Cash dispute continues to dog progress on Thames foot tunnel repairs

By Joe Coughlan, Local democracy Reporter

Repair works to one of Greenwich’s foot tunnels under the Thames have been delayed as two councils cannot agree on paying the bill for the project.

Greenwich council has claimed repairs to the northern lift of the Woolwich foot tunnel, which has been out of service since August 2022, have been delayed due to a disagreement with Newham council.

The foot tunnel connects Woolwich on the south bank of the River Thames with North Woolwich in Newham.

The Woolwich Foot Tunnel is reportedly used by 300,000 people a year. Greenwich council has claimed that the lifts in the tunnel were vulnerable to unpredictable faults due to their age, with the most common cause of breakdown being doors failing to close as a result of objects being in the way or people forcing them open.

Labour councillor Averil Lekau, cabinet member for transport, had previously said she expected the tunnel’s north lift to be repaired in June this year.

However, the cabinet member claimed at a transport and place scrutiny meeting for Greenwich council on July 25 that the repairs had been put on hold due to Newham council’s delay in agreeing to finance the works.

The councillor said at the meeting that the borough shared a 50 per cent financial responsibility for the foot tunnel with its neighbouring borough and that Greenwich had agreed to a £180,000 contribution on lift repairs and £65,000 on safety improvements.

Cllr Lekau said: “We need Newham to agree to cough up a similar amount, that would be half of what is needed to put it up to speed.

“Whilst we are the authority that is responsible for doing the work, the financial responsibility lies on both authorities and we are making representations. We have been working to try and improve that.”

A Newham council spokesman said the authority was ‘disappointed’ by Cllr Lekau’s remarks and felt they did not fairly represent the situation.

They said that Newham council had “consistently made it clear” to Greenwich that it would honour the £126,000 of annual maintenance costs needed for the tunnel.

But they added: “Like many local authorities, Newham is being forced to closely review any additional capital investments, due to its current financial situation.

“We have repeatedly requested an urgent meeting with officials from Greenwich, which has only just been accepted, and is now scheduled for Wednesday, where we hope to find a mutual way forward.”

Greenwich also shares the Greenwich Foot Tunnel with Tower Hamlets, which connects Cutty Sark to Island Gardens. Cllr Lekau said that both foot tunnels represented a challenge for the council.

She said in March that a meeting had been scheduled between the authority, Tower Hamlets and Newham councils to discuss the issues in the tunnels. However, the councillor said this discussion had been delayed due to the General Election.

Picture: The south entrance of the Woolwich foot tunnel (Picture: Joe Coughlan)