Thousands of residents in central London have given the green light to a multi-million pound regeneration programme in Westminster. The programme will see over one thousand new homes built to help address overcrowding and also deliver new jobs, enterprise and public realm improvements.
12,000 carers in central London are unaware they could be claiming support from their local authority.
Westminster City Council say almost 16,000 people care for a relative, partner or friend in the borough. Less than a quarter (22%) have asked for help.
Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster City Council’s portfolio holder for community protection, who is meeting the Metropolitan Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe this afternoon when he visits a Westminster Council run anti-gang programme, said:
"Our thoughts are with the family of this teenager and we will offer whatever help we can.
“Westminster City Council is committed to keeping the streets safe – including tackling gang culture - and we will work over the coming days and weeks to reassure the community of that."
Westminster Council topped the list making nearly £38 million on parking after expenditure last year. The figure is an annual increase of nearly 9%.
Second highest was Kensington and Chelsea which made £27.5 million - representing a 30% increase on the year before.
Camden was third, earning £25 million in profit from motorists - up 18% on the previous year.
Westminster Council is cracking down on the unlawful subletting of council houses.
Read the full storyWestminster Council is believed to be the first to use a new anti-squatting law brought in earlier this month.
The legislation makes squatting a criminal offence, thereby allowing local authorities to call in the police to arrest unauthorised occupants, instead of having to pursue lengthy civil eviction proceedings through the courts.
Within days of the law coming into force on the1st of September Westminster City Council's housing management provider, CityWest Homes, contacted the police about a squatted flat on the Lisson Green estate.
Police asked for the squatter to be given prior warning before they arrived at the property.
When they did so, the occupant had already left with all his belongings - said to include furniture and a flat-screen TV.
Jonathan Glanz, Westminster's cabinet member for housing, said: "Councils and ordinary hard-working people across London have for too long faced lengthy legal battles to get their homes back from squatters.
"With these new powers, we have been able to recover a property from a squatter who was depriving a family in desperate need of a home, in a much quicker time than was previously possible.
"We will not tolerate the illegal occupation of our homes and will work with CityHomes and the police to take action where we need to."
Westminster Council is now free to remove the last anti-war protest tent near the Houses of Parliament.
A High Court judge today lifted an injunction which had been in place while peace campaigner Maria Gallastegui challenged the legality of new byelaws.
Last week, the High Court ruled that those byelaws - which give the local authority power to remove tents from around Parliament Square - were legal.
Westminster Council is running a mock exercise today to test how it deals with problems like burst pipes during the Games. The council has set up a co-ordination centre which will be responsible for handling any unforeseen incidents from roadworks to protests.
