The world-famous high street, that has appeared in hit films such as Notting Hill and Paddington, will have wider granite pavements, new lighting and greening after Kensington and Chelsea councillors approved the plans during a meeting on Tuesday night. Other improvements include more dropped kerbs for wheelchairs, more parking bays and replacing concrete anti-terror barriers with sliding bollards. Works are expected to begin in January 2027, according to the council.
The High Court has ruled that a west London council acted unlawfully and failed an orphaned child by leaving him in squalid conditions in order to avoid the financial burden of taking him on as looked after. While the child lived with his sister, who was also a child, the case was bought on behalf of only one of them. As a result of these tenancy succession laws, the child became a trespasser in his own home.
Finding full time employment in the capital is particularly tough right now. 7.2 per cent of people are unemployed in the capital, a level last seen during the early months of the pandemic. That's up from 5.4 per cent in June 2024, before Labour came into power. Unemployment in London has risen faster than in any other region, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.
We are having real success tackling the crimes that terrorise communities. But the crimes that tear at the fabric of communities, like shop theft and shop robbery, continue to rise and we must do more. That is why we are putting 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat, and have invested 2 billion more in forces across the country since we took office.
If built, the West London Orbital would link up parts of north and west London. By repurposing an old freight rail line that hasn't carried passengers since 1902, the new line would connect Hounslow to Hendon and West Hampstead via Old Oak Common. If approved, it would become the seventh branch of the Overground network.
Opponents of a huge new Chinese embassy next to the Tower of London say they will soon begin legal action in an attempt to block the scheme. On Tuesday, the government approved China's proposal to redevelop the former Royal Mint site into a vast 215,300 sq ft (20,000 sq m) UK headquarters, despite opposition from politicians and campaigners. About 200 people live in Royal Mint Court, a complex of flats on the site,
Mark Nygate, the treasurer of the local Royal Mint Court Residents' Association, said people living near the proposed development had concerns about government interference in what is supposed to be an independent process. The group has raised nearly 37,000 out of the 145,000 required to instruct lawyers to seek a judicial review if the decision goes against them. Others, Nygate added, had promised to make further donations if it came to it.
And 29% of carers in the capital were in poverty in 2021-22, according to Carers UK - a higher proportion than 21% of Londoners in poverty. Some of this is due to unpaid carers not being aware of benefits they are entitled to, including the Carer's Allowance (CA), which can provide up to 83.30 a week, with others not considering themselves as carers at all.
I would look to ban face coverings, if I could, but I would like to make it a reason for stop and search. I don't think in an open society you need to cover your face. I've prosecuted a woman in a burka. It has to be assumed that if you're hiding your face, you're hiding it for a criminal reason.
Despite its height, planning officers say the tower will be in-keeping with the area, pointing to the proximity of the 16-storey Juniper House, the 14-storey Travelodge hotel, and the twelve-storey Gateway Apartments building. It will be part of an existing cluster of tall buildings, the planning team told councillors, and would only lead to a minor loss of open skyline. Though councillors ultimately agreed the public benefits outweighed any harm to the town centre, six formal objections were received ahead of the meeting.
An east London authority is set to spend almost 6m fixing fire safety faults at two recently completed council-backed housing and commercial developments. The issues include missing back-up power supplies at a block of 156 affordable homes, and sprinkler system problems at an industrial scheme that have left many business units unlettable. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham documents show the problems have delayed occupation, limited rental income and forced costly retrofits funded by taxpayers.
The number of murders in London in 2025 is drawing attention for being the lowest in more than a decade. Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, say figures show their policies and plans are working, which are best summed up as tough on crime, tough on the complex causes of crime. Has the Met turned a corner and can Khan shake off claims he presides over a city where crime is out of control?
I love this city with all my heart, but unlike some in this room, I'm not blind to what it's become. London, one of the greatest cities on Earth, is no longer safe, and that doesn't happen by accident. When I was growing up, London was the place to live, the place to work, the place to build a life. People envied us that live here. Now, they pity us. They say: 'London's a bit too dangerous for me.'
After facing a major legal challenge over last summer's Brockwell Park festivals, like Mighty Hoopla, Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake and Field Day, organisers Summer Events Ltd (which runs the Brockwell Live series) could be in for another fight this year. Campaign group Protect Brockwell Park took Lambeth Council to court over the fact that the events hadn't gone through proper planning permission and won the ruling, meaning that all major events held in the park have to go through a full planning process.
Across the country, highways authorities are responsible for nine out of every 10 miles of road - approximately 225,000 miles throughout the UK. They grit on average 40% of roads - a total of around 80,000 miles. In London, local councils and Transport for London (TfL) grit major roads. Gritter lorry on A9, south of Inverness. Amber weather warnings have been expanded after coming into force in parts of Scotland, as forecasters warn of heavy snow that could bring blizzard conditions and travel disruption. Picture date: Friday January 2, 2026.
There's going to be around 18 months of work on the northern end of the Jubilee line, where it runs high up on raised embankments. A letter sent to local residents and shared by the local Councillor, Jayanti Patel, informs them that the works will start in a couple of weeks time, on 16th January 2026 and last for around 18 months, completing in summer 2027. The affected area is the raised embankment around Queensbury tube station, a couple of stop short of the line's terminus at Stanmore.
