The DfT Permanent Secretary told the Public Accounts Committee in October 2020 that governance of the bridge was "slightly confused". Five and a half years later, there is still no named civil servant with delivery accountability. It is the cheapest commitment a minister can make and one of the most powerful for creating a route to accountability. Projects without named owners drift.

LBHF submitted a complete strengthening business case to DfT on 24 April 2023. DfT's own background briefing, released under FOI in March 2026, confirms the date. The case has been under review for three years. Without approval of the business case, Phase 2 of the repair cannot begin. A date lets everyone plan. The current open-ended review does not.

The Taskforce has met 20 times. Only summary statements exist on gov.uk for meetings up to November 2021. The January 2025 minutes were released only after Putney.news submitted a Freedom of Information request, and came partly redacted. Residents paying for the bridge cannot currently read what is being decided on their behalf. Minutes should be published routinely, not only when someone submits an FOI.

The Taskforce is administrative, not statutory. Created by a DfT announcement in September 2020. No legal personality, no budget, no published constitution, no executive powers. Between November 2021 and January 2025 it did not meet for three years and two months. A body that can be silently paused for three years is not a governance mechanism; it is an option ministers exercise when convenient.

The Spending Review of June 2025 announced a £1 billion Structures Fund. £590 million is ring-fenced for the Lower Thames Crossing, leaving £410 million for approximately 3,000 other structures — about £140,000 per structure on average, well below what a major Victorian suspension bridge needs. Ministers have described Hammersmith Bridge as "a good candidate". A commitment, yes or no, is better than another cycle of "coming weeks".

Hammersmith Bridge serves Putney, Roehampton, Wandsworth, Richmond, Barnes and Chiswick residents as much as it serves Hammersmith. Closure has cost Wandsworth residents most dearly in extra bus journeys, rerouting and lost train connectivity. Albert Bridge's 2010-11 repair was funded approximately 25% by Kensington and Chelsea and 75% by Transport for London. Hammersmith has been offered a one-third council share — the largest in any recent Thames bridge refurbishment. Wandsworth's cabinet member said "no money" at the 30 January 2025 Taskforce. That position should be publicly explained.

No minister has given this answer in six years of debates. The Taskforce has ruled out three of its five options and is considering only: status quo, active travel only, and a restricted version of motorised access. Residents are entitled to know whether buses will ever cross the bridge again, or whether the government's de facto position is permanent closure. If it is the latter, it has significant implications for transport planning in south-west London and should be said out loud.