Wandsworth Council said the work two railway bridges at on East Putney Underground Station cost £600,000, work residents in the southwest London district have blasted
Residents have been left outraged after a council spent £600,000 painting a railway bridge.
Wandsworth Council spent the hefty sum repainting two railway bridges at East Putney Tube station in southwest London as part of upgrade works, including “pigeon-proofing” the metalwork. But locals say the new blue and yellow colour scheme resembles IKEA branding – and even HSS Hire.
The paintjob was carried out in March under the borough’s previous administration, before local elections took place in May. Now, residents have branded the new look a “shame”.
Emma, 38, who has lived in the area for eight years, said the colours were “out of character” for Putney, replacing the bridges’ previous muted red paint. She said: “I just think it’s a bit of a shame they’ve gone for this garish colour palette that’s not in keeping with the surrounding area. It’s all just become a bit of a in terms of the IKEA bridge.”
Council officers said the bridges, which are owned by Network Rail and Transport for London, were repainted to a specification recommended by the local authority. They also confirmed the work was not legally required but was considered “capital maintenance”.
Conservative ward councillor and cabinet member for children George Crivelli said: “I think it’s a bit too bright, and not in keeping with the local area. My main concern about it was that, in effect, one councillor has decided the colour scheme on it.
“What I would have liked was that we actually maybe consulted local residents on it.”
While welcoming the repainting work, he added: “I’m very pleased to see the bridge being repainted, and I’m very pleased to see it being cleaned up, but a lot of people think it’s a bit garish, and I have to say I’m inclined to agree on that.
“People call it the IKEA bridge, I’ve heard people say it looks like an IKEA bridge. Perhaps it’s not really in keeping with the East Putney area overall. The only positive thing about those bright colours is that I suppose it will fade over time, won’t it?”
Responding to the backlash last month, a senior transport planner at the council said there were “no plans to revise the design”, adding that the number of negative comments was “relatively few given the very large numbers of local residents and station users.”
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: “The cost was £600,000 and the project was completed in May 2026.”