Greater London
Main towns: Greater London is broken down in 33 main boroughs. They are, City of London, City of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond, Kingston, Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Bromley, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Newham, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield, Barnet, Harrow and Hillingdon.
Demographics: The population of greater London is younger and more ethnically diverse than anywhere else in the country. 46% of Greater London’s workforce is aged 35 or younger. This is compared to the national figure, which stands at 39%. 29% of the population of Greater London belong to black or minority ethnic communities, which is almost three times the national average. Over 300 languages are spoken in London.
London’s economy is funded largely by financial, business and creative industries. 25% of the world’s largest and most profitable countries have based their European headquarters in London. Consequently, the city generates more wealth than anywhere else in the country.
This wealth is boosted significantly by London’s thriving tourism industry. Over 30million tourists visit London every year, which contributes £15billion to the economy.
3.8million people work in London, 723,000 of whom commute from outside the capital. 30% of all jobs in the capital are concentrated in a small part of central London.
London has high levels of deprivation. 35% of all children in London live in poverty. This is the highest proportion of any region in England. In inner London the figure rises to 48%. There are high levels of unemployment in the capital and many find it difficult to access primary health care.
Population: Greater London has an estimated population of 8.1million residents.
Places of Interest: London is teeming with historical landmarks including the Tower of London – which now hosts a yearly music festival, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. There are a host of other attractions available in the city including Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks, the London Dungeons, London Zoo and the London Aquarium, which is situated on Southbank.
The Southbank also plays host to the legendary Royal Festival Hall, one of hundreds of music venues, big and small, dotted around the city. Notably, the world’s most popular music venue – the O2 arena – is based in Greenwich.
London is also famous for its thriving West End theatres, which are largely dotted around Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Shaftesbury Avenue.
Central London is home to a number of world famous shopping destinations such as Oxford Street, Regents Street and Saville Row.
Although the capital is heavily built up and very busy, there are Royal Parks dotted around the city centre including St James Park and Hyde Park, which is a popular spot for music concerts and has previously hosted Bob Geldof’s Live 8 event.
House/Flat Prices: London has the highest house prices in the country. The average price of property on the market in London today, including houses and flats, is £605,000. The average price five years ago, in February 2004, was £280,000.
Planning issues: The London Plan, originally formulated by Ken Livingstone, proposes major redevelopments across London. Plans include the construction of almost 50,000 new homes in Upper Lee Valley, North London by 2016. Other areas, such as Tottenham and Brent Cross, have been earmarked for ‘high density business, educational, retail and residential development’. Mill Hill East, Colindale, Haringey and Wood Cross are more sites for potential redevelopment.
In addition to North London, West London is set for major building works. It will see the construction of a further 45,000 new homes, mostly in the ‘Western Wedge’ from Paddington through Royal Park and Wembley to Heathrow. South London is set for another 42,000 new homes by 2016.
East London is set for the biggest developments, particularly in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. East London is to house ‘a minimum of 104,000 new homes’ by 2016.
Stratford and the Isle of Dogs will be the locations of much of this development, but other proposed sites are the Lower Lea Valley, the Royal Docks, Barking Reach,
Deptford Creek and the Greenwich Peninsula.