Proposed "Garden Bridge" across the Thames

That's terrible seasider l have wonderful memories of visits to the Isle of Man when I was a child. We always flew from Newcastle (on a tiny plane) and I remember telling my class at school that "I had been abroad" on holiday. i do hope an operator can be found soon.

I agree with MiceElf "funding for big projects should be looked at UK wide" and not always concentrated in and around London. There are so many more worthwhile and indeed desperate causes than a garden bridge.

Our local airport just closed after 104 years despite rising passenger numbers and being a lifeline to the Isle of Man . We are fighting, with local MPs , to find a new operator and avoid the airport being sold for building. We would welcome some of that money or even just some support from London!

(It's a lovely idea though. Very pretty. But not with our money!)

I agree!

With an antiquated rail network, no motorways (the first continuous dual carriageway from Norwich out of Norfolk is due to open soon - hurray!), c**p mobile and broadband coverage, overcrowded hospitals, failing schools, poverty ............ Norfolk could do with a share of that £30 million.

(And guess where the dual carriageway will lead? London!)

Indeed Eloethan of the ten most deprived boroughs, three are in London. The problem with London is the stratospheric difference between the super wealthy and those which are deprived in multiple ways. For poor Londoners (the great majority) these show off projects are just as pointless and anger inducing as they are to those in Scotland or the North of England.

Funding for all big projects should be looked at UK wide and money allocated to address issues of poverty, unemployment and poor transport links.

However, with London's population now touching 8k it's not hard to see why so much attention is directed there. Put into the mix the power hungry, attention seeking, devious and manipulative B Johnson and it's easy to see how he manages to sponge up the money.

I agree with you Granny23 - it's a shocking state of affairs when one small part of the country commands so much money and attention. Please don't think though that everybody in London is living in the lap of luxury. There is awful poverty here too. A lot of families - and small businesses - were pushed out to make way for the Olympic Village.

gilly well said, but looking around the Country there are bigger priorities than BJ and his b***dy vanity.

I agree with you Granny23 living in the North East of England we have been campaigning for the A1 deathtrap link between England and Scotland to be made into a dual carriage way for so long now. I too strongly object to my taxes been used to further improve the already priviledged South with bigger better airports, runways, rail links , garden bridges (?????) when here in the North of England we still have a single carriage way linking us to/from Scotland. There is something seriously amiss. And don't even get me started on the bloody Olympics,

Eloethan I have no objection to Boris and his vanity projects as long as he supplies the funding, without recourse to Central Government funds. I, who have not been in London for nearly 50 years, strongly object to my taxes being spent on London's infrastructure and projects such as the high speed rail link which will stop at Birmingham and bring no benefit whatsoever to anyone who lives to the north or west.

After the billions spent on the London Olympics by the UK Government and OUR National Lottery Fund, it was left entirely to the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council to fund the Commonwealth Games and the Scottish Government has had to fund the new Forth Crossing - a massive undertaking - from its block grant without any input from central government at all. By the way, both these Scottish projects, the Bridge and the Games, have come in, on or under budget and on time.

I like the idea of it but if it's in the wrong place that spoils the idea. So I'm in accord with what ffinn said.

You're right goldengirl. I used the loos at Green Park the other day and they were 50p. When I worked near Green Park (admittedly some years ago) entrance was free. And they don't seem to be any better now either.

Ridiculous waste of money. If BJ wants to attract more tourists then he'll need to spend more money to provide more loos. Tourists tend to remember their toilet experiences on holiday!

Btw, when I said "down the river" in my post, I should have said "up". Not London-centric at all.

I agree with finnochio. Can't put it better.

Conceptually I think it's a beautiful idea, but wrong place and wrong time.

£175m for a bridge that isn't needed when we have food banks!

Oh, and I forgot to mention the Roastmaster, another B Johnson vanity project which is not fit for purpose.

It's yet another B Johnson vanity project like the Dangleway. Another bridge is needed, but way down river at Thamesmead to stop the huge levels of traffic using the Blackwall Tunnel and clogging up the approach roads to the Woolwich Ferry.

I totally agree with you. And if London gets another bridge, while other places further down the river get passed over time and time again......well, it makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

And haven't these so-called planners spoiled London quite enough already?