Boris Johnson has been summoned to give evidence to the GLA Oversight Committee about the controversial Garden Bridge project
The Garden Bridge, originally conceived by the actor Joanna Lumley as a tribute to Princess Diana, was supported by Johnson during his time in office.
However, the cost of the tree-lined bridge, which would have connected Temple on the north side of the Thames to the South Bank, soared from £60m to £200m.
A review by MP Dame Margaret Hodge, which Johnson did not take part in, recommended scrapping the scheme, saying it faced a £70m funding gap due to major donors dropping out and a lack of replacement fundraising. Dame Margaret also criticised decisions about the project being driven “more by electoral cycles than value for taxpayers’ money”.
In April, Johnson’s successor, Sadiq Khan, withdrew financial guarantees for the Garden Bridge project, saying taxpayers should be “very angry” that £37m in public money had been spent on the scheme without a brick being laid.
The Garden Bridge Trust, the charity set up to deliver the scheme, formally pulled the plug in August.
The GLA Oversight Committee said its summons represents the first time a former mayor has been called before the London Assembly.
Len Duvall AM, the committee’s chair, said: “When Margaret Hodge appeared before us and explained that Boris Johnson did not participate in her review of the Garden Bridge Project, we realised that an important part of the story was not being made public. Dame Margaret did not have the power to formally request the former mayor to give evidence; however, the assembly does have that statutory power.
“£37m of transport finance was allocated to a project which seemed to bypass proper appraisal, procurement procedures were not followed and the promised money from the Garden Bridge Trust did not materialise – leaving the taxpayer to pick up the bill.
“So I think it’s only right that Boris gives us his side of the story. I know that Londoners are still very interested to know how the whole project got so far down the track before the plug was pulled.”
