Michael Ball discusses the precarious position of the Garden Bridge
Michael Ball from TCOS appeared on London Live news yesterday to discuss how delays to the Garden Bridge project may well signal the end of the controversial private development.
Presenter Anthony Baxter quizzed Michael about the extra visitors that would come to visit the new tourist attraction and how that might be good for London, but Michael deftly countered his argument by pointing out that London has enough tourists as it is, particularly in this area which is "probably the most popular outdoor walking space in Europe." Michael goes on to state that tourism needs to be spread across London rendering the Garden Bridge as "unnecessary - it's not needed; it's the wrong project in the wrong place."
"Anyone who's been to The Ramblas in Barcelona will know that what was once a gorgeous space can turn into a mosh pit, if everyone in Europe descends upon it. This is not what we need."
Michael concludes in the interview that it is a disgrace that Dame Margaret Hodge is the first person to look into the value for money asepct of the project as this should've been done back in 2013 when it was being assessed for public funding by the Treasury; however normal guidelines were bypassed by former Chancellor George Osborne and former London mayor Boris Johnson.
In any case, the fact remains that the project is going to need a lot more money and that London mayor Sadiq Khan has refused to give any more money - and these two things cannot be resolved. Either Sadiq breaks his word or the guarantee doesn't get signed - and without that guarantee, the bridge cannot be built.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ag0FdE_2z0&feature=youtu.be