Have your say on London's budget for 2022–23

The Resident Empowerment Fund would help to correct the imbalance of power and resources between social landlords and those tenant and resident communities who face demolition and redevelopment proposals.

Spending to empower communities is what the GLC did in 1981-86, and the Mayor should adopt the Assembly's proposal and incorporate it into the GLA's budget.

As well as funding communities facing demolition and redevelopment, the Mayor also needs to restrict landlord spending on ballot communications, and clear up other landlord malpractices to reach the standard of a 'free and fair vote' on redevelopment proposals.

I struggle to understand how "commercial sensitivity", leading to hiding information from the public, can trump democratic transparency about the spending of public money. That led to all those costly PFI contracts in the past. As there is a groundswell of opinion in favour of scrapping the Silvertown Tunnel, we should at least have all the facts out in the open. More imaginative solutions than this tunnel should be found to the transportation of goods into and within London; commuters should be encouraged to leave their cars at home, or parked near a convenient public transport point.
I am in favour of the resident empowerment fund, particularly in view of the potential detrimental effects of gentrification on existing residents.
As a previous leaseholder on a Wandsworth Council flat, I can vividly imagine the hell leaseholders have been going through since the Grenfell fire. Help for them is long overdue.
The car/lorry should no longer be king and pedestrian crossings will help restore the balance of power.
Proper provision of public toilets will pay dividends in combining with Freedom Passes to allow older Londoners to venture outside their homes, contributing to their mental health.

* There are tens of old disused railway/Tube stations in London that have been out of use for years. Bring them back to life, helping rail transport in London to relieve pressure on road usage and pollution and get people nearer to their destinations.
* Restore over 60s freedom pass for use at all times, to help people on low income.
* Due to past closures of public toilets, pedestrians often ask unsuccessfully to use toilets in restaurants who disallow it due to large numbers. Its an irony that some public toilets have been converted into tiny coffee shops. Full bladder is harmful. Many people are left with few options such as to avoid going out; shorten their journey; while out not to hydrate as necessary, and some forced to relieve in public places… Invest to increase the number of properly maintained and accessible public toilets from 1 for every 9000 of population (estimated figure from a decade ago probably less now) to at least twice as much. Although a 10 fold increase is probably what is really needed.
* Residents need more say in their local area. A fund to develop ways to give more say to local residents is needed. Often residents and local people find themselves powerless to affect local policy.
* There was a comment in the news from government officials that companies responsible for dangerous cladding in tower blocks must pay to make them safe. However is it just another lip service? Can the mayor’s fund help residents in such buildings either by giving legal help to make the companies who shrug their responsibilities address the issue, or providing funds for cladding when this is not possible.
* In view of the controversy over Silvertown tunnel and increased estimates of construction & maintenance costs, would the mayor please bring the issue of the costs for both the continuation of construction and its cancellation for debate in the chamber, releasing all cost details into public domain with good timing prior to debate.

'supporting our transport network' – this must include more public toilets and safe pedestrian crossings
'building more genuinely affordable homes for Londoners' – the resident empowerment fund would ensure this is done fairly in the case of estate regeneration
'tackling air pollution and the climate emergency' – the Silvertown Tunnel would be a huge step back for both: publish the costs of cancellation so a transparent decision can be made

The Resident Empowerment Reserve Fund would be crucial for enabling residents to engage with the planning system and participate in the development of projects that directly alter their local communities. For far too long councils and developers have enabled and undertaken extractive projects that do not positively influence local communities. This would go some way to changing this.
Cancel the Silvertown Tunnel.

Please do more to respond to the climate emergency and improve air quality.

Cancelling the planned Silvertown Tunnel would reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, and the money saved should be spent on quicker electrification of buses to further reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. The planned introduction of tolls on river crossings should go ahead to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, with revenue paying for further speeding up of the bus network being 100% electric.

Congratulations on a well-researched document!
I agree with tackling air pollution and the climate emergency and the increased funding for the London Fire Commissioner and the police.
If you want to tackle air pollution in London, you must only build more genuinely affordable homes for Londoners on real brownfield sites, which have existing buildings, and prevent any green spaces being built on.
This includes protecting Green Belt, Metropolitan Open Land, Urban Open Space, burial grounds and back gardens.
I don’t think green roofs should be included in the Mayor’s target of 50% green cover by 2050 because their underlying membranes are very unenvironmentally friendly and carcinogenic.
More investment in safe pedestrian crossings on major roads is needed otherwise the equality of disabled people will be seriously threatened.
Homelessness must be one of the top priorities. Significant and ongoing commitments on affordable housing are good in the long term. Additionally, after the pandemic and the changes in working and shopping habits, many offices and shops are no longer needed and should be converted to residential accommodation.
However, giving homeless people accommodation in hotels and individual psychological and addiction help is needed immediately.
A fund to support the thousands of Londoners with dangerous cladding facing worry and expense is also vital.
Targeted support for those businesses led by under-represented groups may lead to resentment by those who aren’t in an under-represented group and aren’t supported.
Finally, details of the potential cost of cancelling the Silvertown Road Tunnel should be given, to enable a meaningful debate about it during the final budget meeting.

Mayor in his run up to the election in 2016 critisied the design of the Silvertown Tunnel & yet once in power, he has only allowed it to march ahead.

Shocked that it has come this far & as a resident, my family with two children we are already paying the price of the increase in pollution which will only worsen if it goes ahead.

There are over 20 schools & nurseries within less than a mile to the Silvertown Tunnel entrance with over 5,000 children. Air quality in the area is already one of UK's worst & any further deterioration will seriously damage health of the children & vulnerable.

Mayor & Tfl must immediately cancel the Silvertown Tunnel & divert the remainder of the funds towards a foot & cycle crossing which was cancelled due to lack of funding & what residents will benefit from as well as get more cycling (I cycle but no alternative to Cable Car) to cross the river

Other considerations for budget:
- ban or restrict HGVs (set days or hours or introduce higher toll) for Blackwall Tunnel as those are the key culprits for tunnel closures, accidents & also heavy pollution in the area
- LTNs or HGVs ban for Royal Docks area to help combat already high pollution
- air quality monitoring at all Newham schools given it remains as UK's most polluted Borough with action plan to combat pollution
- build crossing further East for DLR /rail extension & with cycle lanes (as replacement to Woolwich Ferry which is almost part time service)

The residents empowerment fund will be so essential in ensuring residents particuarly those affected by planning and regenration can participate in the decisions that affect them. Decades of estate demolition and significant changes in housing options for long term or new residents has led to huge levels of displacement, with little citizen participation in decision making. Without such a fund residents cannot meaningful engage or help shape the city and communities they call home.

The dire financial state of TfL - threatening bankruptcy - needs more funding than can be achieved by handing out council tax rises indiscriminately to everyone, regardless of whether or not an individual’s travel behaviour harms the lives of others – in particular those of children, and their children’s children. Air pollution, road danger, carbon emissions, ecological destruction (from the mining of rare minerals, and use of rubber), road wear and tear – all these are exacerbated by the massive number of unnecessary car journeys driven in the UK (much of these caused by EVs as well as by petrol/diesel vehicles). Both the financial emergency and the need to reduce unnecessary car trips could be addressed by the same strategy – smart road pricing - and the mayor has the authority to do so. He must be bold enough to implement it.

There is barely any mention in this document of the mayor’s arguments for smart road pricing? The claim that the technology is not available has been rejected by many (see the Guardian 28/1/22), and so sounds like a feeble excuse. At present car drivers are being subsidised at the expense of other road users – and this will be increased as people shift to electric vehicles. The existing Ulez is discriminatory against those who cannot afford EVs.

I am particularly alarmed by the planned cutting of 18% of bus services. Buses are used more than any other form of public transport in London, particularly by the less well off, the under-17s and over-60s, and for short trips to work of under 5km.

Fewer cars on the roads would enable the buses to run more smoothly. When the mayor misguidedly cut bus services in central London a few years ago, stating that they were being used less, this was undoubtedly because the bus service was made unreliable by the amount of other traffic holding it up (see GLA’s Bus Network report 2017).

Climate crisis - transport is the worst carbon emitting sector in the UK.

For goodness sake stop the Silvertown Tunnel. It is unconscionable to go ahead with it in the midst of a climate crisis. Invest further in sustainable travel, TfL public transport, safe cycling, cycle deliveries, particularly last mile logistics.

As per your strategy ‘tackling air pollution and the climate emergency’, it’s time to show your courage and stop the silvertown tunnel. Backtracking is not weakness - moving bullishly forwards with fingers in ears going ‘la la la’ shows immaturity and weakness. Do what’s right for Londoners now and into the future. Don’t be a hypocrite. Please come to your senses.

Across London changes mandated by the new fire regulations are being charged to or planning to be charged to leaseholders who had nothing to do with the way buildings were built nor the way regulations were altered. There is a chance the changes to the cladding will be covered by the government but there are changes demanded for balconies etc. which will not be covered. These buildings waiting for their EWS forms are deemed too risky to be credited by banks but considered safe for us to continue living in them, which doesn't make sense. The economic burden of these changes should not be dumped on the leaseholders. Could there be more time and help towards this issue that's effecting many across UK and particularly in London area. Thank you.

Please swallow your pride and scrap the Silvertown Tunnel. I get that it will initially cost you in pounds (and political clout) but it will cost us all all even more if it goes ahead; health, environment and our quality of life. Please don’t dig your heals in. It is brave to admit that you got it wrong. The climate emergency is real and you have the power to put right one thing that can have a huge impact on Londoners life in generations to come. That is some legacy. Reconsidering. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for doing right thing.

Please confirm the costs involved to cancelled the Silvertown Tunnel. It will have a disastrous impact on the health of local residents. We all understand it was a previous Mayor who started the ball rolling and we will fully support the current Mayor if it is cancelled.

Please no more spending on roads and the silvertown tunnel apart from where projects will reduce air pollution. Reducing air pollution is the most urgent problem along with helping the homeless. The police do not need that much more money to deliver the programmes. TFL must find ways to balance the budget even if it does mean reducing some services. More pressure must be put on developers to provide more affordable housing.