As a school child l went to the opening of the Thames Barrier 40 years ago, so l am glad to congratulate it on its 40th birthday and its outstanding service to Londoners.
It really is the greatest legacy of the Greater London Authority (GLC) left to London after it was closed down as a political institution representing Londoners almost 40 years ago. Nothing since has unfortunately come close to its impact to Londoners lives as it has secured Londoners from flooding in Central London more often then is admitted with the on set now of climate change increasing the likelihood of flooding, so that the barriers have been put up more often than originally envisaged. So it was very much ahead of its time, and would now be considered a critical means of climate adaptation more so then flooding control. Now under Environment Agency control and management, it is likely to last till 2070.
The sad reality is that the Mayor of London office created at the turn of the century has little say in water matters in Greater London and that is a crying shame whether it be the water utilities like Thames water who provide most of Londoners their water or Port of London Authority which controls the Thames and the Canal & Rivers Trust the canals and tributaries of the Thames.
Other major cities of the world have authority over the waterways of their cities and their water supplies. It is about time the Mayor of London had some powers over their activities at least on such a critical environmental asset of any city, its water. Lets hope for some change their under a future labour administration.