17/01/2018 London News

So it's goodbye from me.

And on BBC One, we now join

the BBC's news teams where you are.

Welcome to BBC London News.

I'm Alpa Patel.

Hammersmith and Fulham

council have denied

it was warned decades ago

that two of its tower

blocks were unsafe.

The concerns were raised

by the borough's former chief

structural engineer.

He says he made the claims

back in the '80s

but they weren't acted upon.

Gareth Furby has been

speaking to him.

David Adler was chair

of a structural engineers group

for the London Boroughs

in the 1980s.

Everybody thought they

were absolutely safe.

He worked for Hammersmith Council.

Here he is meeting residents

and back then there were concerns

about the safety of tower blocks.

We found these problems

which we never expected.

"Great danger from collapse of wall

or part of these buildings."

He's reading from a memo he wrote

back in 1984 which warns clearly

about a remote chance of collapse

and that smoke could spread

from flat to flat if there's a fire.

We were concerned, yes.

So what difference

did this memo make?

Well, for the first time in 30

years, David Adler has returned

to inspect the two tower blocks

in Fulham he warned about.

He quickly spotted some evidence

of strengthening to the structure.

But all is not right

with these buildings.

Since November, fire wardens have

been patrolling 24 hours a day

because there are gaps between wall

and flooring which could allow

fire and smoke to spread

if a fire breaks out.

To confirm these false,

engineers have dug away some

concrete in an empty flat.

And David Adler was

able to take a look.

And the gaps and cracking that's now

been exposed seems to be just

the same issue that he warned

about 33 years ago.

If the walls are not

tied into the floors,

then there's gaps which enable smoke

to get through.

Unfortunately.

What do you think about that

happening now despite your warnings?

It's bad.

What is your advice?

Was your memo heeded?

I can't recall any action was taken

as a result of the memo I sent.

Meeting Mr Adler on this estate,

another expert said not much of his

advice was listened to either.

Sam Webb was an architect

who investigated this,

the collapse of a tower block

after a gas explosion in Newham.

This is the external flank wall.

The floor slab.

The point is that these problems

were known about 30 odd years ago.

We put the men's claims

to Hammersmith and Fulham Council

which issued a statement saying...

The council says the safety

of residents is its top priority

and it is working with structural

engineers, safety experts

and the fire brigade to ensure that.

Gareth Furby, BBC London News.

Campaigners are celebrating today

after Southwark Council voted not

to accept controversial plans

to demolish the famous Elephant

and Castle Shopping Centre.

The developers Delancey

want to build more than 1,000

new homes and a new university

campus on the site.

But the Council decided not enough

social rented housing was allocated.

Campaigners say, despite last

night's victory there's more to do.

I don't want to celebrate just now

because words from one

of the councillors from now

until the 30th, stuff can change,

and it's the biggest scheme

in the history of Southwark.

There is a lot at stake

and I wouldn't want to

celebrate just now.

Arthur Collins, the man

jailed for an acid attack

at a nighclub in East London,

has been given another

eight months in prison

for using a smuggled mobile phone.

Collins used the device

to call his ex-girlfriend,

reality TV star, Ferne McCann,

from his prison cell.

She had their baby in December.

Collins is serving a 20-year

sentence for throwing acid

across a crowded dance

floor injuring 22 people.

London is the most expensive city

in Europe to rent a flat

according to new research.

Tenants pay nearly four times more

to rent in the capital

than in any other major UK city.

The research found that the average

rent for an unfurnished

three-bedroom flat in a prime

location is over £5,500.

The introduction of what is

believe to be the UK's

first ever buffer zone to stop

protestors from gathering outside

an abortion clinic came

a step closer last night.

Campaigners have welcomed

a vote by Ealing council.

They propose to start a public

consultation into the plans to stop

such demonstrations outside

a Marie Stopes clinic

Londoners are being asked

what they think expansion

at Heathrow airport

should look like.

The airport has launched

a public consultation

asking locals about the initial

proposals for a third runway.

It includes options

for a shorter runway

and putting the M25 in a tunnel.

Now it's being called a landmark

deal which could make a difference

to the salaries of tens of thousands

of bus drivers in London.

Our transport correspondent

Tom Edward explains.

There are over 6 million bus

journeys a day in London, more than

the Tube and the trains. The

capital's 's have been fighting for

better conditions for you is. They

have already seen a minimum wage of

£23,000, now this.

This is the

greatest capital city in the world

and one of the iconic images is the

red bus and what we have got here is

the Mayor of London saying he will

treat people with respect and we are

going to get a quality service, at a

good price, and everybody will

benefit, so it is a win-win

situation.

CFL says the new scheme

will not cost any more and bus

companies will save on training. For

these bus drivers, it is welcomed.

We have been working on the buses

for 17 months, 17 years, and it is

important you carry your spirits

with you when you transfer to

another garage. It is the best

garage, but it is important you do

not start at the bottom.

I think it

is important, I do believe it is

challenging out there. So having

that same equal level for drivers is

going to be very important and very

appealing.

Not all bus driver

concerns have been addressed, but

for these can -- key transport

workers today, some good news that

could now be copied elsewhere.

It

was

Now the weather with Lucy Martin.

hello, good afternoon. A cold and

bright day-to-day. This photo was

taken earlier in Haringey. This

afternoon, plenty of wintry

sunshine, staying dry, fairly breezy

and it does mean it won't feel

particularly warm. Temperatures

around eight Celsius. Once you add

in the breeze, it will feel a bit

colder and as we go through this

evening and overnight, the wind is

picking up further. The Met office

of sugar yellow weather warning for

wind. 50-60 mph wind. Largely dried

receiving before heavy rain moving

in from the West for a time. The

winter picking up as well into the

early hours but not quite as cold as

it was last night was overnight lows

of a 4-5. It will be a windy start

to the day tomorrow as we move

through rush hour, but the wind will

tend to ease as we move through the

day, a day of sunny spells and

showers. The showers fleeting as

they pass through on a breezy

westerly wind. Temperatures

tomorrow, nine Celsius. As we move

into Friday, another day of sunny

spells and showers. Saturday

currently looking like the better of

the two days this weekend with some

sunny spells but not feeling

particular you warm, before rain

moves in again on Sunday.

That's about it from me.

But for now, from us all,

a very good afternoon.