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03 Dec 2014
Westminster Council approves London’s Garden Bridge
By Katie Buckley
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Heatherwick's proposed Garden Bridge, now in the hands of Boris Johnson
Photo: Heatherwick Studios
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Thomas Heatherwick and Joanna Lumley’s controversial Garden Bridge over London’s River Thames has won planning permission from Westminster Council.
Planning permission for the £175m (US$294m, €216m) bridge was granted yesterday (2 December) at Westminster City Hall in a packed meeting attended by more than 120 people.
The Garden Bridge plan will connect the South Bank and Temple areas of London. Westminster Council is the second body to grant planning permission for the build, with Lambeth Council giving its approval on 11 November.
Funding for the bridge will come from several different sources. Transport for London (TFL) has agreed to pay £30m (US$47m, €39m), which will be matched by the Treasury and the rest will met by private donors. The Garden Bridge Trust has reportedly raised £120m (US$188m, €152m) towards the costs.
Westminster Council has also suggested that TFL act as a guarantor for the yearly running costs of the bridge, which are expected to be around £3.4m (US$5.3m, €4.3m).
Controversy has surrounded the Garden Bridge proposal, with concerns repeatedly raised about the bridge’s impact on sight lines of St Paul’s Cathedral and Monument.
Despite these concerns, Westminster Council granted permission, with a spokesperson commenting that the bridge was given planning based on the "significant public benefits, iconic design, increased connectivity and for the creation of a large open space in London."
City Hall still has to ratify the proposal in January 2015 as the project is a major infrastructure development. London Mayor Boris Johnson will effectively have the final say on the development, which if approved, would break ground at the end of 2015 for an opening in 2018.
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