32+1 or 33+1?
London's boroughs, inner, outer and maybe a newbie. Oh, and a Poet Laureate - story 39
For weeks now, I’ve been immersed in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS), dissecting its structure, its priorities. One number featured repeatedly: 32. That’s the number of London boroughs since 1965, though it’s almost always followed by some variation of ‘plus The City of London.’ Mind those silver dragons.
These 32+1 boroughs are then sorted into inner and outer London.
The inner boroughs—Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F), Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, and Westminster—occupy a distinct place in City Hall’s thinking.
For this blog, Hammersmith and Fulham and Wandsworth merit particular attention. The northern landing of Hammersmith Bridge sits in Hammersmith, and Putney Bridge is in Wandsworth.
Within this group of inner boroughs, there’s an even tighter circle. City Hall often refers to the ‘central area,’ a designation that plays a role in the MTS’s eight outcomes for 2041. Among them: reducing car trips crossing the boundaries of central, inner, and outer London. The central boroughs, in this context, include Camden, City of London, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, and Westminster.
Meanwhile, Richmond sits firmly in outer London alongside 18 other boroughs—Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Sutton, and Waltham Forest. This is where 60 percent of Londoners live and nearly 40 percent of its jobs are based.
Initially, I had planned to conclude this post with an observation I stumbled upon while searching for an illustrative map: Richmond is the only borough in London that straddles both the north and south banks of the Thames. Bridged, if you will.
Enter Slough
Recently, IanVisits reported that "London could get a little bit bigger." Slough Council is considering whether to become part of Greater London—a move spurred by the UK Government’s (UKG) devolution agenda, which aims to consolidate smaller local authorities into larger entities with expanded powers.
Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the conversation, quipping that he was happy to talk with those interested in "joining the People’s Republic of London." (Did he really say that? ) Time Out wasted no time reminding readers of Slough’s less-than-glowing reputation. "Britain’s most miserable town could soon become part of London," it declared.
My reaction was mixed.
The Ian Visits map made plain just how peculiar it would be to annex this relatively small, narrow pocket of land into Greater London. And yet, I support the UKG’s push for better-functioning local government. More, please. And soon. That includes giving the Mayor of London greater authority—regardless of how big his jurisdiction ultimately becomes.
My mind also turned to one man. What would that Poet Laureate have made of this idea?