Plans to build tens of thousands of homes in Greenwich and Lewisham could be jeopardised if the Government refuses to grant Transport for London long-term funding, Sadiq Khan has warned.
A 30,000-home development in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead is dependent on an extension of the Docklands Light Railway, it is claimed, while plans to build 25,000 new homes in Lewisham may be abandoned unless the Bakerloo line extension along the Old Kent Road is delivered.
With TfL’s current deal set to run out on December 11, the Mayor is calling on Government to reach a long-term funding agreement, ensuring the infrastructure projects on which both developments depend can be delivered.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “TfL plays an intrinsic role in so many aspects of London life beyond the Tubes, buses and trams.
"A modern, accessible, future-proof transport system is essential to unlock the genuinely affordable housing that Londoners so desperately need.
"Failing to adequately fund TfL is a dereliction of the Government’s duty to our capital city, the people of London and the country as a whole.
"We are in the middle of a housing crisis that cannot be solved if parts of the capital remain cut off from transport links or if vital schemes that improve access to town centres are not able to be delivered.
"There can be no national economic recovery without a London recovery, and there can no London recovery without a properly funded public transport network in the capital.
"So it’s time for the Government to provide TfL with the funding it urgently needs.”
It has also been suggested that TfL's growth fund, designed to finance transport schemes in areas suited for development and regeneration, could be impacted, putting junction improvements to Catford Town Centre at risk.
The collapse in passenger numbers during the coronavirus pandemic has decimated TfL's finances, making previous billion-pound Government bailouts in November 2020 and June 2021 vital to keep services running.
Earlier this week, MPs from south east London have wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps, warning that the future of the DLR as a whole will be in doubt unless a long-term agreement is reached.
The Mayor previously suggested that failure to secure a sustainable deal could result in more than 100 bus routes being withdrawn and even the closure of one of the capital's 11 Tube lines.
The Bakerloo and Jubilee lines are reportedly most at risk from cuts or closure, according to the Evening Standard.
A Department for Transport spokesperson told Inside Housing: “We have repeatedly shown our commitment to supporting London’s transport network through the pandemic, providing more than £4bn in emergency funding to Transport for London.
“We will continue to discuss any further funding requirements with TfL and the mayor, and any support provided will focus on getting TfL back onto a sustainable financial footing in a way that is fair to taxpayers across the country.”
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