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1178 stories from and about London, mostly council & politics, transport & tfl, local news. The most recent ran on 31 October 2026. Page 18 of 59.
Londoners are facing an increasing risk of overheating in their homes, with 75 per cent of social housing stock identified as being at high risk. A new report urges the Mayor to speed up home retrofitting to protect residents from extreme heat.
Data from the House of Commons Library show nine of the ten UK constituencies with the smallest share of diagnosed depression are in London, led by Brent West at 6.66%. The capital also hosts the nation’s lowest neighbourhood rate at 4.2% in St John's Wood North.
On 4 September 2026 Mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled a £15.6 million fund aimed at making streets, parks and transport hubs safer for women and girls. Delivered through City Hall, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and TfL, the scheme joins a wider £37 million citywide plan.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has formally appealed to the government to reject the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement. While the plan forecasts up to 61,000 jobs by 2055, the mayor and the London Assembly warn of worsening pollution and overloaded transport networks.
Seven London boroughs have written to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to oppose the draft Heathrow expansion policy. They argue the proposed 3,500‑metre runway would increase noise, pollution and traffic, and a decision on the scheme is not expected until 2029.
Transport for London has launched its new Superloop route, the SL12, connecting Gants Hill and Rainham. The service, which began on September 5, is the first Superloop expansion into the borough of Havering and offers free travel until September 11.
On 4 September 2026, three men received life sentences for the killing of Gregory Catillo Volquez on Tiverton Road, Haringey. The court set minimum terms of 22‑23 years, concluding a Metropolitan Police investigation that traced the attackers from Hackney to Spain.
Whitbread will shut seven Bar + Block outlets in Aldgate, Hammersmith, King’s Cross, Paddington, Southwark, Sutton and Wimbledon on 3 September. The move begins a five‑year plan to close 261 restaurants, save £250 million and reshape the group into a hotel‑focused business.
Chislehurst Care Limited in Bromley and Amazon Cleaning Ltd in Bexley have been named by the Government for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage. Nearly £4 million was repaid to over 27,000 workers across the UK in the latest enforcement round.
Reform UK's candidate for London Mayor, Laila Cunningham, has addressed allegations of improper foreign funding for party polls. While a police investigation is underway, Cunningham stated that funds for her mayoral campaign are held in a distinct and traceable account.
A picturesque village just an hour's train journey from London offers a walking route that has been compared to the set of the film The Holiday. The village of Shere boasts numerous listed buildings and has been a filming location for several well-known movies.
Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski was caught travelling at 43 mph in a 30 mph zone inside the Limehouse Link tunnel on 28 September 2025. The Metropolitan Police warn the offence will bring at least 12 penalty points, putting him at risk of a six‑month ban, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for 21 September 2026.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has signed a two-year deal with London City Lionesses, returning to the Women's Super League after a spell in France. Her debut could be against her former club, Manchester United, in the season's opening match.
The High Court has instructed that Lord Khan’s texts, emails and chat logs, together with those of more than a dozen senior officials, be reviewed for relevance to Palantir’s lawsuit over a halted artificial‑intelligence deal worth £50 million. A full hearing is set for January 2027.
Aedes aegypti, the tropical mosquito that can spread dengue, chikungunya and Zika, was discovered breeding in east London houses, the first UK breeding record. UKHSA says the health risk is very low, has started larval control and asks locals to eliminate standing water.
Donald Trump told GB News that police refuse to patrol some London districts, while Metropolitan Police figures confirm homicide numbers fell to 97 in 2025, the lowest level in over a decade. The mayor’s office rejected the claim as inaccurate.
The Greater London Authority allocated £1.35 million to marketing that featured over 1,500 TfL posters and 53 digital screens celebrating the Mayor’s ten‑year term. Assembly Member Hina Bokhari criticised the lack of transparency, while GLA Director Nicole Valentinuzzi highlighted benefits for homelessness and Brexit advice.
Revolut has secured conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for its American bank charter. The company still needs clearance from the Federal Reserve and the FDIC before it can roll out services, targeting a 2027 launch.
A Boeing 747 cargo plane flying from Heathrow to Hong Kong declared a Mayday after a series of electrical failures. Water had entered the aircraft before departure due to a cargo door being left open in the rain, causing critical system malfunctions.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared his full support for Sadiq Khan to seek a fourth term as Mayor of London. Burnham dismissed accusations from Tory candidate James Cleverly that he is 'anti-London', calling the claim 'ludicrous'. A recent poll suggests Khan would win re-election comfortably.
Borough-wide and national stories that name London or bear directly on it.
High rents, business rates, and reduced bus services are identified as primary drivers weakening Oxford Street. Experts suggest the current approach of pedestrianisation and the impact of Crossrail have worsened the situation, with calls for central government intervention.
Lewisham Council rejected a cross‑borough plan for 802 homes on either side of Deptford Creek in late September 2026. Greenwich approved its part on 13 October, but the mayor will not use his powers to reverse the decision. The development offers only 24 affordable units, 5 % of the total, and the Secretary of State may still intervene.
Westminster recorded the highest number of hate crime offences in London during September 2026, with 120 incidents. Across the capital, 1,868 offences were logged. Transport for London is providing free bystander training in response to rising incidents on its network.
A fatal incident on the tracks at Cannon Street station on 28 October 2026 led British Transport Police to declare the victim dead at the scene. Transport for London halted sections of the District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines until about 7 pm, leaving commuters facing long delays.
Lewisham Council has approved a new housebuilding strategy focused on supporting community groups and housing co-operatives to deliver more affordable homes. This initiative gains importance after Landsec abandoned plans for the Lewisham Shopping Centre, which would have provided approximately 1,700 homes.
Camden Council confirmed the car‑free status of Camden High Street will become permanent at the end of October 2026 following an 18‑month trial funded by Transport for London. The move costs £10,000 to administer and includes a new northbound bus lane on Kentish Town Road to cut bus delays.
Wandsworth Council will issue an enforcement notice requiring 113 Gassiot Road in Tooting Bec to cease unauthorised short-term holiday lets. The property was found listed on Airbnb and Booking.com, letting for over 90 nights.
In a Southwark Crown Court hearing, Russell Brand asserted that his history of public kissing and casual encounters has been wrongly portrayed as rape and sexual assault. He denied all six charges, and a charge of indecent assault was altered to attempted indecent assault.
The death of Stephen Nuth, 51, in HMP Pentonville prompted an inquest that blamed a nurse’s failure to read his medical notes. The coroner’s report has pushed the North London NHS Foundation Trust to amend its policy on reviewing records before inmate assessments.
Wandsworth Council has agreed to allocate £30,000 towards a statue of John Archer, London's first Black mayor. The decision has drawn criticism from Labour councillors, who argue the funds could be better used for services, especially with a proposed 94 per cent council tax increase.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted former police officer Mark Tyrrell of rape, three sexual assaults and perverting the course of justice on 27 October 2026. He remains in custody, will be sentenced on 16 December, and the Met Police may seek to strip his pension.
Anthony Lloyd, 38, escaped from a Lewisham medical facility on 23 October 2026. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on 27 October 2026 that he remains at large and is considered a risk to the public.
Camden Council has confirmed that the pedestrian zone on Camden High Street, introduced as an 18‑month trial, will become permanent. The decision follows a consultation where 57% of respondents backed the move, while the council also plans a design test for an extension over Camden Lock Bridge and a trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road.
The Standard recorded 51 cyclists travelling through Oxford Street’s newly pedestrianised stretch on 27 October 2026. TfL says breaches can attract fines of up to £160, reduced to £80 if paid within two weeks, and is trialling geofencing with dockless operators to limit e‑bike access.
Wandsworth Council is hosting a free meeting on 10 November at All Saints Church, Putney, to brief residents on Heathrow Airport’s third‑runway plans. Over 400 daily overflights have been recorded in Battersea, and the council will use community input for its response to the consultation running until 22 December.
Police were called to Frances Street in Woolwich at 8:09 pm on 22 October after a 32‑year‑old man was shot inside a parked car. The victim remains in critical condition, and detectives are urging anyone with information to contact the Met.
TfL is considering making Angel station exit‑only during evenings and weekends from November and is also studying a full closure that could last up to a year. Local traders and the Islington Council leader warn the move would hurt businesses, while TfL says no decision has been taken yet.
From 26 October a stretch of Oxford Street in Westminster became vehicle‑free. Deliveries may occur only between midnight and 07:00, while emergency services keep full access. The mayor and TfL say the change will be monitored and the street will gain trees, squares and new seating by spring 2027.
A significant section of Oxford Street, between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, has been pedestrianised. The move aims to revitalise the area, boost economic growth, and create a greener environment, though some concerns about traffic diversion have been raised.
A man has died after a tree fell onto a vehicle in Finchley. The incident occurred on Nether Street, which was subsequently closed between Abercorn Road and Crescent Road. Emergency services attended the scene.
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