New mayor backs Heatherwick bridge in his first question time
It would be more expensive to scrap the Garden Bridge than to build it, Sadiq Khan claimed in his first Mayor鈥檚 Question Time (MQT) at City Hall.
London鈥檚 new mayor revealed that 拢37.7 million of public money has already been spent on the Heatherwick Studio-designed project.
Khan said, in comments quoted by : 鈥淥f the 拢60 million of total public funding, 拢37.7 million has already been spent. If we were to cancel the project today that would have been spent for no benefit at all for Londoners.
鈥淗owever, if we complete the Garden Bridge, then not only will TfL be paid the 拢20 million loan by the Garden Bridge Trust, but they will also pay roughly 拢22 million in VAT to the government.
鈥淭hat would leave an ultimate cost to the taxpayer of 拢18 million for completing the Garden Bridge, significantly lower than the 拢37.7 million cost of cancelling it.
鈥淚t is clearly in the interest of taxpayers to complete the Garden Bridge.鈥�
Khan supported the bridge in his mayoral campaign but said questions must be asked about its procurement.
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