Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Bridges in London: Maintenance Funding

14 November 2023 · 2 other contributors

Opened by Fleur Anderson Lab Putney

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Fleur Anderson raised concerns about bridges in london: maintenance funding in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the closure of Hammersmith bridge affecting constituents on both sides of the river in London
  • The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham owns Hammersmith bridge, not the Government
  • The Department for Transport has provided nearly 10 million in funding since 2019 for the bridge's investigation and stabilisation works

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Fleur Anderson Lab Putney

Thank you for calling me, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am proud to be a River Thames MP with Putney bridge as an important landmark in my constituency, but it is the closure of Hammersmith bridge that has brought me here this evening. The impact of its closure across London is significant and I urge the Minister to use this opportunity to announce funding for the reopening of the bridge. This issue affects constituents on both sides of the river, and there is cross-party support for addressing the problem.

Other contributors (2)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Hammersmith bridge is a national transport route and its closure has had a huge impact on many people.

  • Nigel Evans Con Central Fylde

    I was intrigued to hear the Northern Ireland aspect of Hammersmith bridge, which shows the cross-party support for reopening it.

Government Response

Guy Opperman

I congratulate Fleur Anderson on securing this debate and acknowledge the importance of Hammersmith bridge to her constituents. I clarify that the bridge is owned by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, not the Government. Despite this, the Department for Transport has provided nearly £10 million in funding since 2019 for various stages of investigation, stabilisation works, and geotechnical investigations. The next phase involves strengthening the core and renovating other structurally significant parts of the bridge, with a business case submitted to HM Treasury’s Green Book outline for review. I emphasise that under successive Governments, local boroughs have legal responsibility for London bridges and roads like Hammersmith bridge. TfL's funding for bridge projects is insufficient for this particular project. I assure Fleur Anderson that the Department will continue providing support as the project progresses.

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