On the 23rd of June, Leader of the Opposition Jose Afonso wrote the below letter to Rachel Reeves.
Jose Afonso:
After last week's car crash launch of the Government's new Infrastructure Plan, we are still none the wiser on the future of Hammersmith Bridge.
Despite media briefings and car crash interviews, the bridge seems forgotten - and resigned to managed decline.
That's why today we written to Rachel Reeves MP asking the Treasury to step in, and put a plan in place to fix Hammersmith Bridge.
Dear Chancellor,
Last week we saw one of your junior ministers announce, on air, that she is “not here to talk about the Hammersmith Bridge – I’m not a transport minister”, three days before another of your ministers announced £725 billion of infrastructure spending, including on transport schemes – but not including Hammersmith Bridge.
Leaving aside the embarrassing nature of fielding ministers not in control of their brief (because, to spell it out, if it is to be the Treasury announcing infrastructure spending, then it might make sense to have your ministers up to speed with some infrastructure issues), it was a disappointment to residents of West London that such a significant spending commitment should come and go with no mention of how to fix one of the key connectivity issues in your largest city. This is the definition of a missed opportunity.
As you may be aware, it is crucial to economic growth that people should be able to get around major cities. The closure of Hammersmith Bridge represents a key artery that has been cut off. Since 2019, some 22,000 daily river crossings have been displaced, adding to congestion and pollution elsewhere in the city.
After six years, it is clear that Hammersmith & Fulham Council, run by Labour since 2014, has no genuine desire to reopen the bridge it owns. Collectively, the Council, TfL and DfT have preferred to blame each other rather than put in place a plan. While estimates of the costs for a restoration have spiralled upwards, £48 million has been spent to reopen the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists, though not to any motorised transport such as buses or emergency vehicles. Since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, Notre Dame has burnt down and been rebuilt. Meanwhile, London seems resigned to managed decline.
I therefore write with a heartfelt plea for a plan to be put in place to fix Hammersmith Bridge, as part of the spending commitments set out in the Infrastructure Plan. Restoring connectivity to this part of London will be vital to growth generation, locally and beyond. It will also send an important signal about how seriously the UK does – or doesn’t – take its infrastructure.
Yours sincerely,
Councillor Jose Afonso
Leader of the Opposition
