Our London Assembly member Val Shawcross tabled a question to the Mayor:

Your response to Thames Water’s Phase 2 consultation on the Thames Tunnel indicated your ‘acceptance’ of the use of the Chambers Wharf site, subject to ‘further appropriate work’ and stated your support for the use of Chambers Wharf instead of Kings Stairs Gardens. In a letter to Thames Water dated 27th March you stated that the use of Chambers Wharf was ‘intolerable’ to residents and demanded a reassessment of alternative sites. Please clarify your position on this. Have you withdrawn your consultation response as Mayor in light of your subsequent statements?

Boris Johnson’s response was published this week:

I have not withdrawn my consultation response as this contained a great many generic points relating to the proposals as well as over 200 specific points relating to the numerous proposed construction sites.

It has become clear to me that both the overall cost of the project and the impact at a number of specific sites, Chambers Wharf being one, appeared excessive.

Thames Water has recently published its response to the consultation exercise and I will closely examine the company’s report on the issues raised but I am disappointed that there is not more within it to limit disruption and reduce costs.