Thames Garden Bridge scheme to be scrapped

Plans to build the controversial pedestrian Garden Bridge across the Thames have been thrown into severe doubt following the Mayor of London’s decision to withdraw his support for the project.

Sadiq Khan said that he was not prepared to subject tax payers’ money to further risk by funding the operations and maintenance guarantees for the bridge.

The Garden Bridge was to feature 270 trees and thousands of plants but aroused controversy with many viewing the project as an extravagance.

It was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and had been backed by previous Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and former Chancellor George Osborne.

The funding gap currently stands at over £70M, with little chance of the Bridge Trust successfully making up the shortfall to allow construction to take place.

In his letter to the Chairman of the Bridge Trust, Lord Mervyn Davies, Mr Khan wrote: “The conclusion I have reached is that Dame Margaret was right to conclude that the project progressing would expose the London taxpayer to additional financial risk, both with regard to the bridge’s construction and its maintenance.

“I have been clear that this should not be allowed to happen. Accordingly, the GLA (Greater London Authority) is unable to provide Mayoral guarantees for this project.

The Mayor’s decision follows a review undertaken by Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge published three weeks ago, who advised the bridge be scrapped due to the “precarious” state of the project’s funding.

The Garden Bridge was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and had been backed by previous Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and former Chancellor George Osborne.

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