Sadiq Khan halts work on London's proposed garden bridge

The newly-proposed garden bridge plans for London have been put on hold after fears that the project may incur more costs than originally thought.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has stalled the construction of the bridge, which has been given £60mn of public funding to date. £175mn is what has been earmarked for the completion of the bridge.

The initial work has involved a strengthening of Temple tube station so the north end of the bridge can rest on top of it.

Khan has directed that the project be delayed however, and referred it to the Transport for London's finance and policy committee.

The bridge was commissioned by former mayor Boris Johnson, and due to open in 2018, but Khan is less sympathetic to the construction, although he did officially support it.

A spokesman for Khan said: “The previous mayor first approved plans for enabling work to prepare Temple tube station for the arrival of the garden bridge two years ago in the summer of 2014, but final authorisation was only provided in March this year, two months before the mayoral election."

Members of the various main parties in the Greater London authority have referred to it as a "vanity project."

“This enabling work has since been suspended and that will be reported to the finance and policy committee. Sadiq Khan has been clear that no new public funds should be committed to the garden bridge and he has pledged to make the project more open and transparent – standards that were not always met under the previous administration.”

Critics have branded the project as unnecessary, with that particular part of central London already being well-served by bridges and visitors. Members of the various main parties in the Greater London authority have referred to it as a "vanity project."