Garden Bridge

What planet are these people on. Boris has just called it a park. Boris has said that the public won't pick up the Bill for maintenance and I don"t see anyone else coming forward. The only way this will be built is if they charge people to use it and it would have to undergo a reconsultation to allow this to happen. I really don't think it will get built, and I do 't think it should have gone past the feasibility stage; so much money has been spent on this already.

I certainly hope you're right, Karen. To my knowledge, only one commercial sponsor (Citibank?) has put money up for it, and not to the level required.

However, a persistent and pessimistic part of me wonders whether it might yet be launched as a fee-charging initiative, which might in turn attract more private seedcorn funding in exchange for preferential hire rates, so that big companies could use the bridge for their corporate hospitality functions.

That would be consistent with the progressive privatisation of social space in central London, particularly around the river. Since much of this activity is consistent with the term 'social apartheid', I don't think it is inappropriate to recall the segregated beaches of yesteryear in South Africa. A beach there, a bridge here?

They would have to reconsult though if it was going to be a paying bridge wouldn't they? Or will they just get a 'buddy' to agree to pay maintenance so that they can go ahead and build it, and then buddy drops out so they have to charge?

Karen

Call me a cynic, but I think the get-out you describe is far from unlikely, although I know very little about the detail of planning regulations.

It now appears to be open season on public access to any new facilities or adaptation of space in the SE1 area, and I don't think that the GLA (or at least its current administration) would really want it any other way.

I think Johnson's defence of the Underpass skate-park was simply prompted by its potential to attract more tourists (and thus commercial revenue) rather than due to any concern to preserve the public use of open space.

There is no doubt in my mind that if it gets built it will cost money to cross it after the first year. It really is an absolute waste of money and I think a much better/cheaper option would be to build a few more piers like the one off Bernie Spain Garden and make these more attractive and green. They could even be 'themed' eg the seaside garden, the herbal garden etc. Even if they had to be 're-planted' every year it would be much cheaper and they could donate the plants to local community gardens (of course Styles House would need to be on the list!). They could even ask businesses to sponsor each pier for a bit of free advertising.

All good ideas, Karen. :-)

jimfearnley wrote:

Karen
Call me a cynic, but I think the get-out you describe is far from unlikely, although I know very little about the detail of planning regulations.

It now appears to be open season on public access to any new facilities or adaptation of space in the SE1 area, and I don't think that the GLA (or at least its current administration) would really want it any other way.

I think Johnson's defence of the Underpass skate-park was simply prompted by its potential to attract more tourists (and thus commercial revenue) rather than due to any concern to preserve the public use of open space.

He was clearly batting for the young vote. Fair enough if there's any degree of integrity there..(Boris, not the young)

I especially love they way they are killing 30 mature trees to make way for this "Garden Bridge".
Trees that take decades to mature and support whole ecosystems.

Johnson, integrity?

I think we have been caught unawares by life, namely Johnson's U-turn on TfL funding, which he has now agreed is most definitely envisaged. If you missed it, go to this link:

http://londonist.com/2015/03/best-of-londonist-garden-bridge-holi-food-and-forensics.php