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Hammersmith Bridge
21 April 2026
Lead MP
Fleur Anderson
Putney
Lab
Responding Minister
Simon Lightwood
Tags
Transport
Word Count: 8927
Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Fleur Anderson raised concerns about hammersmith bridge in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Minister must provide concrete actions taken since t [1D [K the last taskforce meeting in January 2025. The Foster and Partners and COW [3D [K COWI option should be assessed with a current cost estimate of fully restor [6D [K restoring Hammersmith bridge. A decision on transferring responsibility for [3D [K for all bridges to one London body needs assessment, and an application und [3D [K under the structures fund must be made.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
It is a national disgrace that Hammersmith bridge ha [2D [K has been closed for seven years. The closure affects around 22,000 vehicles [8D [K vehicles daily and leads to severe congestion in Putney with an increase of [2D [K of 16% in motor vehicle numbers between 2020 and 2023. Bus services have al [2D [K also been affected, leading to increased delays and overcrowding. Residents [9D [K Residents, especially those in Roehampton, face longer journeys and unrelia [7D [K unreliability; for example, a resident's son missed critical medical appoin [6D [K appointments due to the closure.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
He welcomed the Minister to his place and acknowledg [10D [K acknowledged the Opposition spokesperson. Andrew highlighted that Hammersmi [9D [K Hammersmith Bridge is a unique structure facing catastrophic failure due to [2D [K to historical damage and material corrosion, necessitating major reconstruc [10D [K reconstruction which would cost millions of pounds. He emphasised the need [K for clarity on costs, funding opportunities, and traffic displacement figur [5D [K figures. Andrew also pointed out that the local council has spent over £50 [K million maintaining the bridge but cannot afford further substantial contri [6D [K contributions.
Dave Robertson
Lab
Lichfield
Mr Robertson thanked the Minister for setting up the [3D [K the structures fund and mentioned a bridge in his constituency that is also [4D [K also grade II listed, awaiting an application to the fund. He noted that de [2D [K despite being under Conservative control, Staffordshire county council did [K not approach him before the spending review.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Mr Smith expressed disappointment over the lack of r [1D [K resolution on Hammersmith Bridge across multiple Governments, noting that c [1D [K council tax has increased significantly under Labour control. He criticized [10D [K criticized the slow pace of action and the impact on local residents, highl [5D [K highlighting issues such as restricted bus routes and displacement of traff [5D [K traffic to other boroughs.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The hon. Member commended the campaign for Hammersmi [9D [K Hammersmith Bridge and highlighted the pressure on surrounding infrastructu [12D [K infrastructure when routes are closed, drawing a parallel with his constitu [8D [K constituency's need for a bypass that has been delayed for nearly 30 years. [6D [K years.
Olly Glover
Lib Dem
Didcot and Wantage
Mr Glover highlighted the ongoing saga of Hammersmit [10D [K Hammersmith Bridge's closure, stressing that the cost-sharing agreement for [3D [K for its repair was not being honoured by the current government. He mention [7D [K mentioned the £50 million already spent by Hammersmith and Fulham council t [1D [K to maintain the bridge and urged for a permanent solution. Mr Glover also d [1D [K discussed the traffic congestion caused by the bridge's closure in Putney a [1D [K and called on Wandsworth council to play a greater role alongside the affec [5D [K affected boroughs. He suggested increasing cross-river bus services and eme [3D [K emergency vehicle access as a minimum key ask.
Peter Fortune
Con
Bromley and Biggin Hill
The hon. Member questioned the adequacy of TfL's fun [3D [K funding offer for reopening Hammersmith Bridge, suggesting it had not been [K sufficient over the last decade.
Sarah Olney
Lib Dem
Richmond Park
Ms Olney acknowledged the severe consequences of Ham [3D [K Hammersmith Bridge's closure, which has lasted seven years and impacted bot [3D [K both Putney and Richmond Park constituents. She criticised successive Gover [5D [K Governments for failing to act, with estimated repair costs doubling from £ [1D [K £140 million in 2022 to £250 million currently. Ms Olney highlighted that s [1D [K since 2019, Hammersmith and Fulham council has spent nearly £50 million on [K maintenance alone, while the Government delayed action. She raised concerns [8D [K concerns over delays in emergency response times due to bridge closures and [3D [K and expressed disappointment with the Labour Government's lack of engagemen [9D [K engagement.
Government Response
Simon Lightwood
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Si [2D [K Sir Alec. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Putney on securing t [1D [K the debate. My Department has provided £17 million in total funding for Ham [3D [K Hammersmith bridge repairs and has created a structures fund with a £1 bill [4D [K billion package to repair critical road infrastructure across England. Hamm [4D [K Hammersmith bridge is considered a good candidate for investment from this [K fund, subject to eligibility criteria and cost-effective engineering soluti [6D [K solutions. Future taskforce meetings will focus on significant project issu [4D [K issues once funding awards are made.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.