First Published: Monday 12 May 2008, 16:04
Boris Johnson has agreed to drop legal action against Thames Water's desalination plant at Beckton in return for a commitment by the company to "work with the Mayor to reduce the impact of their roadworks on traffic in London".
Last year the decision to approve plans for the plant caused a row between the Westminster Government and former-Mayor Ken Livingstone.
However Mayor Johnson has reversed his predecessor's opposition to the plant in return for what he calls "a fantastic and wide-ranging package of measures" to reduce disruption to road users.
Mr Johnson said "'roads must not be cordoned off when no one is working there, so Londoners will welcome Thames Water's commitment to help get cars moving again."
"This will help to reduce congestion and drivers' frustrations throughout London. I am also delighted to be working with the company on ways to help Londoners save water, and make new and existing homes less wasteful and more sustainable."
Thames Water and the Mayor will set up pilot projects "to look at different ways of working in the city's streets, particularly relating to the company's extensive programme of Victorian mains replacement."
2. at 12:01 on Wednesday 4th June 2008, londoner wrote:
This plat will run on 100% renewable fuel so you are wrong
3. at 16:08 on Wednesday 4th June 2008, BorisExposer wrote:
Interesting, Boris illegally appoints an acting Westminster councillor to advise him on planning a couple of weeks ago - and now the Mayor's office switches sides and joins Westminster council in this planning matter. Odd coincidence, or good old fashioned corruption? It's the latter me-thinks, and I wonder how aware Boris is of how this looks, or whether he just "does what he's told" - the patsy
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1. at 23:59 on Friday 30th May 2008, toby hall wrote:
mmm, Boris "committed to climate change" and the environment, yet immediately backs down on the absurd idea of allowing Thames Water to build a desert country's water solution?!, with ludicrous energy intensity to power the process...whilst simultaneously slowing down the works aimed at fixing the 50% leak rate which would avoid the need for this plant in the first place??!?...hello, is there anyone out there in boris land???....oh dont worry, say Thames Water, presenting some some weak commitment to use renewables to power it to fob the environmentalists off...
it's the 30th May, he's been in the job nearly a month, has been on holiday already and STILL has yet to appoint an environmental advisor!
Considering his GLA Act responsibilities are to produce statutory strategies for climate change and energy, climate change adaptation, waste, air quality, etc and he has also decided to chair the new london waste and recycling board (on top of chairing TfL, Met Police, being Mayor and getting paid about 10 times the average UK wage to witter on in a column promoting himself once a week at a national level in the telegraph)...he surely should see this as critical by now??
Or does this really show the true tories we know of old?...environmental initiatives being paid lip service?...it does not bode well at all- yes, it's the first month, but there are numerous staff at the GLA who will be in complete limbo as nothing can be done without official political steer from the top. if it's not done in the next week or so, it will make a complete mockery of the few environmental credentials the man has...