What is the one thing London needs most?

[6th Gear]

A damn good clean.

[blueg33]

alabbasi said:

blueg33 said:

It needs affordable homes, and lots of them One borough I know needs to build about 1800pa, last year they did 18.

Another borough has a 40 plus year waiting list for affordable housing

Market forces. Subsidized housing raise prices, not lower them. Getting rid of all subsidies will lower prices for everyone as only people who can afford to pay for housing can rent or buy, and homes can only be sold or rented if they're priced affordably. People who don't work in London can afford to leave. People who do, don't get the subsidies and cannot live anywhere else.

I’m confused. Are you saying keep subsidies or get rid of them?

If you are saying get rid , I don’t see how that will bring prices down. If you make all housing available to all in London that won’t make it affordable as the supply/demand issue will remain.

[crofty1984]

wormus said:

On the other hand, cannot believe this piece of art is 10 years old. Feels as fresh now as when I first saw it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lVmmYMwFj1I

Heh. Tramp balls.

[Cotty]

Mr Tidy said:

Sutton and Worcester Park are both in London boroughs, as are Chessington and Kingston even though they are also in Surrey!

So is Bromley, even though it is in Kent.

Bromley is the principal town of the London Borough of Bromley. It was Kent until it 1965 since then it has been part of Greater London.

[psi310398]

Cotty said:

Bromley is the principal town of the London Borough of Bromley. It was Kent until it 1965 since then it has been part of Greater London.

Even more anomalously, while Kingston is unarguably a London Borough, it is also the administrative headquarters of the County of Surrey (which is not in London).

[D-Angle]

2Btoo said:

I'd suggest an effective police force. And a new mayor as well.

I suggest Street Judges, I have been comparing London to Mega City One for years now anyway.

[Digga]

Lord Marylebone said:

Don’t forget the famous saying:

“If you are tired of London you are tired of life”

Derived from the original words of Dr Samuel Johnson in 1777.

“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford”

When a man is asked to pay over £5 a pint, he soon gets tired of London.

From the orginal works of Digga, 2019.

[oyster]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3186718,0.065423...

In London.
Inside the M25.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Mr Tidy said:

fatboy18 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

valiant said:

fatboy18 said:

o question......What do you call London? Where does it stop and start? Anywhere where Transport for London Starts? 20 mph speed limits? What a fkin Joke they are Anywhere Inside the M25? What's the definition of "London"

Now you’ve done it!

We had this thread before and it basically ended in handbags at dawn and many deaths were recorded. Best not go there...

There are a million opinions on this, but only one right answer. There are 32 London Boroughs. They make up London. None of those places are in Kent, Surrey, Herts or non existent Middx, although they may have been in the past. Anywhere not in a London Borough is not in London.

Hold on, Sutton Surrey is in the London Borough also Coulsdon Surrey which is in the London borough low emission Zone.

Sutton and Worcester Park are both in London boroughs, as are Chessington and Kingston even though they are also in Surrey!

So is Bromley, even though it is in Kent.

Sorry Twig, but you got this badly wrong! Where are you based anyway?

Then again they are all pretty miserable places if you own a car!

Edited by Mr Tidy on Friday 17th January 02:03

Chessington & Kingston are not in Surrey. Bromley is not in Kent. Borders change. If you are in a London borough, you are not in Surrey, Kent, Herts or any other surrounding county. You might have been in the past, but you were also part of the Roman Empire in the past.

[Bussolini]

borcy said:

I think this is probably a question best answered by people who live in London. Hard for me to say before this year I think I'd been twice in my life. Not really avoided it just no reason to go.

What would you like to see?

Improved transport links south of the river.

More affordable housing. (Well, maybe not, as we are buying! But for London as a whole, it is required). So house building - including council housing - and restrictions on foreign ownership, empty properties, buy-to-lets, etc. etc.

More police, across London not just the touristy parts.

More spending on public services - it is appalling how difficult it can be to get things like GP appointments.

More robust policing in the rougher parts. I'd suggest that if you are convicted of gang related crime, the gang gets split up - particularly if you are in social housing, each individual convicted gets moved to a different part of the country and banned from certain postcodes.

Cars is the difficult one - I love cars, and have one and want to keep it, and it doesn't satisfy ULEZ - but at the same time, there are too many and it's too busy. I would reduce speed limits, limit the number of uber licences granted, improve bus and rail services, and continue with congestion charging in central London. I am not sure of the merits of emissions charging - seems pretty punishing for people that can't afford to drive anything other than old cars, and will lead to the scrapping of cars that are perfectly fit for purpose.

Edited by Bussolini on Friday 17th January 13:54

[Pan Pan Pan]

Farage as the new London Mayor?

[aeropilot]

fatboy18 said:

Frankly If I never went there again it would not bother me one bit,the London I loved and knew has long gone.

Gone are the fun days of the Kings Road, Punk and Teddy Boys, the Chelsea Cruise, Lyceum Nightclub etc......

Indeed.

I still venture in from the shires once a month on a Sat afternoon to meet up with old faces from the Camden 'rockin scene' from the 80's and 90's, but once a month for a few hours is more than enough. I last worked in the centre of London in 2014 when I still lived out in Zone 5 of the tube map, and I loved working 'in town' when there, just hated to aggro of getting there and back.
Effects of an illness that year have now taken their toll, and commuting into London is now a no-no for me, so I'm glad to be out of it, despite most of my work opportunities being in London.
London is a great place when you're younger, its not such a great place once you get older.

[ElectricSoup]

A High Speed Rail Link to the North...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

aeropilot said:

London is a great place when you're younger, its not such a great place once you get older.

I couldn't agree less. I live in West London 'burbs, and the older I get, the more time I find myself spending in town. I said on another thread I want to retire to somewhere with a W1 postcode. The older you get, the last thing you need is peace and tranquillity. I want to be lying on my deathbed at 103 listening to the sound of police sirens outside and neon light flashing thru my windows.

[Digga]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

aeropilot said:

London is a great place when you're younger, its not such a great place once you get older.

I couldn't agree less. I live in West London 'burbs, and the older I get, the more time I find myself spending in town. I said on another thread I want to retire to somewhere with a W1 postcode. The older you get, the last thing you need is peace and tranquillity. I want to be lying on my deathbed at 103 listening to the sound of police sirens outside and neon light flashing thru my windows.

Because you've left the chip pan on, one last time?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Digga said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

aeropilot said:

London is a great place when you're younger, its not such a great place once you get older.

I couldn't agree less. I live in West London 'burbs, and the older I get, the more time I find myself spending in town. I said on another thread I want to retire to somewhere with a W1 postcode. The older you get, the last thing you need is peace and tranquillity. I want to be lying on my deathbed at 103 listening to the sound of police sirens outside and neon light flashing thru my windows.

Because you've left the chip pan on, one last time?

I was thinking more of the Piccadilly Circus advertising shining thru my penthouse apartment window, but your scenario is probably more likely.

[alabbasi]

blueg33 said:

I’m confused. Are you saying keep subsidies or get rid of them?

If you are saying get rid , I don’t see how that will bring prices down. If you make all housing available to all in London that won’t make it affordable as the supply/demand issue will remain.

I'm saying get rid of them. If you have un-affordable homes in an area that's being propped up by government subsidies ,removing the subsidies will force pricing down as people will only be able to pay for what they can really afford, not what the government is willing to kick in. Another subsidy is on council taxes which have not gone up in 30 years. Aligning council taxes with the true value of the home will likely curb the purchase of investment properties / holiday homes and provide the city with the money needed for public services.

I pay around 3% of my homes value in local property Taxes here in DFW which works out to around $9000/year. My parents home in West London is probably worth 3x the value of my home and the council tax is about 1/5th. I'm not sure that I see how much value they get from their taxes. The 15 minute walk from the tube station shows me public areas have 12" tall grass, there is rubbish everywhere and every paving stone looks like it was hit with a sledge hammer. MTC costs money and freezing council taxes for 30 years has an effect.

[Halb]

Digga said:

When a man is asked to pay over £5 a pint, he soon gets tired of London.

From the orginal works of Digga, 2019.

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of ankle-deep slurry.”

[Digga]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Digga said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

aeropilot said:

London is a great place when you're younger, its not such a great place once you get older.

I couldn't agree less. I live in West London 'burbs, and the older I get, the more time I find myself spending in town. I said on another thread I want to retire to somewhere with a W1 postcode. The older you get, the last thing you need is peace and tranquillity. I want to be lying on my deathbed at 103 listening to the sound of police sirens outside and neon light flashing thru my windows.

Because you've left the chip pan on, one last time?

I was thinking more of the Piccadilly Circus advertising shining thru my penthouse apartment window, but your scenario is probably more likely.

I hope not mate.

I do see your logic though. I think the desire to be in the thick of it must come to a lot of older retired people. it is the only possible reason why the s clutter up my butchers every Saturday morning when they have the whole fking rest of the week to visit.

[Nickgnome]

Halb said:

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of ankle-deep slurry.”

Try the pavements it’s much better than the sewers, unless you have reason to stay hidden of course.