In response to a question from Valerie Shawcross, Greater London Authority member for Lambeth and Southwark, Livingstone said the proposal had not been referred to him formally and he had not seen sufficient details to judge it, but added that he was against developments beneath open spaces.
He said: "I am opposed to any form of development under open space, because there is usually some part of it which has to come up to the surface, such as ventilation ducts and vehicular servicing ramps. These tend to ruin public spaces. If this rendered the open space difficult to use, I would oppose it." The mayor has the power to override local authority planning decisions on large schemes.
Shawcross added: "The only problem in the masterplan is the building under the gardens. Jubilee Gardens is the only bit of green." A spokesperson for Rick Mather Architects said: "We are confident that the detail of the masterplan and the architectural scheme soon to be developed for Jubilee Gardens will demonstrate that the very important concerns cited here are not in any way incorporated."
