The Time Out London blog team

‘Peaceful’ isn’t a word most people might associate with London – but our city has more capacity for rest and relaxation than you might think. In fact, a new study from property company Sell House Fast reckons that one London borough is actually in the top five most peaceful places to live in England. In order to figure out where the country’s most relaxing areas are, Sell Homes Fast analysed data on a range of criteria including noise complaints, air quality, access to nature, and light pollution. Only one London borough made it into the top 10, while the rest were mostly split across the Midlands, the north, and the southwest. According to Sell Homes Fast’s numbers, Bromley is the capital’s most laid back borough. There were only four noise complaints per 1,000 people in the area, while Bromley also had low levels of light pollution, no sewage works, and pretty low levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Photograph: Jono Photography / Shutterstock.com Overall, Bromley received a ‘sensory disturbance’ score of 2.72 out of 10, earning the borough fifth place nationally. There wasn’t much in it though – Solihull, which came in first, only scored 2.28, and Wiltshire took second place with 2.31. Although their overall scores were similar, both Solihull and Wiltshire did much better in the air quality category. In fact, most high-scorers beat Bromley when it came to greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, it seems that the Big Smoke is living up to its name....

Calling all animal-loving Londoners! Soon you’ll be able to spot more than just pigeons, seagulls and the odd rat in the capital, as a new rewilding project is bringing back two rare animal species to the city. The project is called Rewilding East London, and it’s taking place in Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham. After going extinct as breeding birds in the 1400s due to overhunting and habitat loss, white storks are coming back to the capital – but that isn’t all. The Mayor of London-backed scheme will also reintroduce beavers to the area. White storks are distinguished by their lanky legs, monochrome feathers and large stature (standing up to 1.5m tall). The birds’ return to the capital will be quite the occasion – and not just for bird-nerds. While white storks are native to the British Isles, up until now they have mostly been breeding across central and southern Europe.  Beavers aren’t so unheard of in London. The creatures, famed for building dams and lodges all with their teeth, already feature at Paradise Fields in Ealing, which is the UK’s only publicly accessible urban beaver site.  Photography: Nick Upton Cornwall Wildlife Trust The goal of Rewilding East London is to boost biodiversity and improve access to nature and green spaces in Dagenham. But how will these animals be looked after in the capital? Well, as well as restoring wetland habitats, the project will boast a purpose-built aviary – or in layman's terms, a ‘bird house’ – for the storks (and...

From Back to the Future to Futurama, in pop culture flying cars have to come represent the ultimate vision of tomorrow. Now that reality could be about to come true, because an aerospace company has claimed that London could actually have flying taxis in the next few years. The British flight honchos at Vertical Aerospace have alleged that London could see flying taxis transporting passengers to and from London airports by as soon as 2028. They’ve created the electric Valo aircraft, which can fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, and carry up to six passengers. The aircraft is currently undergoing testing, but the aim is for the Valo to secure regulatory approval within the next three years.  The initial routes proposed for these terribly modern taxis would be between Canary Wharf and London airports. Planned destinations for flying taxis include London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Cambridge, Oxford and Bicester.  Photograph: Vertical Aerospace Vertical Aerospace revealed their prototype to the public at an event in Canary Wharf earlier this week (Wednesday 10). The company plans to build seven aircrafts for UK use.  Vertical Aerospace chief executive Stuart Simpson said in a statement: ‘Valo is the aircraft that turns electric flight into a commercial reality – clean, quiet, fast and engineered for everyday service. It marks a new dawn in transport, one that will connect people in minutes, not hours.’ It remains to be revealed how much a trip in one of...