Tower Hamlets Council has spent over £2 million on consulting fees for a new footbridge that might never be built. The proposed South Dock pedestrian crossing was intended to link Canary Wharf with new developments in South Quay and the Isle of Dogs.
Nine Years of Preparatory Work
Consultations and reports on the project began in 2017, and the local authority's website says it was due to be completed in 2024. But nine years and £2.3 million on preparatory work later, the council has admitted it has no construction start date because the cost of the work has increased to £25 million.
The 77m-long proposed bascule lifting bridge was designed to "improve connectivity and become a destination landmark in the area", according to planning documents. It was estimated that more than 80,000 people a day would use it when completed.
Developer and Resident Contributions
Andrew Wood, a former councillor for the Blackwall & Cubitt Town ward on the Isle of Dogs, said this is the fourth failed attempt to construct a new bridge in the area. He argued that some developments in and around Canary Wharf only received planning permission on the promise of the new crossing. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) cash, billed to developers to pay for infrastructure projects associated with new housing, was also charged to recent schemes to help pay for the bridge.
Mr Wood told the Standard: "My first meeting about South Dock was back in 2017. This was the fourth attempt to build a bridge. At the time all of the focus and attention was on the new town hall in Whitechapel, that was the big project. So despite getting planning permission years ago, it's just not been built and now the costs have risen significantly. It should have been paid for with CIL money. Some of these developers paid extra money precisely for a bridge. Residents paid extra for their apartments to cover the costs and will get no benefit. And this is one of the reasons development, apart from some student housing schemes, has basically stopped on the Isle of Dogs. Developers and residents get no benefit for the money they hand over."
Public Support and Council Response
A 2018 consultation found that 96 per cent of residents were in favour of building the badly needed crossing.
A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: "We remain supportive of the South Dock Bridge project and have invested in feasibility, detailed design work, legals and extensive stakeholder engagement. However, estimated construction costs have increased significantly due to external economic factors and are now in the region of £25 million. We continue to explore potential options for taking the project forward, recognising its importance while considering the financial and delivery challenges involved."
