 In 1931 the London County Council ( LCC ) proposed demolishing Chelsea Bridge and replacing it with a modern six @-@ lane bridge at a cost of £ 695 @,@ 000 ( about £ 42 @.@ 6 million in 2016 ) . Because of the economic crisis of the Great Depression the Ministry of Transport refused to fund the project and the LCC was unable to raise the funds elsewhere . However , in an effort to boost employment in the Battersea area , which had suffered badly in the depression , the Ministry of Transport agreed to underwrite 60 % of the costs of a cheaper four @-@ lane bridge costing £ 365 @,@ 000 ( about £ 22 @.@ 4 million in 2016 ) , on condition that all materials used in the building of the bridge be sourced from within the British Empire . 
