Mayoral candidate Farah London, is carrying on her fight, in the best interests of the residents of London.
This is the emailed (posted on Twitter) that she sent to the Rt Hon William Russell, Lord Mayor of London, to highlight the importance of accessibility of the ‘Bank Junction’ and also highlight the devastating effects the closure has caused on businesses and the black cab trade
The Rt Hon. The Lord Mayor, Alderman William Anthony Bowater Russell Mansion House
Walbrook
London
EC4N 8BH
CC: Catherine McGuinness - Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee Alastair Moss - Deputy Chair of Planning Committee
All Change at Bank Project Team
Subject: Bank Junction
Dear The Rt Hon. The Lord Mayor, Alderman William Anthony Bowater Russell,
I am aware a review of the Bank Junction is currently underway and that your officers are assessing responses to a recent public consultation.
Unless reasonably free flow of vehicles through the junction is allowed again, there will be mass disruption to businesses, workers, residents and visitors, and most importantly a long-term negative effect on the City of London trade and future.
By way of introduction, I was a Candidate for Mayor of London in the elections earlier this month and am also a Freeman of the City of London. Like you, I have a vested interest in the City.
Through my campaigning I had the opportunity to have dialogue with local businessmen, businesswomen as well as residents and visitors. I spoke with the wider community over their concerns about the effect of the Bank junction closures to-date.
The restrictions have made travelling to the City of London inconvenient for meetings and wider business activity. This has caused reduced footfall and had a detrimental effect on the local businesses, both corporate and the smaller high street outlets.
The damage ore-dates Covid and will continue past it if not addressed.
Having started my career in the City of London, I have been fortunate to experience the City at its fullest capacity. I enjoyed the bustling working environment, which local businesses depended on.
Certainly, the pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the City, but to further restrict accessibility would be absolute insanity.
Future pedestrianisation of Bank junction would be a 'nail in the coffin' to many City for businesses. They need footfall from other parts of London. They need a lifeline - not to be pushed under.
Unless supported offices will relocate out of the city due to the closure of the Bank junction. Already, accessibility for clients to visit has caused inconvenience. It has led to meetings being scheduled outside the City of London.
Business is after all, the main reason why visitors come to the City of London. Our essence is commerce rather than the strolling, sitting and resting emphasised by the ‘All Change at Bank Project Team’ in their call for comments.
We are not Amsterdam. We do not have a mass-cycling culture. Policies to create one are putting pubciole before practicality.
Given that the Financial Sector was not included in the Brexit Deal, now is not the time to further disrupt and hamper much needed business.
It is the time to encourage business and attract foreign direct investment (FDI), back into the City of London. This cannot be accomplished with the City no longer being business friendly.
Time is money and every second counts. The Bank junction closure has not only affected and lost time for many, but - even before Covid - was killing the 'buzz' of the city.
Accessibility is an issue. I wish to highlight the current restrictions on the black cab drivers not being able to access the junction, this has proven a mass inconvenience to not only city workers, visitors and residents.
It has also had a detrimental effect on the income of black cab drivers. They are currently not receiving any support from the government or Mayor’s office, even during the pandemic.
A personal example of such inconveniences, I live in Tower Hill and ordered a black cab to the Ned for a particularly important meeting, this should have taken a journey time of 5 minutes in total, however due to the closures, the driver was required to take a longer route through to St Paul's Cathedral and then back up again.
The journey took a total of 26 minutes - costing me much more in fare and made me embarrassingly late. Not only did this journey cause more air pollution, due to the longer journey, I lost the fullest value of a meeting. I am just one example of thousands of individuals who have experienced the same.
It is also a grave injustice to those who are disabled or elderly, at what point was their welfare considered in the planning of the Bank junction closure?
Further alarming the proposal is to further restrict motor vehicle movements on three of the arms (Threadneedle, Princes and Queen Victoria Street) which would be effective 24/7.
This lacks any common sense for a City that depends on businesses being able to work in an accessible and thriving environment.
As a business entrepreneur and political figure, I find it critical to highlight the importance of the City of London. It should remain accessible for black cabs as it is for cycles and buses. If the plans to close the Bank junction go ahead, they will lead to business closures and relocation to parts of London that remain accessible and attractive.
I would be delighted to discuss in further detail, as I have taken the time to speak with the businesses and stakeholders that the City of London depend on.
I look forward to hearing back from you and I do hope you do understand the importance accessibility and movement has to the City of London and its future.
Best regards, Farah London
Political Figure
Office of Farah London
TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT:
A week is a long time in politics, and the next three years may feel like an eternity.
But in three years time, when the contest for Mayor comes round again, we must remember who has done the most, to rebuild the damage that has been done to this wonderful city.
A massive big thank you on behalf of the London Taxi trade to Farah London for carrying on the fight...while many of the other mayoral candidates will probably never be heard of again.
Farah giving support to the residents of Islington, protesting over the ludicrous road closures, implemented under the covert cloak of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood Scheme (LTN).
No comments:
Post a Comment