Scrutinising the Mayor articles

Mayor must review 20mph limit on London roads

The London Assembly has called on Mayor Boris Johnson to take action on road safety by introducing more 20mph limits on the capital’s roads. The Assembly asked him to set stricter limits – where appropriate – on the London Road Network (TLRN), following calls from councils, schools, pedestrian groups and cycling organisations, and to require TfL to provide evidence to justify its position when it rejects a Borough’s application to reduce a road’s speed limit.

Assembly calls on Mayor to improve consultation on police plan

The London Assembly has called on the Mayor to take steps to improve the consultation process for the Police and Crime Plan, after residents in Lambeth and Southwark did not receive relevant documents until the day of the consultation meeting.

A motion agreed by the Assembly meeting said that while it may now be too late to rectify the problem in those two boroughs, the quality of the consultation for other groups across London could still be improved.

Mayor should admit he is decimating Safer Neigbourhood Teams

Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on the Mayor’s response today to her questions about the future of Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) across London, where he failed to recognise that there would be a reduction in dedicated police officers for each safer neighbourhood team, said:

“The Mayor should come clean with Londoners and admit that he is decimating the current and successful model for safer neighbourhood teams.

The Mayor's New Year's "gift" - inflation-busting fare rises

Commenting on the Mayor’s 2013 fare rises which start on 2nd January, Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, said:

“Inflation busting fare rises are Boris Johnson’s New Year's gift to Londoners.

“Under Boris Johnson the cheapest bus or tram fare - a single Oyster Pay As You Go fare - has soared from 90 pence to £1.40. While most people have seen hardly any improvements in their incomes the Mayor has imposed a staggering rise in the cost of just getting to work.

Gearing Up for a safe cycling city

A report from the London Assembly Transport Committee, which is chaired by Caroline, warns that the number of cycling injuries on London’s roads has risen by 50 per cent since 2006 and recommends doubling funding for cycling and targets for the number of journeys made by bike.

Gearing Up calls on the Mayor to respond to falling cycle safety by prioritising ways to encourage more people on to bikes and reduce serious cycling incidents on London’s roads.

The Assembly’s recommendations to the Mayor, Transport for London (TfL) and the Government include:

Fighting for jobs and small businesses in Earl's Court

Chris Underwood's Shepherd's Bush blog reports on Caroline Pidgeon's letter to Business Secretary Vince Cable, calling on him to urgently review the planning application which Hammersmith & Fulham Council have approved for the redevelopment of Earl's Court - demolishing the exhibition centre which is a key facility to promote British businesses.

You can read the full article here

Pride should return to its full size

Speaking to the Mayorwatch website about the Mayor's plans for a five-year sponsorship deal to manage London's annual Pride celebrations, Caroline Pidgeon said:
"Although there is no extra funding a five-year sponsorship deal could be a good idea if it provides some long term security to the organisers.‬‪

‬”What is absolutely clear is that we need to learn lessons from this year’s scaled back event. It is vital that it returns to a celebration event of the size and significance that it has enjoyed in previous years."

Mayor should fight for fairness for GCSE students

Assembly Members today called on the Mayor of London to make urgent representations to Education Secretary Michael Gove on behalf of students whose GCSE grades were affected by changes to grade boundaries this summer.

The changes meant pupils assessed in June needed more marks to achieve a C grade than those assessed in January, resulting in many seeing their chances of continuing in further education unexpectedly cut short.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, who seconded the motion, said:

Local authorities need to keep their planning powers

The whole of the London Assembly today called on the Mayor to oppose government plans to significantly extend permitted development rights and reject changes to planning rules that would impact on levels of affordable housing.

As part of a recent range of measures aimed at boosting house building, jobs and the economy, the Government has proposed a three-year relaxation of permitted development rules and the renegotiation of existing planning obligation.

TfL's new Remembrance Day approach is a brilliant initiative

Discussing TfL's plans to give special liveries to tubes and buses for Remembrance Day, and to run full services in the Westminster area to allow people to reach the Cenotaph ceremony, Caroline Pidgeon said:

"This is a brilliant initiative by TfL, which I totally support.

"In complete contrast to previous years London Transport will be playing a key role in ensuring Londoners and visitors to the capital are helped to remember the huge sacrifice made by so many veterans over the years."

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