Wednesday 14 February, 2018
The Mayor has today announced that an additional £11.6m will be available in this year’s budget to give to councils to fund improvements to their streets and local neighbourhoods.
The money, which will be allocated between London’s 33 boroughs using the existing fair formula for funding, is to support transport projects in the capital. It will be used in areas like reducing road danger, transforming local environments, encouraging cycling and walking, accessibility and improving air quality.
In total an unprecedented £237m will now be given to London boroughs to spend on local projects this year overall.
Through the TfL Business Plan, the Mayor has committed more than £1bn TfL funding for the boroughs up until 2022/23 – a record level of investment. London boroughs have more funding available from TfL in every year of the current Business Plan than any year under the previous Mayor.
This record funding to improve London’s streets and local environment comes despite the removal of TfL’s £700m-a-year Government operational subsidy.
Alongside the committed Mini-Hollands schemes, funding from TfL now includes a new funding stream – the multi-million pound Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme specifically designed to enable more walking and cycling in every London borough. This will provide £114m to improve local environments across London – and initial funding has already been awarded to Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Havering, Lewisham and Waltham Forest.
The funding directly to the boroughs is a key part of the Mayor’s Healthy Streets vision of a city that is more pleasant to live and move around in – delivering transport, town centre and public space improvements to benefit the lives of Londoners.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Over the course of the next five years, we’ve committed an unprecedented £1bn for boroughs to improve local neighbourhoods across London – with a focus on schemes that encourage walking and cycling, making our high streets cleaner and more enjoyable places to spend time.
“The extra £11.6m funding I’m announcing in this year’s budget means more funding to get projects off the ground this year, with boroughs having more money available to them than any year under the previous Mayor. We will continue to work closely with boroughs to ensure these schemes are the very best they can be, and truly transform quality of life for Londoners right across the city.”
Matt Winfield, London Director for Sustrans, walking and cycling charity, said: “The Mayor’s extra funding boost is yet another step in the right direction towards enabling more of us to get about on foot and by bike, and a very welcome investment to make London a vibrant and healthy city.
“Londoners want and need better streets and cleaner air, and we look forward to working with Boroughs to help create a healthier, more active and less polluted London.”
Penny Rees, Head of Network Sponsorship at TfL, said: “This extra funding, on top of the already record levels, will help London’s boroughs transform their roads into safer, more pleasant and thriving areas. We’re committed to delivering the Mayor’s ambition for good growth and healthy streets for all Londoners and it is by working closely with the boroughs that we’ll be able to achieve this.”