The news in last Friday’s print edition that the Croxley Rail Link (Metropolitan line Extension) scheme has been thrown into doubt after Transport for London declared a £50m shortfall in funding for the project is extremely worrying.

The impact of a suspension of work on the scheme, or in the worst case its cancellation, would be extremely damaging for Watford and its surrounding area.

SEE ALSO: 'The implications for Watford are significant': Metropolitan Line Extension £50m short of budget

Much of the current exciting development in Watford is predicated on the successful delivery of this long-awaited piece of transport infrastructure.

The Health Campus proposed housing development of 600+ new homes (as well as new business units on the site), access to the hospital, the Charter Place development in the High Street, other potential developments in the Ascot Road area – all these need the support of the new transport links that the CRL would provide.

The CRL is a key driver for sustaining the primacy of Watford as the major retail, commercial and leisure destination for the south-west Herts area.

It is lunacy that all this is being put at risk because of a spat between Government ministers and the London Mayor over where funding to meet the estimated budget shortfall of £50M is to be found.

It is not acceptable that political posturing by a Conservative Government and a Labour London Mayor should be allowed to scuttle this key piece of infrastructure spending. To keep things in perspective, £50M is just the cost of one top Premiership footballer!

Our MP Richard Harrington has been disturbingly quiet on this issue so far. He should be banging the table in Government circles to get this impasse sorted out and getting delivery of the scheme back on track.

As an active supporter of the campaign to retain passenger service at the existing Watford Met station if and when the CRL comes on stream, I have always recognised the prime importance for the town of the overall CRL Scheme. I do not believe the scheme is incompatible with saving passenger services at Watford Met.

George Derbyshire, former Watford Borough Council chairman