Hanging gardens of London

With streets and Tube trains packed with workers and tourists jostling for space, central London can be anything but relaxing.

But an oasis of calm away from packed public transport could soon be on its way with a piece of countryside set to land on the River Thames.

Thomas Heatherwick, the creator of the London 2012 Olympic cauldron, has unveiled plans for a £60million bridge full of trees and flower beds to span the river from Temple to the South Bank.

It would be the first new crossing across the Thames since the 'wobbly' Millennium Bridge opened in 2002 and London's answer to New York's High Line, where a disused train line has been transformed into a lush aerial park.

A computer-generated image shows how a garden bridge across the River Thames could look. Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick is looking for backing for the £60million project

The bridge would link Temple to the South Bank, with pedestrians enjoying stunning views of St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London to the east

The project, which is being developed with engineering firm Arup, will go ahead only if Heatherwick can raise money from private backers and will not receive public funds.

It could open as soon as 2016 and give stunning views along the river of St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London to the east.

It is hoped that cycle lanes would be improved on nearby Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges if pedestrians opt for the new walkway.

The idea of garden bridge across the river has long been backed by actress Joanna Lumley. 

Thomas Heatherwick, left, has found a celebrity supporter for the garden bridge in Joanna Lumley, right

'It will be the slowest way to cross the river, as people will dawdle and lean on parapets and stare at the great cityscapes all around; but it will also be a safe and swift way for the weary commuter to make his way back over the Thames.

'I believe it will bring to Londoners and visitors alike peace and beauty and magic.'

Isabel Dedring, London's deputy mayor for transport, told the Evening Standard: 'The mayor has been keen to find an iconic piece of green infrastructure that can symbolise London as a high quality of life place to live.

'It is a great example of a project where in our view there doesn’t need to be a major public contribution. But if private sector funding isn’t forthcoming then the project isn’t going to be able to go ahead.'

Thomas Heatherwick also designed the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Heatherwick also designed new Routemaster buses for London, which were nicknamed 'cauldron on wheels' following air-conditioning problems in the heatwave

Heatherwick has previously designed state-of-the-art Routemasters for the capital, which were dubbed 'cauldrons on wheels' earlier this month after temperatures soared to 30C onboard because of faulty air-conditioning.

The Olympic Cauldron was made of 204 petals each engraved with the name of a participating country, which were presented to the nations following the closing ceremony of the Paralympics in September.

Heatherwick was awarded the CBE in January for services to the design industry.