Some London Trivia and Facts

Like any other large city across the world, living in the British capital has its upsides and downsides, at the moment, it seems there are more upsides than downsides of living in London, which is a good thing by any standard. One of the benefits of living there is access to efficient and affordable property removals. Relocation of homes and businesses is a common in the city and many people use specialised removals as the sensible and more practical alternative to dealing with everything on their own.

Living in a crowded metropolis though, has its specific issues, some not that significant, others more problematic. For example, London local councils spend an average of one hundred pounds in collecting and processing each tonne of recyclable waste generated within their area of authority. Non-recyclable waste costs an average of hundred and thirty pounds per tonne to dispose of. It is estimated that the current recycling rate of the city (although below the national average) saves City Authorities thirty million pounds a year.

Another problem with big city living is air pollution, and unfortunately London has quite a bit of it. A combination of dense road networks, high rise buildings and endless traffic have made London’s central areas one of the most polluted places in the UK, hopefully things will change in the future.

At the same time, London is one of the greenest cities in the world, and the greenest capital in Europe. There are eight royal parks in London, covering about twenty square kilometres of the city. London’s first officially established public park is Victoria Park, opened to the public in eighteen forty two, in Hackney. The other key green feature of the city is the many heaths and commons scattered all across, these are wilder green open spaces, most of them available for public use. Most of the public parks and green open spaces are managed by local councils. The royal parks are run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Some of the parks with heritage status are managed by the National Trust.

Although London is one of the driest parts of the UK (due to overcrowding, high temperatures, climate changes and excessive water use) the city is still prone to flooding by its main lifeline – the River Thames. In result, a complex system of flood barriers and locks keeps the city safe from flooding. Which is good as fifteen percent of the entire city is situated within the river’s floodplain.

Industrialisation and urbanisation have taken their toll on the River Thames and many of the natural habitats across the city. Measures have been taken though to restore as much of these as possible. Eleven kilometres of the city’s riverside habitats are now restored. Newly created green spaces include two hundred and thirty hectares of marshland. Also seven and a half hectares of reed beds have been laid along the city’s many watercourses.

Considering all of the above, London’s CO2 emissions per capita, are 5.9 tonnes per year, which is below the national average of 7.1 tonnes.