Charles Wright

Great @londonassembly.bsky.social transport cttee @carolinerussell.bsky.social report concluding London not ready for robotaxis. And London not Whitehall should be in charge of regulation. A quick win for a pro-devolution government? My On London latest www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

I'm wishing the Oxford Street transformation project well. Launched in earnest today, its biggest tests lie on the road ahead: www.onlondon.co.uk/dave-hill-wi... #london @ldn-pressoffice.bsky.social @richardbrown.bsky.social @tflbot.bsky.social @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social #london

London government, not national government, should be in charge of 'robotaxi' rollout in the capital. By @charleswright57.bsky.social - www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig... #london

Reasonable objections to infill development latest: www.theargus.co.uk/news/2663311...

On the same day as Holborn & St Pancras, Labour also won well in a by-election in Lambeth. Top coverage for OnLondon by @lewisbaston.bsky.social www.onlondon.co.uk/lewis-baston...

Is Burnham putting the brakes on the robotaxi rollout in London? Plenty of people think that would be a good idea. My substack latest. @freewheeling.info @sebdance.bsky.social @ellybakeram.bsky.social @carolinerussell.bsky.social wrightc.substack.com/p/is-burnham...

The City of London is a prime site for struggles between high rise new development and heritage protection. The "pro-growth" side has just had a big win, but the battles will continue, as @charleswright57.bsky.social reports: www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig.... #london #planning

Troubled bridges. What to do about London's river crossings? Me for On London, partly prompted by @jamesrball.com and @neilgarratt.bsky.social. www.onlondon.co.uk/richard-brow...

The Wild West approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue. I'm setting out my plan to improve safety and data sharing, tackle poor parking and create consistent standards across London. TfL licensing is the key to making these schemes safer and better managed.

New post: Mayor Khan's draft London Plan proposes a denser, taller London, encroaching on the Green Belt - while also challenging the govt on meeting housing need. Just four weeks left to comment... Plus: floating homes, and Hornsey Town Hall reborn wrightc.substack.com/p/the-draft-...

Very pleased to have had a chat with Dr Jack Brown about recent @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social research into differences between what British people think about #london and what official statistics say: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-8X... #truelondon #london #trump #farage #demographics @london.gov.uk

Great overview for the uninitiated on what the new London Plan might mean - the biggest departure since 2004?

Plenty of takes among the built environment sector, understandably, around @london.gov.uk draft London Plan, the development blueprint for the city for the coming decade. Not so much among residents more generally. So what they might want to look out for? www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

Sadiq Khan's draft new London Plan, the capital's master planning blueprint, is still out for consultation. @charleswright57.bsky.social takes Londoners through what they need to know: www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

Struck by this YouGov poll on a decade of Sadiq Khan's approval rating. It's partly the 'cost of governing' but it's funny to me that the chart of his approval rating is an exact inversion of what the urbanism wonk (myself included) consensus on him would be.

Finished Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel this week. Not sure what I expected but loved it. A really surprising balance of humour and horror throughout. If you bounced off Wolf Hall (which based on how the start is written completely understand) would recommend as an alternative work of hers.

Some decent public realm in Bromley. Pavement in a darker tone so weathers the years better. Tree. Nice bench. Outside seating. Not rocket science but makes a successful town centre.

The restoration of #HornseyTownHall is a success story - after two decades of false starts, political and community opposition and in the end some hard-headed council realism. I took a look @hornseyhistorical.bsky.social @natandoron.bsky.social www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

Cuckoos in the nest? Robocabs with safety drivers now licensed by Transport for London. Plus, boroughs fighting a losing battle against City Hall, or maybe the other way round? @carolinerussell.bsky.social @nickbowes.bsky.social @ellybakeram.bsky.social My latest wrightc.substack.com/p/robocabs-n...

Victorian splendour #London

Insightful analysis by @richardbrown.bsky.social Devolution rather than another top-down plan is key to tackling rough sleeping…

Now updated with a quote from Deputy Mayor for Planning, Jules Pipe.

Just gone live at OnLondon, Tim Donovan's interview with Mark Blake, Green Party leader of Haringey Council: www.onlondon.co.uk/tim-donovan-... #london @haringeycp.bsky.social @haringeygreens.bsky.social #haringey #greenparty

We’re sourcing our reshuffle news from an alternate timeline of the 1980s…

Dose of realism in the new draft London Plan, on viability and the need for significant investment to hit affordable targets. Will the town halls, and Whitehall, get on board? My OnLondon latest www.onlondon.co.uk/mayors-draft...

Robotaxis in London? Will we happily use them? It seems so…but plenty of questions still around accessibility, job losses among London’s 100,000 private hire drivers, and their impact on the city’s already congested streets, @londonassembly.bsky.social hears. www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

Robotaxis in London? It seems no longer “if” but “when”, though TfL has the final say, and how the new technology is deployed remains in contention. Just another private hire fleet? Accessible public links to suburban transport hubs? My On London latest 1/2 www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig...

How will "robotaxis" in London work? @charleswright57.bsky.social reports on the debate about impacts and regulation: www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig... #london #AVs @carolinerussell.bsky.social @ellybakeram.bsky.social #transport

Good agenda for investment from Charles there. I’d add more discretion over local taxes…

As always, a @lewisbaston.bsky.social analysis of a #London borough by-election tells you a huge amount about a corner of the city and its social evolution: www.onlondon.co.uk/lewis-baston.... I note with a certain pleasure how eagerly gentrifiers voted for the anti-gentrification party on 7 May.

Timely points from @richardbrown.bsky.social for OnLondon. Will Burnham's win put a stop to the Green surge and get behind important plans for growth eg Bakerloo Line extension, West London Orbital, TfL suburban rail takeover?

Huge news for culture in London: London Museum will open in Smithfield on November 28. Backed by City Hall, I can’t wait for Londoners and visitors to see this reimagined world-class museum that celebrates our past - and creates opportunities in the present.

As far as new-build Travelodge hotels go this has to be one of the best about.

This Friday's On London Extra suggests some tests London government must pass if it is to make a success of the Crews Hill New Town in Enfield. Plus other stuff. Every penny I make from this personal Substack supports the whole of the On London website and its writers: davehillonlondon.substack.com

Lovely piece for OnLondon by @richardderecki.bsky.social about the new Henry Moore exhibition at Kew Gardens: www.onlondon.co.uk/richard-dere.... #london

Since our political leaders and media have decided that the only reason Henry Nowak died was because the police are too woke, here are my two cents, based on what I've read of the public information 🧵

Best view in London?

Really good thread (and a really good follow also)

A ‘NIMBY alliance‘ with the Greens putting the Tories into power in Enfield may provoke a rethink of new town plans, but at what cost, for wider housing delivery particularly, given the Tories now hold executive control?

Enfield Greens enable formation of minority Enfield Conservative administration. As expected. @charleswright57.bsky.social has the details: www.onlondon.co.uk/enfield-gree... #london #enfield

OK, cricket lovers. Lords or The Oval? www.onlondon.co.uk/ann-campbell.... Might interest @charleswright57.bsky.social.

Apparently even places that are bang average are "left behind" now www.economist.com/britain/2026...

This will make you stop and think. @charleswright57.bsky.social on the extraordinary work of London's young carers, focusing on Enfield: www.onlondon.co.uk/charles-wrig... #london #enfield

Today Kemi Badenoch visited Crews Hill where the government's 21,000-home 'new town' on Green Belt land is being vehemently opposed by Enfield Conservatives ahead of the election. She then admitted to knowing absolutely nothing about it. Read my interview 👇 enfielddispatch.co.uk/kemi-badenoc...

Thanks @enfielddispatch.bsky.social @jollyjourno.bsky.social for Enfield insight. Live coverage of the Enfield count through Friday on their website.

Could a split vote in Enfield see some "unusual alliances" emerging from post-election horse-trading, putting much-needed new housing at risk, on the Green Belt but also elsewhere, as well as the borough's low traffic neighbourhoods? My On London latest www.onlondon.co.uk/enfield-2026...