Wandsworth Council is facing criticism from residents and local officials over a £600,000 project that repainted two railway bridges at East Putney tube station in vibrant colors, a move some have likened to the branding of IKEA.
The project, which also included upgrades such as "pigeon-proofing," was completed in May 2026 under the council's previous administration. The new paint job, which replaced a muted red, has been described as "garish" and "out of character" with the leafy London suburb.
Homeowner Emma, a resident of Putney for eight years, stated that the new color palette is not in keeping with the surrounding area and has become a local talking point. "It's all just become a bit of a running joke amongst everyone in terms of the IKEA bridge," she said.
Conservative ward councillor George Crivelli expressed his concerns, calling the colors "a bit too bright" and not fitting for the local environment. "My main concern about it was that, in effect, one councillor has decided the colour scheme on it," Crivelli noted. He suggested that consulting local residents would have led to a more suitable outcome.
Council officers stated that the bridges, owned by Network Rail and Transport for London, were repainted according to specifications recommended by the local council and approved by former Labour councillor Finna Ayres. They confirmed that no formal public consultation was conducted as the work was classified as "capital maintenance."
A senior transport planner for the council addressed the backlash last month, stating that there were "no plans to revise the design," considering the number of negative comments to be "relatively few" given the large number of residents and station users. A council spokesperson confirmed the project cost of £600,000 and its completion in May 2026.