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THREAD. Hammersmith & Fulham Council and TfL phenomenal incompetence over Hammersmith Bridge.
They’ve never wanted to repair & reopen it.
The bridge closed in April 2019, and here is their first repair estimate, of £40m. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/our-bridge-of-sighs-fury-as-hammersmith-is-shut-suddenly-and-fixing-it-could-take-years-a4115261.html">https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...
They’ve never wanted to repair & reopen it.
The bridge closed in April 2019, and here is their first repair estimate, of £40m. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/our-bridge-of-sighs-fury-as-hammersmith-is-shut-suddenly-and-fixing-it-could-take-years-a4115261.html">https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...
By July, estimates were rising towards £100m, as reported in New Civil Engineer. H&F Council described that figure as “bizarre” http://www.fulhamsw6.com/default.asp?section=info&page=hammersmithbridge003.htm">https://www.fulhamsw6.com/default.a...
By October 2019, Labour H&F Council Leader says an “early estimate” would be £120m. So far more than the figure he had described as “bizarre” in July. https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/sites/default/files/article_attachments/hammersmith_bridge_repairs_letter_29_october_2019.pdf">https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/sites/def...
Move forward to August 2020, and the figure is now £140m https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-08-26/hammersmith-bridge-who-will-stump-up-the-cash-for-the-140m-repair-bill">https://www.itv.com/news/lond...
So almost a quadrupling of costs in just 16 months, from £40m to £140m. And how much progress had Labour LBHF and Sadiq Khan’s TfL made in those 16 months?
Actually, it would appear that *no work at all* has been undertaken on the actual job in hand of repairing and reopening the Bridge.
But more than £10m had been spent on investigations & other temporary work.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20200318-agenda-and-papers.pdf">https://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-202...
But more than £10m had been spent on investigations & other temporary work.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20200318-agenda-and-papers.pdf">https://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-202...
But we don’t know for sure what work has been carried out since the sudden closure in April 2019.
Why not? Because Hammersmith & Fulham Council is refusing to release it to me (a Government Minister) claiming “national security”.
Why not? Because Hammersmith & Fulham Council is refusing to release it to me (a Government Minister) claiming “national security”.
So H&F Council is simultaneously seeking a Government bailout of their incompetence, whilst refusing to release details of the job in hand.
Throughout their approach has been clear: they simply don’t want to repair and re-open the Bridge.
It’s time they were honest with us.
Throughout their approach has been clear: they simply don’t want to repair and re-open the Bridge.
It’s time they were honest with us.
