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The head of the Public Accounts Committee has questioned the need for the Garden Bridge and slammed the government for failing to provide a rigorous analysis of the business case for the project.

In a letter to the Treasury鈥檚 permanent secretary Tom Scholar, dated 14 December, public accounts committee chair Meg Hillier MP called the project an 鈥渆xtravagant solution鈥� to the need to link Temple Station on the north bank of the Thames with the Southbank.

She added that suggested journey time savings and health benefits from the project 鈥渟eem entirely tenuous鈥�.

Hillier called funding for the project 鈥渋nherently risky鈥� and said there were 鈥渟ignificant risks鈥� involved with the scheme.

She added that she 鈥渞emain concerned about the risk to taxpayers鈥� money and the commitments that were made to underwrite the project if it is cancelled鈥�.

It comes after the committee asked the Treasury to provide it with an analysis of the Garden Bridge business case.

The committee subsequently received an analysis from a Treasury official by email on 17 November, but Hillier said it was 鈥渘ot clear from the note, which was not on headed paper or page numbered鈥� if this was something that Scholar had signed off.

She said that the conclusion from the document said government ministers believe the Garden Bridge has a 鈥渞easonable prospect鈥� of delivering value for money, but added: 鈥淚 fail to understand how such an optimistic conclusion could be reached on delivering value for money.鈥�

Hillier called for the Treasury to provide an analysis of the Garden Bridge business case 鈥渞ather than a statement of facts and a commentary鈥�.

The Garden Bridge Trust declined to comment, explaining: 鈥淭he Trust was set up at the request of the TfL to deliver the project and we won鈥檛 comment on historical issues that happened before our time.鈥�