Garden Bridge

Please support the campaign to have the Garden Bridge elsewhere! The disruption to local life (e.g. constant construction and loss of green space around Gabriel's Wharf) and the extra congestion that the inevitable overcrowding will bring is too much to ask of Lambeth residents. The (partly taxpayers') money could be better spent elsewhere and the bridge would help another part of London that needs regeneration more.

Many thanks for your support.

http://www.change.org/p/lambeth-council-planning-david-smith-lambeth-council-put-the-garden-bridge-where-it-s-needed?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

I would really welcome the Garden Bridge.
Admittedly partly for the selfish reason that I'd use it to commute.
However, I also find that SE1 is an exceptionally poor area for green spaces, and I welcome anything to address this historical mismanagement of the area.

Have signed the petition.
We should not waste public money on vanity projects, such as this, that are unnecessary and will spoil one of the best views in London.
Who on earth needs to cross from Temple to the South Bank or vice versa, if one uses the tube one has to pass Blackfriars station and Bridge or Embankment station and Hungerford Bridge,both of which link directly to South Bank,
to get to Temple station.

Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Hungerford Bridge all lead to interesting parts of South Bank the proposed bridge goes from nowhere of interest to nowhere of interest. Sorry Gabriels Wharf but you are not a point of destination for visitors.
Commuters will continue to use Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges to get to work.

So who benefits from this airy fairy idea? The money men or investors who will eventually walk away when the maintenance costs rocket and the public purse is called upon once again to bail them out. And where will the angel of novelty on the Southbank, Joanna Lumley, be? Counting her fees as the distracting and acceptable public face of this project.

I want this bridge, I think it's a fantastic idea.

I totally support the garden bridge idea - and the location makes sense at approx. halfway between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridges.

The Bridge is all about extending green, open space available to the Public - frankly if this means that soi disant 'money men' need to be involved then I really don't care.

Millions of people use the river walk each year and it is patently absurd to call Gabriel's Wharf 'nowhere' - the Bridge will link to Temple Tube Station - giving people in that part of SE1 more choice in terms of journeys to other parts of the capital.

Anything that improves the connectivity to our area in such a beautiful and elegant way deserves support.

It would also bring financial benefits to the area, admittedly mainly through tourism, but that revenue could go towards things like mainenance.

My concern is with the effect of this bridge on the view.

The Blackfriars rail bridge has undoubtedly done a lot for commuters, but it blocks what was a lovely view.

I can't see that this proposal won't have a similar effect.

If I want to see trees, I'd like to see them in a park, not blocking a lovely clear stretch of the Thames.

(I also think that access to Temple isn't something that many people are crying out for, but that's by-the-by.)

How is a puddle of dirty water a beautiful view?
Somebody is just pulling up a high-rise, blocking my view onto Sydenham Hill; I'd much rather veto that.

Anyhow, in terms of commuting (by foot), it's not just access to temple (law profession spring to mind), but also hotels on Russell Square, Great Ormond Street Hospital, shopping at the Brunswick Waitrose, King's Cross & St Pancras and the British Library would come a lot closer for those who shun public transport.

TTT wrote:

How is a puddle of dirty water a beautiful view?

Oi! No dissing the Thames! ;)

TTT wrote:

.. in terms of commuting (by foot), it's not just access to temple (law profession spring to mind), but also hotels on Russell Square, Great Ormond Street Hospital, shopping at the Brunswick Waitrose, King's Cross & St Pancras and the British Library would come a lot closer for those who shun public transport.

Errrrm, I'd suggest you consult a map.

It's about half a mile between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, so at the most, another bridge half way between those points would save 1/4 mile.

Would you suggest bridges every 1/4 mile along the Thames?

Also, the places you mention are basically on or just off the straight line of roads which go straight up from...you guessed it....the end of Waterloo Bridge.