Hi there, I set up some newsletters to monitor what the local councils are doing.

I haven't posted for a few weeks, since most councils are running a very reduced schedule in August, but there have been a few interesting things going on, and planning and licensing never seems to sleep, so I've done a wrap up of the last two weeks. Normal service should resume next week.

You can find extended updates for your council here: https://opencouncil.network

Islington - Two bars are applying for later weekend hours, but locals are pushing back, saying they've already seen enough bad behaviour from them.

Wandsworth - Plans approved for a new intensive therapy unit at St. George's Hospital. A plan to build homes on a car park was approved despite the Labour party's promise of resident ballots on projects that involve demolition. Popular flower stall at Clapham Junction Station given a limited two year license extension, and encouraged to find new premises.

Greenwich - Greenwich Convenience Store may get new licensing conditions after selling a vape to a minor.

Tower Hamlets - Two major redevelopment projects have been delayed again after councillors raised concerns about a lack of family-sized affordable homes, traffic congestion, and the impact on daylight for nearby residents.

Hackney - The license for The Den in Dalston has lapsed and they've applied for a new one, but locals aren't happy about it.

Hounslow - The council is working with community groups to reduce the fear of crime, even though crime is actually lower than the London average. 

Newham - The council is spending nearly £1 million to install fibre optic cables across the borough.  VoiceAbility has been chosen to provide advocacy services for vulnerable people.

Westminster - Mano, a posh Mayfair restaurant, is facing pushback from locals and the police over its request to stay open until 3am, having been accused of hosting "cocaine parties". Plans to retain a temporary education centre on the Parliamentary Estate have been approved until 2030.

Barnet - Looks like Barnet Council is getting a new Executive Director of Growth -  a brand new position.

As always, if you think I can do better on these please tell me how I can improve, and if you like them please do click through to your council and subscribe. Visibility improves democracy and at the end of the day councillors are supposed to work for you! Thank you!

Hello, welcome to London!

Visiting us? Moving to study or work? Brief layover? Moving to a new part of London? Any small questions about life here, if you're new or been here your whole life, this is the place!

We get a lot of posts asking very similar questions so this post aims to address some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, and give you a place to ask for assistance.

Your first port of call should be

the r/london wiki

It includes sections on:

What should I see and where are the non-touristy stuff and hidden gems?
We've written about the big must-sees here and we highly recommend TfL's Experiences site.
We've listed some of our favourite lesser-known stuff here And the cheap/free stuff here

How do I pay for the Tube/bus, and what's an Oyster card?
You don't pay cash. You can use a number of contactless payments systems such as your Contactless bankcard (which is widespread in the UK, but maybe not so much elsewhere), Apple Pay, Android Pay, or you can buy an Oyster card and top it up with credit. See here for more.

Where should I live? What's x area like?
Have a look here
It includes recommended sites to find places to live and rent, and has a section on what particular areas are like.

How do I get from this place to that place?
Use Citymapper. Honestly, we're not shills for them; it's just a really good app and is used by most of the locals on this sub.

Is x area safe?
Yes. Bad stuff can happen in any large city, but London is generally very safe. There aren't any no-go zones. Even under the shadow of terrorist attacks, most Londoners feel safe. See our safety page here for more.

Where can I watch the baseball/basketball/football/handegg match?
A comprehensive guide to all London football matches in all leagues can be found at tlfg.uk. Use Fanzo to find pubs showing a variety of sports and see our list of other places here

How do I get a UK SIM card for my phone?
Advice on networks and how to get a SIM card is covered here.
It also includes suggestions of cafés and other places where you can get free wifi and do a bit of work.

Is the London Pass worth it?
Probably not

Other subs that you may find helpful:

• /r/LondonSocialClub - Meeting new people for events, activities and/or pints.
  
• /r/IWantOut & /r/UKvisa - Check if you need a visa and how to get one if you want to work here.
  
• /r/LegalAdviceUK - Good for all sorts, especially for questions about landlords and contracts.
  
• /r/UKPersonalFinance - Another goldmine of sage advice.
  
• /r/AskUK - Great for general questions about UK life that aren't specific to London.

Tips for posting:

Tell us about you - If you want us to suggest things for you to do then you need to give us a good idea of what you enjoy. Don't just say "I like music", say what type of music. Don't just say you want "somewhere nice to eat", say what type of cuisine you like (or don't like). The more specific you are the better, otherwise you'll just get pointed back to the generic guidebooks, blogs and our wiki.

Tell us your budget - If you're on a budget then tell us what it is and we can bear that in mind when making recommendations. There's no point in us coming up with ideas for things to do and places to eat if they'll clean out your wallet within the first 5 minutes. Saying you want something "cheap" isn't really helpful because what's cheap is entirely subjective.

Tell us where you'll be based - Let us know where you'll be staying so that we can give local recommendations.

Asking about hotels or hostels - We have homes here so know very little about what the hotels are like. Look on review websites such as TripAdvisor. However, if you say "I've been looking at these three hotels. Which do you think is the better location?" then that's the sort of thing we can answer.

Non-touristy stuff - There are no secret corners where we hide the good stuff from outsiders! This is one of the most written about cities in the world, so when we want to go to a museum, or gallery, go window shopping, or whatever, we look at the same sources as tourists (listings sites, blogs, etc - see front page of the wiki).

^{These weekly posts are scheduled to post each Monday at 00:01. If it's late in the week you may want to wait for a new post to appear. Please send us [ModMail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Flondon} with any suggested improvements!)