A Vauxhall MP has blasted the construction of the Garden Bridge in a late parliamentary debate
Labour MP Kate Hoey has blasted plans for London's Garden Bridge, saying the project “cannot work” under current plans.
Hoey, MP for Vauxhall, led an adjournment debate in parliament questioning the ability of the Garden Bridge Trust to raise investment.
One of Sadiq Khan's first acts as London mayor was to reveal that it would cost more to cancel the bridge project than to proceed, but question marks have since emerged over the private funding behind the Garden Bridge.
Hoey said the Bridge was referred to as “the vanity project” by many Londoners, and said the Trust running the project had treated local views "with disdain".
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The Labour MP compared the project to the London Eye, which was delivered without public investment, and said the cost of the project made it fundamentally unwise.
"This is not simply a local issue, nor even a London issue, it carries national significance in respect of the use of public funds and the delivery of a major infrastructure project in a specific location to the value of £185m.
"In my view the arguments are very, very weak in respect of its need, its supporting business case and especially the location," Hoey said.
"Other areas of London have significant need of investment of this sort as do so many very other important regions of our country."
The Department for Transport provided £30m of public funding to back the Garden Bridge project, with Transport for London contributing a further £60m.