New Nine Elms bridge across the Thames will ‘threaten Diana garden’

 
Crossing in style: the shortlisted designs include this one by Ove Arup

A proposed £43 million Thames crossing in central London has come under fire from residents for threatening the peace of the “calm and safe” garden square where Diana Spencer first worked as a kindergarten assistant.

A final short-list of four designs for the cycle and pedestrian bridge connecting Pimlico with Nine Elms was unveiled yesterday by Wandsworth council. It would serve the huge new developments of apartments and offices — including the new US Embassy — springing up on the South Bank.

But campaigners in Pimlico say that it would result in an extra 18,000 cyclists and pedestrians a day passing through the “wonderful haven” of St George’s Square, the only garden square in London opening directly on to the river.

More than 150 opponents have signed a petition claiming the bridge will “greatly affect the tranquillity of ... Pimlico’s only public green space in which children can play and run around.” Children who use the square include toddlers attending the Young England kindergarten where the future Princess of Wales got her first job in 1980.

One of the petition organisers, Amanda Mosbacher, told the Standard: “There are two bridges very close by which cater for pedestrians and cyclists: Vauxhall Bridge, over which the new cycle superhighway is being constructed, and Chelsea Bridge.”

The four shortlisted schemes were chosen from 74 competition entries. The submissions are from teams led by West End engineering consultants and designers Buro Happold; Denmark’s Bystrup Architecture Design and Engineering and two from Fitzrovia-based engineers Ove Arup.

The designs went on display at exhibitions in Wandsworth and Westminster today until the end of the week with residents invited to make comments. A decision will be made in October.

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