Tag: 2022

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 18 November 2022.

– Estimates show Mayor’s schemes have cut toxic nitrogen oxides emissions in the capital

– New reports reveals impact of scheme in reducing car ownership and increasing walking, cycling and public transport use

– Mayor calls on the Government to create a targeted national scrappage fund to help more drivers across the UK to change to cleaner vehicles and greener modes of transport

A new report released today reveals that the scrappage schemes, launched by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to help Londoners prepare for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and its expansion last year, were successful in reducing emissions and car ownership and increasing the use of public transport.

It is estimated that the Mayor’s scrappage schemes have helped cut toxic emissions in the capital – removing a total 140 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, 0.5 tonnes of PM2.5 and 2,000 tonnes of CO2 from the capital’s air[1]. The CO2 saving is the equivalent to that generated by a lorry travelling 1.5 million miles.

The evaluation survey of the Car and Motorcycle Scrappage Scheme also shows it was effective in reducing vehicle ownership, with a third of respondents not purchasing a replacement vehicle, and 22 per cent saying they no longer have access to a vehicle in their household.

The scheme has also helped increase public transport use, with survey respondents reporting a decrease in car travel and an increase in walking, cycling and public transport use.[2]

As part of Sadiq’s bold action to tackle dirty air across the capital and to help Londoners prepare for ULEZ in central London in 2019, its expansion to cover inner London and the Low Emission Zone tightening of standards in 2021, the Mayor created three targeted scrappage schemes. They provided financial assistance for small businesses, charities, Londoners on lower incomes and disabled Londoners to scrap their older, more polluting vehicles and switch to cleaner models and modes of transport.

Launched across 2019 and 2020, with investment of over £61 million from the Mayor, the evaluation of these schemes is published today and demonstrates that they have been incredibly popular and effective, helping people to avoid having to pay the ULEZ charge as well as removing over 15,200 older, more polluting cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses and heavy vehicles from London’s roads.

Following the success of the schemes in London, Sadiq is urging the Government to learn from London’s approach and to create a targeted national scrappage fund to enable even more cities across the country to implement Clean Air Zones more effectively and help more drivers across the UK to change to cleaner vehicles and greener modes of transport.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “In London, we’re taking bold action to address the triple dangers of air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion and the threat they pose to the health and livelihoods of Londoners.

“This report today shows that scrappage schemes are both effective and popular – helping Londoners scrap their older, polluting vehicles and switch to walking, cycling or public transport, joining a car club or switching to a cleaner vehicle. I urge the Government to follow London’s lead and help clean our filthy air by supporting a targeted national vehicle scrappage fund that will help motorists across the UK to ditch their polluting cars.

“The Ultra Low Emission Zone and the scrappage schemes have already helped to cut pollution by half in central London, but every Londoner has a right to breathe clean air. That’s why we have consulted on proposals to expand the ULEZ London-wide – in order to save lives and continue building a better, greener, healthier London for everyone.”

Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy, said: “The ULEZ is a vital part of tackling the public health emergency caused by toxic air pollution, with millions of Londoners now breathing cleaner air. We are pleased to have been able to help small businesses, charities, those on low incomes and disabled people make the green transition as a result of the Mayor’s scrappage scheme. Not only has the scheme taken more than 15,000 older, more polluting vehicles off the road, it has led to Londoners adopting more environmentally friendly travel choices, with a third of car and motorcycle scrappage grant recipients not buying a new car. There is also clear evidence that there have been significant increases in people walking, cycling and using public transport amongst those who received a grant.”

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets: “It’s fantastic to see that Londoners are walking more and that toxic emissions are reducing as a result of the scheme. Fewer vehicles on the road also means less congestion for those who must use their cars to work or get around. The Mayor’s Scrappage Scheme is a great example of the ways we can start to shift people towards cleaner and greener ways to travel, which will be vital if we’re to get to Net Zero.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 18 November 2022.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has today hailed new Government statistics showing that work started on more council homes in London last year than in the rest of the country put together.

A total of 5,494 council homes were started in the 2021/22 financial year, meanwhile 4,325 council homes were started in the rest of England.

Since becoming Mayor in 2016, Sadiq [Khan] has increased the number of council homes being built in London every year from fewer than a thousand in 2015/16 to more than 5,000 in 2021/22. The proportion of new council homes being built in the capital has risen from a quarter to over half.

The capital has not seen council house building on this scale since the 1970s (9,128 starts in 1979). This turnaround in council building has been driven by landmark initiatives such as the Mayor’s landmark Building Council Homes for Londoners grant funding programme, and his Homebuilding Capacity Fund, which has supported boroughs to increase their ability to build after a generation of decline.

Last year, the London Borough of Southwark led the way with 895 starts. Twelve councils including Barking & Dagenham, Islington and Brent all achieved over 200 starts.

Under his new 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, the Mayor is also ensuring that new council homes built on his watch meet leading environmental standards to help tackle the climate emergency. All developments of 10 or more homes must be net zero-carbon and incorporate sustainable urban green spaces.

While today’s figures are good news, the Mayor is warning it is becoming more challenging than ever to match the record-breaking levels of new affordable housing under construction in the capital because of rising construction costs, a shortage of skilled construction workers, land costs due to competition from other uses, and increased financing costs due to the recent rise in interest rates.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “There’s no quick fix to London’s housing crisis, but we’re taking significant steps in the right direction by backing a new renaissance in council homebuilding.

“In London today, we’re not just building more council homes, we’re building better homes too. The new generation of council homes are some of the best that have ever been built: modern, sustainable and fit for the 21st century. These new homes form a key part of building a better London for everyone – one that is greener, fairer and more prosperous for all.

But the headwinds from recent economic chaos, combined with the effects of the pandemic, Brexit, the soaring cost of construction materials and rising inflation are hitting housebuilders hard and making housing delivery increasingly challenging. That’s why I am urging Ministers to provide additional funding so I can continue to deliver the good quality and genuinely affordable homes that Londoners desperately need.”

Leader of Southwark Council, Kieron Williams, said: “With the cost of living soaring, now more than ever, we need more council homes in our city. So I’m delighted that we were able to start another 895 in Southwark last year, thanks to support from the Mayor, alongside our own council investment.

“Achieving the most starts in London has been far from easy given the tidal wave of challenges facing the construction industry. What worries me now is those challenges are only getting harder as the national housing crisis deepens and construction costs spiral. Having such a strong partnership between the Mayor and councils is making a real difference, but we urgently need the government to get serious about solving the housing crisis too.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 17 November 2022. 

• £55bn cuts and tax increases in Autumn Statement will disproportionately impact least well-off

• Mayor’s call for free schools meals and rents freeze ignored 

• Sadiq [Khan] believes benefits increase should occur immediately, not in April

• Mayor criticises flawed windfall tax and says loopholes must be closed

• Lack of support for businesses, particularly those in retail, hospitality and leisure sectors

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has accused the Government of ushering in ‘Austerity 2.0’ and failing to address the needs of struggling families in today’s Autumn Statement.

As the country grapples with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, a situation made worse by September’s failed ‘Mini-Budget’, Sadiq [Khan] believes the Government is still not taking the basic steps required to help those who need the most support.

While the Mayor recognises the need to take urgent steps to stabilise the public finances and reassure the markets, he is extremely worried that the £55bn of cuts to services and tax increases announced today will disproportionately impact the least well-off.

Sadiq [Khan] has repeatedly called on successive Prime Ministers and Chancellors to make a real difference to millions of Londoners by providing free school meals to all primary school children and introducing a ‘Lifeline Tariff’ which will allow a minimum floor of domestic energy use before charges begin for the most vulnerable people in London.

Once again, these calls were ignored today, with the Chancellor also refusing to give the Mayor the power to freeze spiralling private rents in London, which could save tenants £3,000 over two years.

The Mayor has welcomed the Chancellor’s decisions to increase the minimum wage, uprate benefits in line with inflation and to give those on means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, cost of living payments. However, Sadiq [Khan] believes rather than waiting until April 2023, the benefits increase should be introduced immediately to help low-income people manage high costs this winter.

After massively scaling back the Energy Price Guarantee in the aftermath of the Mini Budget, there was further bad news for households today who will now see their bills increase from an average of £2,500 to as much as £3,100 from April.

The Mayor has also criticised the Government’s flawed windfall tax scheme as he believes major oil and gas companies will be able to use a loophole to avoid paying the tax. Sadiq [Khan] instead wants to see a genuine windfall tax that would see billions of pounds of profit handed back to the taxpayer.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“In the middle of the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, the Chancellor has today ushered in ‘Austerity 2.0’ – which will further damage our public services and impact the least well off in society.

“As inflation and interest rates continue to soar, many Londoners struggling desperately to make ends meet will be left bitterly disappointed. They are having to pay the price for the mistakes this Government has made.

“The policies announced today will only result in more families facing further tough choices between heating and eating this winter – and with inflation already so high it cannot be right that those on benefits will need to wait until April to see an increase in their payments.

“It should not have been this way. The Chancellor should have come forward with some simple measures that would have made a difference – such as providing free school meals to all primary school children and giving me the power to freeze private rents.”

The Mayor also believes that there was insufficient support today for small businesses, particularly those in sectors which are still recovering from the pandemic and are particularly at risk as households cut discretionary spending to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

The Chancellor has also held the threshold at which businesses must register to pay VAT at £85,000 until 2026, instead of raising it in line with inflation. This could see thousands more small businesses in the capital forced into paying VAT.

The Mayor was also calling for the Chancellor to reintroduce tax free shopping for tourists. This is something Sadiq [Khan] had successfully lobbied for alongside key London business groups but was shelved following the Mini Budget. It would provide a much-needed boost to London’s retail and hospitality sectors at a time they need it most and help to make London and the UK a more attractive place for international tourists to visit, bringing in far more money to the Treasury than it costs.

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 17 November 2022.

• 3,645 children and young people admitted to hospital with asthma in London in 2021/22
• Shocking inequality laid bare as half of all children and young people admitted to hospital are from minority ethnic backgrounds, compared with 28 per cent white children
• Continued delivery of the Mayor’s air quality policies and wider improvement in air pollution will increase the average life expectancy of a child born in London in 2013 by around six monthsMore than 3,600 children were admitted to hospital with asthma in London in 2021/22 [1] – a sharp increase of 64 per cent on the previous year when COVID and lower than usual pollution levels resulted in fewer admissions, new City Hall analysis has revealed.

Toxic air caused by traffic can lead to children growing up with stunted lungs and developing health problems such as asthma. Analysis of London’s asthma data published by the Mayor shows that in June this year, the most recent month for which data is available, 229 children and young people in London were admitted to hospital with asthma [1].

Around half of hospital admissions for asthma occur in children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, compared to 28 per cent of white children [3]. The most recent analysis available shows this fits the overall trend seen in air pollution exposure in London, where annual concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are on average between 16 and 27 per cent higher in areas where Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners were most likely to live. [4]

Previous City Hall-commissioned work estimated that worsening of asthma by air pollution led to around 700 asthma admissions from 2017 – 2019 in children under 15 years in London, which is seven per cent of all asthma admissions in children in London [5].  It has also shown that the poorest Londoners and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are worst affected by toxic air, but also least likely to own a car [6].

Understanding of the insidious link between air pollution and asthma continues to improve, including through the work of campaigners like Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. Rosamund’s nine-year old daughter, Ella, was the first person in the UK to have air pollution as a cause of death on her death certificate. In the weeks leading up to her death, Ella had several severe asthma attacks requiring hospitalisation, which were subsequently linked to peaks in pollution on the South Circular Road.

All schools and colleges in outer London are in areas which still exceed revised recommended air quality targets set by the World Health Organization.

Since 2016 Sadiq has made it a key priority to improve air quality and minimise the negative effects on Londoners, through schemes like School Streets, through the installation of Breathe London sensors, and through the implementation of his world-leading Ultra Low Emission Zone.

With the continued implementation of the Mayor’s air quality policies and wider improvement in air pollution, the average life expectancy of a child born in London in 2013 will increase by around six months. [7] This is why the Mayor consulted to expand the Ultra-low Emission Zone London-wide, which could significantly improve air quality for a further 5 million Londoners, including children.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “It’s unacceptable that any children are suffering health problems due to London’s toxic air, but that some children are being vastly worse affected than others is even more of an injustice.

I am determined to clean up London’s filthy air, to protect the health of every child in London but also to ensure the future of their city in tackling the effects of climate change. This is why I consulted on expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone. This would mean five million more people breathing cleaner air, and would help to build a better, greener, fairer London for everyone.

Sarah Woolnough, CEO of Asthma + Lung UK said:

“No child should be hospitalised because the air they breathe has left them fighting for breath. This analysis is yet further evidence of the desperate need for local, and national governments to take decisive action on cleaning up our toxic air. It should not be a privilege to breathe cleaner air. But the sad reality is that toxic air is a common trigger for potentially life-threatening asthma attacks with more than half of people that we recently surveyed telling us that air pollution makes their symptoms worse.

“We know that air pollution hits the poorest communities’ lungs the hardest, as they are more likely to live on some of our most polluted roads. The plans to expand the ULEZ across Greater London will help protect the lives and lungs of children who live, learn and play in the city, and will deliver cleaner air to the almost 350,000 people who are living with a lung condition outside the area currently benefiting from the ULEZ. Alongside the ULEZ, we need to see improvements to walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure in outer London boroughs so people have the confidence to stop using their cars. If we’re going to stop another generation of Londoners growing up breathing in potentially lethal levels of air pollution, then we need to see much more action being taken.”

Ruth Harris, Mums for Lungs said: “My son is one of the thousands upon thousands of London kids that have asthma. One in ten kids in this city have asthma, that is a shameful number of children whose health is so badly impacted by filthy air with every breath that they take! This summer dirty air landed my little boy in hospital again for the 13th time, it’s hard to describe how scary it is to see a child struggling for every breath.  Making the air safe to breathe has got to be an urgent priority if we are to give children a chance at growing up happily and healthily in London.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 16 November 2022.

• Sadiq’s Let’s Do London tourism campaign has brought in £289m additional spending to the capital
• Mayor expanded the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen to reach international audiences earlier this year
• Campaign was created to help encourage domestic and international tourists back to London following the impact of the pandemic, and is estimated to be bringing 600,000 visitors to the capital

A tourism campaign led by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to encourage visitors back to the capital has helped bring in £289m additional spending to London, new figures show today.

The Mayor expanded his Let’s Do London campaign – already the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen – earlier this year to reach international audiences and encourage even more people to enjoy everything London has to offer following the impact of the pandemic on our hospitality, culture, leisure and retail sectors.

The Mayor’s campaign has been a huge success, delivering a return on investment of £28 for every £1 spent*, bringing in an additional £289m spending to London. It is also estimated that the campaign will bring an additional 600,000 visitors to London from other parts of the UK, Germany, France and the USA.

Sadiq launched his Let’s Do London campaign last year to support the capital’s tourism industry after the devastating impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions saw the number of overnight stays in the capital more than halve. Prior to the pandemic, London was the third most visited city on the planet with the thriving tourism sector accounting for as many as one in seven jobs and contributing almost 12 per cent of the capital’s gross domestic product. Visitors to London also went on to spend more than £640m in local economies outside of the capital.

Through the Let’s Do London campaign, the Mayor has been working with London’s business growth and destination agency, London & Partners, and the London Tourism Recovery Board, to encourage Londoners and tourists across the world to enjoy the capital by shining a spotlight on the world-leading range of attractions and entertainment.

This began with the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen and was extended earlier this year when the Mayor visited New York to launch the largest international tourism campaign London has ever seen. This has included spending £7m to encourage international tourists back to London, £2m to attract overnight UK visitors and £1m for reaching out to Londoners.

The campaign has partnered with some of the capital’s biggest attractions to put on fantastic outdoor art and performance events; offering discounted access to museums and galleries; promoting free and cut-price events and activities; releasing kids go free’ tickets for a range of top West End shows; placing adverts across TV, radio, social media, cinema and the transport network; creating innovative new film, art and nature trails; and a photography competition.

2022 has been an exceptional year for the capital with the UEFA Women’s EURO championship final, the 50th Anniversary of Pride in London, the opening of the pioneering ABBA Voyage show at a custom-made theatre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a series of special events to mark the 25th anniversary of Shakespeare’s Globe, and the return of Notting Hill Carnival and the Formula-E London Grand Prix. The Elizabeth Line has also opened this summer, giving visitors a new high-speed route across the city and to Heathrow Airport. 2023 will include the Coronation of King Charles III in May at Westminster Abbey, Major League Baseball returning to London Stadium, and the 10 year anniversary of London Tech Week.

The Mayor’s Let’s Do London campaign will continue to promote the capital in the coming months, including highlighting free and low cost offers and events, while the Mayor and L&P continue to support the sector with their London 2030 Tourism Vision which sets out a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future for London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our hospitality, leisure and culture sectors are world-leading and a major driver of our economy, but they have had an incredibly difficult few years due to the impact of the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis.

“I’m delighted that my Let’s Do London campaign has helped bring in an additional £289m spending in London.

“I will continue to bang the drum for our capital and highlight our unparalleled offer to visitors from all round the world, as well as the many exciting free events that we have on offer, as we build a better, more prosperous city for all.”

Laura Citron, CEO of London & Partners, which runs Visit London, said: “It’s fantastic to see the positive impact Let’s Do London has delivered for London’s tourism industry, as we welcomed back large numbers of international and domestic visitors this year. With London’s 50th Pride anniversary, the return of NFL London series, and the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, 2022 was a milestone year for the city. As momentum continues to build in 2023 with the royal coronation and the return of renowned international events like Major League Baseball, we encourage even more visitors from around the world to come and join us in London next year.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “London is one of the most vibrant cities on Earth and it’s fantastic to see the success of the Mayor’s campaign, bringing much needed visitors back through the doors of our amazing hospitality venues. The sector is so critical to London, generating £36 billion for the economy and employing half a million people, and I’m certain the campaign will go from strength-to-strength, attracting even more people from at home and abroad to visit. As we head into winter, I can’t wait to see even more people enjoying the capital’s Christmas offering and the return of our world class fireworks display this New Year.”

Michael Kill, CEO Night Time Industries Association, said: “The Let’s Do London tourism campaign has been hugely successful for the capital, encouraging people to return to London post pandemic, reminding the world about how much this amazing city has to offer. The proactive response by the London Mayor in conjunction with business leaders from across London in response to the end of the pandemic has led the way in recovery campaigns.”

Director of ALVA and Co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board, Bernard Donoghue OBE, said: “The Let’s Do London campaign has been a huge success; the return on investment is staggering. It has saved jobs and businesses, brought visitors back into the capital and reminded people of all that London has to offer for its residents and visitors from home and abroad.  The attractions which I represent through the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions have all benefited from this campaign and we are all hugely grateful to the Mayor, his team and his agencies for all their support, creativity and investment. It’s been a great ‘team London’ approach.”

The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 15 November 2022.

• Mayor appoints  Data for London Board to unleash the power of data to improve the lives of Londoners
• The Board will bring together data and technology experts to create London’s first ever data strategy
• Board to rebuild the city data platform to improve the use of sharing of data to tackle key issues such as crime, transport and climate change.

The newly appointed Data for London Advisory Board met for their inaugural meeting at City Hall today. This diverse group, made up of data and technology experts from the public and private sector, corporate leaders and civic society will support the Mayor and Chief Digital Officer for London Theo Blackwell MBE, in using data to help to tackle the transport, crime and environment issues facing the capital. The new Board will help deliver Sadiq’s manifesto commitment to ‘harness data and emerging technologies for our city’ by developing London’s first Data Strategy and a new Data for London platform.

London is already a world leader in the collection, use and sharing of data to enhance the lives of Londoners.

Joined up data sharing has made a difference in London through:

• Air quality monitoring – London has one of the most advanced networks in the world. Air quality data is easily accessible, such as through Breathe London, empowering Londoners with evidence to improve their neighbourhood.
• Sharing and mapping data  on planned infrastructure from utilities, local authorities and transport providers fosters collaboration and minimises disruption to London’s streets from roadworks. In the last few years the dig-once approach saved Londoners over 208,000 hours of journey time, at least 794 days of roadwork disruption.

Open data published on the London datastore, which is the home of public data in London, gives everyone access to data showing:

• Environmental conditions such as tree canopy cover for Greater London.
• Cultural infrastructure maps including outdoor spaces for cultural use, pubs, creative workspaces, heritage at risk and more.
• Digital connectivity with the most comprehensive publicly available coverage of broadband services across London.
• Transport for London’s open data enabled over 600 apps including TfL Go as well as private apps like City Mapper to help Londoners travel around the city.

London presents a huge and complex environment for joining-up data. It has a large number of councils, public bodies, businesses, universities and civic organisations, all of whom produce and use data, and often require access to data beyond their own for insights for new products and services. There are also now more ways to collect data than ever before such as sensors, cameras, drones, robotics, mobility services, and augmented and virtual reality. This is only set to rise as technology develops and costs fall.

How London co-ordinates data sharing from different organisations effectively and responsibly is a critical part of the city’s infrastructure and will help to enhance decision-making, strategy, delivery, growth and innovation to improve the lives of Londoners.

Theo Blackwell, Chief Digital Officer for London said: “Joining up data can help City Hall and other key London organisations gain insights into some our most pressing challenges and take action to resolve them. This can be through informing better decisions or by supporting innovators to create new products and services. London is the centre of data economy and innovation, and we must continue to evolve and update our data ecosystem to remain at the cutting edge.

“The Data for London Advisory Board will improve the responsible and effective use and sharing of data to support every one of the Mayor’s manifesto commitments and to help build a better, smarter, London for everyone.”

 Volker Buscher from BusinessLDN, Arup Fellow and Global Chief Data Officer at Arup, said:

“Data has always been at the heart of our city: from high-resolution air quality data and the transformation of online trading and open banking, to using data to help tackle the climate crisis.

“I look forward to working with the Mayor, Theo and my fellow board members on shaping the next chapter for a data-enabled London.”

Rebecca Bissell, Director of Information Technology at Transport for London, said: “It is fantastic for TfL to be part of the Data for London Advisory board and work together with such a range of partners, from both the public and private sectors, to provide advice on the development of the new Data for London platform and London’s first Data Strategy. Through positive collaboration and an open and innovative approach to how we can best share and utilise information and ideas, we can continue to make data even more accessible, useful and impactful, so that real differences can be made for those who travel, live and work in the capital.”