Agenda item

8.16pm – Councillor Andrew Brown moved, seconded by Councillor Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler, the special motion in their names.

“This Council notes with dismay, the closure of Hammersmith Bridge in August to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, as well as all river traffic under the bridge, in addition to the closure to motor vehicles in April 2019.

This Council recognises the immense impact that this full closure has had on those residents on both sides of the river whose lives are intertwined on both sides of the bridge, including school children, key workers and those receiving both emergency and long term treatment for serious health conditions such as heart attacks and cancer.

This Council further recognises the impact of the bridge closure on journey times, traffic congestion and decreasing air quality in Fulham, and other parts of London, including Putney, Mortlake, Chiswick and Chelsea.

This Council welcomes the Government’s decision to set up a Task Force to rescue Hammersmith and Fulham Council, and Transport for London from a situation that they were incapable of resolving.

This Council resolves to give Baroness Vere, Chair of the Task Force, and the Government, its full support to find solutions for the benefit of all residents, including residents of Fulham and in other boroughs who are suffering dreadfully, and are overwhelmingly calling for a temporary road bridge to relieve congestion across West and South West London.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Andrew Brown and Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler for the Opposition.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Rowan Ree and seconded by Councillor Jonathan Caleb-Landy:

“Delete all after “This council” in the first line and insert the following:

“notes with dismay, the closure of Hammersmith Bridge in August to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, as well as all river traffic under the bridge, in addition to the closure to motor vehicles in April 2019. It recognises how these closures were a direct consequence of years of unchecked corrosion which caused the suspension mechanism to seize up and led to dangerous fractures in the cast iron pedestals that hold the suspension bridge in place.

The Council thanks the specialist, world-leading engineers for identifying these potentially catastrophic failures. It recognises their clear advice that the bridge needed to immediately close as it was at risk of collapsing into the Thames and the potential loss of life that this could have caused. In light of these warnings, this council agrees that the closure was the only responsible course of action.

This Council recognises the immense impact that this full closure has had on people whose lives are intertwined on both sides of the bridge, including school children, key workers and those receiving both emergency and long-term treatment for serious health conditions such as heart attacks and cancer. This Council further recognises the impact of the bridge closure on journey times, traffic congestion and air quality.

The Council notes that Hammersmith Bridge facilitated 22,000 vehicle crossings a day, providing access from South West London and beyond to central London. It notes the importance of Hammersmith Bridge as a strategic piece of national infrastructure and recognises the pride Londoners have in this Grade II* Listed national historic landmark. This council reaffirms the importance of fully restoring Hammersmith Bridge and agrees that the government, rather than residents and businesses of Hammersmith & Fulham, should bear the full cost of the repairs, and the temporary river-crossing measures needed to mitigate the problems suffered by local people.

This Council welcomes the Government’s decision to set up a Task Force, announced on 9 September 2020, to work towards safely reopening Hammersmith Bridge. It notes the Secretary of State for Transport’s statement, given at the time, that he would “effectively take over this project”. This Council agrees it is important that the Taskforce takes all the necessary decisions and actions so it can work at pace to quickly deal with the problems suffered by local people. It resolves to give Baroness Vere, the Chair of the Task Force, and the Government, its full support to restore the bridge to its former fully functioning state.”

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Rowan Ree, Jonathan Caleb-Landy, and Stephen Cowan for the Administration, and Councillors Andrew Brown, Matt Thorley, and Alex Karmel for the Opposition.

The amendment was then put to the vote:

FOR:                      UNANIMOUS

AGAINST:               0

NOT VOTING:        0

The amendment was declared CARRIED.

Councillor Andrew Brown then made a speech on the amended motion summing up the debate before it was put to the vote:

FOR                        UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                0

NOT VOTING         0

The special motion as amended was declared CARRIED.

9.04pm – RESOLVED

This Council notes with dismay, the closure of Hammersmith Bridge in August to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, as well as all river traffic under the bridge, in addition to the closure to motor vehicles in April 2019. It recognises how these closures were a direct consequence of years of unchecked corrosion which caused the suspension mechanism to seize up and led to dangerous fractures in the cast iron pedestals that hold the suspension bridge in place.

The Council thanks the specialist, world-leading engineers for identifying these potentially catastrophic failures. It recognises their clear advice that the bridge needed to immediately close as it was at risk of collapsing into the Thames and the potential loss of life that this could have caused. In light of these warnings, this council agrees that the closure was the only responsible course of action.

This Council recognises the immense impact that this full closure has had on people whose lives are intertwined on both sides of the bridge, including school children, key workers and those receiving both emergency and long-term treatment for serious health conditions such as heart attacks and cancer. This Council further recognises the impact of the bridge closure on journey times, traffic congestion and air quality.

The Council notes that Hammersmith Bridge facilitated 22,000 vehicle crossings a day, providing access from South West London and beyond to central London. It notes the importance of Hammersmith Bridge as a strategic piece of national infrastructure and recognises the pride Londoners have in this Grade II* Listed national historic landmark. This council reaffirms the importance of fully restoring Hammersmith Bridge and agrees that the government, rather than residents and businesses of Hammersmith & Fulham, should bear the full cost of the repairs, and the temporary river-crossing measures needed to mitigate the problems suffered by local people.

This Council welcomes the Government’s decision to set up a Task Force, announced on 9 September 2020, to work towards safely reopening Hammersmith Bridge. It notes the Secretary of State for Transport’s statement, given at the time, that he would “effectively take over this project”. This Council agrees it is important that the Taskforce takes all the necessary decisions and actions so it can work at pace to quickly deal with the problems suffered by local people. It resolves to give Baroness Vere, the Chair of the Task Force, and the Government, its full support to restore the bridge to its former fully functioning state.