Investigation into failed Garden Bridge scheme expanded

The London Assembly has moved to expand its investigation into Heatherwick’s failed £175m Garden Bridge project.

A new tranche of documents has been summonsed from a list of high-profile figures including former mayor Boris Johnson, TfL commissioner Mike Brown, current London mayor Sadiq Khan and his deputy mayor for transport, Heidi Alexander. 

The documents, which are being requested by the committee’s Garden Bridge working group, must be produced within two weeks. 

Tom Copley, chair of the Garden Bridge working group, said: “We expect full cooperation with our continued investigations into the failed Garden Bridge project and will use all of the powers at our disposal to get it.

“This project was an appalling waste of public money and we intend to get to the bottom of who is responsible.”

>> Also read: Heatherwick’s role in Garden Bridge saga questioned

>> Also read: London Assembly asks how contractor spent £21m on unbuilt Garden Bridge

TfL and the Treasury pumped more than £40m of taxpayers’ money into the scheme which was eventually pulled by Khan nearly two years ago.

The assembly said it wants to see briefings and draft briefings, presentations, emails, including emails held by TfL to and from previous employees, copies of the risk register of the Garden Bridge Trust, press releases, statements and communications plans and any correspondence with or from organisations with involvement in the Garden Bridge project.

The committee is also requesting all written correspondence sent or received related to the Garden Bridge project from a long list of current and past members of the TfL board, panels and committees, including Boris Johnson.