The Mayor of London has announced a package of infrastructure works worth up to £1.5 billion to help kickstart London’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

The plan is part of a partnership with a consortium of utilities, including Cadent, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), SGN, UK Power Networks and Thames Water.

The funding will support the upgrade of the gas and water network to improve the security of gas supplies and reduce water leakage by 20% and pollution by 30% by 2025.

Funds will also be allocated to plans to increase the resilience of the water supply network serving boroughs in north east London, the City and Canary Wharf.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is also set to benefit from the new package, after the implementation of innovative planning tools to identify the best charger locations and timings.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It is essential that infrastructure initiatives are utilised to serve all Londoners as we work to recover from this pandemic and to build back better with a fairer and greener economy.

“By working together with the major utility companies to progress and bring forward these projects, we have a valuable opportunity to improve the diversity of the sector and to help create new jobs for those who have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. This will help us to ensure nobody is left behind in London’s recovery.”

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