Disappointment at Mayor's plans to cut transport project funding

London Councils Press Release 8 May 2009

London Councils has expressed its disappointment after London Mayor Boris Johnson today announced plans to cut more than £14million from a fund to pay for transport projects.

London Councils has noted that Transport for London (TfL) is facing budgetary pressure in the current financial climate, and this has resulted in a reduction of the total amount of money to be shared between London's boroughs from £169.5million in 2009/10 to £155million in 2010/11.

Every year boroughs receive funding from TfL to help pay for their Local Implementation Plans (LIPs), which set out how transport in each area could be improved. These include proposals to improve public transport as well as road maintenance, street lighting, road safety schemes and initiatives to encourage more people to cycle or walk.

However, London Councils has welcomed an additional £67million going into cycling initiatives this year.

Chairman of London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Mike Fisher, said: "We are very disappointed that Transport for London has cut funding for borough transport plans.

"But we do recognise that the mayor has listened to our calls for reduced bureaucracy and more flexibility in the bidding process for local implementation plans.

"The allocated funding for improved cycle initiatives does go some way to compensating for the lack of money overall, but we are disappointed at the total settlement for boroughs."