Could London eventually approve its own transport projects without Whitehall delays?

"It took over three years for the one-mile Birmingham Eastside extension to get sign-off from the department. If we think about this and put it in perspective, other European countries can go from initiating a project to completion in around four to five years. We must do all that we can to speed these processes up."

"If we think about this and put it in perspective, other European countries can go from initiating a project to completion in around four to five years. Clearly, there has to be some further oversight, but letting local areas get on with building and liberating central government from having to approve lots of different things seems a very sensible move."

Currently, major transport upgrades in London require approval from the Secretary of State for Transport through a Transport and Works Order, causing significant delays even when projects are entirely locally funded. The proposed DLR extension to Thamemead exemplifies this issue, as it will be funded by London but still requires central government approval. An amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, proposed by Lord Bassam of Brighton, sought to devolve these decisions to local government. Lord Bassam highlighted that the Birmingham Eastside extension took over three years for approval, while European countries complete similar projects in four to five years. Devolution of transport approval decisions could accelerate project timelines while maintaining appropriate oversight.

Read at ianVisits