EXPENSIVE repairs are needed to fix the roof of Shepherd's Bush Tube station only four years after it was controversially rebuilt.
Transport for London has confirmed the ceiling and its supporting structure in the ticket hall needs to be replaced after engineers discovered it could become dangerously weak in the future.
The works, which are expected to finish next month, are costing £500,000 but Westfield Shopping Centre, which funded the initial station redevelopment, has agreed to meet the cost after coming to a 'commercial settlement' with TfL.
The station was closed for eight months in 2008 to allow for the redesign, prompting more than 7,000 commuters to sign a petition. The works attracted further controversy after £39m was spent on a plan to install lifts which were never built.
The station will remain open during the latest repairs but Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter is furious at the setback and accused TfL of 'dancing to Westfield's tune'.
He said: "Thousands of my constituents were outraged in 2008 to be given four week’s notice of an eight month closure, and they will be outraged now that the job they suffered so much for was incompetently done and needs repairing so soon. This makes it clearer than ever that nothing mattered four years ago except getting the job done in time to coincide with the opening of Westfield."
Responding to an Freedom of Information request from Mr Slaughter, TfL said: "TfL is carrying out works at Shepherd's Bush Underground station ticket hall to replace the ceiling and its supporting structure and replace the external thermal insulation.
"The suspended ceiling has shown signs of movement and distorts very slightly under some conditions. While our assessment found this was, and is, safe, it was acknowledged that, over time, the ceiling support structure would become weaker and therefore needs to be replaced. After coming to an agreement with Westfield we are rectifying it now before the London 2012 Games."
