Most of the Mayor’s environment projects may be under threat following reports that the Treasury might cut the entire London Development Agency budget over the next four years, save £50m of legally committed projects.
The Mayor is aiming to spend £21m on climate change projects this year and £15m in 2011/12 through the LDA. This includes his flagship projects to insulate homes and help businesses save energy (RE:NEW and RE:FIT); his trees and parks programme; and his waste and recycling projects. Many of these are match-funded with European money and funding from the boroughs.
Green Party London Assembly Member, Darren Johnson, commented:
"The Mayor’s plans to create 14,000 jobs, cut our energy bills, improve recycling facilities and revitalise our parks could all be under threat. London can do without some of the LDA’s work on international promotion, but we cannot afford to lose these pivotal environment and job creation projects. The Mayor must make the Treasury back down.
"Cuts of this scale would make the Mayor impotent in the face of the looming climate threat, and will seriously undermine his efforts to make London a nicer city to live in."
Notes for editors
The reports are in today’s edition of the Evening Standard:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23890600-city-hall-shock-as-treasury-pulls-plug-on-pound-480m-development-fund.do