Business plea for tram extension to Crystal Palace (From Croydon Guardian)

Business plea for tram extension to Crystal Palace

5:40pm Thursday 18th December 2008 in Search By Matt Watts

Prioritising plans to extend the Croydon tramlink to Crystal Palace is a key way Mayor of London Boris Johnson can help businesses in the area, according to the Crystal Palace Chamber of Commerce.

Member Sue Nagle said many business owners saw the London Mayor’s announcement last month that the tram extension would be shelved as a huge body blow for the economic chances of the area.

The Mayor mothballed the scheme due to a lack of funding at the same time as announcing a multi-billion pound 10-year-invrstment plan for transport in the capital.

But the scheme’s supporters, including the GLA’s transport scrutinee committee chair Valerie Shawcross, said the project would be relatively cheap to set up because it is the extension of an existing scheme.

Ms Nagle said: “If the Mayor really wants to help businesses in this area he needs to find the funding for this project now. We are desperate for it.”

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