Lord Sadiq Khan has been accused of "wasting taxpayer money" after spending almost £90,000 on "tacky" benches on Oxford Street. As part of the Mayor of London's decision…
Lord Sadiq Khan has been accused of "wasting taxpayer money" after spending almost £90,000 on "tacky" benches on Oxford Street. As part of the Mayor of London's decision to pedestrianise the iconic shopping street, Lord Khan will install more than 50 green benches along the street to "offer more places to relax". He hopes that removing all traffic from the area will create a "safer and more spacious place in the heart of London for everyone to enjoy".
According to The Telegraph, each unit costs around £1,570, excluding expenses for importing the benches from Spain and installing them. The green benches, totalling a cost of £86,000, are described by Spanish manufacturer Urbidermis as being "designed to enhance spaces". They add that the benches are a "tribute to the bench designed for the New York World Fair" by urban designer James Corner’s Field Operations. The £1,570 green street seats, named Perisphere, are said to "exhibit a robust and stylish presence” and "stand out for their uniqueness".
Only six have been installed so far, with another 50 yet to be placed along Oxford Street. In September, members of the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) expressed "disappointment" with the Mayor's choice of bench. Lord Khan selected eight of the 12 board members. Paul Swaddle, the leader of Westminster council, criticised the group for not sourcing the benches from a UK-based street furniture company.
Criticising Lord Khan, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told GB News that the benches are "tacky" and a "waste" of taxpayer money.
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This is a source-linked briefing. Read the original report from Gb News .