LDN Weekly – Issue 154 – 16 December 2020
TIER 3 FOR LDN, R3 FOR LHR
Anyone who assumed a quiet run up to Christmas could not be further from the mark. This last edition of LDN in 2020 doesn’t even mention the words 'Brexit' or 'deadline' or 'fish', yet it is still packed with news.
| No images? Click here  TIER 3 FOR LDN, R3 FOR LHRAnyone who assumed a quiet run up to Christmas could not be further from the mark. This last edition of LDN in 2020 doesn’t even mention the words 'Brexit' or 'deadline' or 'fish', yet it is still packed with news. Most of it, sadly, not that good, although it does depend where you sit in each debate. For those who support localism and regionalism, the efforts of not one but two Secretaries of State to impose their will on London's boroughs and the GLA are set out here, the former in relation to school closures and the latter in relation to the never-ending saga of the new London Plan. For those opposed to more aircraft movements there’s bad news at Heathrow but better news at London City Airport. For the taxpayers of Hammersmith & Fulham there’s potential bad news on the bridge. And on the subject of taxes, the campaign tactics of the Conservative Mayoral election team do raise some questions about integrity. And then we have Tier 3 and the massive impact on London’s cultural and hospitality sectors which were all geared up for an invaluable period of business and celebration of what’s best about London. Which makes it all rather trite to say to all our loyal readers – 'we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'. But perhaps this year, more than any other, that phrase really does mean something, re-edited for the times to recalibrate for our lowered expectations as 'we wish you a safe Christmas and an optimistic New Year.' Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comments and feedback along the way too. See you all again on 6 January!  TIER 3 TROUBLESRapidly rising infection rates have led to the entirety of London and swathes of the Home Counties being put under stricter Tier 3 measures, effective today. The Mayor and London Councils – which represents the capital’s 33 local authorities – have endorsed the measures on public health grounds, while urging more central Government support for the businesses, workers and families most affected by what amounts to a third lockdown – and pressing for a step-change in the test and trace regime. Sector associations like London First, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the New West End Company and others have especially highlighted the vulnerability of the hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors, calling for additional, targeted support – of which there has been no mention by the Government. Earlier in the week, it was reported that some of the capital’s Tory MPs were lobbying the Government to issue any Tier 3 measures on a borough-by-borough rather than city-wide basis, to help limit the impact on businesses, though their efforts were evidently in vain. To find out more about what the restrictions mean for you, your family or your business, visit the Government’s official website. GAVIN BANGS GAVELSome authorities in London believe that schools should shift to online learning for the remainder of the term. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is having none of it. The issue came to a head on Sunday evening, when Greenwich Council’s Leader Danny Thorpe wrote to local head teachers asking them to close their schools from Tuesday morning, to help tackle ‘exponentially rising’ Covid-19 cases. He underlined that classes should continue online and that special provision should be made for the children of key workers and those with specific needs – and was equally keen to tell parents that this ‘is NOT an opportunity to extend Christmas celebrations in any way.’ Meanwhile, Islington Council, Waltham Forest Council, the Mayor of London, teachers’ unions and others have also argued that the need to stop the pandemic spreading in London outweighs the need to keep schools open for a week. But on Monday evening, the Education Secretary hit back with a letter ordering Greenwich to reverse course or face legal action. Greenwich and Islington promptly (if unhappily) complied, though as of writing Waltham Forest was sticking to its guns and Redbridge Council is now also saying it would support switching to online learning – read the latest here. It is Government policy – undoubtedly backed by many working parents – that schools and universities should remain open, even in Tier 3 areas. ROBERT SWINGS SHOVELSpeaking of Government ministers swatting away any real or perceived autonomy from London’s leaders… enter Robert Jenrick and the latest act of the London Plan saga. The Mayor had submitted his Intend to Publish London Plan to the Communities Secretary a year ago, on 9 December 2019. It was only in March 2020 that Jenrick responded with 11 Directions for changes to the Plan. Last Wednesday, a year to the day after the Intend to Publish London Plan was first submitted, the Mayor wrote to Jenrick, implying that his Ministry has not responded to City Hall’s proposed amendments for satisfying his Directions and asserting that he intends to push forward with publishing the new London Plan ‘based on our best understanding of your views to date’ on 21 December. Jenrick’s response was swift and sharp: writing back to the Mayor on 10 December, the Communities Secretary pointedly said that discussions between his officials and City Hall, underway for many months, have raised ‘further issues.’ Jenrick’s letter came with two appendices, outlining where the Mayor’s proposed amendments to satisfy the original 11 Directions must themselves be amended and two new all-new Directions to amend policies on tall buildings and Strategic Industrial Land. Clearly, Khan’s push has elicited a shove. This is not Jenrick’s only Christmas ‘gift’ to London – read on to Caught Our Eye. £3.50 TICKET TO LONDON?
PEOPLE MOVES
 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICYThis was meant to be a story about the Commons Public Affairs Committee’s damning report on the Government’s abortive Starter Homes policy and other planning news odds-and-ends. But the big story is arguably this morning’s announcement of a ‘plan to regenerate England's cities with new homes’ by MHCLG, promising ‘new measures to level up England’s cities and provide much-needed new homes.’ As reported in The Times and The Telegraph, the core of the announcement actually pertains to a Government U-turn on its proposed algorithm for allocating local housing targets. This follows a public consultation on the proposals and threats of a major backbench rebellion by Tory MPs fearing that the algorithm would lead to an unpopular surge of development in their constituencies. Now, it would appear that the method to be employed will be weighted towards increasing the targets for urban areas, including London. Simultaneously, the Government’s announcement is keen to underline that funding to back this housebuilding drive ‘is not just concentrated in London and the South East.’ The announcement also mentioned that the Government ‘will work to agree with the GLA a strengthened role in London for Homes England.’ And in case anyone had missed it, it also highlighted the Secretary of State’s London Plan intervention. AIRPORTS LATESTIn a boost for those who back a third runway at Heathrow Airport, the Supreme Court has today overturned a Court of Appeal ruling brought by environmental campaigners against the proposed third runway. While in February the Court of Appeal found that the Government had failed to take into account its climate change commitments when putting together the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), this latest ruling concluded that the Government acted lawfully. At the same time, somewhat ironically given the above decision, Heathrow Airport has announced that it intends to keep Terminal 4 closed until the end of 2021 due to the huge fall in the number of passengers as a result of COVID-19 – and it has been reported that the Government’s decision not to offer tax-free shopping to tourists may result in a loss of 2,000 retail jobs at Heathrow alone. London City Airport has meanwhile published its new masterplan which, to the relief of many local residents and campaigners, does not include previously-floated proposals to increase its operating hours. A TALE OF TWO CAMPAIGNSThe 2021 Mayoral campaign has, over the past week, offered up prime examples of two very different approaches to politics. Proposals for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) trial have been endorsed by Labour-dominated Islington Council after its sole Green councillor (and London Assembly Member) Caroline Russell proposed a relevant motion. The specifics of UBI proposals vary, but they centre on the idea of a minimum income unconditionally awarded to everyone, without a means test or work requirement (see a handy roundup of how it has been trialled around the world here). This will be welcome news to the campaign of Sian Berry, Assembly Member and Camden councillor, who is once again standing as the Green party’s candidate for Mayor of London and who has vigorously campaigned on this proposal, most recently expressing her disappointment that her Assembly colleagues did not back her motion calling for a pilot in London. Meanwhile, Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey’s campaign has come under criticism over its latest election material. A document sent to voters, headed with a false ‘City Hall’ logo, warns recipients that without their ‘action’, their ‘mayoral council tax will rise by 21.2%,’ It fails to mention the Conservative Party and only mentions Bailey’s name in a faint footnote. Perhaps most alarmingly, the other side of the letter reads: ‘London Mayoral Council Tax Rise: Do Not Ignore’ in large letters. The stunt has prompted a response from Bailey’s opponents, with Lib Dem candidate Luisa Porritt calling it a ‘heartless cheap trick’. Meanwhile, Bailey has also blamed the Mayor for London’s move into Tier 3. REWRITING THE LONDON A-Z?The Black Lives Matter protests that swept cities globally earlier this year rekindled debates about how London memorialises different aspects of its history. The Mayor of London, several councils, civic society organisations and even businesses set in motion projects to address how the city’s built environment commemorates the more fraught chapters of Britain’s history – and examine ways in which it can better reflect 21st century London’s diversity and values. Some of these projects are now beginning to bear fruit. Over the past few weeks, decisions have been made in Ealing, Hackney, Haringey and elsewhere to rename streets with historic or perceived associations to colonialism, the slave trade and racism. While undoubtedly well-intentioned, some of these and other decisions have themselves proved controversial – and not always in ways one might expect. In the case of Ealing’s decision to change the name of a Southall road to commemorate a Sikh Guru instead of a British colonial general, critics have included… representatives of the local Sikh temple. Whatever one’s personal views on this complex and emotive issue, we are all experiencing a profound cultural shift that is still in its infancy. 
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