15/02/2017 London News

It is only available to new properties, as we know, we have not

been building enough homes in the capital.

Lloyd's of London calls time on day-time drinking

for its workers in the City, by imposing an alcohol ban.

Drinking at lunchtime has been part of tradition in Lloyds and the City

of London for many hundreds of years and I think so long as you are

sensible, why not be able to continue at?

They prevent accidents happening on London's roads everyday,

but now Lollipop men and women face an uncertain future

And the Russian Revolution arrives in London in the form of art.

See how it went-on to change the art-world.

Good evening and welcome to the programme with me, Asad Ahmad.

The government's Help to Buy Loan Scheme,

aimed at getting more people onto the housing ladder

Although 100,000 people have been helped across England

since its launch several years ago, there's at least one borough

in London, where the number of people helped is just two.

Our Political Editor, Tim Donovan has been

looking at the numbers, and can tell us more now, Tim.

With a Help to Buy: Equity Loan the Government lends you up to 20%

The Government brought in Help to Buy back in 2013.

Making available a loan of 20% to first-time-buyers of newly-built

homes across the UK, which was then last year

Sophie and Ollie bought a two-bedroom flat in Catford,

It cost 402,000 quid and they got a loan of more

We started looking at shared ownership, but the fact that we

would have had to have paid rent on a property that we didn't own would

mean that in the five years that the Government help to buy loan is

interest-free, we would've actually wrapped up about ?25,000 of rent in

that time. Not so lucky, not yet

anyway, is Rachael. She's 27, and is currently

paying ?900 a month She'd be interested in Help-to-Buy,

but you have to find a 5% deposit. Living in London, earning a wage

that you can live on untried and save and try and buy a property in

London, it is very difficult. If something else was to come into

play, that would be great. I will definitely try and get a help to buy

loan and see where that gets me. The BBC has analysed how

Help-to-Buy has worked Outside of London people made

use of it to purchase nearly 77,000 homes,

just under a third But in London, there

was a stark difference. 4,483 homes were bought

under the scheme. This is why, according

to one expert. The problem for most people in

London is there is a cap of ?600,000 which in London doesn't buy you a

great deal these days. New-build properties that have been put

forward in these schemes have been few and far between. Even people who

qualify for these loans and Phyllis Government assistance has found it

very hard to find properties they can indeed buy.

Well, the Department for Communities and Local Government didn't address

the point about the limited impact in London, except saying take up had

doubled since the loan had been increased to up to 40%.

A spokesman said more than 100,000 people had benefited

across the Uk from help-to-buy, and it was one of a number

A woman in east London has been left fighting for her life

after being stabbed in an apparently motiveless attack,

It happened near Castle Green Park, where the woman had

Mark Ashdown is near the scene for us tonight, with more details.

Yes, even the police have been taken aback by the ferocity of this

seemingly random attack. It happened on Monday evening, the victim a

29-year-old woman, was on her way home from the job in the city when

she got up a bus just across there any other Mac 13. She walked through

this park and was found moments later slumped yards from her door

here. She suffered serious, severe, multiple standpoints to her head and

her body. She remained in hospital in a critical condition with

life-threatening injuries. This area is bus or CCTV. Police are baffled

as to who committed such a crime and why.

This really brutal and horrific stabbing of a young lady coming home

At about 9:40pm in this park, only yards from

That attack has left her in a terribly critical condition.

Currently in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

We're desperate to locate the person who committed those injuries

The scene of the crime officer has been here all day searching through

the undergrowth. At one point, they found what looked like the contents

of a bag which had been emptied out. The police dogs have been here as

well. There try to reassure the community that the area is safe,

extra patrols are here this evening. They are also appealing for the

communities it for help. We do not even know if it was a man or a

woman, but suspect they are looking for. They believe the community

holds the key to the suspects which has left a woman in critical

condition. -- suspect. After 300 years in the City, long,

boozy lunches are now off It's because the insurance market

has put a ban on staff drinking Lloyd's says drinking

accounts for over half of its disciplinaries,

so Tolu Adeoye has You can probably see quite a few

people enjoying a drink behind me. The issue here is drinking during

the day. Many people say it is unnecessary, if you are in certain

professions you wouldn't consider it, but the insurance sector, it

isn't uncommon. That is where there has been banned today.

Wednesday lunchtime, The Grapes pub in Leadenhall market.

The popular painter stopped for city workers

This pub and others could soon see fewer

The boozy lunch was once a staple of city life

where deals were done and contacts were made.

Gone are the days of the lunchtime pint and it wants to bring

itself in line with other companies that are already operating under

The corporation's 800 employees have been

banned from drinking between

Brokers or underwriters from other firms based

in the insurance market are unaffected.

In a memo to staff, Lloyds said more than half of

grievance and disciplinary cases over the last couple of years were

The culture now is certainly different to what it

One city commentator told me the ban was symptomatic of a

wider shift, but this took it too far.

I think it is a little bit over extreme.

You have two treat your employees like adults.

The days of nannying people, it is like being

Most responsible employees will drink responsibly, if

they feel the need to drink at lunch time.

Ultimately, when you are in the city, sometimes you will have to

go out with a client and potentially have a drink at lunch time.

Drinking at lunchtime has been part of

tradition at Lloyd's and the City of London

I think as long as we are sensible, why not be able to continue at?

In general, it is a good idea to say to

You certainly don't want employees coming back trunk, but the's nothing

wrong in having a drink now and again.

Productivity goes down if you have had a drink in the afternoons.

I would be happy if we weren't allowed.

Lloyds say a band removes any ambiguity on what is acceptable.

If someone is found to have broken the rule, it will be down to their

manager to decide the best course of action to take.

Joining me now is Laura Willoughby from 'Club Soda' which helps

businesses encourage their employees to drink less.

Is this an overreaction? Are not sure. We consider stats that they

are having issues about disciplinary. They're coming in line

with other businesses in the city. They clearly feel it is affecting

the work they do. It is a job that requires lots of fine detail. They

hold people's lives in their hands on the insurance sector. It is not

as a price that they may want to make some changes in the way the

culture works in the industry. Can't staff be trusted to not drink too

much during the working hours? They have been doing it forever 300

years. That is true. They are seeing it affect their business. Were

importantly, you know what is like when your mates put pressure on you

to have a drink. It doesn't take a lot of that to go over the top at

lunchtime and for that to affect your performance. You are there to

do a job, with detail, in the financial sector. Clearly, Lloyds

have decided that now is the time to say that that is not acceptable. I

do drive 12 months of the year, but in terms of how the city is

concerned, it is one of the more successful financial sectors. I know

others like me go out and do a business deal. People might have a

dream they do the deal. There's not drinking for an hour really kill

you? I am not sure it does. There is a myth that you can only do business

over an alcoholic drink. On the other side, you meet the clients

that go I wish that our brokers wouldn't go out and get a strong

corporate time. Maybe we need to just give everyone a break and say

it is not compulsory to drink any more. You helped to blow that myth.

Thank you. Well the story has

certainly got many of our Lots of comments and opinions

you can take a look at. And share your own thoughts too

on our Facebook page, or maybe while you

continue watching. Further strikes have been announced

on both tubes and trains next week. Members of the RMT Union on parts

of the Central Line will While on Wednesday,

conductors on Southern Rail will also go on strike,

for 24 hours, in the long running dispute over

driver-operated doors. The Women's cycling

tour is coming to London Mayor of London, Sadeeq Khan

made the announcement alongside Olympic Gold Medalist,

Katie Archibald, just days after a protest demanding safer

cycling on London's roads. Last week, three cyclists

died in the capital One cyclist getting injured is one

too many, let alone one dying. And there have been

too many injuries and fatalities of

cyclists in London. We have got to have more

segregated cycling. We have got to get more

cycleways across London and we have got to encourage more girls

and more women to cycle, as well. We have got to make

it easier and safer. How will London businesses,

reliant on EU workers, They'll be fine,

according to a new report. Migration Watch, who have long been

campaigning for lower migration to the UK,

say their new survey shows that EU workers will stay and the UK

could reduce migration But critics of the survey

say that the picture is far more complicated,

as Alex Bushill explains. This is one of the most diverse

places anywhere in the country. It is a community that has been shaped

by mass immigration. Now a campaign group, migration watch UK, says that

so many people have come to settle here and elsewhere in London that

any end to mass immigration would have no effect whatsoever on our

economy. What we know is that 335,000 more people immigrated to

the United kingdoms and left it last year. Half of those people or more

were from as the EU. This could be reduced by 100,000 without hurting

the economy. Growing the economy through immigration is the wrong

type. More people here means the economy is going to grow. If you

look at GDP per head, that has remained pretty much stationery from

any years now. We really have two wean ourselves off cheap European

particularly east European labour. That cannot go on. His view is not

popular here and this million resident here disagree. If we need

beta, we're going to apply for these. If we need work permit, we

are going to apply for it. You're not going anywhere? Know. I will be

here, no matter what. Alex has just arrived here from Transylvania. I

came because I want to work. Deserve that right. That opportunity. Others

pointed that assumption that other EU nationals working here will

either choose or be allowed to stay. There is also the problem of an

ageing population. The working age population may strike and certainly

of migration reduces essentially, it could strengthen significantly. That

would mean that either people have to work longer, later and later.

Retirement ages later. The Government might have do start

borrowing more on the public finances will get worse. This is a

report about immigration that is contested. But then this is Brexit.

With the time now at 6.43, let's take a look at what's

A multi billion pound sewer project is halted by one man and a tree.

And the Russian Revolution lands in London.

And we get to see how it changed the art-world 100 years ago.

Unquestionably saving lives every day, by making London's

They don't get paid much for their important role,

but nevertheless, their jobs are under threat due to changes

Gareth Furby has been to Hounslow where hundreds of parents

Janine Harwood has been working as a school crossing patrol

But twice a day, in term time, she is on duty at this

crossing in Isleworth, west London, even though it

But now, Janine is facing possible redundancy.

She's been written to, along with other crossing patrol

officers working for Hounslow Council.

I believe that at the meetings, we're only going to be told

Jaswinder has also been written to by Hounslow Council,

but at the moment, she's off sick because her foot was run over

by a car while she was on duty on this road.

And now she's also dealing with the possibility of redundancy.

So they're asking schools around us that if you want your lollipop

or lollipop man, you need to pay their wages.

So, are school crossing patrols starting to

BBC London has discovered that as well as Hounslow,

where around 12 posts are understood to be under review, a further

six councils have seen or are expecting possible reductions

This adds up to more than 80 posts that no longer exist

Janine believes that if posts are lost in Hounslow,

then children could die crossing the road.

It's very hard for me to stop drivers, and I am in full hi-viz

and with a lollipop stick in my hand.

Around 250 people have now signed a petition.

It asks the council to reconsider the proposed withdrawal of funding.

It's just children's safety and potentially lives at risk.

Hounslow Council says a decision hasn't yet been made,

but it's facing a spending reduction of ?23 million for

The Government says the funding settlement will give the council

?700 million to spend between now and 2020, allowing it

to deliver services local people value the most.

A man and a tree in Deptford have managed to do something

which hundreds of other Londoners have failed to do,

stop a multi-billion pound Super-Sewer from being built.

Admittedly, the court injunction Mr Hellings has won,

doesn't last long, but it's still a victory

in the ongoing David versus Goliath battle.

John Hellings has lived in the area for 20 years.

As long as he has been here, so have these trees and he

says he is not going to let that change.

It has taken 60 years of growing for these magnificent

structures to come about and it is the only natural beauty we have got

He was granted an emergency injunction from a High

Court judge which stopped the process of cutting back and removing

When the judge at 2am signed the order, I was just

You don't think the law is going to give you that much of a big

favour on Valentine's Day and save all your trees.

This neighbour is backing him all the way.

Everybody will have their opinion and they are

Thames Tideway has released a statement explaining that

one tree needed to be cut down for access

to the site here at the

A number of others needed to be cut back for their own protection.

They have also added for every tree they removed,

they will plant two more in its place.

This is one of the sites along the route of

the new super sewage system aiming to clean up the river for

It is a major overhaul of the original network

designed by Sir Joseph Basiljet around 150 years ago.

The tunnel will start here in Hammersmith,

finishing in Abbey Mills having passed near to

Covering 15 miles, it will cost around ?1.2 billion.

It will take seven years to construct which has

angered some residents along the route.

As for John, his trees are only safe for the next few days

before he goes back to court to continue his fight.

West Ham United's owners say the rising costs

of converting the Olympic stadium into their new home can be blamed

on the people who built it in the first place.

The Mayor has ordered an independent inquiry into why converting

the venue will now cost over ?320 million.

Emma Jones was at London Stadium today.

Smiles from families as West Ham fans enjoy a fun day at their new

stadium. The move to the Hammers new home has not been without problems.

Supporters clashed at early games at the ground. Fans feel that they have

been resolved. It is got better, the stewarding. The last few games I've

come to its been better. No issues at all really. I'm quite happy.

Plenty of questions about the rising cost of converting the Olympic

Stadium into a home for a football club. The mayor has ordered an

independent enquiry. West Ham's owners believe they will find the

problems at the planning stage. I'm sure he would have liked it to be

cheaper, but really he should be looking at the people who built in

the first place. They built it in such a way that it became the

conversion and costly. Had they had built it sensibly, properly, then

this would not have been favourable Stadium. There is a mistake. It took

awhile for the players to to their new team to. The team will head to

warm weather training in to buy in the top half of the Premier League

table. It is always difficult to move to another stadium. It is hard

to actually call it home. It will take its time. The fans are starting

to come round to it. We are coming round to it definitely. Will keep

ill dig on it and keep moving forward. Their manager 's most

recent memory of the stadium won't be a fun one. He has accepted a FA

misconduct charge after this last weekend and been fined ?8,000.

It's 100 years since the Russian Revolution ended

To mark the anniversary, the Royal Academy is presenting

an exhibition which shows how Russian art flourished

during those years and the impact it had

Our Arts Correspondent Brenda Emmanus has been

With over 200 works, many never seen in the UK before,

The Royal Academy latest exhibition explores the complex

interaction between art and politics in the turbulent, yet dynamic period

Russian Revolution wasn't only relevant for

Russian history, but also for the rest of the world.

Especially now at the time of uncertainty and

political upheavals, I think a lot of people turn back

to Russian Revolution and hopefully trying to learn some lessons.

Through paintings, photography films and sculpture, the

exhibition focuses on the period of 15 years between 1917 and 1932,

All these brave new arts were created at

the time of political upheaval, at the time of food shortages where

When people were supposed to have a rationed

same time for all of the demonstrations, all the festivals,

avant-garde artists would decorate cities with beautiful art.

It was a time when artists and writers were

caught up in the revolutionary spirit and believed their work had a

As well as this amazing amazing range

of paintings and photographs and sculptures, you've recreated this

It was a good example of artists being actually useful to workers

rather than just feeding them spiritually, producing all this

By the end of 1920s artists decided to produce

apartments, some useful porcelain that workers can actually use in

Revolution not only introduces to audiences to a host of

little-known Russian artists, but reveals the stories

of the chaotic but creative period in modern

'S Wii has arraigned today. This is the wettest it is going to beaver

the next few days. A lovely picture by what of our weather watchers

showing that rain. Here is the broadband of rain. It moved much

more slowly through the south of England and we were expecting. Heavy

bursts of rain. Left is with some amazing sunsets. This one taken in

Mitcham. There is the last bit of rain. In the next two hours, that

will clear. Then there will be some breaks in the cloud for a while, but

we have got still there overnight and it will turn quite chilly. We

will probably escape frost, but more chilly than it was last night. That

could lead to some pockets of mist or fog as well. They will turn into

a decent day. Still on the mild side. A slow start. Mist or Ram,

patchy start. It may linger in the morning but then we get some good

sunshine in the afternoon. Sunshine and light winds. That will feel

pretty good at this time of year. Running into tomorrow evening and

tomorrow night, we have got little or no breeze at all. Probably a bit

more fog around. Grey start to the day on Friday. Here are the

temperatures. A little bit lower, nothing to worry about. Mist and fog

around on Friday. Things will brighten up through the day. Some

sunshine coming through and that will boost the temperatures to

above-average at this time of year. About 8 degrees at this time of

year. We will get up to about 11 or so. High pressure is going to be

close enough by to us to stop these weather fronts coming in with

anything much at all. We can expected to stay dry. A lot of cloud

around. Before we go tonight, let me just

remind you of the headlines The government's 'Help

to Buy Loan Scheme', aimed at getting more people

onto the housing ladder, In one London borough just two

people have been helped. And a woman is fighting

for her life tonight after being attacked by a stranger

near her home in Dagenham. The stabbing is believed

to have been unprovoked. It'll be nice if you

can join me again. Or just tune in at

the same time tomorrow. when farmers leave

their daily routines behind... Right, here we come, Dorset!

..for a show day.