The Mayor of London has announced that proposals for a £18 million scheme to part-pedestrianise Parliament Square will not proceed, due to serious concerns about increased traffic congestion, loss of green space, and cost.
The Mayor acknowledged that a lot of good work had been carried out around the potential scheme but, having reviewed the proposals in detail, he had serious concerns.
Transport for London advised the Mayor that the required pedestrianisation would have a significant negative impact on traffic flow, not only in Westminster, but also in the wider local area and around central London.
The Mayor also felt strongly that the proposal to pave over much of the Square would mean the unacceptable loss of green space in central London.
The Mayor had requested revisions to the scheme that could address the issues of congestion and the loss of green space. Having considered detailed plans and revisions, he remained unconvinced and was further concerned that the £18 million proposals were not fully funded. For these reasons, it was felt the scheme could not be progressed.
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: "There is absolutely no sense in Londoners paying £18 million from their already stretched transport budget in order to reduce capacity on London's roads. This scheme would have turned a green glade of heroes into a vast, blasted, chewing-gummed piazza."
“We will now look at other, more imaginative ways of improving the square, without affecting traffic flow. We are committed to ambitious urban realm projects, but not this one."