London’s Thames Garden Bridge Public procurement
Impact: Cultural & Creative Impacts, Economic & Commercial Impacts, Public Policy Impacts, Public Discourse Impacts, Societal Impacts
- Walter Menteth (Participant)
Description of impact
Who is affected
Narrative
Justifiable public concerns about this high-profile project procurement and its value have been raised. £30m national and £30m regional public finance was agreed to be contributed, in the end on uniquely long low interest terms, upon construction commencement, with an underwritten liability circa £3m per annum on maintenance in perpetuity - ostensibly on a privately financed project! With nothing built its estimated cost on termination was circa £220m yet the project promoters had received proportionately little private finance while during its progression promised bequests declined, and the promoter’s expectation of and actual public purse pre-construction expenditure increased, to £43m! The research found the public commissioning had been partial, unfair and uncompetitive, and that processes, practices and procedures had fallen short of international, national and authority regulations, standards and governance practices, and that best value had not been delivered.
Through this paradigmatic research into a nationally significant project the aim has been to raise public understanding, drive practical improvements and professionalism, and advance the standards, value, quality, probity, efficiency and effectiveness of UK public procurement policy and practice, so that more economic, environmental and social sustainability objectives are deliverable, accountable and transparent. The research informed the projects progression and eventual termination, along with new protocols, governance and practices across the TfL group, the GLA and more widely. Parliamentarians’ views on, for example, practice and governance remits and protocols, particularly those surrounding UK mayorial roles, future infrastructure delivery through charitable trust vehicles and calls made for a parliamentary public inquiry on the project’s accountability continue to be informed.
The project was finally terminated by the Mayor of London in August 2017, yet the project expenditure, its accountability and the underlying structural policy framework and governance, remain the subject of ongoing research engagement and inquiries.
Category of impact
- Cultural & Creative Impacts
- Economic & Commercial Impacts
- Public Policy Impacts
- Public Discourse Impacts
- Societal Impacts
Documents
Dame Margaret Hodge MP Report on the Thames Garden Bridge_April 2017
557 KB, PDF document
Transport for London_External Auditors Report_Thames Garden Bridge_30092016 WM marked up
149 KB, PDF document
National Audit Office Investigation_Dpt for Transport_the Garden Bridge
261 KB, PDF document
London Assembly_The Garden Bridge Design Procurement Report_March2016
605 KB, PDF document
Mayor of London_Response to Chair of oversight committee_Garden Bridge 12June2016
258 KB, PDF document
Mike Brown TfL Commissioner Mike Brown response to Chair GLA Oversight re Garden Bridge 08122017
353 KB, PDF document
TfL Board-20170719-item15-garden-bridge_Some of the Responses instigated
819 KB, PDF document
Links
Links
- 15_09_17_Procurement_Doc_review_analysis_1
- Thames Garden Bridge Procurement Analysis. Project Compass Report Feb 2016
- Data set to be read in conjunction with: Thames Garden Bridge Procurement Issues_Project Compass Report Feb 2016
- National Audit Office report on the Thames Garden Bridge. Oct 2016
- London Assembly report. The Garden Bridge design procurement
- London Assembly_The Garden Bridge Design Procurement_Report_March2016
- Mayor of London response to Chair of Oversight Committee on Garden Bridge describing actions taken and to be taken 12 June 2018
- Letter_from_chair_of Oversight Committee_to_mayor_re_garden_bridge_project_09-05-18
- Mike Brown TfL Commissioner response to Chair GLA Oversight re Garden Bridge 08122017
- TfL Board-20170719-item15-garden-bridge_some of the responses precipitated
- TfL Internal Audit of the procurement of design and development services for the Temple to South Bank Footbridge Project
Related information
Outputs
Public Interest Challenge and Garden Bridge
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Letter
Garden Bridge Review Interview Transcripts
Research output: Other contribution
Good riddance to the Garden Bridge: an eye-watering waste of public funds
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
Muddy Waters "Jobs for the boys": London's proposed Thames Garden Bridge
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
Open letter to the Greater London Assembly from eighteen London architects: Reporting oversight on the Thames Garden Bridge, London
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Letter
Thames Garden Bridge: procurement issues
Research output: Book/Report › Monograph › peer-review
Project Compass
Research output: Non-textual form › Web publication/site
Design contest guidance: for selecting architects and design teams
Research output: Book/Report › Book
EU procurement directive: emerging public sector procurement
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Flying by the seat of their pants: there have been significant recent revelations about the Thames Garden Bridge in London and the Garden Bridge Trusts structure and funding
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
Why only architectural competitions? A tale of two bridges
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Call for the revocation of the RIBA Honorary Fellowship awarded to Boris Johnson
Research output: Other contribution
Activities
Greater London Authority (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Cabinet Office (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of council
RIBA Council motion, regarding the Thames Garden Bridge
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
BBC London Alice Bhandhukravi update on Garden Bridge
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
Greater London Authority (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
The Thames Garden Bridge: A summary Chronology
Activity: Consultancy types › Consultancy
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of network or group
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of council
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Royal Institute of British Architects (External organisation)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee or panel
Commons Adjournment debate called by Kate Hoey MP on the Thames Garden Bridge
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
RIBA London Regional Council: Motion
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
Early research enquiry commencing investigation into London's Thames Garden Bridge
Activity: Consultancy types › Consultancy
Submission of Evidence to the National Audit Office investigation: The Department for Transport’s funding of Garden Bridge
Activity: Consultancy types › Consultancy
Media
TfL urged to publish Garden Bridge meeting records
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Thames Garden Bridge project
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Datasets
Project Compass data set
Dataset
ID: 3529341