Average rents in London are projected to soar to £2,700 per month next year, according to figures gathered by City Hall. Meanwhile, to rent just a single room in a shared house, tenants are forking out £1,000 on average.
These figures make the changes proposed in the Renters’ Reform Bill, currently going through Parliament, appear to represent little more than nibbling around the edges. Because this crisis is pushing people to the edge.
One in 50 people in the capital are now living in temporary accommodation, a shocking figure that should shame policymakers. Of the 170,000, 83,500 are children, while the number of households needing homelessness support has grown by more than 15 per cent in the last year due to cost of living pressures.
How are the people on modest incomes, who make any city function — the teachers, nurses, police officers — supposed to afford to live here? Do we really want our city to become the plaything only of those fortunate enough to be born to well-off parents? It will take a vast rise in the number of available properties, contingent on planning reform, to drive down the cost of renting. This in turn will require deep wells of political will. Londoners are waiting for evidence that this exists.
Silly games over Ulez
It is the local government equivalent of placing one’s hands in front of your face to convince an infant you have disappeared. Six of the seven local councils that border London, all of which are Conservative-run, are refusing to permit the installation of Ulez signs.
These local authorities may suggest this form of protest is for their constituents. In reality, signage exists to support driver awareness and provide a safe opportunity for motorists who do not wish to enter the Ulez to avoid it. Its absence means that more people will inadvertently stray into the zone and those without compliant cars will be charged. Instead of playing childish games, local councillors should remember what this scheme is actually for — to rid the capital of its toxic air.
A portrait of you
Metal plates from the hull of the Cutty Sark folded into origami boats and an installation made from old telephone bills are among the 12 artworks shortlisted for the Evening Standard Art Prize.
The theme of this year’s prize was “a portrait of you” and artists were asked to submit work celebrating self-expression. The winner will receive a £5,000 prize, while shortlisted artists will see their work displayed at the Cromwell Place gallery. Good luck to all.
