The Cremorne (Diamond Jubilee Bridge) January '21 update

Quite rightly in these difficult times it’s fair to say that the completion of the Cremorne pedestrian bridge has slipped down the political agenda in the short term. In the medium term however it is clear that sustainable infrastructure projects like this have a huge role to play in creating walkable cities, healthier lifestyles and improving air quality. With this in mind, and to get the economy going again, the government has set aside funding for shovel ready infrastructure projects just like this. The government asked the Mayor of London to send a list of such projects for consideration, despite many people including assembly member Russell asking him to include the project he chose not to do so. The report on this is on the below link:

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/shovel-ready-diamond-jubilee-bridge-inexplicably-snubbed-by-london-mayor-21-08-2020/

Wandsworth Council did include the bridge on their suggested projects although the government have specifically said that the Mayor and local MP must be supportive for funding to be approved. The Mayor of London is concentrating on river crossings east of Tower Bridge. One has failed to prove to be value for money, the other is an environmentally damaging ￡2bn road tunnel that may not happen. It remains inexplicable to me why he will not include the project on the list and neither he, nor the Deputy Mayor for Transport or the Walking and Cycling Commissioner will answer this question. 

Building a bridge across the Thames was always going to be a challenge. What I, perhaps naively, didn’t understand at the beginning of the project some 9 years ago is that even though people in authority understand the benefits the project will bring to all they have political reasons for not allowing it to happen in certain circumstances. Its seems evident to me that if Wandsworth was a Labour Borough Council or there was a Conservative or Green party Mayor then the bridge would probably have been completed already.

Wandsworth are willing and able to complete the scheme however a single public body taking on the whole project is unlikely. Without the Mayors vocal support and with the current Battersea MP being neutral on the project we have less chance of securing any private funding for naming rights. TFL is essentially bankrupt. The mayor refuses so far to support a grant application for central government funding despite the local Labour assembly member being a supporter of the project.

The good news is that we can wait, our timeline is decades and many politicians will come and go. In this mayoral election year we know that both the Green Party candidate and the Conservative candidate are supportive of the project. It is likely that Sadiq Kahn will win this mayoral election however so if any progress is to be made in the near future we need him to understand the level of support and the need for the project and that seeking government funding does not in our eyes (the electorate's eyes) detract from his commitment to improve links east of Tower Bridge.

Any letter to the Mayor explaining your support for this project would be appreciated.

I attach below a summary of where we are to date:

Overview:

This new Bridge that will connect the inner London communities and businesses of Battersea and Fulham represents high value for money(*1). It is sustainable infrastructure that will bring air quality and health benefits and boost the local economy. It will connect schools to their pupils, businesses to customers and a railway station and other transport links to a greater catchment of users.

This true infrastructure project will have over 1.4 million users per annum (*1), has been subject of a TfL audit (*2) and since included in TfL’s Transport Plan for London. It is in The London Plan and forms part of adopted policy by Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth Councils. The bridge is supported by the GLA (*3)and through Wandsworth’s Riverside SPD provision more than 60% of the funding has been achieved through future CIL payments. This public project is being lead and will be adopted by Wandsworth Council.

It will help air quality by shifting modes of transport from cars and busses. It will ease congestion on local busses. It will help reduce overcrowding at Clapham Junction. It will encourage more walking and cycling on local and commuter and business journeys. It will save time on local and commuter journeys and It will improve connectivity between existing public transport nodes by bus, rail and river.

*1 -The 2012 SKM Colin Buchanan was commissioned by Wandsworth Council. It concluded that the bridge represented high value for money.

*2-TfL Audit/Review 2016: TfL appointed Mott Macdonald to carry out a review/cost comparison of the scheme in 2016 which was submitted to the Mayor of London wo has since included the crossing in the TfL Transport Plan 2017.

*3 –The GLA motion of support can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/assembly-push-for-diamond-jubilee-bridge   

Planning & Business Case Summary

?            1924, Viscount Curzon MP calls formally for a bridge for pedestrian access situated between Wandsworth Bridge and Battersea Bridge

?            A bridge, adjacent to the Cremorne rail bridge, is called for in 2009 in the Transport Committee’s review into the delivery of improvements to the orbital rail network which calls for it to link Battersea to the Overground network at Imperial wharf (rather than a new station in Battersea).

?            The first Business case was produced by consultants appointed by the two borough councils in 2003; it was then updated in 2012 and the proposal was shown to have Benefit/Cost Ratio of 2.0:1, representing high value for money. The site is selected and established by both councils in these documents.

?            The bridge is adopted policy in both Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth

?            The bridge is part of the London Plan and is specifically called for in the Thames Strategy Policy Recommendation M7.

?            Hammersmith and Fulham’s South Fulham Riverside SPD calls for the delivery of the bridge

?            Wandsworth councils Riverside SPD calls for the bridge and makes provision for funding contributions through CIL payments.

?            The Bridge is included in TfL’s (Transport for London) Connecting the Capital Plan of December 2015

?            The Bridge is included in TfL’s transport plan for London, issued June 2017

?            The GLA (London’s elected Council) have agreed a cross party motion of support for the bridge

?            The Bridge has planning consent and pre-commencement condition 13 has been discharged (pile design)

?            TfL have completed their November 2016 cost analysis and business case which confirms its value for money and need.

?            Piles have been installed and the bridge has now started on site so the consent is secured

Construction & Cost summary

?            Piles are already in the ground in Battersea (procured through a S106 agreement with housing developer Barratt London)

?            Once funded the bridge can be delivered within 18 months. (seasonally dependent river works to avoid fish spawning season).

?            It is envisaged that the next stage will be procured via an open Design and Build competitive tender process.

?            The Transport for London (TfL) cost plan shows the construction cost at circa ￡32m

?            Wandsworth Council have ￡18m assigned to the construction of the bridge in CIL monies

?            Wandsworth Council have agreed in principle to adopt the completed bridge in order to maintain it

Environmental Summary (as ascertained by Wandsworth Council’s independent report)

?            This true infrastructure project will have over 1.4 million users per annum (according to independent business case)

?            It will help air quality by shifting modes of transport from cars and busses

?            It will ease congestion on local busses

?            It will reduce the overcrowding at Clapham Junction

?            It will encourage more walking and cycling on local and commuter and business journeys

?            It will save time on local and commuter journeys

?            It will improve connectivity between existing public transport nodes by bus, rail and river

Keep safe and well.

Yours sincerely

Chris