Phil Cook wrote:

On 05/12/2012 14:15, 77002 wrote:
On 5 Dec, 13:45, Someone Somewhere wrote:
From the Chancellors autumn statement, I guess it doesn't change the
fact that it will (eventually) be privately financed, but is the idea of
advancing a loan to the developer a new one?


The merits of this line are questionable even before the UK treasury
lends money it does not have.

Given the number of flats due to be built on the Nine Elms area, due to
be occupied by city types given the prices they are likely to fetch, I
can see some merit in it.


I am bitterly disappointed that the extension of the Northern Line to
Battersea will be funded using taxpayers' money.

If you take into account all the Government help, from derelict land
grants for cleaning up the subsoil through all the sweeteners for
developers to paying £1 billion for the extension of the Northern
Line, one has to wonder whether the outlay of taxpayers' money will
ever be recouped.

I have to say that I agree with Adrian. If the development was
anywhere as near as profitable as its protagonists suggest, there
wouldn't need to be a penny of taxpayers' money supporting it.

No doubt some politicians will stand to benefit from their support of
this scheme using OUR money. Perhaps they should be using their own
money instead?