayers’ money on energy bills.’

The Mayor has agreed a £50 million contribution from the London Green Fund to set up this new fund, which will be known as the London Energy Efficiency Fund (LEEF). LEEF will be led by Amber Infrastructure Limited, a leading sponsor and manager of social and economic infrastructure projects. Amber has already expanded the fund’s value with upfront commitments for £50 million from RBS and the company is expected to leverage in further amounts over the life of the project. Amber will also work with Arup, that will act as a technical adviser. To further enhance the attractiveness of the LEEF, RBS are currently negotiating a facility with the European Investment Bank which will allow their commitment to be provided at a more beneficial rate.

It is anticipated that many of the projects to be funded will use the Mayor’s RE:FIT programme model, which has already saved one million pounds a year from the energy bills of 42 public buildings in the Greater London Authority group including fire stations, police stations and Transport for London offices. RE:FIT is pioneering and award-winning, and is being adopted across the UK as well as attracting interest from around the world. Buildings that have taken up scheme have seen their energy efficiency improved by as much as 40 per cent. The Mayor’s RE:FIT programme is about to significantly ramp up following the selection of Turner & Townsend, supported by PA Consulting Group as preferred bidder to run a RE:FIT programme delivery unit to support hundreds more organisations through the process including building and carbon assessment, securing funding, procurement and implementation. This team will be in place for three years, predominantly funded through the European Investment Bank managed ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance) facility totalling £2.67million.

The London Green Fund is a trailblazing initiative led by the Mayor of London and managed by the European Investment Bank, that combines European Regional Development Funds, public and private finance to invest in environmental infrastructure. Earlier this year the Mayor launched a £70million waste fund under the same scheme. Collectively these funds are set to issue hundreds of millions of pounds of investment for low carbon projects.

The London Green Fund is financed by contributions from the London Development Agency, the London Waste and Recycling Board and the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) initiative that was developed by the European Commission and European Investment Bank.

European Investment Bank Vice President, Simon Brooks, said: ‘We are delighted to have finalised negotiations with Amber as the second “sub-fund” manager for the London Green Fund’s energy efficiency component. In addition, we are also evaluating the possibility of providing EIB low cost funding to RBS which they can on-lend to the fund. Combining funding from the London Green Fund with private sector funding in this way will provide local authorities and other eligible borrowers with cheap funding to green their buildings and contribute to the UK and EU energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets.’

Leo Bedford, Programme Director for Amber, commented: ‘We’re delighted to be working alongside our consortium partners on a project that will be pivotal for London’s 2020 carbon emissions programme. Our unrivalled public sector partnerships and experience in managing a JESSICA fund provides us with a unique platform to ensure both the long-term energy efficiency goals and public saving objectives are met.’

Chris Fallis Head of Public Sector, Structured Finance for RBS, said: ‘RBS are delighted to be supporting Amber Infrastructure with the London Energy Efficiency Fund, which will allow public sector bodies within London to access financing for energy efficiency programmes, facilitating a reduction of the carbon footprint across the capital.

‘RBS has extensive public sector experience and coupled with Amber’s fund and project management experience and Arup’s technical expertise, provides a unique partnership to deliver this vital programme.’

Malcolm Ball, Director at Arup, commented: ‘Arup is proud to be a key advisor for the first energy efficiency fund in the UK. The London Energy Efficiency Fund is an exciting project and one which aligns with Arup’s vision to accelerate building retrofit and contribute to a low carbon economy.’

The London Green Fund forms one of the initiatives the Mayor has introduced to harness the opportunities coming from a low carbon economy – other projects to ‘retrofit London’ are cutting emissions from homes and transport. For example, the Mayor’s RE:NEW programme recently expanded to all boroughs and is set to offer 55,000 homes a carbon makeover by May 2012.

London is well placed to become a world leader in both low carbon financing and in the creation of new jobs, skills and enterprise to cash in on the need to become more energy efficient. An Ernst and Young report commissioned by the Mayor shows that if London can secure just one per cent of forecast global spend on low carbon goods and services, then it could deliver nearly £4 billion annually to our economy through to 2025.

Chart toppers Rizzle Kicks team up with TfL to help reduce teenage road casualties in London

Posted by Now London on Sep 27, 2011 in Events, Events & Ents, Health & Safety, News, Transport | 0 comments

Young Londoners are being asked to come up with ideas to help their peers avoid road accidents for the chance to meet chart toppers Rizzle Kicks. Last year 258 teenagers were killed or seriously injured on London’s roads and distractions such as using mobile phones, MP3 players and talking to friends often contribute to this. The Mayor of London and Transport for London are determined to educate youngsters to avoid these dangers, and this competition is part of an on-going campaign to improve teen road safety.

Popular website Teen Today (http://www.teentoday.co.uk/) have signed up to this year’s campaign asking young Londoners to come up with a road safety distraction slogan. The teen who comes up with the best slogan will win a ‘distraction date’ along with two friends with Rizzle Kicks, who recently dominated the charts with a number one and a number eight single in the same week. The band are kindly donating their time to support the campaign for free.

Teenagers are a vulnerable road user group. Last year the number of teenagers killed or seriously injured on London roads fell 14 per cent to 258 compared to 301 in 2009. Since 2000 the figure has fallen by 62 per cent. Despite this steady improvement, the Mayor and TfL are committed to raising awareness of the dangers when using the roads.

Last year stars including Wretch 32, Tinie Tempah and Eliza Doolittle recorded video clips free of charge which they then uploaded onto their social media sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBMf1-_yJ4&feature=relmfu

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “Every single death on London’s roads is a tragedy, and teenagers are less experienced and more at risk than any other age group in the capital. So while the number of deaths and injuries is falling, we are determined to drive it down further, and get the message out to our youngsters to take extra care.”

Rizzle Kicks said: “We can relate to the message of getting distracted on the roads, that’s why we’ve decided to support the campaign. The teen road safety campaign is important to us and we’re happy to support it through this competition.”

Lilli Matson, Head of Delivery Planning, in Better Routes and Places at TfL said: “The on-going fall in casualties shows that TfL’s teen road safety campaign has really been making a difference, however we know that our work is far from done. It is easy to become distracted on the road, but it is vital that teenagers pay careful attention when using them. With the start of the new academic year, we look forward to continuing our campaign, this time by emphasising the importance of avoiding distractions on the road to the capital’s young people.”

Islington Pensioners issue “Can’t pay, won’t pay” message to city hall

Posted by Now London on Sep 14, 2011 in Assembly, Mayor, News, Pensioners | 0 comments

Yesterday, a delegation from Islington Pensioners Forum travelled to City Hall to deliver a clear message to the Mayor of London and the big energy companies –they must do more to help people who are falling into fuel poverty.

The delegation – which included both of Islington’s Older People’s Champions and Cllr Janet Burges, Islington’s Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care – accompanied Council Leader Catherine West as she gave evidence on Fuel Poverty to Health and Public Services Committee of the London Assembly.

The delegation viewed the Committee’s Meeting and were particularly pleased when Cllr West urged the representatives of EDF Energy and British Gas who were present, to show a “social conscience” when setting their energy bills for the forthcoming year.

After the Committee Meeting the pensioners met with London Assembly Members Nicky Gavron and Murad Qureshi who sit on the Committee, as well as Jennette Arnold who represents Islington on the GLA.

All three Assembly Members signed the Pensioners Forum’s petition which calls on the London Mayor to do more to prevent Londoners from falling into fuel poverty.

Cllr Catherine West said:

“I am on the side of local people who are in danger of falling into fuel poverty.  I am delighted that the Pensioners Forum was able to send a delegation to City Hall to attend the Committee Meeting and show the energy companies first hand the impact their price rises have.

It’s also important that the Conservative Mayor of London does more to help tackle fuel poverty in Islington and throughout London with energy efficiency schemes and improvements on data sharing so we can identify those in fuel poverty. I hope he heeds the words of the Pensioners Forum’s petition.

Unfortunately his Conservative chums in the Government are making the situation worse by cutting the Warm Front scheme, which helps several vulnerable families in Islington manage their energy bills”.

George Durack, Chairman of Islington Pensioners Forum, recorded a message at City Hall, explaining what he decided to bring his campaign to the Mayor’s doorstep.

Boris announces huge fare increase for Londoners

Posted by Now London on Sep 14, 2011 in Fare increases, Mayor, News, Transport | 0 comments

Following the publication of Boris Johnson’s bus, tube, tram and rail fare increases today Ken Livingstone said,

”London already has some of the highest fares in the world, but instead of putting squeezed Londoners first, Boris Johnson is sticking to further stealth-taxes on fares even as he argues for tax cuts for the rich.

“These fare rises are absolutely staggering. Under Boris Johnson the price of a single bus fare will be 56 per cent higher, a huge attack on ordinary Londoners and right across the board fares are soaring.

”Under the Tories, Londoners are less well off with every day that passes.
 
”Fares will be a central choice in next May’s election and in the coming weeks I will set out a fairer fares plan that puts Londoners first.”

Val Shawcross AM said:

“This decision by Boris Johnson to raise fares again is hugely damaging to millions of Londoners and will now be one of the central issues in the election campaign.

‘With Ken, Labour will propose a fairer package and aim to put Londoners first after four Tory years of indiscriminately squeezing the great majority of Londoners, from the suburbs to central London.”

Today’s announcement by Boris Johnson means:

Single bus ticket up 56%
·        was 90p in 2008
·        will be £1.40 in 2012
Costing Londoners £260 a year more

Weekly bus and tram pass up 47%
·        was £13.00 in 2008
·        will be £19.10 in 2012
Costing Londoners £317 a year more

Weekly zone 1-2 Travel Card up 23%
·        Was £24.20 in 2008
·        Will be £29.80 in 2012
Costing Londoners £291 a year more

Weekly zone 1-4 Travel Card up 23%
·        was £34.60 in 2008
·        will be £42.60 in 2012
Costing Londoners  £416 a year more     

Mayor confirms fares increase for 2012 to support unprecedented £12billion investment in London’s transport network

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today confirmed that from January 2012 fares on London’s Tubes, Buses, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Trams will rise by the level set out two years ago in Transport for London’s (TfL) Business Plan. This will maintain essential day to day public transport services and help continue record investment in London’s extensive transport network, which is experiencing surging passenger demand. All free and concessionary travel for older people, students, Veterans and disabled Londoners has been protected in full, which means that 40 per cent of bus passengers will continue to travel free or at a substantial concessionary rate.

From 2 January 2012, fares on TfL’s services will rise by an average of RPI + 2 per cent, the assumption outlined in TfL’s Business Plan in October 2009. Based on July’s RPI figure of 5 per cent, this represents an average 7 per cent fare increase across TfL services and Oyster pay as you go. Within this average there will be some TfL fares that go up less than 7 per cent, and some slightly more either due to small increments in rounding or because they are fares involving National Rail services but every effort has been made to ensure that this is distributed as evenly as possible across individual fares.

Following the Mayor’s successful campaign last year to protect Government contribution to TfL’s funding, unprecedented investment in London’s transport network will continue totalling £12billion over the Mayor’s four year term. This is an increase from £8billion investment from the previous administration.

The current investment programme includes upgrades to the Tube, now carrying a record 1.1billion passengers a year, delivery of Crossrail, and the maintenance of London’s frequent, extensive, reliable and accessible bus network, which is now carrying almost 2.3billion passengers a year – more than any other time since records began in the 1960’s. Further extensive improvements have also been made on the DLR and London Overground, both of which are also experiencing record ridership. Investment is vital for the transport network to continue to develop and improve and to meet future demand, which is set to grow yet further.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Despite some of the toughest economic times in living memory, I have secured unprecedented levels of investment for London’s transport network totalling £12billion over my four year term of office. Not since the days of our Victorian forefathers has there been improvements of this scale which includes upgrades and capacity increases ahead of 2012 and beyond to Crossrail. At the same time, we are focusing as never before on providing value for public money by committing to find significant savings of £7.6billion at TfL, over two thirds of which have now been secured. 

“Income from fares is vital to ensure the on-going health of London’s transport network, keeping services running for the billions of passengers who rely on them day in, day out. This is a fares package that continues my aim to put Transport for London’s finances on a steady footing, moving us away from the boom and bust approach undertaken by my predecessor when we saw a succession of draconian increases and knee-jerk, unaffordable pre-election freezes.

“This year, as Londoners begin to experience the benefits of that investment through more frequent and reliable journeys, I am also once again able to protect all free and concessionary travel for people who rely on public transport most, including older people, disabled veterans and those on lower incomes.

“I understand that any increase in tough times is difficult. This is a package that has sought to balance the needs of today’s passengers whilst ensuring we continue apace with plans to overhaul London’s transport system in the face of unprecedented demand.”