A South London council has faced criticism after a railway bridge was repainted in bright blue and yellow colours that residents have compared to IKEA. Wandsworth Council spent £600,000 painting and upgrading two railway bridges at East Putney Tube station, including pigeon-proofing, under the previous Labour administration before the May elections.
Residents brand bridge 'IKEA bridge'
Homeowner Emma, who has lived in Putney for eight years, said the new colours are 'out of character' compared to the previous muted red. The 38-year-old 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 running joke in terms of the IKEA bridge.'
Conservative ward councillor for East Putney, 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.' He added: 'People call it the IKEA bridge, I've heard people say it looks like an IKEA bridge.'
No formal consultation for paint job
Council officers confirmed that the bridges, owned by Network Rail and Transport for London, were repainted according to a specification recommended by the council and approved by former Labour councillor Finna Ayres. No formal consultation was conducted because the work was considered 'capital maintenance' and not legally required. Crivelli said he would have liked to see local residents consulted to achieve a scheme 'more in keeping with the area'.
In response to backlash, a senior transport planner at the council said there were 'no plans to revise the design', noting that negative comments were 'relatively few given the very large numbers of local residents and station users'. A Wandsworth Council spokesperson confirmed the project cost £600,000 and was completed in May 2026. Crivelli remarked: 'The only positive thing about those bright colours is that I suppose it will fade over time, won't it?'
