Transport today

Transport

Trains

As usual public transport will be particularly busy during this evening’s peak so avoid travelling around Games venues where possible. The Jubilee line from Waterloo to Stratford, Central line from Holborn to Stratford and DLR will all be busy.

Large numbers will be changing at London Bridge and trains passing through Chancery Lane and St Paul’s will be busy this evening.

Avoiding Canary Wharf Station from 5-7pm, Oxford Circus from 5.30-6.30pm and North Greenwich, Stratford and Canning Town stations are expected to be busier than normal after9pm as spectators return home from events.

Public transport around Games venues will remain busy over the weekend, so avoid the usual hotspot areas.

Jubilee line trains passing through Bermondsey, Mile End and Canada Water are expected to be busy tomorrow morning between 7.30am and 9.30am.
The Mayor’s Thames Festival begins on Saturday and stations north and south of the river between Westminster and Tower Bridge will be busier than normal.

Roads

The PRN will be serving venues across east and south-east London including ExCeL, the Olympic Park and North Greenwich Arena.

The PRN will also be operation from central London to Weymouth.

Don't get caught out by the Paralympic Marathon tomorrow in central London. Roads will be closed along and around the route.

The Mayor's Thames Festival starts Saturday and will finish Sunday, with a parade on Victoria Embankment on the final evening. Blackfriars Bridge will be closed to traffic from 6pm. Victoria Embankment and some surrounding roads will remain closed between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge after the Paralympic Marathons have finished until around midnight.

Don't forget Our Greatest Team Parade takes place Monday 10 September during the afternoon. The Parade will travel from the City of London to Westminster. Road closures will be in place so plan travel in advance.

Avoid driving around the PRN routes and venues, particularly around the Olympic Park in Stratford and on the A102 approach roads north and south of the Blackwall Tunnel

Please check www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/london before you begin any journey home after work. When serious travel delays are reported alerts will be uploaded to the website and intranet, but these are not continually updated. You can also checkwww.GetaheadoftheGames.com before you travel.

Councils may lose planning rights Councils could lose their power over planning applications if they hold up new housing developments. The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles warned that he would not hesitate to strip individual local authorities of responsibility for planning if MPs thought they were unduly in slow in approving developments or making the wrong decisions. Applications would then be handled by the Planning Inspectorate. The move comes as part of Government push to make it harder for residents to object to new developments. Councils will also be encouraged to allow building on green belt land. Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, countered that the block to construction projects was not planning red tape but the economy’s weakness. The LGA said it had granted planning permission for 400,000 projects, but developers and householders had not pressed ahead with them. Housebuilders said a lack of demand, amid a shortage of affordable mortgages, was the real blockage. The Planning Officers’ Society said that removing the mediating role of councils over planning issues could create more neighbourhood rows. Elsewhere, the Times carries a feature for readers on how to get their plans approved by council planning departments and Simon Jenkins, in the Guardian, writes that it is not the fault of the countryside that planning applications are refused.   Source: Financial Times, Page: 3    The Times, Page 16-17   The Times, Page: 10-11  The Daily Telegraph, Page: 10, 27   The Guardian, Page: 8, 32   The Independent, Page: 5   Independent I, Page: 7   Daily Mail, Page: 8   Evening Standard London, Page: 14   Daily Mirror, Page: 14

Upcoming events

Key events taking place on 8, 9 and 10 September The Mayor’s Thames Festival takes place on the Southbank on Saturday and Sunday, finishing with a Parade on Sunday evening at Victoria Embankment from 19:45 – 22:00. Blackfriars Bridge will be closed to traffic from 18:00 – 23:00 The Paralympic Games Marathons take place from The Mall to The City and back on Sunday from 08:00 – 14:15. Roads in central London and Tube stations along the route will be busy The Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony takes place at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday from 19:30 – 22:30. The area will be very busy from 17:30 onwards Our Greatest Team Parade takes place on Monday from 13:30 – 16:00. Athletes from Team GB and ParalympicsGB will parade through The City to Buckingham Palace. Most roads affected by the event will close at 11:00 with those around Guildhall and Gresham Street closing at 06:00. Large crowds of spectators are expected For more information on event routes and road closures of the 3 central London events, please visit tfl.gov.uk/2012roadevents Motorists are advised to avoid driving in central London on Sunday and Monday. A number of buses will be on diversion. If you are travelling to any of the above events by public transport, please allow plenty of time. To plan your journey, please visittfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner

Paralympic Games travel update Transport to and around East London is expected to remain busier than usual until the Paralympic Games end on Sunday. Public transport From 07:30 – 09:30 and 16:00 – 19:00 the following lines are expected to remain very busy; the DLR between Canning Town and Prince Regent until Saturday and the Jubilee line between Waterloo and Stratford and the Central line between Holborn and Stratford until Sunday. Please avoid Canary Wharf from 17:00 – 19:00 and Oxford Circus from 17:30 – 18:30 tomorrow if possible, as they are expected to very busy. Canning Town, North Greenwich and Stratford are expected to be busy, particularly as spectators leave events from 21:00 daily, until Saturday evening. Roads Monday 10 September is the last day that the Paralympic Route Network (PRN) will be in operation. It is being removed as follows: Midnight tonight – Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich area Midnight Saturday 8 September – ExCeL and North Greenwich Arena area Midnight Monday 10 September – remaining PRN network The A2, A12, A13, Upper Thames Street and Lower Thames Street are expected to be busy again tomorrow in the morning peak. Roads east of St. Paul’s, including those in and approaching the City of London, and around Games venues are also busier than usual. Although not affecting Games traffic, a burst Thames Water main on the A406 North Circular Road at Brent Cross caused serious disruption yesterday. Two out of the five westbound lanes have now reopened, along with the full eastbound carriageway. TfL and Thames Water continue to work around the clock to fully reopen the road. Drivers are urged to still avoid the area if possible. For real time traffic updates, follow us on twitter@TfLTrafficNews

At the Paralympics 6th September

Today's Paralympic news:

The debates concerning the medal table can begin… now!

Great Britain is currently third in the medal table, despite having the second highest number of medals. Go figure. Well, it is because we have 25 gold medals, to Russia’s 29. As a result we are currently sitting third, despite having 93 medals to their 74 overall. The Chinese are truly dominating the Games with 64 gold and 167 medals overall.

Once you have settled that argument within your teams at work, how about tackling this one. Oscar Pistorius returns to the track today calling for the rules governing blade lengths to be changed. He has the support of a number of athletes. South African officials have also written to the world governing body with suggestions that some athletes were switching blades mid-competition.

So far today we have seen Paralympic GB’s medal haul increase by one bronze, as Bev Jones threw a season’s best 30.99m in the women’s F37 discus.

A number of our athletes are also through to finals, including:

On the track:

Ola Abidogun making his Paralympic debut qualifies for the final of the T46 men's 100m.

Olivia Breen is through to the final of the T38 women's 200m.

Hannah Cockcroft and Melissa Nichols are through to the final of the T34 women's 200m.

Shelly Woods and Jade Jones qualify for the T54 women's 1500m final.

In the pool:

James Crisp qualifies for the final of the men's SM9 200m individual medley.

Louise Watkin, Claire Cashmore and Stephanie Millward are through to the final of the women's SM9 200m individual medley.

Josef Craig and Jonathan Fox qualify for the final of the S7 men's 400m freestyle.

Susannah Rodgers qualifies for the final of the women's S7 400m freestyle.

Dan Pepper and Aaron Moores qualify for the SB14 men's 100m breaststroke final.

Sean Fraser and Thomas Young qualify for the final of the S8 men's 100m freestyle.

Andrew Mullen qualifies for the final of the S5 men's 50m backstroke.

What's happening when you finish work?

This evening there are loads of events taking place at the Olympic Park. They include finals in the men’s shot put and discus at the Olympic stadium, men’s goalball semi-finals taking place in the Copper Box, swimming events continue until 9pm and mixed wheelchair rugby, aka, MURDERBALL is taking place at the basketball arena, so as per usual, Stratford will be very busy.

Men’s quarter-final Boccia (a bit like bowls, where balls have to be thrown close to a target), men’s sitting volleyball and men’s team table tennis are being held at the ExCeL competition venue. Paralympic GB men’s wheelchair basketball team is taking on Canada at the North Greenwich Arena. Wheelchair tennis matches will be held at Eton Manor.

London: public transport

·         Public transport serving the Olympic Park is expected to be very busy on Friday as the Olympic Stadium opens for Paralympic events. Up to an additional 80,000 people in both the morning and afternoon will visit the Olympic Park compared to yesterday. Plan ahead and avoid travelling in the busiest places at the busiest times.

·         Public transport serving Games venues will be particularly busy on Friday, especially on the Jubilee line from Waterloo to Stratford, the Central line from Holborn to Stratford and the DLR in the periods 7.30-9.30am and 4-7pm. If possible, consider using alternative lines at busy times or retiming your journey to avoid the crowds.

·         Jubilee line trains passing through Bermondsey and Canada Water are expected to be particularly busy with spectators between 7.30-9.30am.

·         North Greenwich, Stratford and Canning Town stations are expected to be busier than usual after 9pm as spectators return home from events.

·         Large numbers of spectators are expected to interchange at London Bridge and Bank to get to Games venues. If possible, try to avoid interchanging at these stations between 7.30-9.30am and 4-7pm.

·         If you are not going to a Paralympic event, try to avoid the stations that are close to venues as these stations are expected to be busy.

London: driving and roads

·         Avoid driving around the PRN routes and venues, particularly around the Olympic Park in Stratford and on the A102 approach roads north and south of the Blackwall Tunnel.

·         Congestion is being seen on the A2, A12 and A13, particularly in the morning peak. If driving is your only option, travel at a different time if possible or allow more time for your journey.

·         Roads east of St. Pauls, including those in and approaching the City of London, and roads around Games venues will be busier than usual, so plan your journey and allow more time.

·         Don’t get caught out by the Paralympic Marathons on Sunday 9 September in central London. Roads will be closed along and around the route.

Areas outside of London

·         Road closures for the Paralympic Cycling Road Races at Brands Hatch will remain in place until midnight on Saturday 8 September. For details on the location of road closures, visithttp://kent.gov.uk/roads_and_transport/highway_maintenance/closures_during_the_olympics/paralympic_road_cycling_road.aspx

Please check www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/london before you begin any journey home after work. When serious travel delays are reported alerts will be uploaded to the website and intranet, but these are not continually updated. You can also checkwww.GetaheadoftheGames.com before you travel.

Keep us informed

Staff are reminded that the BOCC (Borough Olympics Coordination Centre) is operating during the Paralympics and any information regarding travel or other issues around the Games should be passed on via either 01708 434 992/993 or by email toBOCC@havering.gov.uk

Paralympic update 5thSeptember

Today's Paralympic news:

GB's Mark Colbourne won silver in the C1 Individual Time Trial at Brands Hatch to go with thegold and silver he won on the track.

AND

Sarah Storey got her third gold in the C5 Time Trial. An incredible achievement.

Great Britain is holding onto second place in the medals table, behind China. To date - that means that Paralympics GB has won: 24 gold medals, 31 silver and 26 bronze.

David Weir looks set to win a gold medal in the 800 meters after blitzing the heat today. In the T37 200 meters team-mates Bethany Woodward and Jenny McLoughlin recorded the second and third-fastest times to reach tomorrow's final. Sophie Kamlish, the 16-year-old single-leg amputee who runs with one blade, reached the T44 200m final behind a world record time of 26.97 from Dutch athlete Marlou van Rhijn. GB's Stef Reid, who won Paralympic bronze in the event for Canada four years ago, is also through after securing one of the two fastest-loser positions.

Britain's sailors are guaranteed at least a silver and a bronze medal as they head in to the final day of the London 2012 Paralympic Sailing Regatta tomorrow.Helena Lucas - the only woman in the class - is guaranteed at least a silver medal in the 2.4mR one-person keelboat class. But she currently sits in gold medal position with a nine-point advantage over German Heiko Kroger with one race to come tomorrow. Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell are also guaranteed at least a bronze medal in the SKUD two-person class.

So far today there has been 83,867 tweets about the games.

What's happening when you finish work?

From 4pm there are finals in archery, followed by events in power lifting. Starting at 5.30pmthere are finals at the aquatics centre and from 6.30pm finals in wheelchair fencing as well as road cycling. The athletics finals start from 7pm. GB's world recorder holder Johnny Peacock goes in the first T44 100 meters heat against the American, Jerome Singleton and Oliveria from THAT final on Sunday. Only two runners can go through to the final tomorrow. Oscar Pistorius will also be taking part - so there may be controversy ahead! Other highlights could include Rob Welbourne in the S10 400 meters final at the aquatics centre at 5.48pm.

London: public transport

·                     Public transport serving Games venues will be particularly busy, especially on the Jubilee line from Waterloo to Stratford, Central line from Holborn to Stratford and DLR in the periods 7.30-9.30am and 4.00-7.00pm. If possible, consider using alternative lines at busy times or retiming your journey to avoid the crowds.

·                     London Bridge and Waterloo stations are expected to be very busy today with spectators travelling in the morning peak. If possible, try to avoid these stations between 7.30-9.30am.

·                     Trains passing through Canada Water, Bermondsey and Bethnal Green are expected to be particularly busy between 7.30-9.30am. If possible, try to avoid these stations at busy times.

·                     Large numbers of spectators are expected to interchange at London Bridge and Bank to get to Games venues. If possible, try to avoid interchanging at these stations between7.30-9.30am and 4.00-7.00pm.

·                     Trains passing through Chancery Lane and St Paul’s are expected to be particularly busy with spectators in the evening peak. If possible, try to avoid these stations between 4.00-7.00pm.

·                     North Greenwich Stratford and Canning Town stations are expected to be busier than usual after 9.00pm with spectators returning home from events. If possible, consider re-timing your journey to avoid the crowds.

·                     London Bridge and Bank stations are expected to be very busy with large numbers of passengers throughout the Paralympic Games – particularly this week as the school term begins. Try to avoid using these stations at peak times between 7.30-9.30am and 4.00-7.00pm. Consider retiming your journey or using an alternative station.

·                     Javelin services to and from the Olympic Park will be busy during the Paralympic Games. If you are heading to or from the Olympic Park, consider using C2C, District and Hammersmith & City lines to or from West Ham and access the Park via the Greenway or Greater Anglia services between Stratford and Liverpool Street. This will help you avoid the crowds. Anyone with reduced mobility should use Stratford station, where assistance is available.

London: driving and roads

·                     The A406 North Circular in Hendon is currently (Weds 5 September 15:00) closed and traffic is queuing in both directions between the A1 Great North Way (Barnet by-pass) Henly’s corner junction and Staples corner flyover.

·                     Avoid driving around the PRN routes and Games venues, particularly around the Olympic Park in Stratford and on the A102 approach roads north and south of the Blackwall Tunnel

·                     During the Olympics there was congestion on the A2, A12 and A13, Upper Thames Street and Lower Thames Street, particularly in the morning peak. We expect the same during the Paralympics. If driving is your only option, travel at a different time if possible or allow more time for your journey.

·                     Roads east of St. Paul's, including those in and approaching the City of London, and roads around Games venues will be very busy so plan your journey and allow more time.

·                     Don’t get caught out by the Paralympic Marathons on Sunday 9 September in central London. Roads will be closed along and around the route.

Areas outside of London

·                     Road closures for the Paralympic Cycling Road Races at Brands Hatch will remain in place until midnight on Saturday 8 September. For details on the location of road closures, visithttp://kent.gov.uk/roads_and_transport/highway_maintenance/closures_during_the_olympics/paralympic_road_cycling_road.aspx

Please check www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/london before you begin any journey home after work. When serious travel delays are reported alerts will be uploaded to the website and intranet, but these are not continually updated. You can also checkwww.GetaheadoftheGames.com before you travel.

ALLOTMENT IMPROVEMENTS
The Council is to fund improvements to allotments throughout Havering, further upgrading fencing, paths, water supply and facilities. Havering has 26 allotment sites covering over 87 acres. The Council works with the borough’s many allotment societies who manage the sites. For more information about allotment sites in Havering please see http://www.havering.gov.uk/Pages/Allotments.asp.
ANGEL WAY
The new development in Angel Way will have a living "green wall" facing on to Romford Ring Road, measures to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions, and promote use of renewable energy sources and recycling. There will be electric car charging points. The scheme will be Code for Sustainable Homes level 4.
EASTERN ROAD
A new development inside the Ring Road will achieve Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) "very good". The scheme will include measure to promote nature conservation, habitats and the water and environmental quality of Black’s Brook, and measures to reduce energy use and promote use of sustainable energy.

Today at the Paralympics

Today's news:

So far today (Monday, Day 5), highlights for Great Britain include a gold medal for Natasha Baker in Equestrian Dressage. This is her second gold of the Paralympics after posting thehighest ever score in grade II freestyle on her horse Cabral (82.8%).

And table tennis player Paul Davies won 3-2 against South Korea's Lee Chung-Ho to take the bronze medal in the men's class 1.

In athletics, Mickey Bushells, who is a world and Paralympic silver medallist, has won through to the final of the men's 100m T53 in a time of 14.86 seconds. David Devine qualified for the men's 800m T12 in a season's best time of 1:55.97. And David Weir, defending the men's 1500m T54 gold medallist, is safely through to the final, finishing third in his heat in a time of 3:11.35.

Other GB athletes have reached the quarter finals in wheelchair tennis, the semi finals in boccia and the finals in various swimming heats. And sailors Niki Birrell and Alexandra Rickham have won race five of the two-person keelboat and currently hold the gold medal position, with six races remaining.

Tonight swimming champion Ellie Simmonds will have fellow Brits Liz Jones and Natalie Jones for company as they all compete for gold in the 200m - the final is at 5.39pm - while Jonathan Fox and Matt Walker aim for success in the 100m freestyle (final 5.48pm) and Sascha Kindred bids to win his fourth consecutive 200m individual medley title (final 5:30pm).

Local Paralympic news:

Havering's Amy Marren made her ParalympicsGB debut on Friday (Aug 31) in the Women's 100 backstroke at the Aquatics Centre. She came fifth with a time of 1.14.31 - less than five seconds slower than the winner, Australia's Ellie Cole.

Amy, 14, from Hornchurch, can next be seen competing in the Women's 400m Freestyle (S9 heats) tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept 4) at 10.19am. Amy, who was born without her right hand past the wrist, also has swimming events coming up later in the week.

Transport:

What's happening today?

• Today is the first day that London schools went back following the summer holidays, so roads and public transport were very busy this morning and will continue to be so throughout this week.
• This, combined with Paralympic spectators, means that the Jubilee line from Waterloo to Stratford, the Central line from Holborn to Stratford and the DLR will be particularly busy each morning from 7-9.30am and 4-7pm each evening.
• Venues expected to be very busy this week include the Olympic Park, Aquatics Centre, Basketball Arena, the Riverbank Arena, Eton Manor, ExCeL, North Greenwich Arena, Greenwich Park and the Royal Artillery Barracks.

London: public transport

• London Bridge and Waterloo stations are expected to be very busy throughout the day today.
• Trains passing through Chancery Lane and St Paul's stations are expected to be particularly busy with spectators in the evening peak. North Greenwich, Stratford and Canning Town stations are expected to be busier than usual after 9pm with spectators returning home from events.  If possible, consider re-timing your journey to avoid the crowds.
• London Bridge and Bank stations are expected to be very busy all this week, with large numbers of passengers throughout the Paralympic Games. Try to avoid using these stations at peak times between 7.30-9.30am and 4-7pm. Consider retiming your journey or using an alternative station.

London: driving and roads

• With the school term beginning today, roads are expected to be very busy all this week, particularly in the morning and evening peaks.  Plan ahead and avoid travelling in the busiest places at the busiest times.
• The Paralympic Route Network will be serving venues across east and south-east London including ExCeL, the Olympic Park, Greenwich Park, Royal Artillery Barracks and North Greenwich Arena. The PRN will also be in operation from central London to Weymouth and Eton Dorney.
• Avoid driving around the PRN routes and Games venues, particularly around the Olympic Park in Stratford and on the A102 approach roads north and south of the Blackwall Tunnel
• Congestion is expected on the A2, A12, A13, Upper Thames Street and Lower Thames Street, particularly in the morning peak times this week.
• Roads east of St. Pauls, including those in and approaching the City of London, and roads around Games venues will be very busy so plan your journey and allow more time.

Areas outside of London

• Weymouth and Portland is the only out-of-London venue in session today. The road and public transport networks in the area will be busier than usual.
• Road closures for the Paralympic Cycling Road Races at Brands Hatch have been in place since 4.30am today. They will remain in place until midnight on Saturday, September 8.

Please check www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/london before you begin any journey home after work. When serious travel delays are reported alerts will be uploaded to the website and intranet, but these are not continually updated. You can also checkwww.GetaheadoftheGames.com before you travel