London's Garden Bridge project officially abandoned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40921373

A £200m plan to build a bridge covered with trees across the River
Thames in central London has officially been abandoned.

The Garden Bridge Trust has announced that it is winding up the
project due to a lack of support from the mayor.

In April, Sadiq Khan said he would not provide the financial guarantee
needed for planning permission.

A review of the project said £37.4m had been spent and it would cost
taxpayers £46.4m if it was cancelled.

Since the mayor's decision, the trust has been looking at other
funding options, including speaking to the government. It said that
all potential benefactors and trustees decided the project could not
happen without the support of the mayor.

'Sad day'

In a letter to Mr Khan, the trust's chairman Lord Davies said: "We are
incredibly sad that we have not been able to make the dream of the
Garden Bridge a reality and that the mayor does not feel able to
continue with the support he initially gave us."

He said the trust had raised £70m of private money towards the project
and had satisfied most of the planning permission conditions.