BBC News London

The home of Crystal Palace FC has opened as one of London’s largest Covid-19 vaccination centres.

NHS staff and volunteers have taken over the Glaziers Lounge in the main stand at Selhurst Park after adaptions were made to ensure the vaccine can be delivered safely.

Dr Agnelo Fernandes, lead GP for Croydon, said: “Our teams have put in a mammoth effort to get this vaccination centre up and running and we’re incredibly grateful for the facilities and time provided by Crystal Palace Football Club to ensure it is a success.

“The Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective and the good news is that the number of local people being vaccinated is going up, there is still much to do to ensure as many people as possible are protected against the disease. The NHS will contact you when it is your turn to get the jab.”

Vaccinations issued to those who have been invited by the NHS will operate by appointment only.

Crystal Palace chairman, Steve Parish said: “Delivering the vaccine to our local community is imperative if we are to help people return to their lives. “We are proud that Selhurst Park is playing an important role in aiding the NHS with the launch of this vaccination centre.”

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Sadiq Khan’s London Plan, the framework for planning in the capital, has been approved by the government after a long delay.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government approved the plan after more than a year of negotiations with the mayor of London that resulted in several amendments.

Sadiq Khan welcomed the approval of his plan but called the delay “completely unnecessary”, claiming that it has caused “real harm” to businesses and residents in London.

Mr Khan said: “I’m delighted that I’m finally able to confirm my London Plan – the framework to help build a city which works for all Londoners."

“Finally, we can now get on with doing everything in our power to increase housing delivery and addressing the appalling legacy of the previous administration.”

Despite the approval of the plan, there remain some disagreements between Sadiq Khan and Robert Jenrick, with Mr Jenrick telling the mayor in a letter “you still have a very long way to go to meet London’s full housing need” and “Londoners deserve better”.

Mr Jenrick said he would be “seeking to work with” London boroughs that wish to provide housing at a level above the London Plan’s targets.

With London’s population estimated to increase to 10.8 million by 2041, one of the London Plan’s key aims is the provision of 66,000 new homes a year, at least half of which should be “genuinely affordable”.

The plan also outlines how growth should be achieved without intruding on London’s green belt, stating that the construction of new buildings on the green belt should be considered “inappropriate” apart from a “limited number of uses” such as cemeteries.

Proposals for major developments in London should also include a “detailed energy strategy” that includes plans to reduce carbon emissions and make use of green energy, as part of a push to make London a zero-carbon city by 2030.

The individual London boroughs are legally obliged to adhere to the London Plan and the mayor of London has the authority to override planning decisions if he feels they go against the plan and the interests of the city.

Met PoliceCopyright: Met Police

The 50th anniversary of when the UK's first female Asian police officer joined the Met Police will marked with a virtual event later.

PC Karpal Kaur Sandhu joined the force on 1 February 1971 at the age of 27 and served until 1973 when she passed away.

The event will mark the PC's life and legacy with contributions from Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, Tanmanjeet Singh ‘Tan’ Dhesi MP, the UK’s first turbaned Sikh MP and Sikh officers from across the Met.

Ms Ball said: “PC Karpal Kaur Sandhu was a true pioneer and ahead of her time."

“Fifty years to the day after PC Sandhu joined the Met, I am pleased that we are able to remember her life, her career and the legacy she has left policing," she added.

Speaking about the event, Ms Sandhu's daughter Romy Sandhu said: "I’m so proud of my mother, and her legacy as the UK’s first female police officer from an Asian and Sikh background.

"It’s wonderful that 50 years on she is remembered, and is an inspiration to generations of new female police officers joining the Met.”

Dull and overcast this morning with misty conditions in places, but it should be dry.

Any mist will lift, but it will remain dull and cloudy through this afternoon, and staying dry. A light breeze.

Maximum Temperature: 3C to 6C (37F to 43F)