Plan to Close Strand on the Green Footbridge Postponed
Footbridge to Brooks Lane. Picture: Martin Addison
May 12, 2023
Network Rail has told local councillor Peter Thompson that it has suspended its plans to close a footbridge in Chiswick.
The bridge crosses the line to Waterloo between Chiswick Village and Brooks Lane which leads to Strand on the Green School.
It forms a key link to the area particularly for parents of Chiswick at the school who live north of the railway line.
Network Rail had earlier posted notices near the site announcing a closure of the footbridge for 10 weeks as the bridge was ‘life expired’.
Cllr Thompson was unaware of the plan until he saw the notice this week and when he contacted the relevant officers at Hounslow Council he found that they too were unaware of the plan.
Cllr Peter Thompson, who represents Chiswick Riverside ward said, “The first thing we knew about this was when a notice appeared on the bridge recently. I live only a few yards from the bridge and normally Network Rail is pretty good at informing residents about when work will be taking place on the tracks. For this we received nothing. I contacted the Council, who should have been informed about these works, and they know nothing about them either.
“I fully accept that the bridge needs replacing but the lack of information and communication from Network Rail is disappointing. Closing the bridge will have a major impact on local residents and businesses such as our corner shop, riverside pubs, the Post Office and the local dentist. It will also make life challenging for the hundreds of children who use this bridge every day to get to Strand on the Green School and Toddlers World Nursery.”
After Cllr Thompson had raised his concerns, the Traffic Team at the council contacted Network Rail to secure a delay until the school holidays begin. It has also promised to have a proper communication plan in place to ensure that residents are aware of the dates of closure.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said, "I can confirm that we’re planning to delay the work and identify an alternative opportunity to do it. We are hoping to do the majority of the work outside term time but we may need to make use of some railway access (which could be when schools are back) to make sure the work is completed as quickly as possible. Once we have some clarity on what these dates might look like (recognising the challenges of finding suitable railway access without causing undue disruption to services), we will make sure to communicate effectively with the wider community.
"In terms of the replacement bridge, we are funded to renew the structure which does not meet our current standards but are looking to do what we can to improve it at the same time – so for instance, whether we could also install cycle gullies and we will be improving safety at the bridge by increasing the height of the parapet. It is also our intention to perforate the parapet which should also help to reduce anti-social behaviour."
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