Wandsworth council leader demands answers over Hammersmith Bridge closure
By Sian Bayley, Local Democracy Correspondent
The leader of Wandsworth council has called on Putney’s new Labour MP to call on Hammersmith and Fulham to fix Hammersmith Bridge.
Conservative Ravi Govindia said Hammersmith and Fulham’s handling of the bridge was “a complete disaster, not only for this borough, but for the whole of South-west London,” and pointed to Wandsworth’s upkeep of Putney and Wandsworth bridges as examples of “ensuring critical parts of London’s road infrastructure lasts for generations to come”.
Hammersmith Bridge was closed to motor vehicles last April after long-standing corrosion was discovered in critical parts of the suspension structure.
Cllr Govindia made the comments at Wandsworth’s full council meeting this on Wednesday in response to a question posed by Cllr Fleur Anderson, the new Labour MP for Putney.
Cllr Anderson asked the leader to detail the meetings he had held with the leaders at Hammersmith and Fulham and the government to support the £120m funding required to fix the bridge.
She also asked if he felt he was letting residents down by having “an attitude of blame” towards Hammersmith and Fulham, and was “just playing party politics at a time when we need to come together and fix this bridge”.
Cllr Govindia confirmed officers had been meeting with representatives from Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London (TfL) on a weekly basis, but soon turned to criticise Cllr Anderson on what she had done as a Member of Parliament about the closure.
He said Cllr Anderson ought to work for Putney and Wandsworth “and not look to bail out an inefficient Labour administration across the river”.
Hammersmith and Fulham council is working with TfL to fully restore the 132-year-old structure.
The closure will last until major refurbishment works are complete, which is estimated to be in approximately three years’ time.
The first stage of the work is under way, with TfL contributing £25m, but more money will be needed for the next phase of construction.
A contract is expected to be awarded this spring.
Pictured is Hammersmith Bridge.
TFL (Sadiq Khan) and H&F have badly let London down on Hammersmith Bridge. They seem to think they can sweep it under the carpet. As a fellow labour MP, Fleur Anderson has a huge opportunity to apply the pressure on them and actually represent her constituents needs and interests. Let’s hope she steps up to the plate. MP’s are voted to represent democracy – not in party politics.
For anyone interested, there is a FB page campaigning to get the bridge opened called “Hammersmith Bridge Closure”.