City Matters

2 months ago | citymatters.london | Ben Lynch

Plans to revamp a playground by the Tower of London in the style of a fort have been approved. The design for the Tower Hill playground, which was agreed following a public consultation last year, is intended to reflect the battlements of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site. The designs are now to be submitted to Tower Hamlets Council, with the hope approval may be granted and work beginning by the end of this summer.

2 months ago | citymatters.london | Ben Lynch

Mock-up images of a proposed new 21-storey office block opposite the Barbican in the City of London have been published for the first time. One Silk Street, a 1980s building currently occupied by Magic Circle law firm Linklaters, is in the midst of its third round of public consultation. A planning application is expected to be submitted this spring.

Jan 22, 2025 | citymatters.london | Noah Vickers

Almost 100 of the capital’s public toilets have closed over the last ten years, according to new research by Age UK London. A report by the charity this week warns that the issue is a “serious public health concern” and reveals that the last decade has seen around three times as many public loos being shut or removed by councils as were opened by them. John McGeachy, Age UK London’s campaign manager, said: “Public toilets are essential for a civilised and welcoming city.

Jan 20, 2025 | citymatters.london | Ben Lynch

A mum has hailed the ‘positive first step’ in saving nursery provision in the City of London after a primary school’s funding for babies and toddlers was approved for another year. The Aldgate School, which is in the east of the Square Mile and the area’s only state primary, currently offers full and part-time day care for children aged between 12 weeks and three years. It was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted at its inspection last July.

Jan 17, 2025 | citymatters.london | Noah Vickers

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe has announced he will soon retire after five years in the role. City Hall has begun a formal process to identify and appoint a successor, with the Commissioner’s last day in office yet to be confirmed. “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead London Fire Brigade (LFB),” said Mr Roe. “When I became Commissioner, I inherited a service suffering from decades of under investment.