Residents’ fury over railway bridge given ‘garish’ £600,000 paintjob in leafy London suburb
A council has been blasted after a railway bridge was given ‘IKEA’ paint.
Wandsworth Council in south-west London has spent £600,000 carrying out improvements such as painting and ‘pigeon-proofing’ two railway bridges at East Putney tube station.
The painting job, carried out in March under the authority’s previous management, was described as ‘flashy’ by locals and compared to brands such as IKEA and HSS rental.
Homeowner Emma, who has lived in Putney for eight years, says she thinks the new colors are ‘out of character’ compared to the previous soft red.
The 38-year-old said: ‘I think it’s a bit of a shame that they’ve gone for this garish color palette that doesn’t blend in with the surrounding area.
‘In terms of the IKEA bridge it has become a joke among everyone.’
Council officials said the bridges, owned by Network Rail and Transport for London, were repainted to a specification recommended by the local council and approved by former Labor councilor Finna Ayres.
Officers confirmed that there had been no formal consultation for the paint job, as it was considered ‘capital maintenance’ and therefore not legally required.
Wandsworth Council in south-west London spent £600,000 on painting and improvements
The painting job, carried out in March under the previous administration of the institution, was called ‘flashy’ by locals
George Crivelli, Conservative ward councilor and cabinet member for children, said: ‘I think it’s a bit too bright and not in keeping with the local area.
‘My main concern about this issue was that it was actually a councilor deciding the color scheme.
‘I wish we could consult local residents about this.
‘This way we could perhaps achieve something that would be more in keeping with the area and something that local people would feel more comfortable with.
‘I’m very pleased to see the bridge repainted and I’m very pleased to see it cleaned up, but a lot of people think it’s a bit garish and I have to say I have to agree on that.
‘People call it the IKEA bridge, I’ve heard people say it looks like the IKEA bridge.
‘Perhaps it doesn’t sit well with the East Putney area in general.
‘I guess the only positive thing about these bright colors is that they will fade over time, right?’
In response to the backlash last month, a senior transport planner at the council said there were ‘no plans to revise the design’ and that the number of negative comments was ‘relatively small given the large number of local residents and station users’.
A Wandsworth Council spokesman said: ‘The cost was £600,000 and the project was completed in May 2026.’
