The campaign is aimed at businesses looking to launch their first store or physical space, and the chosen firms will be given a prime store location for an initial six-month period. These opportunities will be 100% rent-free for brands, with a minimum reduction of business rates of 70%. Stores will either be available for single occupancy or as a themed concept store shared between multiple brands.

Asked about his view of the controversy surrounding Mr Khan’s proposal to expand the ULEZ, Mr Livingstone said: “I would have started it - if I hadn’t lost to Boris, it would have been in operation for a decade. It’s going to save tens of thousands of lives.

“So many people die from air pollution in London. Boris, when he beat me, scrapped all my plans to tackle this because I was already working on it.

“And then in his eight years as Mayor, 76,000 Londoners died from air pollution. Fortunately, Sadiq Khan has taken that up now, and it’ll get better. But, that is our problem.”

He said: “I would be doing it if I was there. I just want a car free London, and everyone on the Tube and bus and the train.”

Have you or a loved one worked in the NHS as Staff or Volunteer? Had a life changing operation funded though the NHS? Positive or Negative experience with the NHS system?

I have never lived outside the UK and can't say I've ever lived outside the right of free healthcare but hearing stories of individuals needing to fundraise their own surgery makes me realize I take for granted just how much peace of mind the NHS gives me.

At the same token several news reports are suggesting that the NHS is crumbling under it's own weight so it's possible it may not reach 100. It's clear that the NHS as it is currently is not viable for it's own long term health. More will need to be done to keep the NHS publicly funded.

"New research from the London School of Economics (LSE) and property firm Savills shows why that search has become even more difficult since Covid, with a 41% reduction in the number of homes available for private rent."

Since starting this community I created a RSS feed to find news that would be worth posting here and I'm interested in if there is any London focused news sites that would make a good addition to my list.

So far I have:

• BBC News London
• The Guardian London
• Metro
• MyLondon
• The Independent - London
• Londonist
• timeout.com

Do you have any suggestions to add to this list? I'm interested in any news site that would have good content that would be great to post to this community.

Rough sleeping is soaring in London, with over 1,700 more people on the streets than last year – a 21% rise, according to figures from the Greater London Authority (GLA).

The increase from 8,329 people seen sleeping rough in 2021-22 to 10,053 in 2022-23 was described as “categorically terrible” by Rick Henderson, the chief executive of the Homeless Link frontline charity, and “extremely alarming” by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has insisted he has a mandate from Londoners to expand the city's ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) despite not including the move in his 2020 manifesto. In a clash with Conservative assembly members on the issue during Mayor's Question Time at City Hall this morning, (Thursday, June 22), Mr Khan was also accused of "rushing" the policy through before the next mayoral election in May 2024, and not wanting to give Londoners a say.

It's been around 12 days since the formation of our community, and I believe it's a good time to do an event:

London Sidebar Contest

From now until July 8th, you are invited to write a short introduction for visitors to the London community. Create a welcoming message, share a witty statement, a quote, or anything that represents our community. Just make sure it complies with our rules and is kept concise (less than around 280 characters/3 sentences).

The top post with the most captivating introduction will be selected, and the user behind it will receive a special gift: a £15 Great British Pub E-Card (To claim your prize, the selected user will need to provide their email address via a private message).

Community Suggestions

We want this community to thrive and be a place for everyone. That's why we value your input! If you have any suggestions on how we can enhance the community experience, we'd love to hear them. Perhaps you'd like to see weekly themed threads, or maybe you have other creative ideas. Remember, this is a learning experience for me too, so all suggestions are welcomed and will be carefully considered.

Let's continue together to create an amazing space for all London enthusiasts.

Croydon locals want to see the town’s most historic area reach its full potential. With buildings dating back to the 14th century, Croydon’s Old Town is steeped in history.

At the heart of the Old Town sits the Croydon Minster, which is believed to have been founded in Saxon times and a church building on the site is referenced in the Doomsday Book. Six Archbishops of Canterbury are buried in the Minster and kings and queens were regular visitors to the archbishops at Croydon.

Croydon Palace in Old Town was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for more than 500 years. Some of these original buildings are now used by Old Palace School.