Cllr Harcourt describes Hammersmith Bridge problems

At our AGM on 12th June, members of the audience asked a number of questions about the Bridge.

As we reported in our recent newsletter and over the previous 4 years, the bridge has been in trouble for a long time, not helped by a couple of bomb attacks in its history.

Fortunately Councillor Wesley Harcourt (Cabinet Member for the Environment) was in the audience, and offered us an impromptu update on the works to repair it.  He made it clear that the Council is committed to repairing it as a fully working bridge, and that final decisions on the scope of work are yet to made as they depend on the level of funding available from TfL (who want to run double-decker buses), and the Government.  The two key issues appear to be:

1. The level of structural repair, over and above the minimum required to run the original 7.5 Tonne vehicles, is dependent on the funding available.
2. The funding is not yet all in place (principally Government, which as we know is otherwise distracted)

He described the details of the cracks found, and mentioned the details, photos and videos available on the council website here. He also described the effect on traffic on other bridges and roads, notably Chiswick, Putney and to a lesser extent Wandsworth, plus the apparent disappearance of 25% of the bridge traffic, though that may be variability and measurement error. He noted that more environmentally-friendly electric buses actually weigh more due to the batteries, just to add to the mix.

He committed to the council finalising plans and schedule in August, though we have no idea how long the work might take as yet, due to the many variables, and 3 years remains the disappointing figure quoted. We urge the council to embark on the essential repairs as soon as practicable, notwithstanding Government inertia. The outcome of these discussions can’t be resolved soon enough.

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The latest proposals for the changes to parliamentary boundaries seem bizarre.

Of course the existing boundaries are not entirely satisfactory as the Borough is split between two parliamentary boundaries which are not consistent with the original ‘Hammersmith’ and ‘Fulham’ boroughs which were combined in 1968. The new proposals will affect all of us in ‘Hammersmith’ one way or another. For details visit the official website at www.bce2018.org.uk where you can compare the latest (and previous) proposals with the existing boundaries

Our present local MP Andy Slaugher has made a statement under the title Let’s stop Shepherds Bush moving to Brent

Melanie Whitlock and I have tried very hard – since the beginning of the year – to secure a hustings for the people of Hammersmith to hear what the main candidates are offering us and ask them questions. There are so many issues that are important to us including of course housing, Heathrow, air quality, the Flyunder, plans for Hammersmith Broadway, tall buildings generally and much more . . . Regrettably although we had secured a venue, St Paul’s Church, and a chairman, Sarah Montague of the BBC Today programme, we have been unsuccessful in persuading either Zac or Sadiq to find time.

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