Forum topic: Changing london

“Changing London” has been a long time link on the PGC web site. It was set up some three years ago to facilitate input and drive significant change to London’s agenda via City Hall.

In the course of the primary and mayoral campaigns Mayor Khan endorsed many of the Changing London proposals – a campaign to beat loneliness in London, a Children’s Guarantee promising that all London children would have the opportunity to experience the best that the city has to offer, a pledge to help expand the provision of play streets, a practical plan for reducing suicide by 50% over the next four years, a commitment to use the Mayors planning powers to build social connection into neighbourhoods, not design it out, a deputy mayor to lead on this work and more.

Changing London argued that these kinds of ideas should not be a “nice to have” peripheral to the mayor's top priorities. A cohesive and well integrated city would be healthy, fair, successful, truly “open for business” and a city where people loved to live.

Changing London set out to help alternative voices to be heard in the political process, to introduce a different set of ideas in the mayoral election, and ultimately to expand the vision and strengthen the programme of the eventual winner. In this vein, Mayor Khan has just announced the appointment of a deputy mayor for social integration, exactly what Changing London called for: an entirely new, top level appointment to coordinate and to drive forward the social agenda.

Following this appointment Changing London will now be winding up. Many Londoners will be wishing Matthew Ryder QC the very best in his new challenge. For Palmers Green, the commitment to expand the provision of Play Streets should be watched carefully – when you’re at the front of the curve things tend to happen. I suspect they might, and soon, and just maybe with a “wow” factor. If your street is not already playing then now is the time to find out how and get on with it.