#11: Kingston reappoints Veolia, £89m for TfL from PCNs, Finnish solution to homelessness, Kingston only 7th safest borough, Turner Prize shortlist, mind the roar – it’s rutting season, have your say on cycling route and local pharmacy services, Hampton Court ice rink returns, top comedians in Kingston, British Museum’s $1.3 billion transformation, and more.
START WITH A SMILE: Stuff to cheer us up
🛏️ FINNISH SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS THAT’S CHANGING LIVES IN UK: A remarkably simple approach to homelessness adopted by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has housed more than 400 rough sleepers in the city. The idea developed in Finland is simple – provide homes to people without any preconditions and then offer wraparound support tailored to their needs. This approach is in contrast to the current practice of expecting people to be sober, already engaged with relevant organisations offering support and be seeking employment.
The Finnish approach adopted by the US city of Houston has seen the number of people sleeping rough on its streets drop by 63%. Utah in the US, and Vienna in Austria too have seen dramatic reductions and Helsinki in Finland is on track to eradicate homelessness by 2025. Time for London and other major UK towns and cities to trial the ‘housing first’ approach?
LOCAL STORIES: Stuff you need to know
👮 KINGSTON ONLY 7TH SAFEST BOROUGH IN LONDON, RICHMOND TOP: Based on recorded crime data from the Office of National Statistics, Kingston is ranked 7th safest borough in London. While our nearest neighbour Richmond topped the chart as the safest borough, our other two near-neighbours Sutton and Merton also sat comfortably above Kingston in 2nd and 4th positions respectively. At the other end of the table were Westminster, Camden, and Kensington and Chelsea as the three most dangerous boroughs for crime rate per 1,000 people.
♻️ KINGSTON COUNCIL RENEWS WASTE AND RECYCLING CONTRACT WITH VEOLIA: Kingston Council has reappointed Veolia as waste and recycling collection, street cleansing and winter gritting contractor for the next eight years. According to Kingston Council, Veolia’s re-appointment follows ‘extensive engagement with residents and stakeholders, and a robust, open tender process to ensure best value for communities.’ Along with one of the highest recycling rates in London, Kingston is one of the first councils in the country to introduce a fully electric household waste and recycling collection fleet.
⛔ TRANSPORT FOR LONDON INCOME FROM FINES ON MAJOR ROADS RISES TO £89M: It looks like London’s roads are ‘paved with fines’. According to data provided to PA Media, Transport for London received over £89m in 2023-24 for perceived offences on its red route network. This is up a staggering 57% in five years. We have put in a Freedom of Information request to Kingston Council for income generated from penalty charge notices (PCNs) for the last few years and will report back on the figures in a future issue of Love Kingston.
🙅♂️ PLANS TO REPAIR HAM GATE AFTER CAR CRASH REJECTED BY COUNCIL: More than a year after a car crashed into the gates of Richmond Park, plans to repair Ham Gate have been rejected by Richmond Council. A popular entry point into the park for many of North Kingston’s residents, the cast-iron gates, railings and gas lanterns are much loved features of the park. In rejecting the Royal Park’s plans, the council highlighted that the proposals would ‘fail to preserve the special architectural and historic interest and heritage of the Richmond Park wall.’
🦌 IT’S RUTTING SEASON, VISITORS WARNED TO BE CAREFUL: Late September to early November is rutting season when stags show off their power and aggression, roar loudly and pick a fight with love rivals just to attract a mate. (Isn’t that what some humans also do?!) Royal Parks have warned visitors to Bushy Park and Richmond Park to stay away from rutting deer and observe the spectacle from distance. Watch from distance? We suggest you avert your eyes and give them some privacy!
LOCAL DEMOCRACY: Stuff that affects your neighbourhood
💊 HAVE YOUR SAY ON LOCAL PHARMACY SERVICES: Kingston Council is conducting the borough’s Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment to identify current needs for pharmaceutical services as well as their accessibility to help meet the needs of its residents. Have your say on the borough’s pharmacy services here.
📣 HELP SHAPE KINGSTON’S AUTISM AND ADHD STRATEGY: Based on feedback from residents earlier this year, Kingston Council has produced a draft Autism and ADHD Strategy. It is now seeking residents’ thoughts on this five year draft strategy to help better support autistic people, those with ADHD, and their families. You can share your thoughts here even if you did not take park in the first round.
🚲 SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON KINGSTON TO NEW MALDEN CYCLE ROUTE: There is now an abundance of cycle paths across the borough. As part of its vision of a cleaner and green borough and its commitment to making cycling safe and accessible, Kingston Council is seeking your views. Share your thoughts here on Kingston to New Malden cycle route.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE & EVENTS: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy
⛸️ HAMPTON COURT ICE RINK DATES ANNOUNCED: Set against the backdrop of Henry VIII’s little house on the river, Hampton Court Palace ice rink is back this November. Open from 22 November through to 5 January, a visit to the ever-popular open-air ice rink is a perfect day out for family and friends to enjoy a ‘winter wonderland’ atmosphere. Get your skates on – slots are available to book now.
🤣 ENJOY A NIGHT OF TOP COMEDY TALENT IN KINGSTON AND HELP LOCAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY: Some of the UK’s most popular stand-up comedians are joining forces for one night only in support of Momentum Children’s Charity. Taking place at the Arthur Cotterell Theatre at Kingston College on Thursday 3 October and hosted by Kingston’s very own British American funnyman, Erich McElroy, the event features stars including Jessica Fostekew, Ria Lina and Ian Stone, all promising to bring plenty of laughter to the stage. Based just over the river in East Molesey, Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across SW London, Surrey and Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. Tickets are available here.
🤝 KINGSTON & MERTON BUSINESS EXPO24: Kingston’s biggest annual business expo returns on Thursday 31 October. Featuring a variety of businesses, networking opportunities, business advisory zone and a programme of inspiring talks from business leaders, it’s completely free to attend. There is also still time for businesses to secure an exhibition stand and showcase their organisation.
🌶️ FESTIVAL OF FLAVOURS AT RHS WISLEY: Fancy a bit of spice in your life? Head down the A3 to the Festival of Flavours at RHS Garden Wisley. Taking place 9 – 13 October, the event offers the perfect opportunity to taste your way around the world with a delicious array of food and drinks, and get take-home tips from top chefs, RHS experts and local food producers. Pre-booking is essential and tickets are available are here.
🖼️ AUTUMN ART FAIR AT THE LANDMARK ART CENTRE: Across the river from Kingston, the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington is holding its Autumn Art Fair from Friday 11 October to Sunday 13 October. This direct to the public event features over 75 stands with artists from the local area and beyond. Enjoy an array of painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, printmaking, ceramics and more. It’s a perfect opportunity to meet and buy directly from the artists.
SPORTS DAY: Stuff about enjoying your local teams
⚽ KINGSTONIAN FC: The Ks crashed out of the FA Trophy (Second Qualifying Round) with a thumping 1-4 defeat to Sittingbourne. Previous two defeats too have come from the Ks conceding four goals. Tip – avoid that fourth goal at all costs! This Saturday 28 September the focus is back on the league and the opportunity to lift themselves from eighth position with a victory against Binfield!
⚽ CHELSEA WOMEN: A winning start last week for Chelsea and their new manager Sonia Bompastor with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa Women. This week, Friday 27 September, they make the short trip to Gander Lane to face recently promoted Crystal Palace. While the Eagles will be keen to impress, all the pressure is on the reigning champions – it could turn out to be an interesting game.
LONDON CALLING: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy in the big smoke
😍 🤬 MARMITE THAT IS THE TURNER PRIZE SHORTLIST IS OUT: The always controversial, perfect clickbait for the tabloids and guaranteed to spark a debate among anyone with a passing interest in the arts, the Turner Prize shortlist has just been announced. You will either love it or hate it. The four nominees are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Delaine Le Bas, and Jasleen Kaur, whose red Ford Escort covered by a giant cotton doily will no doubt be the standout image we’ll see everywhere over the coming weeks. And you can see it up close and in-person at Tate Britain from now until 16 February. The winner will be announced on 3 December 2024. To whet your appetite, here are a few quotes from media reviews:
Independent: “A near total absence of guts, passion or edge.”
The Standard: “After years in the doldrums the infamous award comes roaring back.”
The Guardan: “Vitality, surprise … and a Ford Escort in a doily.”
WHAT ELSE? Stuff we couldn’t quite fit anywhere else but still like
🏛️ BRITISH MUSEUM TO GET THE BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION: The British Museum is already the UK’s most visited tourist attraction. It is now set for a massive transformation as its new director, Nicholas Cullinan, the former boss of the National Portrait Gallery, takes charge following the resignation of its previous director. This positive news follows the revelation last year of 2,000 missing artifacts and the ongoing lawsuit against the museum’s former curator. The new director has revealed a $1.3 billion plan to overhaul the museum including expanding its digital catalogue and renovating more than 3,500 rooms and galleries. Let’s hope nothing else goes missing during the building work!
'Only' 7th out of 32 boroughs feels unnecessarily harsh, especially given it's 2nd safest in London when you actually take the severity of each crime type into account. https://crimerate.co.uk/london