Plans to build a spectacular garden bridge over the River Thames in London are a step closer after Westminster City Council approved planning permission.
The £175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost.
Westminster councillors voted 3-1 in favour of the bridge which will cost £3.5m in annual maintenance.
At a planning meeting concerns were raised about the potential loss of views, with heritage groups worried the sight of St Paul's Cathedral will be lost for some.
Already approved by Lambeth Council, it is the idea of actress Joanna Lumley and has been designed by London 2012 cauldron creator, Thomas Heatherwick.
The garden bridge will be home to 270 trees as well as a whole host of other plants and flowers and will give Londoners and tourists alike the chance to have a unique garden stroll in the heart of one of the world's great cities.
It is hoped the bridge will be open by 2017.
The Mayor of London will make the final decision.
London's River Thames garden bridge backed by Westminster Council
BBC News
3 December 2014
Water garden: Thomas Heatherwick is involved in the garden bridge scheme
Heatherwick designed the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympics
Plans to build a garden bridge across the River Thames are a step closer after Westminster City Council approved planning permission.
The £175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost.
Already approved by Lambeth Council, it is the idea of actress Joanna Lumley and has been designed by London 2012 cauldron creator, Thomas Heatherwick.
The Mayor of London will make the final decision.
The plan includes 270 new trees
It is hoped that the bridge will be open by 2017
Westminster councillors voted 3-1 in favour of the bridge which will cost £3.5m in annual maintenance.
At a planning meeting concerns were raised about the potential loss of views, with heritage groups worried the sight of St Paul's Cathedral will be lost for some.
Civil engineers have also called it "the most expensive footbridge in the world".
Bridge expert Simon Bourne says the copper cladding makes the bridge five to 10 times more expensive than it should be
The bridge will link Southbank to the north side of the river at Temple Tube station
Bridge consultant Simon Bourne told BBC London the cost is "five to 10 times more than you'd expect a footbridge to be".
He said that is because of its copper cladding.
He said: "One has to view this bridge to a certain extent not as a piece of infrastructure, but as a piece of art. It's not value for money and I don't think it's good design."
But Lord Mervyn Davies, chairman of the Garden Bridge Trust, said: "I think it's a reasonable cost for what is going to be an iconic bridge and I think the cladding is important because it needs to be visually beautiful.
"It needs to be able to stand the test of time."
Robert Davis, deputy leader of Westminster Council, chaired the planning committee and said: "This is something that is iconic and absolutely unique, and will be recognised right across the world.
"I understand the concerns about potential loss of views, but there is no doubting that this bridge will bring substantial and significant benefits to London."
Transport for London has agreed to pay £30m in enabling costs to be matched by the Treasury.
The Garden Bridge Trust says it has raised about £120m which will go towards running costs as well.
As the bridge is a major infrastructure project, the Mayor of London will have the option to call it in for further scrutiny, or allow the bridge to go ahead as set out in the applications that were put before Lambeth and Westminster councils.
Actress Joanna Lumley, who came up with the idea for the bridge, tells us why she thinks it should be built:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jR6nX7ew1SA
Analysis
Tom Edwards Transport correspondent, London
Campaigners feared the planning committees were just a formality as both Lambeth and tonight Westminster had nothing financially to lose with a garden bridge.
In a hot, packed room on the 17th floor there were shouts of "shame" and "you're turning it into a theme park" from some in the audience. Supporters kept quiet.
And while both councils gave planning permission to the garden bridge, both committees have attached strings to the project.
Westminster said Transport for London must act as guarantor on the £3.5m annual maintenance costs or the project won't get built.
Will TfL like that? Will the mayor tell them to underwrite maintenance or could there be another solution like a surety? The Garden Bridge Trust will be delighted at gaining permission. This is a big step for them but campaigners will already be plotting other ways to stop the bridge.
BBC News - London's River Thames garden bridge backed by Westminster Council
The £175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost.
Westminster councillors voted 3-1 in favour of the bridge which will cost £3.5m in annual maintenance.
At a planning meeting concerns were raised about the potential loss of views, with heritage groups worried the sight of St Paul's Cathedral will be lost for some.
Already approved by Lambeth Council, it is the idea of actress Joanna Lumley and has been designed by London 2012 cauldron creator, Thomas Heatherwick.
The garden bridge will be home to 270 trees as well as a whole host of other plants and flowers and will give Londoners and tourists alike the chance to have a unique garden stroll in the heart of one of the world's great cities.
It is hoped the bridge will be open by 2017.
The Mayor of London will make the final decision.
London's River Thames garden bridge backed by Westminster Council
BBC News
3 December 2014
Water garden: Thomas Heatherwick is involved in the garden bridge scheme
Heatherwick designed the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympics
Plans to build a garden bridge across the River Thames are a step closer after Westminster City Council approved planning permission.
The £175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost.
Already approved by Lambeth Council, it is the idea of actress Joanna Lumley and has been designed by London 2012 cauldron creator, Thomas Heatherwick.
The Mayor of London will make the final decision.
The plan includes 270 new trees
It is hoped that the bridge will be open by 2017
Westminster councillors voted 3-1 in favour of the bridge which will cost £3.5m in annual maintenance.
At a planning meeting concerns were raised about the potential loss of views, with heritage groups worried the sight of St Paul's Cathedral will be lost for some.
Civil engineers have also called it "the most expensive footbridge in the world".
Bridge expert Simon Bourne says the copper cladding makes the bridge five to 10 times more expensive than it should be
The bridge will link Southbank to the north side of the river at Temple Tube station
Bridge consultant Simon Bourne told BBC London the cost is "five to 10 times more than you'd expect a footbridge to be".
He said that is because of its copper cladding.
He said: "One has to view this bridge to a certain extent not as a piece of infrastructure, but as a piece of art. It's not value for money and I don't think it's good design."
But Lord Mervyn Davies, chairman of the Garden Bridge Trust, said: "I think it's a reasonable cost for what is going to be an iconic bridge and I think the cladding is important because it needs to be visually beautiful.
"It needs to be able to stand the test of time."
Robert Davis, deputy leader of Westminster Council, chaired the planning committee and said: "This is something that is iconic and absolutely unique, and will be recognised right across the world.
"I understand the concerns about potential loss of views, but there is no doubting that this bridge will bring substantial and significant benefits to London."
Transport for London has agreed to pay £30m in enabling costs to be matched by the Treasury.
The Garden Bridge Trust says it has raised about £120m which will go towards running costs as well.
As the bridge is a major infrastructure project, the Mayor of London will have the option to call it in for further scrutiny, or allow the bridge to go ahead as set out in the applications that were put before Lambeth and Westminster councils.
Actress Joanna Lumley, who came up with the idea for the bridge, tells us why she thinks it should be built:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jR6nX7ew1SA
Analysis
Campaigners feared the planning committees were just a formality as both Lambeth and tonight Westminster had nothing financially to lose with a garden bridge.
In a hot, packed room on the 17th floor there were shouts of "shame" and "you're turning it into a theme park" from some in the audience. Supporters kept quiet.
And while both councils gave planning permission to the garden bridge, both committees have attached strings to the project.
Westminster said Transport for London must act as guarantor on the £3.5m annual maintenance costs or the project won't get built.
Will TfL like that? Will the mayor tell them to underwrite maintenance or could there be another solution like a surety? The Garden Bridge Trust will be delighted at gaining permission. This is a big step for them but campaigners will already be plotting other ways to stop the bridge.
BBC News - London's River Thames garden bridge backed by Westminster Council
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