City Hall has called on London boroughs to work closer with mayor Boris Johnson and maximise the money available to strengthen the capital's transport network. Kulveer Ranger, the mayor of London's transport adviser, claimed the new, ‘simplified' local implementation plans (LIPs) provide an opportunity to improve processes in order to deliver improvements. ‘We want to see a change from form-filling to innovation and collaboration. If we don't get the mechanism right, then the great ideas coming out of the boroughs won't become a reality,' he told the London Councils transport and environment committee on 15 October. Mr Ranger said cohesion was key and multi-year funding would mean improvements could be made without having to rush things through on a year-by-year basis. He added the overhaul of LIPs should maximise City Hall's relationship with the boroughs, and boost London's ability to deliver transport improvements with limited funding. Transport for London will report its decisions on the boroughs' funding submissions next month. Earlier in the year, City Hall revealed details of the new funding streams designed to cut red tape, but councils criticised the decision to slash the amount made available through LIPs. The LIP overhaul saw the original 20 funding streams simplified to five, and enabled boroughs to bid for multi-year funding. The new funding categories are – maintenance; major schemes; corridor; smarter travel; and neighbourhoods.
