• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS

Boris pays off TfL after threat to block City Hall backed redevelopment scheme

August 1, 2012 by Martin Hoscik

Transport for London aren’t my biggest fans – the price of writing stories they consider unhelpful has been to fall off their invite list for events such as the launch of the New Bus for London or the taxpayer funded Thames Cable Car.

As I’ve mentioned before, they’re not an organisation which likes scrutiny and accountability.

When required to appear before the London Assembly it’s not unheard of for them to pre-empt Assembly Members by issuing press releases covering the issues due to be discussed.

Understandably AMs find this disrespectful.

But it’s not just unhelpful sections of the media and London’s elected scrutineers who TfL show disdain for.

Former AM and Chair for the Fire Authority Brian Coleman previously told colleagues how unhelpful he found them in delivering Mayor Boris Johnson’s shared services agenda.

Even Boris has learnt that, despite being Chair of TfL, they don’t always do what he tells them.

So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to learn TfL wouldn’t approve the latest phase of a major City Hall backed redevelopment deal unless it received payment for oversailing rights.

When a commercial developer wants to encroach on the airspace above another owner’s land it’s not uncommon for them to make such a payment but in this case TfL isn’t being paid by the developer but by the publicly owned GLA Land and Property Limited, established by Boris earlier this year.

To facilitate the payment, GLA Land and Property are to share their receipts from developers Barratt with TfL and assign TfL any sales overage payable.

The Mayoral Decision announcing the payments makes clear TfL “would not be willing to give their approval to the development” without them.

In short they just shook down their own boss.

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Filed Under: Martin Hoscik

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

Copyright © 2025 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy