As with our February 2013 version, the Research team at LCA worked with London First and the Neighbourhood Planning team at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), to produce this updated map of London’s Neighbourhood Forums.

All potential Neighbourhood Forums planned for the capital are shown, based on expressions of interest made by neighbourhood or resident groups since the Localism Act legislation became law in 2011. As you will see from the map, those expressions of interest continue to have been predominantly made by groups concentrated in inner London.

Last quarterly update, only six groups had been designated – by the relevant local authority and DCLG – as Neighbourhood Forums in London. A further 21 had applied to be granted this status whilst another 33 expressed an interest. This meant that the capital could expect up to 60 Neighbourhood Forums.

Three months on and the number of potential Neighbourhood Forums has progressed, with up to 72 now being considered across the capital. Last quarter, six groups had been designated – this figure has now doubled to 12 with the City of Westminster having approved four of these alone since February 2013. A further 23 potential groups are still awaiting approval from their local authority and DCLG, having applied to be designated. It means that 37 have at least expressed an interest in becoming a Neighbourhood Forum.

You can download a PDF version of this map from the Publications page of our website.

The accompanying table (page 2 of the map) provides web links to access more information about the specific forum – some will take you to the Forum’s website, where applicable, and, where these are not available, some links will take you to the Neighbourhood Planning page of the relevant local authority.

We intend to refresh this map on a quarterly basis so keep an eye on our website for updated versions. If you have any comments or questions or if you would like any further information on Neighbourhood Planning or the Localism Act, contact the Research Team at LCA.

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Winning candidate, Syed Ahammad, garnered a respectable 1,555 votes for first place, a result which would have seen him win a seat in the 2010 local elections, where the number of total votes cast was far higher. With a majority of over 1,000 votes, Ahammad saw Labour’s vote share increase by 19%, further safeguarding the ward as a Labour stronghold.

It was also a successful night for the increasingly popular UKIP, who in 2010 could only manage to place 10th out of 12 candidates, behind even the BNP. Last week, UKIP candidate Bert Bedwell placed second in Longbridge with 466 votes, boosting the party’s vote share by a dramatic 14% in three years. Nigel Farage’s party will be hoping – and are likely – to secure a number of council seats in Barking and Dagenham at the 2014 local elections.

The Conservatives saw their vote percentage share drop by 3% with their candidate placing third. Whilst the Liberal Democrats will be contemplating a 14% fall in support since the last election here – their candidate placed fourth, only 41 votes better off then fifth placed BNP.

Less than 2% separated the Liberal Democrat candidate – Dave Croft - from the BNP counterpart in the Longbridge by-election. The BNP candidate received just 37 votes, marking a 7% drop since 2010 and rendering them a negligible presence in the area.

Former councillor Gill spent 19 years as a councillor in the borough, during which time he served as Mayor of Barking and Dagenham and was a forerunner in the borough’s charitable efforts. His successor, Ahammad, who prior to his election was active in Labour party politics, has a background in economics and IT, and will be studying for a degree in law alongside his council duties. He achieved his win on a backdrop of a 29.75% turnout, fairly strong for a non-election year.

The full results were: Ayed Ahammad (Lab): 1555; Bert Bedwell (UKIP): 466; Paul Ayer (Con): 284; Dave Croft (Lib Dem): 78; Giuseppe de Santis (BNP): 37.

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By 1900, with more than 60,000 people crammed into every square mile, developers in Manhattan had cottoned onto ways to make ‘multi-unit dwellings’ appealing to the professional classes. These days, life in the Big Apple is synonymous with apartment-living, whether you’re a student, a doctor, a film star or a billionaire.

As the housing debate rages on in London and we struggle to meet the demand for well-proportioned, affordable homes, it’s worth remembering that the old ideal of the ‘single-family home’ really belongs to a different time. The capital’s population is forecast to grow by at least a million in the next 20 years and Londoners may have to start dreaming of penthouses rather than townhouses.

In many ways, living in a shared block is a great advantage in a busy city. Security is better (you might even get a doorman), communal amenities like gyms and laundry rooms are efficient and shared utilities can be economical. On the island of Manhattan, this way of life has led to a population density of around 67,000 people per square mile (in New York City as a whole it’s around 27,000), compared to just over 12,000 in London.

There is a clear and desperate need for affordable housing both to buy and to rent in the capital and we must not be scared to admit that density isn’t always a bad thing. Done right – with the necessary building and design standards and infrastructure investment – density can help a city thrive both culturally and economically. We have some 3,000 parks in London, compared to 1,700 in New York City, so we needn’t feel too hard done by when it comes to swapping gardens for balconies either.

One of the more radical solutions that has been put forward by the Citizens Housing and Planning Council in New York, with the support of Mayor Bloomberg, is to make homes smaller. Much smaller.

Intended for those who need entry-level, affordable housing, the ‘micro-living’ concept is hard to swallow. Put simply, the idea is to have studios of 250 sq ft in buildings that have common areas to make up for the lack of private space. It sounds a little student-like for our tastes but the first site has already been commissioned (it will be in Brooklyn) and the city’s housing Commissioner has just announced that two more are on their way.

Another clever proposal is to create more flexible family homes so that when say, the children move out to live independently, their rooms can be easily adapted into small studios for rent or to accommodate an elderly relative. Housing like this has already been built elsewhere in the US.

These experiments are controversial but the reality is that people want to live in New York and so they will make sacrifices. And if we keep investing in London and making it a place where people want to live, and stay, and grow into, we might have to change our ways too.

The post From townhouses to penthouses: solutions for a crowded city appeared first on London Communications Agency | LCA.

But having once again spent another fascinating day judging public sector awards for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), I wonder whether it should be stamped more indelibly across the desks– or possibly foreheads – of colleagues in agencies, in house teams, and indeed in client organisations.

The reason I say this is because so many times, in both award entries and more generally, I find myself sitting there thinking “This person/team/piece of work has not covered the basics…”

So without wanting to sound too much like a grumpy old man (even though my age would probably allow me the privilege), what do I mean by the basics? Well, it could be quite a long list covering everything from proofreading, grammar and sense-checking, to account management, budget handling and strategic planning.

It could cover well crafted key messages, carefully handled stakeholder relations, accurately interpreted data or intelligence, or successfully landed internal communications.

It could cover all those things, but I think what I really mean by ‘the basics’ is common sense.

So many times, a client or PR agency or in house team does not seem to sit down, think about what is actually required, and put in place a simple, common sense process or piece of work to make sure things happen in an organised, efficient way.

So many times, teams within the very same organisation or even the same building or office do not speak enough to each other, are not co-ordinated, and allow things to slip.

Databases are not kept up to date, diaries not properly set up, and before you know where you are, opportunities have passed by, the PR potential has gone, and communications look distracted, or even incompetent.

And this happens at a high profile, well-resourced national level, when one might think there was less excuse for leaving such gaping holes, as much as at a smaller, more local level where you might at least say that failing to cover the basics is unlikely on most days to cause an entire system to fall over, or tip into crisis.

Of course we are all busy – increasingly so – but all the more reason then to be more organised, and be even more efficient, as tasks and work and life get ever harder to balance.

Since I mentioned the word ‘grumpy’ I should just add that I am not querulously advocating some grim, grey world peopled by automatons who never make a mistake and never take risks, have fun, or relax.

All of those balances are needed if we are to be creative and think laterally, as well as be efficient and think in a straight line.

Yes, it is true that none of this is particularly easy, but it is also true that it is all common sense.

This column first appeared on the PR Week website and is kindly reproduced thanks to Haymarket Media. To view this article, or any other PR Week online articles, log on to the PR Week website here.

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As keen LCA-watchers will know, we love cartoons and have for many years commissioned them on the themes of London politics, elections and issues of the day. We are publishing a cartoon on our website every month from leading cartoonist Martin Rowson that are also featuring in our free monthly news summary on London: LDN, London in Short.

Covering politics, development, culture, transport, health, policing and more, LDN will provide an essential digest for anyone who has an interest in how the capital works in a clear easy-to-navigate and enjoyable format. To subscribe to LDN click here.

Martin Rowson is one of the UK’s most well known and influential political cartoonists and features regularly in the Guardian and Independent. He was appointed ‘Cartoonist Laureate’ of London by former Mayor Ken Livingstone and continues to provide a regular illustrative take on London, UK and international politics.

This isn’t the first time Rowson has been commissioned by LCA – to view his previous collection of cartoons about London, visit the Research page of our website.

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Whilst most commentators and pundits had recognised the likelihood of a UKIP surge, no one had predicted that they would take 23% of the projected national share of the vote (PNS) and win 147 council seats. This was described by Professor John Curtice as ‘spectacular.’

The three main parties all endured tough nights with few bright spots; the Conservatives had been predicted to lose just over 310 seats and came away down by 335. They lost control of 10 councils and saw their PNS drop to 25%, their lowest since 1982. Major losses included Nottinghamshire to Labour and losing overall control in Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire. They did though manage to hold Somerset and Hampshire and retained strong control of North Yorkshire and Surrey, with UKIP making no impact in either.

Labour was projected to take around 350 seats but only took 291. They also took just 29% on PNS, only 6% more than in 2009 when these elections were last fought during Labour’s lowest ebb. They failed to win Lancashire, one of their key northern targets, but did take Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and won the two mayoral elections in Tyneside and Doncaster as well as the one Parliamentary by-election, David Miliband’s old seat in South Shields.

The Liberal Democrats lost 124 of their councillors and ended the night in distant fourth in the PNS at 14%, their lowest ever in local elections. Several commentators suggested that they were now a fringe party and that UKIP had replaced them as the third party in British politics. However ramifications for the general elections are a little more positive, with their vote holding up in their core west country strongholds.

Thoughts now turn to local elections in London this time next year and, of course, the European elections which are likely now to be on the same date, Thursday 22 May 2014. What these results could mean for the outcome in the capital is something LCA will be considering over the coming months. Five key issues immediately spring to mind:

1. The Return of No Overall Control (NOC)

The elections in the 27 counties produced nine more NOC councils across England. In the 2006 London local elections eight councils were returned with no one party with a majority of seats – basically one in four of London’s 32 authorities excluding the City Corporation. Back then, the three main parties saw their vote decrease overall whilst a total of 74 ‘others’ (independents, community groups, BNP, Greens) were elected. This split in the vote led to a number of coalitions – Brent (LD/Con), Camden (LD/Con), Hounslow (Con/Community Group) – as well as minority administrations (Lewisham, Islington and Merton)

However in 2010 with a general election on the same day the ‘others’ dropped by over 60% to only 23 councillors out of over 1,800, and only two boroughs – Merton and Redbridge – failed to produce an overall winner.

The LSE’s Tony Travers has pointed out that the combined Conservative and Labour projected vote in the 2013 elections appears to have been about 54 per cent, which is lower than in any recent local or general elections and may be the lowest in any national or local contest since before the second world war. UKIP’s rise, dissatisfaction with the main parties and a likely much reduced turnout in comparison to 2010 could see this decrease even further in London next year with smaller parties returning to local councils and hence the return of NOC boroughs.

2. The Disaffected Lib Dem vote

Whilst the Lib Dem vote held up in parts of the West Country, the party is still very much on a downward curve and will not be optimistic about its chance in London next year. Bastions of Lib Dem strength such as Sutton, Richmond and Kingston could see the party hold up, not least because Labour is miles behind in these boroughs and also because anti-Heathrow expansion sentiment is not helping the Conservatives who appear to be fudging the issue. But in more central areas such as Hackney, Islington and Southwark, the vote will be under more pressure with the potential for Labour to take large numbers of seats in boroughs that they already control.

3. UKIP vs. Conservative

Despite their success nationally, UKIP currently have just two councillors (Havering and a Conservative defection in Ealing) and one MEP in the capital. Their London high water mark to date came in 2004 when in the combined European and GLA elections they returned one MEP and two London Assembly members. However since then they have struggled with none of their parliamentary candidates getting anywhere close to the three main parties in 2010.

The big question is where in London could they upset the Conservatives? Their current demographic suggests places like Havering will be in their sights, a borough with a tradition of voting in centre right protest groups (it was NOC for much of the 1980s and 1990s) behind the Tories. Bexley could also be a target with a decreasing Labour vote (the party did win the council in 2002) as could Hillingdon with both boroughs seeing a Conservative vote that has plateaued in the last two local elections.

The role of Boris Johnson in campaigning for Conservative councillors needs to be considered as well. His broad appeal makes him a unique politician in the capital at the moment. We would expect to see him out and about shoreing up the Tory vote both in UKIP territory and of course in tight fights with Labour.

4. Labour gains?

Labour’s 2013 elections performance could probably best be described as satisfactory – they won back seats in their midland and northern heartlands but made little dent in southern England. In London they currently control 17 of the 32 boroughs. They will expect to hold all these and take full control of Merton and perhaps Redbridge, but where are they hoping to make other gains? Hammersmith & Fulham, traditionally a tight two way battle between Labour and the Tories, will be on the list although the 2010 results show the Tory vote is hardening in parts that were previously tight fights. Croydon will also be a two horse race between the Tories and Labour (Con majority of four at present) whilst a very good night for Labour could see them take Barnet where the Conservatives have a majority of 13.

5. The European elections

With the Euros almost certainly on the same day, turnout may well be higher than the normal average for local elections – mid 30%s. However this could help the left leaning parties, given London is now home to some half a million Europeans and has, for centuries, thrived on immigrants from all over the world. These communities have on the whole traditionally sided with Labour although it is unclear whether newer migrants will maintain this pattern.

With the dust still settling on what could well be a landmark change for British politics, LCA will be investigating these issues further and preparing our thoughts around the 2014 London local elections. Watch this space.

To download the current LCA political map of London (pictured above), then please follow this link.

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The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that the latest issue of LCA’s monthly publication – LDN, London in short – was sent round to subscribers on Friday.

As usual, the latest edition of LDN is packed full of stories, comment and discussion. May’s issue considers the impact of London’s increasing population, debates the introduction of benefit reforms and provides details of council leadership changes made ahead of their annual meetings being held in May.

In the development section, you can read about the Growth and Infrastructure Bill gaining Royal Assent, potential changes to judicial review legislation, the Mayor’s new London Development Panel and an update on all the latest major planning proposals presented over the past month.

Transport is again dominated by the continued aviation capacity debate and also features the London Assembly’s latest attempts to change strike legislation as well detail on the latest planned route changes to the High Speed 2 rail route.

LDN is produced by London Communications Agency, the only PR consultancy to specialise in London. It covers politics, development, culture, transport, health, policing and more.

We always enjoy hearing your feedback on each issue so please do get on contact to let us know what you think this month. If you would like to submit any stories for the June 2013 edition, please get in touch.

If you haven’t yet signed up to receive LDN, London in short, then you can always subscribe through the Publications page of our website.

We hope you enjoy reading our fourth edition.

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34-year-old local dentist Iain Bott secured the victory with 921 votes, a 718-vote majority over his second-placed rival, Labour candidate Nik Slingsby, although the overall result still marked a 3% swing to Labour.

The positive Conservative result came on the same day as a host of county and unitary council elections saw UKIP make gains, with the Tories suffering a number of defeats across the country. UKIP fared less well in Westminster - their candidate, Paul Lawrence, placed fifth.

Yael Saunders, standing on behalf of the newly assembled Fighting for Spaces for People group, placed third. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Jeremy Hill, reflected the party’s performance nationally, in coming fourth. Turnout was predictably low at 23.1%

Bott will replace the long-serving Harvey Marshall, who resigned from this council seat in April for medical reasons. During his campaign, Bott expressed a desire to help make Westminster residents healthier and was enthusiastic about the changes that will see the council take on responsibilities for public health.

The newest Westminster councillor will have only a year to settle into his role ahead of the pan-London local elections taking place in May 2014. However, for now, it means that the composition of the council remains at 48 Conservative and 12 Labour members.

The full results were: Iain Bott (Con): 921; Nik Slingsby (Lab): 203; Yael Saunders (Fighting for Spaces for People): 184; Jeremy Hill (Lib Dems): 104; Paul Mercieca (UKIP): 96; Hugh Small (Green): 50.

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