Langbourn Ward

Langbourn is one of 25 wards in the City of London, electing an Alderman to the Court of Aldermen and three Common Councillors to the Court of Common Council.

Unique in bordering eight other Wards, Langbourn has for centuries been home to bankers, insurers, merchants, goldsmiths and other trades. The Ward is reputedly named after a buried stream in the vicinity, detailed in Stowe’s 1598 Survey of London.

St Mary Woolnoth on the corner of Lombard Street and King William Street is the Ward Church and is used as the Polling Station at elections. The boundaries before the recent changes were nearly the same as they were 700 years ago. It is a small Ward; a long thin area, running in a west-east direction. t also encompasses a large area of that Jewel of the City, Leadenhall Market, the original site of the Roman Forum (or marketplace) in Londinium.

With the rise in the popularity of Coffee Houses in the 17th Century it is remarkable that there were fifteen of these meeting places in Langbourn Ward, the most notable being close to the corner of Abchurch Lane originally owned by Mr Edward Lloyd, a vestryman of the Church of St Mary Woolnoth, who was to give his name to the Lloyd’s of London insurance market.

Please do get in touch about joining Langbourn Ward Club, founded in 1890. All the Langbourn Slate Team are members and there are lots of fun events each year.

As your Councillors, Judith and Philip have been involved through their Committee work, in the planning of and agreement on, the City of London Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy. This action plan should benefit all who live and work in the City, while ensuring additional costs associated with the Government’s net zero targets, are kept managed.

Following an extensive study of its activities and assets, the City Corporation actioned a plan to address emissions from its financial and property investments, together with its full supply chain. It committed £68 million in 2020 to be spent over six years to fund its Climate Action Strategy. The Strategy commits it to achieving net zero carbon emissions in its own operations by 2027 and supports the achievement of net zero for the whole Square Mile by 2040.

For such an ambitious programme, getting the right plans and people in place has been key. Conserving older, historic buildings to ensure they are fit for the future takes great care and planning. This means making them as energy efficient as possible, reducing their carbon emissions and adapting them to changes to the climate. This will define the future of our built environment in a responsible way, encouraging investment and commitment from global businesses who want to position themselves in the Square Mile. So, in turn, this will help build climate resilience and champion sustainable growth, both in the UK and globally.

Judith and Philip are proud to have served the City of London Corporation, recognised by organisations such as Climate Emergency UK, which ranked it in the top 20 best performing councils in the country for its work in combatting climate change and purchasing 100 per cent renewable energy. It also manages over 11,000 acres of green space, including sites such as Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, which estimates the removal of 16,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere a year, equivalent to 70 per cent of the emissions from its own operations. It has cut its carbon emissions by 66 per cent since 2018.

Constantly seeking ways to improve on the above, Judith and Philip recently voted to raise the sustainability bar for developers making new planning applications in the Square Mile. The new Planning for Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document, provides guidance on how developers should approach the City Corporation’s sustainability policies, including the design and construction of buildings. It provides constructive and City-specific advice, supporting planning applicants to achieve best practice outcomes for their sites, as well as contributing to the wider sustainability of the Square Mile and Greater London. The Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document sets the scene for the future, clarifying expectations and offering the chance for the City to lead the way, attracting the best global talent to London.

You can contact Judith or Philip personally to tell us what climate actions you would like the City Corporation to consider and how you might like to get involved.

Alternatively, you can contact the City Corporation’s Climate Action Team at Climate Action

More information and resources for businesses and residents are available to view and download from the City Corporation’s Climate Action Webpages.

More information and resources for businesses and residents are available to view and download from the City Corporation’s Climate Action Webpages.