Mayor agrees extra £10m TfL funding for Exhibition Road
project
16 January 2009
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced today that he has
asked Transport for London (TfL) to contribute an additional £10
million to the costs of the improvements being planned to
Exhibition Road. TfL has already committed £3.3m to the
project.
The Mayor of London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea, and Westminster City Council have been working jointly on
proposals to improve the environment around the world class museums
and institutions in the Exhibition Road area for a number of years.
The Exhibition Road shared space scheme is intended to transform
one of London's key visitor attractions into a user-friendly space
fit for the new century.
TfL’s £10m contribution will enable work to start on the scheme
with a view to completion by the end of 2011 – well in time for the
2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games – which has been strongly
welcomed by both the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and
Westminster City Council.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “I have asked TfL to make
an additional, very significant contribution of £10m towards the
costs of developing Exhibition Road, which will enable this
important project to get underway early. The Exhibition Road area
is home to some of Britain’s most important museums and
institutions vital to the heritage of London and the UK. This
funding not only allows much-needed improvements to get underway,
but also helps to support the exciting new approach being taken
that will make the idea of shared space a key principle in
transforming the street into a space that all Londoners and
visitors can access and enjoy.”
Cllr Merrick Cockell, Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington
and Chelsea, said: "We are thrilled that the Mayor has made such
generous support available for the Exhibition Road Project. The
project will transform Exhibition Road into one of the most
important public spaces in London and a major new cultural venue
for the 2012 Olympics.
“Works around South Kensington Tube station have already started
and by getting rid of the 1960s gyratory we will radically improve
the local environment for the benefit of residents and visitors
alike. The Mayor’s latest contribution will turn the wider scheme,
designed by the architects Dixon Jones, from an aspiration into a
real possibility.”
Cllr Colin Barrow, Leader of Westminster Council, said:
"Exhibition Road is an iconic gateway to some of London's finest
museums and the renewal of this area in time for the 2012 Olympics
will be a huge boost to London's cultural offer for residents and
visitors alike. We are fully committed in playing our part in
delivering the best possible scheme. We are already investing in
major improvements to the West End and Exhibition Road will
complement this work perfectly."