Bankside Pier to be expanded

The proposals for Bankside Pier are contained in the Mayor of London's draft river action plan which is due to be considered by TfL's surface transport panel next week.

In his election manifesto Mayor of London Boris Johnson set a target to increase passenger journeys on the Thames to 12 million a year by 2020.

TfL has set aside £10 million for improvements at central London piers, including expansion of Embankment, Westminster and Bankside piers by the end of 2015.

The construction of Bankside Pier caused controversy because the floating structure has speeded up the erosion of the archaeological remains on the Thames foreshore.

Bankside Pier and Festival Pier will both be considered for further upgrades as part of a project to promote the concept of 'piers as places' with the aim of attracting more people to the riverside and then onto one of the river services on offer.

The action plan also discusses the possibility of a winter festival on the Thames to encourage greater use of passenger boats during the quieter months and the use of illuminations on bridges and along the riverside.