Hammersmith & Fulham Council is having to redesign elements of the Wandsworth Bridge Road scheme that it announced last summer.
In correspondence released to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it can be revealed that the council had to “return to the design stage” for its planned upgrades to Wandsworth Bridge Road, says FulhamSW6.
The review of the scheme, work on which was initially expected to begin last August, came about following consultation with Transport for London (TfL). A new approach has since been shared with the transport authority.
A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said the local authority is revisiting the programme for the length of Wandsworth Bridge Road, and that it plans to bring forward an “updated corridor vision” later this year.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council revealed its proposed changes to Wandsworth Bridge Road in July last year.
In a letter distributed to local residents and businesses, Cllr Florian Chevoppe-Verdier, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, wrote the works would begin in the week commencing 18 August, to last roughly a month.
The redesign is part of the wider South Fulham Clean Air Neighbourhood (CAN), a council initiative which has also seen cameras erected on streets either side of Wandsworth Bridge Road to prevent out-of-borough drivers rat-running.
The upgrades were to involve the installation of four raised zebra crossings, new cycle hire parking bays, replacing the existing parklet at the Ryecroft/Bovingdon crossing with an extended kerb featuring communal seating, greenery and planters, and designated loading bays for businesses.
Work was however delayed initially due to the volume of public feedback received and then the council failing to consult TfL, a statutory obligation given Wandsworth Bridge Road is part of the Strategic Road Network.
In documents released following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by the LDRS it was revealed TfL had privately raised concerns about the potential impacts of the changes on bus times.
The LDRS can also now reveal that following an internal review the council has had to adopt “a revised approach to the programme”.
An email sent to TfL by a Lead Engineer at Hammersmith and Fulham Council in February stated:
“This reflects the need to return to the design stage and establish a unified and coherent direction across both Wandsworth Bridge Road (WBR) and the South Fulham Active Travel Network, bringing them together as a single integrated programme.
“This will strengthen technical consistency, operational robustness, and shared understanding of the constraints – particularly around bus operations and the SRN.”
The officer added that as part of this new approach the proposals for crossings and their locations are to be reviewed.
“Working closely with TfL, we will explore whether the controlled crossings could form the earliest deliverable elements of the scheme, while ensuring they remain consistent with the wider corridor vision. We are also aiming to identify opportunities to bring forward early improvements to uncontrolled crossings where supported by evidence and design constraints.”
An executive summary of the amended approach to the scheme is outlined, which includes “rationalised and better‑distributed crossing provision”, reconfigured northern and southern junctions to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, greening upgrades, and integrating improved cycle lane crossings “to ensure seamless connectivity within wider network”.
TfL is recorded as asking how the existing parklets scheme is being monitored, and requested a strategy for this to be presented at the next meeting.
The temporary installation of the parklets along Wandsworth Bridge Road has drawn the ire of some local residents, with the Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative group committing to tearing them out if it wins in next month’s local elections.
(Picture: Mapillary)
