BORIS Johnson has bowed to pressure from businesses not to burden new developments in central London and Canary Wharf with paying for Crossrail with swingeing planning fees. The Mayor of London has promised to try and spread the load for funding the capital’s super tube’ third rail link to Heathrow Airport, which started construction on Thursday

By Mike Brooke

BORIS Johnson has bowed to pressure from businesses not to burden new developments in central London and around Canary Wharf with having to pay for Crossrail with swingeing planning fees.

The Mayor of London has promised to try and spread the load for funding the capital’s super tube’ third rail link to Heathrow Airport, which started construction on Friday.

Businesses in a narrow corridor’ along the route, through the City and West End as well as the northern end of the Isle of Dogs around Canary Wharf, were hit by proposals in December for hefty charges for planning consent for new developments to help pay for the �16 billion scheme.

VIABILITY

But now the mayor has agreed to consider viability’ of individual projects while also getting developers outside London to put their hand in their pocket.

Commercial interests had questioned the fairness of the charge only being applied in central London and Canary Wharf when Crossrail will also serve Essex and north Kent.

The Mayor has now written to the Transport Secretary to approach planning bodies in the South East and the East of England for contributions from developments that would also benefit outside London.

He has promised “a pragmatic approach”—but is still bent on making sure developers who benefit most contribute “their fare share.”