Letters to the editor: Bridge money should go elsewhere

Image of the Garden Bridge over the Thames
23 May 2016
WEST END FINAL

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It was certainly disappointing to read that the new mayor has pledged his support for the Garden Bridge [May 18]. Just three days ago there was a packed meeting in St John’s church, Waterloo, for those opposed to it. The attendees included all kinds of people, from leading architects and engineers to tourism consultants and local politicians.

It is far from a “potent symbol of London’s commitment to all things beautiful”, as you claim in your editorial [Comment, May 19]: the very fact that it will break up two of the most beautiful sights in London — the view of the City from Waterloo Bridge and of Waterloo Bridge itself, perhaps the finest in London, from Blackfriars Bridge — is precisely why most of us oppose it.

The money that is going towards the Garden Bridge could most certainly be spent better elsewhere. Even if it is successful in attracting tourists, it will be attracting them to an area where they are not needed.
James Dunnett, architect

The Mayor has been talking about cutting back on TfL waste to fund his fares freeze. Yet by approving the Garden Bridge he has missed an obvious opportunity to scrap a costly vanity project and focus funding on areas that would deliver a genuine benefit to Londoners.

There is no case for the Garden Bridge on transport, horticulture or tourism grounds, and asking for fewer closures for private events is just not good enough.

The Garden Bridge should be scrapped and the Mayor should focus on delivering bridges where people urgently need routes for walking and cycling across the river, such as the proposed Diamond Jubilee bridge from Battersea to Fulham.
Caroline Russell, Green Party London Assembly Member

Any criticism saved for Sadiq Khan regarding the Garden Bridge should be reconsidered. For a start, he is renegotiating the idea and looking to save money where he can if it does go ahead. Most of the money is coming from private sources, not just taxpayers, and any funds sourced from TfL will eventually be paid back.

People tend to forget that jobs will come from having to build and maintain the bridge, which can only be good for the economy. As long as it is used for the good of the environment and helps people to cross the Thames, I think, much like the Millennium wheel, the public will end up appreciating it.
Rebecca Martin

I do not see how having another beautiful green space such as the Garden Bridge can be regarded as a waste of money. In my view, this is probably the best way public funds could be spent.

Cities such as London, with its current level of pollution, need open spaces and parks, otherwise they would simply become merely centres for business and shopping.
Sonia Kingstree

Muirfield’s shame in women vote

As a local MP, I am proud that Scotland is the home of the great game of golf. However, it was disappointing to see that Muirfield, home to one of the world’s best golf courses, has decided to keep its ban on female membership [“Muirfield Golf Club members branded ‘dinosaurs’ as they vote against allowing women to join”, May 19].

I would like to commend the 64 per cent of club members who voted to open Muirfield to the 21st century and invite women in, but what a shame there are a selfish few who blocked the two-thirds majority needed to change club rules.

The BBC commentator Peter Alliss should also be ashamed of himself for suggesting on Radio 5Live that women who want to join Muirfield should “get married to someone who is a member”.

In Scotland, our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and the leaders of the two main opposition parties, are female. Yet because of Muirfield’s decision, they cannot be members of the golf club because of their gender. Think again, Muirfield.
George Kerevan, MP for East Lothian (SNP)

Make the most of our young talent

A drop in London’s unemployment rate to 5.8 per cent is welcome news [May 19] but more can be done. The capital has the third-highest rate of unemployed 16-24-year-olds in England, with nearly one in five out of work. We need to give young people the skills that employers are looking for if we are to address the disconnect between skills and business.

A recent City Corporation report highlights the key role that businesses can play in reducing youth unemployment but they need to make the first move. Together we can do more to support young people into jobs, creating a more diverse and sustainable workforce and maximising the talent of young Londoners.
Mark Boleat, chairman of the policy and resources committee, City of London Corporation

Arts can do so much to help the homeless

We welcome the new mayor’s pledge to take the arts as seriously as housing and crime [May 19]. We aim to change the lives of homeless people through the performing arts — we are putting on a show of Cathy Come Home in July — and to see the Mayor prioritising these issues can only be a good thing for London.

We are aware of how people can be affected by homelessness and how performing can change their lives. As the Mayor outlines the need for a plan for our cultural infrastructure to encourage participation, we look forward to seeing this happen.
Adrian Jackson, artistic director and CEO, Cardboard Citizens

Black boxes: why is there only one?

Amid the search for the Egyptair plane [May 19], when an aircraft crashes the black box onboard is usually quickly recovered and its contents analysed to find the cause of the disaster. Yet despite all the advanced technology available today, it is taking much longer to find it.

To avoid any delays in finding the plane, why not have three of these boxes on each aircraft? They could be placed in different parts of the fuselage, with each one equipped with a long-life flashing light for quicker detection on land or sea.
Rudy Otter

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