Ken's £18m plan for Parliament Square is scrapped

Boris Johnson had previously said he would put his predecessor's proposals on hold to study the impact on motorists. But today he announced he will cancel the £18 million plans, claiming the move would cost too much, destroy green space and cause congestion.

Transport for London advised the Mayor that the required pedestrianisation would have a significant negative impact on traffic flow, not only in Westminster but also in central London.

Mr Johnson said: "There is absolutely no sense in Londoners paying £18 million from their already stretched transport budget in order to reduce capacity on London's roads.

"The last mayor was famed for his love of blocking the traffic but this scheme was a step too far. We are committed to ambitious urban realm projects, but not this one." However, the decision sparked anger from environmentalists who branded it an "idiotic" decision. Green Party London Assembly Member Jenny Jones said: "The pedestrianisation of Parliament Square was a key decision and an important move to make London more beautiful and tourist friendly. This is a disastrous and idiotic decision."

Ms Jones also said she feared for similar projects on Victoria Embankment and Tottenham Hale which had been agreed under Ken Livingstone.

They were all part of the former mayor's 100 public spaces programme pushed aside by Mr Johnson, The Mayor says he is committed to improving open spaces but will do so by following his own strategy and not that of his predecessor. He has already absorbed the programme's sponsor design organisation Design for London-into the London Development Agency.

Now Mr Livingstone has added his comments to the row and lambasted Mr Johnson for cost cutting and hypocrisy.

Speaking to Building Design magazine, he said: "This is an administration that is basically cost-cutting. Boris doesn't want to end up in upsetting the motorists and the AA. It should be an amazing world square, not a squalid traffic roundabout."

But a spokesman for Mr Johnson said he was determined to improve public areas but would do so in a realistic and achievable time frame.

He said: "The Mayor is committed to delivering important public realm improvements but the 100 public spaces programme was highly aspirational with only five schemes completed after eight years and 13 more proposed. In due course the Mayor will announce his own strategy for public space improvements."