Hammersmith and Fulham Council urged to engage with partners over future of Hammersmith Bridge

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have been urged to engage more with local partners around future works on Hammersmith Bridge following an announcement, without prior warning, it will be closed indefinitely.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have been urged to engage more with local partners around future works on Hammersmith Bridge following an announcement, without prior warning, it will be closed indefinitely.

The bridge serves as a critical connection for residents in Richmond upon Thames wanting to access major transports links such as the London Underground service and the M4, as well as those who work and go to school in Hammersmith and beyond.

Richmond Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Streetscene and Air Quality, Cllr Alexander Ehmann has written to his counterpart (pdf, 119 KB) at Hammersmith and Fulham Council requesting an urgent meeting following the decision to close Hammersmith Bridge indefinitely without adequate warning.

In the letter Cllr Ehmann says it is disappointing that Hammersmith and Fulham Council have not considered those residents in Richmond upon Thames who use the Hammersmith Bridge on a daily basis when communicating decisions around closures to the bridge

The letter goes on to ask for Hammersmith and Fulham Council to urgently clarify what plans they have to mitigate the large-scale disruption faced by residents of this borough, particularly in Barnes, who use the bridge on a daily basis.

After sending the letter, Cllr Ehmann said:

“It is disappointing that, despite efforts of Richmond Council officers to impress upon Hammersmith and Fulham Council the impact of any closure of Hammersmith Bridge on our residents, we were given only minutes' notice of its indefinite closure.

“It is no secret that Hammersmith Bridge requires urgent work, given the importance of the Bridge to boroughs other than Hammersmith and Fulham, I would encourage the Council to engage much more extensively with Richmond Council officers to devise a long-term design solution to end the ongoing disruption to our residents.

“I, and officers, will continue to work with our colleagues at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, as well as Transport for London to ensure a plan is devised that can finally see the Bridge get the upgrade it so desperately needs.”

The bridge remains open to pedestrians and cyclists. For updates on Hammersmith Bridge please visit the Hammersmith and Fulham website.

Notes for editors

If you are a journalist and would like further information about this press release, contact Lyle Skipsey on 020 8487 5182.

Reference: P115/19