London’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has blamed Croydon’s Labour Council for Blackhorse Bridge still being closed – but the Labour Council says it’s all down to TfL, which is run by the Mayor of London
The confusion comes as more than 700 furious local residents have written to Mayor Khan, demanding that he take action on the perennially closed Blackhorse Bridge after news emerged that it wouldn’t open until 2020 – two full years later than planned.
On 8th October Cllr Stuart King, the Labour councillor in charge of transport in Croydon, said: “This project is managed by TfL… I can state quite categorically that a delay until 2020 is simply not acceptable to this council.”
But this is directly contradicted by public guidance from the office of the Mayor of London which has said “this matter is the responsibility of the local authority and the Mayor is unable to intervene, as it does not fall within his remit”
Conservative Councillor for Addiscombe East, Jeet Bains, has said: ‘’Labour in City Hall is blaming Labour in Croydon Council. Labour in Croydon Council is blaming Labour in City Hall. Instead of working to quickly fix the bridge they are wasting time bickering, all the while it’s the local residents and businesses that are suffering.
“Our residents need competence in Croydon. It’s time they put their differences aside and worked together to get this bridge open as soon as possible.”
Prospective Conservative MP for Croydon Central, Mario Creatura, and Conservative London Assembly member for Croydon, Steve O’Connell, have been working with Cllr Bains and leading the fight for Blackhorse Bridge to be re-opened as soon as possible.
