Old Oak “mess” to be cleared up

Sadiq Khan is looking to the government to renegotiate the terms of a land transfer to the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). The move is one of a series of actions planned, as he seeks to tidy up a “mess” left by predecessor Boris Johnson. Other recommendations from the review recently completed [...]

Concert hall fails to hit right note

Plans for a new London concert hall have been thrown into doubt, by the revelation that the government has backpedalled on a commitment from George Osborne to fund a business case for the project. The proposed Centre for Music, backed by conductor Sir Simon Rattle, was to have been supported by a detailed business case [...]

Rental market feels Airbnb impact

New research has shone a light on the impact accommodation sharing site Airbnb is having on home use in central London. The revelations come amid strengthening accusations that the site is being used to take rental homes out of the market, and let them as pseudo-hotels. London is one of Airbnb’s leading city markets, close [...]

Affordable housing delivery tumbles

London’s affordable housing delivery volume has tumbled, as developers learned to game the viability assessment game. That was the revelation from a recent London Assembly session, which revealed low figures for both home completions, and for affordable housing within those developments. The hearing also revealed the labyrinthine funding methods being used to support Housing Zones. [...]

New night czar pitches into battle

Mayor Sadiq Khan has appointed US comedienne Amy Lamé to be the capital’s first “night czar”. The role is designed to champion the capital’s night time economy and cultural scene. The appointment follows similar roles established in cities including Amsterdam, Berlin and San Francisco, and was a manifesto promise from Khan. Lamé was chosen after [...]

Contrasting solutions to healthcare

Two recently approved health projects point out substantially different approaches to developing hubs of expertise in the UK’s medical sector. In Harley Street, central London, Westminster planners have approved the installation of a new cancer treatment centre, which will see landlord Howard de Walden convert existing buildings at 141 and 143 Harley Street, and the [...]