London Borough of Brent is the only Frack Free Zone in London

As the Prime Minister attempts to induce councils into fracking by letting them keep more tax revenue if they let energy giants drill for shale gas, it is worth wondering if fracking is possible in London at all.

There have been media reports that a company has been given permission to frack in Croydon. The company has been granted a petroleum exploration development license (PEDL) covering 400 square kilometres of south London, Surrey and Kent. The area covered under the license is 10km north to south and 40km east to west, and within greater London covers the Malden area of Kingston Upon Thames, the southern part of the borough of Merton, and large parts of Sutton, Croydon and Bromley. The company is currently exploring in Kent, with a site at Knockholt, inside the M25 near Sevenoaks, the closest to the capital.  The PEDL started in 2008 and runs until July 2014. Northdown Energy Limited is the said company, a small Wimbledon-based company, holds the licence and works in partnership with an American drilling company with fracking operations in America.

Any specific exploration works in any given location also require planning permission from the local minerals planning authority, which in London is the relevant borough.  It does not appear that any London boroughs have been approached for permission.  Permission for each site is also required from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which consults the Environment Agency (EA) and the Health and Safety Executive.  Additional assessments and monitoring are required if the exploratory work is to include fracking.

If the exploration were to indicate that gas or oil production was possible, further permissions from the local authority, DECC and EA would be required for the necessary drilling, fracking or other works. Indications from Sutton council are that London’s geology is not thought to be suitable for fracking.

More generally, the Mayor has been reported as supporting fracking in London in principle.  He told the Times in July  ‘if reserves of shale can be exploited in London we should leave no stone unturned, or unfracked, in the cause of keeping the lights on’. However the 2020 Vision document expresses the belief that there is no oil or shale gas in London.

Furthermore, Thames Water when in front of the Environment Committee of the London Assembly  and asked about it all given the industrial process of fracking would involve a lot of water has stated;

New research has for the first time revealed that at least 36% of homes sold through Right to Buy in London are now let by private landlords, with 31% in Westminster.  The information was released in a new report released today From Right to Buy to Buy to Let. 

Today’s report highlights the financial cost to taxpayers and local authorities of the Right to Buy, including increased welfare spending due to the higher Housing Benefit payments being paid to tenants in ex-council homes that are now charged at market rates. In some London boroughs, average Housing Benefit claims are as much as £100 a week – £5,200 a year – higher for private sector tenants than for council tenants. 

The report also highlights that local authorities are now frequently forced to rent former homes back at higher market rates in order to discharge their statutory homelessness duties. 

The report calls for urgent action to reform Right to Buy to alleviate some of the worst excesses caused by the policy in its current form. 

The report’s recommendations include: 

• Mandatory covenants on all Right to Buy properties so they cannot be let through the private rented sector.
• The current system of discounts should be abolished.
• A new system should be introduced whereby local authorities retain an equity stake in any property sold.
• Local authorities should have a ‘right not to sell’ if it is not in the community interest to do so or if they believe it would harm their housing operations.
• Replacement homes built with Right to Buy receipts should mirror the rent, size and tenure specifications of the home sold 

Murad Qureshi AM, Labour London wide Assembly Member, said:

“The report shows for the first time that Right to Buy, a policy ostensibly about helping aspiring home owners, has led to tens-of-thousands of London’s former council homes being rented out by private landlords. In Westminster the report shows that at least 31% of former council properties sold under right to buy are now rented out privately. This has helped to fuel the increase in the housing benefit bill, heaped more pressure on local authority waiting lists and led to more Londoners being forced into the under-regulated private rented sector. 

“This shows that Right to Buy is poor value for money to taxpayers. Not only did they pay to build the home in the first place, they then subsidised the considerable discounts offered to tenants and then missed out on the rental income that would have covered the build costs. Now, we have the indignity of London boroughs renting back their former council homes at higher market rent levels, once again costing taxpayers through the nose. 

“Right to Buy has played a central role in causing and exacerbating the current housing crisis. Future governments must recognise that the right of a council tenant to buy their home at a discount, subsidised by other taxpayers, cannot be at the expense of the right of the vast majority of people to have a decent, affordable home to live in.” 

Physical conditions in London’s private rented sector are worse than any other tenure of housing, while complaints against private sector landlords have increased by 47% since 2008. Median private sector rents increased by 12% in 2011 and 9% in 2012. 

Ends

 Notes 

1.  Murad Qureshi AM is a Labour London wide Assembly Member 

2. A copy of the report, From Right to Buy to Buy to Let is attached. 

3 . Freedom of Information requests made to council found that of the 8,910 leaseholder properties where the council owns the freehold, 2,762 were likely to be rented out by private individuals or companies. Because councils do not maintain records of homes where the freehold has been sold, this study has used the leaseholder information as a data pool to calculate an overall proportion of former council homes now rented by private landlords. Because there is no statutory requirement on landlords to register an away address with the local authority, this figure is likely to be an underestimate. 

4. Reference for the above data on physical conditions in London’s private rented sector is taken from: ‘Rent reform: Making London’s private rented sector fit for purpose’, London Assembly Housing and Regeneration Committee, June 2013:http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Rent%20Reforms%20-%20Making%20the%20Private%20Rented%20Sector%20Fit%20for%20Purpose%20Final.pdf

Closing encore at Hampstead Threatre for Drawing lines

After attending the play of ” Drawing the line” at the Hampstead Theatre directed by Howard Davies & written by Howard Brenton, l’ve been thinking about my own family history that got caught up in the drawing the of the ill-fated line otherwise known as the Radcliffe line that would divide the Indian sub-continent forever more.

But first the play itself. It tells the story of the drawing of the Radcliffe line once it was agreed the British Raj will finally quit India in 1947 very well and without favour to any particular historical interpretation on the events.

It illustrates well how the personalities of Nehru,Jinnah,Gandhi Mountbatten & Attle influenced events at this critical stage for the Indian sub-continent. And playfully dealt with the Nehru’s romance with the Viceroy’s wife at the end of the empire while clearly suggesting it may explain the rushed job that partition became.

The script is well written and the acting all round makes the points well and fully to the audience. It provides a new vehicle of teaching people what a momentous event partition was for all on the Indian sub-continent and has huge educational value, so l am glad it is available on a live feed for those unable to see it and in other parts of the world to watch as well.

It sheds light on the choice between Calcutta & Chittagong well for the Eastern part of Pakistan and Bengal, an often neglected part of the story. For Bengali’s its a reminder of who actually determined that choice. Certainly not Bengali’s whether Hindu or Muslim!

As for the subject itself, the creation of religious states are problematic anyway but to create one with two bits some 1500 miles away from each other ( and a large state India in between) was asking for even more problems.

What is really perpexing is that if you’re going to create new states why not on the basis of ethnic & linguistic as well as geographical considerations ( access to the sea, air & water )? Surely these should be considered as much as religious affiliation. But alas the political deal was such and the FCO acceptance of a Muslim state, such considerations were not given the airing warranted. Not surprising in some ways as Radcliffe had been given six weeks to complete this task without any background in the matter.

As for the immediate result of it all the communal violence as Independence was declared on the 15th of August 1947, its often forgotten that the boundaries themselves were not declared till 2 days after the declaration of independence. This certainly didn’t help matters as people wondered what side of the line they were and whether to move as a result, adding no doubt to the overall confusion and the heavy death toll. Certainly not a way to have the curtain go down on the British empire in the Indian sub-continent.

You can still watch on this live feed below, and l highly recommend watching it over the next 72 hours that its still open after the final closing of the curtains last night.

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/interactive/2014/jan/10/live-stream-drawing-the-line-howard-brenton

I look forward to having a discussion over its production and contents soon.

The Clean Air in London Campaign confirmed today (9th January) that the London Air Quality Network’s air pollution sensor in Oxford Street reported a breach of the nitrogen dioxide hourly legal limit for the whole of 2014 in the first five days. This is the first London monitoring station to breach this limit so far this year. 

Murad Qureshi AM, London Assembly Labour Group Environment spokesperson, said: 

“It is appalling that just five days into the New Year the hourly legal limit for nitrogen dioxide on one of our busiest roads has already been exceeded. Air pollution is a known killer causing over 4,000 premature deaths every year. 

Londoners don’t appreciate that simply taking a stroll down one of London’s premier thoroughfares could have a serious impact on their health. The Mayor needs to face up to the scale of the problem and take steps now to reduce air pollution quickly” 

Ends 

Notes

1. Murad Qureshi is a London-wide Assembly Member.
2. 5th January readings: http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/advstatsvariousresults.asp?site1=WM6&site2=WA7&site3=&site4=&stattype=xcreadings&xvalue=200&zunits=ugm3&startdate=01-01-2014&enddate=05-01-2014&submit=View&period=hourly&species=NO2 

4th January readings:

http://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/advstatsvariousresults.asp?site1=WM6&site2=WA7&site3=&site4=&stattype=xcreadings&xvalue=200&zunits=ugm3&startdate=01-01-2014&enddate=04-01-2014&submit=View&period=hourly&species=NO2 

1. Legal limits : http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/standards.htm 
2. Quick guide and laws in place since 1999 to be complied with by 2010 etc -http://cleanairinlondon.org/news/quick-guide-to-air-pollution/ 

World Health Organisation guidelines –

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

Murad Qureshi AM joined local residents and campaigners this morning (Thursday) to oppose Boris’ Johnson’s cuts to the London Fire Brigade. The protest took place at Westminster Fire Station at 8.30am. The cuts took effect from 9am, meaning that across London there are now 10 fewer fire stations, 14 fewer fire engines and 552 fewer firefighters than yesterday.  

The stations axed are Belsize, Bow, Clerkenwell, Downham, Kingsland, Knightsbridge, Silvertown, Southwark, Westminster and Woolwich in addition the second fire engine was cut from Chingford, Hayes, Leyton, Leystonstone, Peckham and Whitechapel. 

The cuts follow a lengthy campaign to stop the Mayor’s plans which originally included over 18 fire stations and 32 fire engines. The cuts are being made to fund Boris Johnson’s penny a day cut to his share of the council tax for each household. Last year the Mayor was presented with fully costed proposals to maintain the current level of provision but this was ignored. 

Murad Qureshi AM, London wide Labour Assembly Member, said:

“Today’s demonstration shows the strength of feeling amongst the local community against these cuts. Boris Johnson’s decision to close these stations and axe the fire engines and firefighters will lead to significantly increased response times to incidents across London. In some areas it will now take nearly two minutes longer for a fire engine to arrive on scene, every second counts. This morning also gave us the chance to say thank you to the firefighters who have put their lives on the line to keep our local area safe. They are heroes and deserve to be applauded for their dedication and professionalism.

“Boris has not listened to local residents and is forcing these cuts through. In response to his consultation 94% of Londoners said they do not support his plans. Today’s cuts are a grim new year’s present, he hasn’t even bothered to come down and say thank you to any of the firefighters this morning. He should be ashamed of himself.”

A demonstration will take place tomorrow (Thursday) to oppose Boris’ Johnson’s cuts to the London Fire Brigade. The protest will take place at Fire Stations across London at 8.30am. The cuts will take effect at 9am. In total 10 fire stations, 14 fire engines and 552 firefighters will be axed.  

The stations to be axed are Belsize, Bow, Clerkenwell, Downham, Kingsland, Knightsbridge, Silvertown, Southwark, Westminster and Woolwich in addition the second fire engine will be cut from Chingford, Hayes, Leyton, Leystonstone, Peckham and Whitechapel. 

The cuts follow a lengthy campaign to stop the Mayor’s plans which originally included over 18 fire stations and 32 fire engines. The cuts are being made to fund Boris Johnson’s penny a day cut to his share of the council tax for each household. Last year the Mayor was presented with fully costed proposals to maintain the current level of provision but this was ignored. 

Murad Qureshi AM, London wide Assembly Member, said:

“Boris Johnson’s cuts will lead to significantly increased response times to incidents across London. In some areas it will now take nearly two minutes longer for a fire engine to arrive on scene, every second counts. The recent theatre collapse in Soho demonstrates the importance of maintaining current provision, three of the eight appliances that attended the incident will be cut.” 

“Boris has not listened to local residents in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea who are losing their local station and is forcing these cuts through. In response to his consultation 94% of Londoners said they do not support his plans. Today’s cuts are a grim new year’s present; Boris should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.” 

Ends

Notes

     The LFB incident log (see http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/LatestIncidentsContainer_1912201320.asp#.UrQtpfRdWul) lists the following fire engines as attending the theatre collapse in Soho: Kensington, Soho, Westminster, Dowgate, Southwark, Knightsbridge, Battersea, Lambeth, and Euston stations. Of those Westminster, Southwark and Knightsbridge are due to close under the Mayor’s cuts.

The Clean Air in London Campaign has today released new data, collated by the Office for National Statistics, which ranks the top 10 causes of death for every London borough. The statistics show for the first time that air pollution is one of the causes of all the top four male death categories and four of the top five female death categories in London. 

These statistics show the direct link that air pollution is having on the health of Londoners right across the capital. 

Murad Qureshi AM, London Assembly Labour Group Environment spokesperson, said:

“The figures released today by Clean Air in London are a crucial new development in the campaign against air pollution in the capital. These statistics tell a story of a city where poor air quality is causing loss of life. Air pollution is a silent killer and must be tackled. This latest evidence should be a wakeup call for a Mayor who has consistently failed to combat this problem head on.” 

Ends 

Notes

1.  Murad Qureshi is a London-wide Assembly Member. 
2. The statistics were commissioned by Clean Air in London from the Office for National Statistics and can be seen on the CAL website at http://cleanairinlondon.org/health/first-ever-rankings-of-top-10-death-rates-for-every-london-borough/

Murad Qureshi AM, Labour London wide Assembly Member today (Monday) joined local campaigners at Edgware Road station to protest against Boris Johnson’s latest round of inflation busting fare rises. Despite promising to cap the New Year fare rises at inflation (which is 3.1%) fares on buses, some TfL rail services and many travelcards will go up above this level. 

The above inflation rises for 2014 include: 

–       Bus and Tram Pay as You Go – up 3.6% to £1.45 – a 55p rise since 2008

–       PAYG TfL Rail Services Zone 1 – up 4.8% to £2.20

–       Zone 1-2 monthly Travelcard – up 3.3% to £120.60

–       Zone 1-3 monthly Travelcard – up 3.4% to £141.40

–       Zone 1-4 annual travelcard – up 3.2% to £1800  

Murad Qureshi AM, Labour London wide Assembly Member said:

“Despite his promises many transport fares in London will go up above inflation this month. Bus fares have now risen by over 60% since Boris became Mayor in 2008 and Travelcards are up by 3.4%. This couldn’t come at a worse time as Londoners continue to be hit by the cost of living crisis. 

“We’ve seen food, fuel and rents all going up above inflation, rather than using his position to provide some much needed release to Londoners Boris has whacked them with another inflation busting fare rise. People are increasingly asking, whose side is he on?” 

“To make matters worse these fare rises come at the same time as Boris is planning to cut 750 frontline station staff across our city. People will be paying more money for a worse service.” 

Ends

Notes

1. Murad Qureshi AM is a London wide Assembly Member.
2. The new fare levels can be found here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/29288.aspx

Grand Central station in NYC where we have had DDD for over a century

A few souls have asked me to expand on my letter in the Camden New Journal over the seasonal break, particularly when l say ” if its good enough for Grand Central in NYC, why not Euston in London?”

Firstly l had been been introduced to Double Deck Down (DDD) at Grand Central rail station at an early age by an uncle who used to work for Amtrak on trips to New York City where my aunt lived just outside NYC proper in  Long Island. I have to confuse l didn’t show the slightess bit of interest in how the station operated when he told us, as l just wanted to get on the trains and go off to where ever l was been sent! It was only recently when campaigners came to visit me at City Hall for DDD option at Euston for the HS2 to limit its environmental impact in Camden and l immediately realised l actually knew one example very well, Grand Central in New York City.

At Grand Central, NYC it was decided to create a new double level terminal for electric trains back in 1902 and took 10 years of construction while rail services continued uninterrupted. It opened just over a 100 years ago in 1913 with two levels both below ground with overall 44 platforms with 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower one. Clearly the technology will have been developed given its over a century old anyway, so why not in London with the HS2 concerns in Euston, l ask myself?

From the answers l got on the night of the last community consultation in Euston, it was clear HS2 had not really looked into the matter at all and came over very defensive about the matter when it was brought up by members of the local community, dismissing it on a confidential cost-basis. Yet it could offer the best solution to mitigate many of the adverse impacts of HS2 in Euston like the loss of a public park in St James Gardens; the local businesses in Drummond Street; and the many homes on the Regents Park Estate. I suggested that surely cost-benefit analysis could have been undertaken without breaching the release of any of the actual build costings. At least Camden Council had done a cost-benefit analysis of HS2 impact on Camden using the governments own Green Book methodology. Surely HS2 could adopt that piece of work for this assessment?

Indeed we have seen HS2 willing to undertaken mitigating works for London boroughs adversely affected by the proposed works when it offered Ealing Councils the tunnel option under the borough at between £600-800 million to the public purse last summer before the public consultations. Surely Camden residents deserve to be treated in a similar vein given they will be most affected by HS2 in the whole of the country not alone in London. This just goes to show that such issues can be addressed if HS2 are willing to listen.

But finally thank you to my uncle in NYC ( since retired & enjoying life in Long Island ) for introducing me to DDD so early in my life! I never thought it would be of use to me but it has in appreciating the various options for HS2  at Euston station. I must go over and see him soon and see if he has got any other pearls of wisdom.

THE killing of Lee Rigby on the streets of Woolwich in May was a dismal and brutal event which shocked us all, regardless of our race or religion. It was undeniably an attack on the freedom and tolerance which Britain holds so dearly, and especially in London, where there are many examples of different communities living side by side peacefully.

Events like this, which are designed to wreck community cohesion, should never be allowed to diminish our resolve to continue our way of life; however our first thoughts are undoubtedly with Lee Rigby’s family for whom the nightmare continues, particularly as the trial of the two suspects starts.

As a Londoner, I was also concerned about the aftermath and the possibility of copycat incidents. Thankfully, there have been none; there has also been the issue of backlash attacks against Muslim communities. So, in June, I asked the Mayor of London to tell me whether there had been an increase in the number of Islamaphopbic incidents in London since Woolwich and if so, what form these attacks had taken?

It took the Mayor’s office about three months to respond, but eventually in September, the response came as follows: “Immediately after Lee Rigby’s murder, reports to the MPS of Islamaphobic Hate Crime rose. From 22nd to the end of May, the average daily total was approx nine per day.

In June the rate reduced to an average of just under four per day. In July (up to the 25th) the rate reduced still further to average fewer than two per day, and the trend continues downward. 77 per cent of these offences have been Violence against the Person, and three quarters of those have been Harassment. 21 per cent has been Criminal Damage”

This belated response by the Mayor was perhaps indicative of something more sinister; a failure to acknowledge the problem soon enough following the incident in May, maybe? (Although unlikely, given that the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the rise in backlash attacks in the summer) or perhaps a sign of discord on the subject between the Mayor and his advisors?

In June, Andrew Gilligan (mayoy Boris Johnson’s cycling commissioner) wrote extensively in the Daily Telegraph about the “overhyping” of backlash incidents, proclaiming that “having asked other police forces and trawling local media reports, The Daily Telegraph has been unable to find a single confirmed case since Drummer Rigby’s death where any individual Muslim has received an injury requiring medical treatment”.

There is clearly much more than a hint of scepticism around the Mayor, but with the latest figures quoted by the Mayor, such sceptics have probably been laid to rest.

The statistical element of the response is also a point of note. The numerical trend is expected; an immediate rise in incidents with (thankfully) a steady decline, but what is worrying is the large proportion of incidents of violence against the person.

What we tend to hear about in the media are threats against the symbolism of the Islamic faith, such as mosques and Islamic community centres, but clearly, threats against the person are more likely and more indicative of a vicious strand of personal attacks against the Muslim community.

The upshot of this will be for example, Muslim men and women having to watch their back when out and about in their local neighbourhood, Muslim children going to school scared; Muslims denying their faith or keeping a low profile and collectively a whole community feeling under siege.

We must continue to counter this trend by spreading the message of tolerance and furthermore, the message that acts like the one in Woolwich are not synonymous with the Islamic faith but simply and purely acts of mindless terrorism; they do not and will never belong under the banner of any religion or faith.

However, backlash attacks against Muslims are the thin edge of the wedge because what we are now seeing are personal attacks against anyone who even looks Muslim.

Recently, a swathe of derogatory twitter remarks followed the crowing of Miss America, an Asian.

Even though Ms Nina Davuluri is of Indian origin, her brown skin rendered her synonymous with being an Arab, a Muslim and ultimately a terrorist!

We should always remain mindful of these trends which breed ignorance and intolerance because as the Ms America incident shows, the tendency is for it to mushroom into an attack against a much wider group and as Miss America found out, even beauty is no guard against bigotry!

Finally this has been published in Eastern Eye.