Romford MP Demands Full Disclosure Over Gallows Corner Costs as Pressure Mounts on TfL

Andrew Rosindell says taxpayers deserve answers after transport authority refuses to reveal project's final bill until works are complete

Transport for London (TfL) is facing renewed pressure to disclose the full financial impact of the long-running Gallows Corner regeneration scheme after Romford MP Andrew Rosindell accused the organisation of failing to be transparent over mounting project costs.

The call follows TfL's decision not to release details of the scheme's original budget or any potential overspend until construction has been completed, despite the works extending far beyond their initial programme.

Questions Over Project Costs

The Gallows Corner improvement works have become one of east London's most closely scrutinised highway projects, with motorists and local businesses enduring more than a year of disruption at one of the capital's busiest junctions.

Originally expected to take around three months, the scheme has experienced significant delays, prompting increasing calls for TfL to explain how much the project is now expected to cost.

Earlier this year, a Freedom of Information request sought details of the project's original budget together with information on any cost overruns. TfL declined to release the figures while construction remains underway.

MP Calls for Greater Transparency

Andrew Rosindell said taxpayers have a right to know how public money is being spent, particularly on projects that have caused prolonged disruption to local communities.

He said:

"It is simply unacceptable that Transport for London is refusing to tell taxpayers how much the Gallows Corner project has gone over budget.

"The public is footing the bill, yet TfL appears determined to keep the true cost hidden."

Rosindell added that residents had experienced months of congestion, delays and frustration while awaiting completion of the works.

"Residents in Romford and the surrounding area have endured months of disruption, congestion and frustration, and they deserve honesty about how their money is being spent.

"Transparency should be the default, not something withheld whenever it becomes politically inconvenient."

Growing Scrutiny

The MP warned that withholding the figures risks increasing speculation over the project's financial performance.

"TfL must come clean about the cost of this project. The longer it refuses to publish the figures, the more questions it raises about the scale of the overspend and the way this project has been managed.

"I will continue to hold both TfL and the Government to account on this matter."

Public Accountability

The dispute highlights the growing focus on transparency surrounding major transport infrastructure schemes, particularly where programmes extend well beyond their original delivery timescales.

While TfL has maintained that financial information will be published once the project has concluded, critics argue that greater openness during delivery would help build public confidence and demonstrate effective stewardship of taxpayer funding.

With the Gallows Corner scheme continuing to attract political and public attention, pressure is likely to remain on TfL to provide a full account of the project's costs, programme changes and lessons learned once construction is finally complete.