Westminster Labour Councillors have welcomed comments from Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport, confirming that the Mayor of London’s office has no plans to help fund the proposed Nine Elms to Pimlico pedestrian bridge.

The Deputy Mayor also reiterated Westminster Labour’s insistence – and Mayor Sadiq Khan’s comments from 2016 – that the bridge should only go ahead if it has support from residents on both sides of the river.

In a letter to London Assembly Members Florence Eshalomi, Andrew Dismore and Leonie Cooper about the proposals for the bridge, Heidi Alexander writes:

“There is no provision in TfL’s business plan for expenditure on this project – nor do I anticipate that there will be going forward. Our focus is on new river crossings in the east of the city, including between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf, where the river is a significant barrier to those walking and cycling.

“West London is relatively well served by existing river crossings in comparison. In the proposed location of the Nine Elms to Pimlico Bridge, Cycle Superhighway 8 runs across Chelsea Bridge to the west and Cycle Superhighway 5 provides a protected route across Vauxhall Bridge to the east.”

Alexander also confirms that the project is being led by the bridge promoters, the London Borough of Wandsworth – while Westminster City Council “does not currently support the bridge proposals” and “has yet to be persuaded of the merits of this scheme.”

The Deputy Mayor’s letter also supports Westminster Labour Councillors’ calls for Pimlico residents to be fully consulted on any plans – and reiterates that no bridge can go ahead without their support.

“As part of the development work, the full range of impacts of the bridge, including any loss of public space, must be properly assessed by the London Borough of Wandsworth,” writes Alexander.

“The scheme must also be designed to ensure that it balances the needs and views of local people on both sides of the river.”

Westminster Labour Councillors continue to oppose plans for the bridge following the recent unveiling of the developer’s options for its landing point in Pimlico.

“This bridge proposal has been entirely led by the developer and Wandsworth Council – yet it will hugely impact the lives of residents on the north side of the river in Pimlico,” said Churchill Ward Labour Councillors Shamim Talukder and Andrea Mann.

“There is widespread opposition to the proposed bridge among Pimlico residents, and we will continue to fight for those residents and oppose these plans.”

Read more:

–       Westminster Labour Councillors oppose latest plans for Nine Elms-Pimlico Bridge

–       Churchill Labour Councillors call on Westminster Tories to clarify Nine Elms Bridge comments

–       Seven reasons why Westminster’s Labour Councillors oppose the proposed Nine Elms to Pimlico bridge