Do you think the Garden Bridge should be scrapped?

The Garden Bridge project began as a simple idea – a beautiful new garden floating above the River Thames.

For the last three years the trustees of the Garden Bridge – designed by Thomas Heatherwick to span the Thames from Temple to the South Bank – have been planning to deliver a brand new green space in the heart of London. Planning permission was given and the trust raised nearly £70 million of private money towards the cost. But last year the new mayor, Sadiq Khan, asked Dame Margaret Hodge to review the project for value for money. Six months later, she has concluded that the bridge should be scrapped.

The chairman of the Garden Bridge Trust has hit back at a “biased” and “one-sided” report that recommended the project be scrapped and has vowed to fight on to make the bridge a reality.

Dame Margaret, MP for Barking and Dagenham, said: “I conducted an extensive inquiry and the conclusions I reached are grounded in that evidence.

“My review has found that too many things went wrong in the development and implementation of the Garden Bridge project.”

She added: “Value for money for the taxpayer has not been secured.”

The review, which was published on 7 April, said £37.4m had already been spent, and even if the bridge did not go ahead it would cost the taxpayer £46.4m.

The trust alleges the review ignored a survey that suggested three-quarters of Londoners supported the bridge and that Dame Margaret had engaged with a “very selective – largely opponent – audience”.

Putting the findings of the review aside, what is your view?  Do you think the bridge will enhance London and will be a positive addition to the South Bank? Do you think the Garden Bridge project should be continued or scrapped?