Staveley Road, Burlington Lane and a Cancelled Council Meeting
Chiswick Riverside councillor Sam Hearn reports back on his week
Staveley Road and Burlington Lane – Trial Restrictions
I am still wading through the emails from distressed residents who do not know whether or not their application for access through the new trial access restrictions has been accepted or rejected by Hounslow Council. We are told that that over, 1,600 applications have been received. Unfortunately, residents have not been automatically contacted if their application is successful. My confirmation was received on Thursday, four days after the restrictions were imposed.
Well done to my colleague, Councillor Mike Denniss, whose intervention has resulted in the incorrect signage for the trial restrictions being replaced. Is it too much to expect an apology from Hounslow Council for the confusion and distress that they have caused? As my other ward colleague Councillor Gabriella Giles often says “project planning is a skill not often displayed by this administration”.
Let Hounslow Council know what you think about the new trial scheme. Just click on the link: Have Your Say or email traffic@hounslow.gov.uk .
While you are at it please comment on the Staveley Road / Park Road barrier. The council will shortly be replacing the temporary barrier with a much bigger permanent one. The new trial access restrictions will make the barrier largely redundant. Where is the logic in even contemplating making the barrier permanent before the evidence has been gathered on the impact of the new trial measures? Hounslow Council have provided no explanation.
Have you seen the plans for the proposed permanent barrier? I thought not. May I suggest that you ask Hounslow Council to share them with you? traffic@hounslow.gov.uk
If you wish to protest against the traffic schemes being imposed on Chiswick, you may like to take a look at this petition.
Cancelled Borough Council Meeting – 25th January The Labour Administration decided that there was insufficient business to discuss and cancelled this meeting at short notice. Really? What about all the business that was pushed through the 11th January Hounslow Cabinet meeting; the Council Tax base for 2022/23, updated plans for financing the borough’s schools, increases in council house rent and service charges for 2022/23, and the report on ‘reimagining our town centres’. Nothing to discuss? I beg to differ.
One of the matters raised in the report on school finances is the fact that the local authority funded schools are sitting on what the council itself describes as “excess balances” of nearly £19m. This has been under review since 2016 but only now is the council thinking of about actually clawing some of this money back to spend on other educational areas. Surely this needs a full and detailed public airing?
What this council cannot stand is informed criticism and closing down public debate at borough council meetings is just yet another way of achieving this. What do you do if the Overview and Scrutiny Call-In Panel tells you that your consultations on the plans to make experimental traffic measures permanent are inadequate, and that the data on which your decisions are based is incomplete and unconvincing? Easy, if you are running Hounslow - just ignore the Call-In Panel’s conclusions and plough on regardless.
New Ward Boundaries – Many of you will have received notification from the council about the changes to ward boundaries coming in to affect at the Council Elections on May 5th. For many people there will be no change but for some your polling station will have changed and possibly the name of the ward that you live in. If you are unclear if anything has changed for you, contact your councillor (see below) or elections@hounslow.gov.uk
Do not lose your right to vote and make sure that every eligible person living at your address is registered to vote. This includes anyone over the age of 16, a British, Irish or European Union Citizen or a Commonwealth Citizen with leave to remain (or who does not require leave to remain). If you need to register contact www.gov.uk/registertovote
Turn out at Local Elections can be disappointing so paradoxically your vote is even more valuable than at a General Election. This is your opportunity to determine how essential local services are delivered to you, your family and your neighbours. Now more than ever you need to be sure that your local representatives understand the nature of the climate emergency and how to mitigate its impact.
Monitoring the performance of your councillor - Hounslow Council still refuses to publish the casework statistics for each councillor for ‘technical reasons’ . This is something I have been campaigning on since 2017. I strongly believe that when a sitting councillor asks you to vote for them you are entitled to know how much casework he or she has done over the last four years. Not too much to ask you would think.
Building on the flood plain - Following the refusal by the Planning Committee, earlier this month, of the planning application to build houses on the flood plain adjacent to Hartington Road there is a need to clarify the flood status of the area with the various statutory bodies responsible . The current uncertainty is distressing for residents and unfair to developers acting in good faith. A statement from the council is urgently required.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Most council meetings are now taking place in person at Hounslow House though a few, such as licensing panel meetings, continue to be held virtually. Even if they are held in person, you can watch them live (or later) on the council's YouTube channel . Please check for each meeting by looking at the agenda reports pack for each committee.
The key council meetings coming up are:
- 1st February - 7:00 pm Overview and Scrutiny Committee
- 8th February – 7.00 pm Cabinet Meeting
- 1st March – 7.00 pm 2022/3 Budget Setting Meeting
- 3rd March – 7.00 pm Planning Meeting
SURGERIES ARE BACK!
We are now able to hold face-to-face surgeries again and, as before, will be available in Chiswick and in Gunnersbury. Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the nine Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn). Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Turnham Green ward councillors will take this surgery).
Cllr Sam Hearn
sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
07833 376222
W4 Residents Uniquely Impacted By Grove Park Traffic Measures
Chiswick Homefields councillor John Todd reports back on his week
Grove park residents traffic restrictions. Impact on Chiswick residents. Borough comparison.
Following our successful call-in of the London Borough of Hounslow Council (LBH) restriction barring residents on the Dukes Meadow side of the A316 from entering Staveley Road many other Chiswick residents still face extended journeys to gain access to parts of Grove Park to see doctors and others. The underlying traffic scheme designed to exclude rat running by motorists now materially inhibits Chiswick residents in a way not replicated in other London boroughs.
The Hammersmith and Fulham Borough (H&F) ‘South Fulham Traffic Congestion and Pollution Reduction Scheme’ (TCPR) is described ‘as a precision tool for tackling rat running but not for tackling local traffic activity’. H&F describes Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) as a blunt instrument for tackling rat running alone, more affective at reducing total traffic including local.
Unlike our LTN’s the streets covered by the TCPR scheme remain freely open to all residents of H&F.
Black taxis, local minicabs, carers and healthcare, and visitors pre-registered by residents get access too. Business vehicles or specialised service vehicles get a onetime registration renewed annually. Tradesmen obtain a daily permit.
We, Conservative councillors, have persuaded LBH to make a number of alterations to the new Staveley Road scheme and persuaded our parking services to cancel some PCN’s that were incorrectly issued.
Cllr Sam Hearn our Lead on Traffic and Transport has written to the LBH Assistant Director of Traffic requesting we implement the TCPR concessions adopted by H&F highlighted above.
Dukes Meadows Footbridge sections under construction
Construction is taking place in a huge hangar located in Sittingbourne Kent. The project is on time and without issues.
On the Hounslow Dukes Meadow construction site the bridge supporting pillars and related works are progressing satisfactorily too.
Street drinking – Anti social behaviour
Public Spaces Protection Order (Borough Wide 2017-Alcohol) - This Order introduced on the 1st January 2018 for a period of 3 years restricted the consumption of alcohol in any park, open space or highway in the London Borough of Hounslow.
It’s an effective tool against anti-social behaviour which can have a material detrimental effect on the quality of life in the community. We frequently have empty spirit and other alcohol bottles and related debris left in the Chiswick Lane area.
The Police, businesses and my constituents are shocked to learn that this order was not renewed on the 1/1/21 although street signage still shows the Order to be valid. I’ve asked Cllr Dunne the Labour Cabinet member to give a timetable for the urgent renewal of this Order.
Council tax time
February’s cabinet meeting will announce the tax figure for April 2022-23. The financial cabinet report in November implied no change.
The current Labour administration has been materially increasing staff numbers and its Human Resources department cost. Salaries in 2017-18 totalled £74.7million for 2021-2022 and its now £89.5million. HR costs increased from £500,000 to over £1million. This is in addition to the increase in council tax last year which saw some councillors’ salaries increased, and no doubt with Labour’s track record, they will increase council tax again!
We recently acquired an Assistant Chief Executive who is building a ‘One Hounslow’ empire. She has hired staff costing £800,000 and the Chief Executive £400,000.
HM Government has so far given over £164million to LBH to support council expenditure and grant funding.
Yet again, LBH is to carry forward £25million unspent Capital funds into the next financial year – could this not be spent on helping our local people and economy?
As a Conservative Group, we continue to monitor and challenge.
Cllr John Todd
john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784651
Help Restore Local Democracy and Deliver a Cleaner, Safer Chiswick
Turnham Green councillor Ron Mushiso reports back on his week
A listening Council in 2022
May I start by inviting all residents to join the electoral roll in order to formally participate in our local democracy. Your Chiswick Area Forum is perhaps the last stand in the fight to restore our local democracy. We have pledged that if the Conservatives win back control of the Council in May 2022, your voices will be heard and will be followed with immediate action, and the level of consultation and feedback restored to a proper level for residents and stakeholders in Chiswick.
After all our primary role is to serve our community. The body of our work collectively in opposition as the nine Chiswick Conservative Councillors can be evidenced by our continued attempts to engage co-operatively with the administration on a borough wide basis. We are now ready to present ourselves as the credible alternative to the current administration occupying Hounslow House.
We want to hear from you directly because that’s what local democracy is about. Our next Chiswick area Forum is on Tuesday 18 th January from 7pm and will be held online.
Agenda for Chiswick Area Forum on Tuesday, 18 January 2022, 7:00 pm | London Borough of Hounslow
In May 2022 you will finally get to express your dissatisfaction with the current local administration. Time for a change, we can do better. With thousands of angry emails in our inboxes seeking explanations and justification for sudden road closures, fines for driving around the neighbourhood and lack of consultation; we are still counting the cost of Cllr Khan (the lead member for transport at Hounslow) and Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London and boss of transport policy). The reduction in the quality of life emanating from their bizarre schemes is made clear by the millions of pounds being extracted in penalty charges levied for accessing local streets; and interference with the public good in Chiswick alone with unworkable schemes and street space costs now costing the taxpayer millions of pounds more.
The relationship between the proper governance of the council and the people it is supposed to serve is at all-time low. After 12 years in control, the administration has grown overweight, lethargic and arrogant. It has been weighed down by layers of bureaucracy and financial mismanagement. It has developed gluttonous appetite for a quick buck, a TfL scheme, an LTN and repackaging central Government funding into costly initiatives to try and appear benevolent. They have spectacularly misjudged the public anger and frustration. There has been calls within their own ranks for cabinet members to resign. And yet the administration continues to exercise its power over the individual with its whopping 50 seat majority.
Even as an independent report suggested that communities ought to be given more powers to manage their own affairs; this outfit shows no sign of decentralising its authority. It was Ronald Reagan who said ‘No socialist government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size.’ That’s why May 2022 is such an important junction for restoring our local democracy.
The ward boundaries for Turnham Green are changing slightly for May 2022 as is the name. It means that if we are re-elected, Cllrs Biddolph, Gill and I, will have the honour of representing residents on Popes Lane and Lionel Road North. Our ward will be known as Chiswick Gunnersbury instead of Turnham Green.
The name change might actually come with some surprising benefits for residents. I was told that the Autumn and Winter leaf clearing schedule was on the whole carried out alphabetically per each ward. If this turns out to be the case, then our new name will bump us up from the last spot to third. Good news for residents on leafy streets such as Barrowgate Road, Duke’s Avenue, Linden Gardens and the Gunnersbury estate.
A Safer Chiswick
The most immediate concern for our residents in Turnham Green/ Chiswick Gunnersbury is theft of vehicle and theft from motor vehicles. We are currently working closely with our newly assigned Police Officer to increase patrols in the residentials areas that have been the target by criminals in recent months. Council officer have been proactive as well. Cllr Biddolph and I recently met a group of residents alongside a Safer Communities Officer from the Council to discuss the next steps. The following measures, that residents and motorists should consider, were suggested.
- To use steering locks or vehicle immobilizers when your car is parked.
- To keep all belongings out of view in the car.
- To consider the use of Smart Water to mark valuable items in the home and the car.
- To use the Smart Water warning stickers to deters would be criminals.
There are a number of concerns about thefts of vehicle equipment across London, particularly when catalytic converters are being stolen from vehicles. This website has useful information about preventative measure What is catalytic converter theft and how can you prevent it? | heycar.
Police Recruitment Drive
In 2019 the Central Government pledged 20,000 new police officers by the end of this parliament. Currently we are at 12,000 out of 166,615 applications. Of the current recruits, 43% of them are women and 12% from the ethnic minority background.
Last week I met Grace Bernard-Broadreck, the Outreach Team Lead for the Metropolitan Police to explore ways in which can help recruit our forces from within our communities. They are appealing to Chiswick as a civic minded community with webinars ( hashtag #BTheChangeUWant2C,) as part of their drive to recruit 6,000 new officers across the capital by end of this Parliament.
The career in the Met is available for anyone aged between 17- 54 years of age. I was especially intrigued by the Police Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) for some of our young school leavers, provided they have achieved GCSE C grade or above in English and Maths.
Beyond recruitment we also discussed how councillors and residents can build better relationships between young and the Metropolitan Police. We agreed that on whole young people, especially those from the poorer background, did not have a positive association with the Police. That’s why we visited the Hogarth Youth Centre and Rocks Lane courts to discuss how we can best work collaboratively to build better relationship with our youth. Among the ideas we discussed included coordinating the Police Ride Along Schemes and Youth Forums through these local organisations.
A Greener Chiswick
I am delighted to announce that our Chiswick Clean up team will be out in force once again on Sunday 23 rd January. The centre of operations will be at Christ Church on Turnham Green, but we do travel out from there. This is also a good opportunity to remind anyone who is interested doing a Litter Pick a little closer to their home, that we can help organise it for you. Who knows you may even get one of the nine Chiswick Councillors in attendance to get you up and running!
We are always looking for more volunteers to expand our network. So, if you have a passion for doing your bit and giving back to the community, then this is the opportunity to meet with other like- minded souls. Although the act of litter picking is humbling and might seem a small act, the gesture is always appreciated by fellow residents and passers-by.
Meeting Place – Christ Church Turnham Green on Sunday 23 rd January (Entrance at Town Hall Avenue)
Start Time – 2:30pm
End time and refreshment – 3:30pm
Lets keep Chiswick Clean and Green
Cllr Ron Mushiso
ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702887
The Kafkaesque Madness Continues
Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph reports back on her week
Devonshire Road – is it open or closed?
Last week's news was all about Devonshire Road. Out went the hideous concrete planters and the seldom-used green bike parking planters; in came white and yellow lines on the road surface revealing an even more bonkers scheme than anyone could have imagined – and you can be sure I have imagined. Given the sensible points made to me by the council's consultants commissioned to find a compromise, and the traders' wish to do the same, I can only assume that the council ignored their recommendations just as it ignores majority public opinion. It makes decisions from a comfy chair in its own cosy echo chamber.
Back in the real world, the signs at the top of the road, for anyone contemplating turning into it from Chiswick High Road by whatever mode of transport, show just how determined Hounslow council is to worsen divisions. As one person said, they are negative not positive. A bit like all Hounslow's policies – how can we hit people to force change, rather than how can we encourage people to change. It's not carrot and stick; it's only stick. Or, as a resident put it last week, we live in a Stalinist-Leninist state. Another used the word Kafkaesque.
Instead of installing positive signs explaining when drivers can drive through (and therefore when they can't), the signs at the top focus on only some of the facts. It is a cycle and pedestrian zone between 5pm and 8am – there is nothing to say you can drive down it between 8am and 5pm. Given that so many of its shops rely on customers who can park and that, regardless of cycling fanatics' fantasies, car drivers are not en masse going to become cargo-bike owners overnight, signs should be designed so that they don't treat information in a miserly Scrooge-like way. Soon after I was elected in 2018, someone (I can't remember who) said that if Labour can complicate something, they will. And they certainly have on Devonshire Road.
Why 5pm and other questions?
Even more negative is the way in which space for outdoor drinking and dining has been arranged, demonstrating with great clarity that the council hasn't a clue not just about how the road works and how Chiswick works but also how retail works. Space outside numbers eight to 22 has been blocked off for outdoor dining and this applies during the day and in the evening. That benefits only the cafes/restaurants along that stretch. Restaurants further along, or on the other side of the road, cannot use the spaces in front of them – even after 5pm when driving is prohibited except for access (still unexplained) and no-one is allowed to park. Empty spaces outside must remain empty – why? Because LBH doesn't want to implement a scheme that might work, that might unite rather than divide, that might support enterprise. The word used last week when I dropped in on various businesses and chatted with owners was, unfair. I know no-one ever said life would be fair but this incomprehensible control-freakery reaches new heights of unfairness. I have, or course, asked LBH to put it right.
Other questions remain unsatisfactorily answered including why after 5pm and not after 6.30pm. The council responded with "the restriction is based on widely accepted working hours ". Well, yes, in local authority offices where nine-to-five is the norm but, beyond that, businesses work later and on shopping roads 6pm is typical after which owners need to tidy up, close down, load their vans, set the alarm and leave. I believe that a compromise on the road of 6.30pm would have been welcomed by all. Instead, we have yet more anger.
C9T and calling-in Hounslow cabinet's decision
Anyone following, or dipping in and out of, the Brentford Today & TV Facebook page, will have seen the terrible coverage of the terrible overview and scrutiny committee (reduced to a farce worthy of the West End) at which three of us were treated to a slap on the back of our hands from nanny for using adjectives nanny didn't like. If you read the story on chiswickw4.com you'll know that Cllr Gerald McGregor was told off for saying the council was "trashing" Chiswick High Road but was allowed to say it was turning it into a "pigsty" though, later, this too was criticised; and that Cllr Ron Mushiso was slapped down for using the word "pressurised" because it was negative, but allowed to say "forced" which has no negative connotations in a Socialist borough. I was reprimanded for using the well-known and widely-understood term "loaded questions", the word "loaded" being offensive, apparently. Given that I was using it to describe a specific consultation format used by LBH in Chiswick last year, it was factual. After all, everyone who completed the Commonplace survey – whatever their views – knew its questions were loaded. Denying reality is how life must be lived in Hounslow.
Which brings me to next week's news which is about C9T (T for temporary, which we all know is a sham description). After the absurdity of the woke-fuelled scrutiny committee meeting, the controversial cabinet report on C9T was rubber stamped at a cabinet meeting which was attended by four of its 10 members (the quorum is three). It was no less full of self-praise than if it had been attended by all.
That decision has been called-in by Conservative councillors – a call-in being a device that allows councillors to ask for a decision to be reviewed by the overview and scrutiny committee. My Conservative councillor colleagues have called it in and for all six permitted reasons: inadequate consultation prior to the decision; the absence of adequate evidence; the decision is contrary to the policy framework; the action is not proportionate to the desired outcome; a potential human rights challenge; insufficient consideration of legal and financial advice. See the full details here.
Although previous call-ins have been heard by the full scrutiny committee, Hounslow council's new constitution stipulates that they are heard by a small sub-committee of five, one of them from the opposition. Have the other four been hand-picked not to rock the boat?
Spend, spend spend: £20 voucher for every household in the borough
The government is to give Hounslow council £2.3m to support local businesses. Having distributed many more millions of government (ie yours and mine) money in much-needed grants during Covid, this further amount is contingent on the council having distributed all the additional restrictions grant it was allocated in full and by last Friday, 30th July. It's been on spending spree, making surprise payments to some businesses so it can qualify for the extra money and I'm very pleased indeed for the businesses that have benefited. I'm saddened that the council refused to include our dry cleaners and travel companies in the list for these unexpected windfall payments; they were not mandated to close during lockdowns so did not benefit from the same grants as, for example, hospitality businesses. (On that point, please do take in your curtains, duvets, throws, blankets and anything else that could do with a clean; we need all our traders to keep trading.)
Assuming it's been successful, the £2.3m is to be distributed in vouchers of £20 a household throughout the borough – to be spent in local shops. Only shops that have signed up to the scheme can take part so the Chiswick Shops Task Force (run by Cllr Patrick Barr, Cllr Gabriella Giles and me) has been busy emailing the independent shops on our list encouraging them to sign up. I was told last week that twice as many shops in Chiswick had signed up compared with the whole of the rest of the borough.
So now it's over to you. You know what happens with vouchers. Most of us put them aside to use later – then forget, only to find them after the deadline wishing we'd remembered. The details haven’t yet been announced but do please, make a plan now so you are ready. What will you buy, where and with or for whom (yourself included)? What would a £20 boost make you do – shop or eat out somewhere you haven't been before, or love to go but haven't been because of Covid-19 or buy a treat you wouldn't otherwise buy? There's so much choice in Chiswick, don't let the voucher go to waste. Participating shops will display stickers and will be on a map on a council website (details to be revealed later). Without prescribing profligacy, I do encourage you to spend, spend, spend this voucher.
Brentford Football Club getting ready for kick off
Saturday saw a friendly between Brentford and West Ham providing a test for all that is involved in putting on a match. Councillors have had briefings – and briefed officers – which were revealing on many levels. Including a big clean-up of the surrounding area so that visitors see a beautiful borough – just as, as it is rumoured, organisations spruce up their loos when HM The Queen’s coming to visit.
Still, this equivalent of playing the ball wide, is at least a partial result for part of Chiswick. The fly posting on the site of the Chiswick Curve/Holly House on Chiswick roundabout has been cleared from the side of the roundabout that can be seen from roads/pavements. The fly posting on the side facing B&Q was not removed, nor was the graffiti on the side of 250 Gunnersbury Avenue facing Power Road. I reported both sites many months ago but Hounslow is negotiating a change in policy with Hounslow Highways (HH) – instead of HH removing fly posting and graffiti from wherever it is visible from the public network (ie not on private roads), it will only remove it from public property. It's a retrogressive step and explains why graffiti remains on the stalls outside Sainsbury's and on the Collins stall at Holly Road.
Fly tipping remains one of the aspects of HH's work that is, in my experience, extremely efficiently handled removing it within 24 hours, as stipulated in its contract. By chance, I bumped into two HH employees who were working out how to return a Lidl trolley when there isn't a Lidl in Chiswick and returning owned fly-tipping such as trolleys over a borough boundary is considered inappropriate. The fly tipping removal team consists of two teams of two people and two trucks though they can call on additional trucks if reports are higher than the two can cope with. Kevin and Roy, the team of two I met on Friday, do a terrific job with no sense of exhaustion or dulled routine in a job that never ends. Without wanting to burden them with more of this back-breaking but apparently not soul-destroying work, do report fly tipping to HH straightaway, adding a photo helps.
Councillor candidate selections
The Conservative party has been selecting its candidates to stand for election in 2022 and some very exciting new people have been selected to stand in Chiswick. At the selection for Chiswick Gunnersbury ward, which is what Turnham Green ward becomes in May 2022 when it takes in the whole of Gunnersbury Park and the residents along the south of Popes Lane and down Lionel Road North, I was asked an extremely pertinent question about why council life is so combative when, in business, negotiating a compromise is the norm. As I said, much of our work is done direct with officers and those relationships are often extremely respectful and professional; disagreements are discussed often leading to agreeable decisions. The back and forth of ill-feeling and worse is usually between councillors with inevitably opposing views on the most controversial policies. The nine of us have achieved many a compromise on non-controversial issues – but they don't make the news.
Frustration Over CPZs, the Cycleway and Casework
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Sam Hearn reports back on his week
Councillor Sam Hearn
Thursday 15th July: Received confirmation today from the council that although the consultation on the extension of the operational hours of the Strand-on-the-Green CPZ began on the 7th July no actual changes can be progressed until the outcome of the consultation is known. This means that it unlikely that any measures will be in place before the first full capacity match is held at the new Brentford Stadium. I have also been advised by officers that it would be inappropriate for the short term measures to be brought in using a temporary traffic order.
Many residents still need convincing that living next door to a large football stadium will not negatively impinge on their normal lives. As someone who wishes Brentford Football Club every success I am baffled as to why after years of preparation the council have managed to let down both the club and local residents quite so badly. I do not think that residents will be amused If ‘match day’ means convoys of away supporters cruising around the area and filling every available resident’s parking spot. Then of course there are the many residents of Chiswick Riverside living in other CPZs that Hounslow Council has refused to consult about the possibility of extending the operating times of their CPZs.
Friday 16th July: Following a tip-off by a resident I have investigated and then alerted officers to gaps appearing between the river-path and the river-wall on Strand on the Green. I have been assured by the council that the problem will be investigated and any necessary remedial action taken. Those with long memories will recall that the rive path and wall were excluded from the PFI contract signed with Hounslow Highways. Residents have long been asking for the pathway to be re-surfaced with a non-slip material that throws the water off into the river. Those who do not live in the area may not appreciate that at this point the river is tidal and that the pathway is regularly completely inundated.
Saturday 17th July: The local authority elections are less than ten months away and we are preparing for the ward members’ vote on the final slate of candidates. Each ward needs three candidates. I caste my eye down a surprisingly long list of those who have passed the initial selection processes and would like to represent the residents Chiswick Riverside. My mind drifts back to canvassing on the cold wet and dark November evenings in the by-election at which I was first elected. There is a great deal to be done before May 2022, not least adjusting to the new ward boundaries and inducting the new candidates into the intricate workings of Hounslow Council.
Sunday 18th July: I dig out my papers on the Area Forum. The next Chiswick Area Forum is not until October (our last one was in January). Despite the lip-service paid to community engagement and listening to residents nothing illustrates more starkly this council’s lack of commitment to bringing local decision making closer to residents than this extraordinary nine-month gap between meetings of the borough’s Area Forums. I was recently elected by my group to be Deputy Chair of the Chiswick Area Forum. This has reinforced my commitment to championing local issues and making the Chiswick Area Forum as effective as possible. Please contact either the Chair (Cllr Jo Biddolph) or me if you have concerns that you wish to be raised at the next meeting.
Monday 19th July: There are times when casework can leave any councillor feeling helpless and frustrated. A young woman who has been living with her small child in a local hostel for two years is stuck in limbo. The lockdown has taken its toll on her as it has on so many other vulnerable people. She is grateful for the help that she has received when she most needed it. However, she has been assessed as being ready to move on into independent accommodation but has now been told that she is on a waiting list for longer term housing and that the council “cannot give specific time frames about when you will be made an offer of alternative accommodation”. The theoretical possibility of moving out of London exists but the bureaucracy involved and the uncertainty are obstacles that are hard to climb over. I discuss the generic problem with other councillors to see what advice they can give.
Tuesday 20th July: This evening’s Cabinet Meeting is broadcast on YouTube – The consideration of the proposal to impose a new experimental traffic order (ETO) begins nineteen minutes into the video. Following the robust discussion of this issue at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) I had naively expected some consideration of the objections raised at that meeting and the minority report published after the OSC meeting. Remarkably the cabinet felt able to reach a decision to proceed with the new ETO with almost no mention of either the opposition to the cycleway expressed at the OSC meeting or the minority group’s report.
Since the existing experimental traffic order is the subject of ongoing legal disputes I am limited in the comments that I can make. However, it is worth saying that the existing cycleway has not generated the modal-shift from vehicle transport to bicycles that might justify such an expensive experiment nor is there any solid evidence of an overall improvement in air quality along the route. The proposed modifications at the heart of the new ETO are aimed at reducing journey times for motorised transport on Chiswick High Road and NOT at promoting either modal-shift or improving air quality. In addition, the existing scheme has some basic technical flaws that are not addressed by the modifications in the new ETO.
Wednesday 21st July: Cllr Biddolph has finally received a response to her detailed questions to officers about the decision to partially reopen Devonshire Road. The Lead Member’s original statement on this was devoid of many important “details”. It now emerges that the reinstatement of parking bays is largely nugatory and no thought has been given as to how long the open-air restaurants can operate in the evening. Several other operational questions remained unanswered. Let us hope that when the present scheme is reviewed that there will be a full consultation on all the options. Perhaps this a suitable matter to be discussed at the Area Forum?
Thursday 22nd July: Following intensive discussions amongst members of the Conservative Councillor Group it has been agreed that the decision by the Hounslow cabinet to proceed with a new ETO for cycleway 9 must be called in to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC). The cycleway 9 scheme is complex and extensive and there was little evidence that cabinet members had any detailed knowledge of what was proposed.
No detailed large-scale maps were made available to the cabinet that could have assisted them in the decision-making. Nor was there any indication that a site visit had been considered or that any local councillors or residents’ groups had been consulted. Not what residents might have reasonably expected.
The existing ETO was authorised as a senior officer’s decision without reference to the cabinet. At the very least you might think that cabinet members would have queried why they were required to approve the new experimental traffic order when that had been deemed unnecessary for the original ETO.
The Lead Member responsible for the cycleway made passing reference to the original cycleway 9 scheme that received cabinet approval in 2019 as if this somehow justified the proposal for a new ETO. Again, there was no apology for having tried to implement a far more expensive version of the cycleway that would have involved ripping up pavements and destroying mature trees. He of course ignored the fact that over 5,000 residents had signed a petition against the original version of the cycleway. And so life goes on.
Traffic and Transport - Another Public Relations Disaster
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Gerald McGregor reports back on his week
Councillor Gerald McGregor
Last month Councillor Sam Hearn (Chairman Traffic and Transport Sub-Committee) and I had the pleasure of a meeting the Assistant Director in Environmental Services with responsibility for Traffic. On Tuesday 13th July we attended a further meeting, The London Borough of Hounslow Overview and Scrutiny Committee public panel.
The subject was public consultation on the current status of the Chiswick High Road experimental cycling scheme and the need for a form of consultation (Note: not a public consultation forum prior to action) because TfL is seeking a physical amendment to the scheme because of poor design in its function of limiting motor vehicles, slowing public transport and generally putting Chiswick back by a century.(Note: particularly not talking about public feedback)
The meeting was held at Hounslow House, the £64 million silver and white elephant that was paid for by council taxpayers, and all participants were socially distanced. Our role (Cllr Hearn and myself) was to comment on the way we could pilot and kick start proper consultation and we represented Homefields and Riverside wards.
In my last opportunity to talk and listen using my report back I talked about related schemes (particularly Devonshire Road in Chiswick) and the position of the multitude of policy frameworks and divisions of responsibility between Hounslow and TfL and who precisely is making decisions that threaten the livelihoods of Chiswick Traders and limiting progress for Businesses. This duplication of TfL and LBH decisions is at the heart of a democratic consultation deficit. Nobody understands the nature of the importance of Chiswick High Road and fiddling around with it is creating devastating outcomes across the four wards of Chiswick
Unfortunately this subject came up again as a presentation by the LBH officer team failed to meet the objectives of talking about engagement, or about presentation or about consultation and again talked up the massive importance of a new emergency traffic order (not talking about further massive costs and more inconvenience for Chiswick residents) and a heated debate between Committee members and officers led to unseemly calling out and a degree of disarray that now appears to be infecting public life.
Your representatives were then called out for using language that was deemed inappropriate. I changed my language after asking for a ruling from the chair. I then described the outcome as a “pigsty” which to my surprise was acceptable. (This is getting more and more like Fred Karno’s army with Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel all playing parts in a bleak comedy of ideology.) It is really damaging to the reputation and hence the authority of Hounslow Council.
You can see it all on the website.
Roll on May 2022. Your election candidates will be committed to listening and responding. We are developing our manifesto and we will share the outcomes on subjects like communications, localism and listening and improving the rights of residents, leaseholders and tenants to peaceful enjoyment of their property.
The whole Consrervative Team is working hard on behalf of the residents of Chiswick.
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
In Praise of Rocks Lane for Supporting Our Schools in Chiswick
Turnham Green ward councillor Ron Mushiso reports back on his week
Councillor Ron Mushiso
The last time I wrote a blog here I pointed out that Chiswick was well placed on its path to a strong recovery from the pandemic because the leadership was coming from the community rather than the administration at Hounslow Council.
I highlighted as an example, the fact that Chiswick was now a host to three Sunday Markets each month. We’ve recently had another successful Flower Market last week. The Antique Market is taking place this Sunday and of course the Cheese market on the 18th July. People have been flocking to the High Road in record numbers to sample the delights of the markets and subsequent footfall has brought much needed weekend business to our retailers.
Moreover, these community led initiatives are great opportunities to meet and socialise after so many months under lockdown. We all have our fingers crossed in the hope that this weekend might turn out to be a memorable sporting occasion. So after the Antiques Market, I will be back glued to my television cheering on Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and the rest of the England team urging them to ‘bring it home.’ If you ever needed any confirmation of the transformative power of sports, then this will be it. The virtues of hope and the weight of expectation will be unimaginable, even to someone like me who witnessed 1996. The power of sports is extraordinary. It can engage you on so many levels including as a participant, spectator, coach and referee. That’s why I believe that sports, more specifically school sports is crucial. The space for a community led recovery through sports for young people has started to take shape. I will be outlining below how one organisation in Chiswick is already taking the lead.
I’ve kept regular contact with the team at Rocks Lane throughout the pandemic sharing best practice for delivering coaching sessions in a Covid-19 secure way. As coaches/teachers we share the view that sports where children develop in their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Sports can also help develop other important life skills such as teamwork, perseverance and leadership.
A child’s positive association with sports and physical activity can build confidence and help break through social-economic and cultural barriers. This can translate to child’s opportunity to have new experiences, make new friends and learn about the other important personal qualities such as respect, teamwork and fair play. These trait are the corner stones for any strong community.
Physiologically I have a genuine fear that the physical literacy of our young pupils has fallen behind as result of the pandemic. I am in no doubt that some of the basic components of fitness that we teach in early years such as coordination, flexibility, speed and endurance have been affected by the disruption.
Rocks Lane has truly lived up to its name as a ‘Rock’ in our community providing multi sports activities to hundreds of children and adults on its site each week. They have been operating for the past 16 years providing tennis, 5-a-side, netball and hockey all year round. During the lockdown, the management team led by Barry Murray and Chris Warren were working tirelessly behind the scenes to offer some limited services in keeping with the Covid-19 regulations and to prepare for the full reopening.
Responding to our call for a Community Led Recovery, Rocks Lane have announced an initiative that enables all state schools in Hounslow to use their facilities for free. Rocks Lane will have coaches on hand to take sessions and assist teachers with large groups of children. There will also be opportunities for children visiting the site to learn new sports. They has recently added 6 Padel tennis courts to the site and is now the largest Padel tennis centre in the UK.
I will be urging Head Teachers and schools to follow up on this offer by writing to them in the coming weeks. The timings couldn’t be better. Last month the Department for Education confirmed that it had extend the PE and Sports premium to July 2022. The PE and Sports premium was first introduced by the Conservative Government in coalition to improve the quality of teaching of PE and Sport in our primary school. This would ensure that our pupils would have positive experience and association with sports and form the early foundation for our children to lead activity and health lifestyle.
The department for Education pledged a further £320 million investment towards the PE and Sport Premium to encourage more children to return to sports and physical activities after lockdown. The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson MP has given primary schools greater spending flexibility by announcing that he would allow schools to carry forward any unspent grants that would otherwise had been ring-fenced for an academic cycle.
Primary schools will now have more resources available to them as they continue to improve the quality of their sports and physical activities programme. Lessons must be robust enough to challenge the higher ability pupils on the one hand, while being able to be differentiated enough to engage with the lesser ability pupils.
As we recover, I want to evoke Edmund Burke and encourage more ‘little platoons’ such as Rocks Lane to continue to come forward and add to the mediatory institutions that will help to accelerate our return to normality.
As illustrated above, there will always be space for Government intervention in a crisis. But as a Conservative, I believe strongly that we must move away from the assumption that Government must be the sole operator on our path to recovery. Community initiative such as those provided by Rocks Lane must be central. As we go into the Local Elections next year, we will be arguing for more powers to be given back to our communities. The community response to the pandemic was overwhelming. We must build on this with every aspect our lives but more crucially, where the health, education and wellbeing of our children is concerned.
Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre W4 1RZ - barry@rockslane.co.uk
Cllr Ron Mushiso
Licensing, Keeping It Local and the Environment
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles reports back on her week
Councillor Gabriella Giles
Normally, I would use this blog to update you all on what I’ve been up to since the last time I wrote. However, in a week where England beat Germany for the first time in a major tournament since some unforgettable event, I thought it best to keep it the past couple of weeks!
Licensing
Following Tuesday’s eventful game that thankfully didn’t go to extra time, or penalties, I sat on the licensing panel for the controversial application of Chiswick Business Park to amend its current licence. I say controversial, because of the past 11 panels I have sat on (more than any other councillor in the past year save the chairman), this panel had four objectors and the largest number of representations to an application I have seen in my time as a member of the licensing committee.
Given the number of representations, and the Chairman’s unusual decision to give each of the objectors five minutes to state their case, instead of the usual practice of sharing the objectors’ time amongst the speakers, I knew that this was going to be a tricky panel hearing.
I worked for a company that is based in the business park between 2012 and 2020, and therefore was in a different position from the Labour councillors who sat alongside me. The Chairman, Cllr Richard Foote, admitted to not even knowing the site, and not having made the journey as it was over an hour’s drive for him. This is all available via the youtube recording.
Obviously, I have experienced first-hand what Enjoy Work does for its guests, and how it has tried to become part of the Chiswick community. However, it was apparent from reading the objections that the standards that they set initially had slipped.
Listening to the objectors on Tuesday night, I could understand their concerns and frustrations. The company hasn’t done all it could to be a good corporate neighbour to residents in both Hounslow and Ealing (it backs onto Bollo Lane which is in Ealing's South Acton ward).
The proposed conditions from Enjoy Work had gone some way to address this but they weren’t written in a way that would be enforceable. In our deliberations, I proposed to the panel that we reinforce the conditions to align with the borough’s model conditions and add an additional condition that Enjoy Work now engage in quarterly meetings with residents, specifically with the chairwomen of the West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society and Edmunds House Residents Association (the block of flats on Bollo Lane that overlooks the Business Park).
Local Businesses
The week before, I was at the Business Park to attend local resident Jeannie Shapiro’s Chiswick Lunch Break networking initiative, which is going to evolve into the Chiswick Business Network. After my role at the Business Park was made redundant due to the pandemic, I set up my own company, so it was great to go along to an in-person, socially distanced networking event and meet other local business owners.
Chiswickians are an entrepreneurial bunch and it was great to meet people who do so many different things from running the local rugby club (do you know they do laser tag and tag rugby there now?), digital marketing, film and cinema publishing, marketing, video production, sustainable gift giving and even a USP hunter and a divorce coach. When Hounslow Council talks about making Chiswick in a 15/20-minute city, I find it risible, because, in reality it already is.
ShopLocal Voucher Scheme
On 24th June all councillors received an email from Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, the cabinet member for finance, announcing that the council hoped to launch a voucher scheme for independent businesses in the borough. As a member of the Chiswick Shops Task Force, I immediately raised questions with my fellow councillors, and Cllr Joanna Biddolph has escalated several of these points, and others that have been raised by business owners, to the administration. We are still waiting for a response.
The Government has given Hounslow a conditional allocation of £2.3m. This is conditional on fully distributing, by 30th June 2021, the £7.8m Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) that was allocated to the council to support businesses whose trade was affected by the pandemic. If this additional £2.3m is not used for business support prior to 31 March 2022, the balance will need to be returned to the government.
So now, if enough businesses register for the scheme, each household will receive a £20 voucher to spend in a local independent business. Given that July is “Shop Independent Month” (an import from the USA), I would really like to see the take-up rates and see if this does change anybody’s normal shopping habits. I would hate to think that the council would be wasting such a substantial amount of money on a vanity project.
Trees
Part of the joy of living in Chiswick is that our forebears had some great visions when building our neighbourhoods and planted lots of trees. However, in Chiswick Riverside ward, your councillor team constantly encounters issues with the forest type trees that have been planted outside homes. Responding to a resident’s request, I met with them and a representative of Hounslow Highways to discuss one particular tree in Strand-on-the-Green. It was a productive meeting and, while there is a strict timetable for Hounslow Highways when it comes to tree management, it has raised a lot of further questions and opportunities for change and improvement to the current policy. As the environment spokesperson for the Conservative group, I have some ideas and will be sure to share them when they are more concrete.
Environment
One of my favourite parts of representing Chiswick Riverside ward is that it’s an extremely special part of Chiswick where many come to enjoy the river. Regular readers of this blog will be aware of my involvement with Seal Watch. This group has been set up to observe seals in our part of the Thames and we have been working on several projects to raise awareness of marine mammals in the Thames. We have seen over the last few months that our river is healthy and not biologically dead and, with the completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel in 2025, we can expect it to become even cleaner.
We have been working with DEFRA to ensure that pinnipeds (seals like Freddie Mercury) are protected under law from harassment, much in the same way as are whales, dolphins, and deer. We have a petition that is growing in support, an Early Day Motion asking for an early review and amendment to the Conservation of Seals act 1970, and a few other projects in the works. Locally, we have secured confirmation from Hounslow Council to install some signs to raise awareness and have secured support from several local establishments along the river to support our activities.
Arch Day
Thank you to all who have already signed the petition, and to Active360, one of our local Arch businesses, and to regular seal spotters for being so instrumental in this group. Sunday 3rd July marks #archday, part of the #loveyourlocalarches campaign. Over the past few months, I’ve been popping in from time to time to see how the paddle boarders at Active360 are converting the spaces they use under Kew Bridge. When their project is complete, you will be able to paddle board all year round - with both on the river and indoor training. After a rather hilarious first outing on a paddle board last year, I think I’ll stick to the indoor training for a while, so it’s super to know that this business is just on our doorstep.
Environmental Champions
My role isn’t all about the river and , since March, I’ve been working with residents, the council and local police to see what we can do to improve the alleyways in the borough. The intention is to run a scheme where residents can “adopt an alleyway” as part of the Environmental Champions scheme. I should hopefully have some more information following a meeting next week. If you are looking for a way to get involved with your local community, please click through to the Environmental Champions link.
Other News
- Chiswick Pier Trust is delighted that the annual Party on the Pier will be going ahead on 25th July. A great day for all the family, find out more here.
- Hounslow council has finally announced its long-awaited consultation on match day parking for parts of Riverside. In 2019, the response rate was less than 25% so please keep an eye on the council’s consultation page for further news.
- If you live near a school, or have children who attend one of the schools impacted by a school street, be sure to complete the consultation that closes on 26th July
- The Thames Landscape Strategy will be hosting its annual fundraiser in September, and tickets will go on sale on 12th July. It’s a great event and, with David Attenborough as a patron, an event not to be missed.
- PCR Testing at Brentford Community Stadium a couple of weeks ago was poorly attended but I went along to look and get a test. As we come out of lockdown, we do still need to be vigilant in maintaining hands, face, space, and fresh air. If you haven’t had a vaccination, then there are regular walk-in events across the borough. You can find out more here.
- Online Watch Link (OWL) has now launched an app so you can instantly receive the latest alerts to your phone or tablet. Download this by searching for “OWL Crime Alerts” in your app store.
- On the Hartington Road and the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme, work continues and your councillors in Riverside ward are working with several local residents to ensure that any permanent scheme is simple and fair to all residents of the ward.
Cllr Gabriella Giles
A More Homely and Intimate Bedford Park Festival
Cllr Gerald Mcgregor on issues of concern in Chiswick Homefields ward
Councillor Gerald McGregor
The Bedford Park Festival
The festival started on Saturday 12 June with a children’s fun day and the opening of the Art Exhibition. This year the exhibition was entitled “Art in a Time of Pandemic” and the works truly reflected the changes in our habits and values during the last few grisly months. As reported earlier the music part of the festival kicked off with well attended socially distanced audiences listening to romantic songs one evening and a lunchtime Elgar Organ Recital a couple of days later. The church, St Michael and All Angels in Bedford Park hosted these events.
Last Sunday the church held two separate renditions of “Mozart with Friends - the Juritz Concert” , with each audience spell bound by the two works played. The group of Judith Busbridge, Adrian Bradbury, and Paul Edmond Davies led by David Juritz received a warm welcome (matching the weather outside) and the applause at the end deservedly prolonged.
The festival is known for show casing talent and asking local residents to talk to an audience. This time Torin Douglas was in the hot seat on Monday talking about his long service at the BBC.
The original church fete that became the Bedford Park Festival was also reprised.
On Saturday 26 June, alongside the Church Flower Festival, the ground around the church hosted a range of stalls and attractions with all proceeds going to charities and the church fund.
The enthusiasm of stallholders was as strong as ever, participants were eager to offer tombola tickets, a champagne raffle, bric a brac and stalls set aside for home made cakes and charity appeals. The reduced scale of things made for a more homely and intimate event and the most noticeable element was the lack of the normal loudspeaker system.
The range of festival events in the second week is due to climax at the Festival Mass on Sunday 27 June in St Michael's’ Church
On Sunday 27 th Litter and Waste
The Chiswick councillors led by Councillor Ron Mushiso organise a litter picking activity centred on Turnham Green on the last Sunday of each month. It has been very well attended and all the Chiswick wards in Hounslow get a visit. This activity is a regular event at the end of each month assisted by equipment provided by Hounslow Highways and really makes a difference to the visual surroundings. If you would like to assist in the effort please make contact with Councillor Mushiso The meeting point is outside Christ Church Turnham Green on Town Hall Avenue at 2.30pm
On Friday 25th Traffic and Transport
Councillor Sam Hearn (Chairman Traffic and Transport Sub-Committee) and I had the pleasure of a meeting with the Assistant Director in Environmental Services with responsibility for Traffic. The subject was the current status of Covid-19 related schemes (particularly Devonshire Road in Chiswick) and the position of the multitude of policy frameworks and divisions of responsibility between Hounslow and TfL and who precisely is making decisions that threaten the livelihoods of Chiswick traders and limiting progress for businesses, not forgetting to mention that residents, (as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists), are fully aware of the increasing mortality rate for cyclists (it is now 40% greater than this time last year). We are regressing in terms of road safety back to the number of deaths on the roads last seen decades ago.
Future Council Business
The administrations in Ealing and in Hounslow are both having similar problems about implementing democracy and showing that they are accountable in debate and in public questioning at Council Meetings.
The Conservative group of Chiswick Councillors have been active in raising issues, in order to get answers, but the administration replies in a tardy and somewhat cursory manner and officers in both boroughs are often embarrassed by their own administrations.
The recent departure of the Ealing Council Leader has yet to yield an improvement. The increase in the number of allowances for backbenchers in Hounslow, and the overall increase of Senior Responsibility Allowances (backdated to April 2020) has cost council taxpayers £4 each on their council tax. But it keeps the administration muzzled with only a few brave “Speakhearts” to tell the Conservative Group what is actually going on (not a lot apparently)
Leaseholder Property Warning – Something nasty may be going on..
If you are a leaseholder in a property or building managed by Hounslow Housing you are potentially at risk of a change in your circumstances. I am currently dealing with a case where the roof of a building, jointly occupied by tenants and leaseholders (right to buy), has been taken off and will be replaced after a further storey has been added to the property.
This involves construction work turning the building into a construction site for at least a year! but not separating the builders from the residents either horizontally or vertically.
The residents are worried sick about their safety and the level of preparedness that Hounslow Housing has displayed. It also means that leaseholders will find it harder to sell their property.
Professional risk management, safety management and separation principles and Health and Safety at Work guiding principles are all at risk and the use of heavy equipment, the interruption of sleep for key workers on shift work, the safety of walkways underneath the construction, the eventual closure of the residents parking spaces have all led to great anxiety.
If you have any concerns or information about similar proposals in W4 please contact me, or the Shadow Spokesman on Housing, Councillor Michael Denniss. Complete confidentiality is assured
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
Acton Lane Bus Gate Displacing Traffic onto Residential Roads
Cllr Ranjit Gill on issues of concern in Turnham Green ward
Councillor Ranjit Gill
STREETSPACE AND C9 CONTINUE TO BE CRITICISED
Acton Lane bus gate displaces traffic to residential roads
Residents are requesting clarification as to the purpose of the bus gate, and specifically why it was not required for the original version of CS9 but deemed necessary for the "temporary" version. It seems that the point of the bus gate is to throttle back traffic from reaching the central stretch of Chiswick High Road (CHR). As a result of this throttling, it diverts traffic onto residential roads. Some of the impacts of the bus gate are as follows:
- The installation of the gate reduced the length of the left turn filter lane for Acton Lane by around half.
- The green phase for eastbound traffic on CHR was cut from around 25 to 30 seconds to as short in some phases as nine seconds, with some longer phases. This means on many phases only five or six vehicles are able to pass through and I have experienced this first-hand.
- The physical presence of the bus gate and the shorter left lane means that traffic cannot form the two lanes of traffic as previously, but rather it is a single file to the junction whether traffic is turning left or continuing straight along CHR.
- A resident is concerned about the pollution especially when their child’s bedroom is directly above the near-permanent traffic jams on CHR.
- Other residents report displaced traffic on Wellesley Road and Heathfield Terrace stretching back as far as Burlington Road.
If C9 is TfL's responsibility, as Hounslow council tells us it is, surely the council should take these problems up with TfL especially as the residents who tell us about the problems they experience are also telling Hounslow council.
Devonshire Road needs a makeover
Following the recent survey conducted by the Chiswick Shops Task Force, a group set up by my councillor colleagues Joanna Biddolph, Patrick Barr and Gabriella Giles, Hounslow council commissioned a consultancy to do a survey. Another consultancy. Another survey. Haven't we had enough? We were told this one was about "community-led urban realm improvements" and improvements are needed.
When Cllr Biddolph met the consultants last weekend, she discovered they weren’t looking at urban realm improvements but at the use of the road. Cllr Biddolph stressed that any decision on Devonshire Road, returning it to how it was or a compromise, should be accompanied by a makeover after years of haphazard decisions have left it in a mess. Suggestions, most taken from the task force's retail report, range from sparkly lighting and bunting to having signs at the top and bottom to attract shoppers, to rationalising street furniture which is messy and awkward. All would show off how special this road is.
Wrong signage on Turnham Green Terrace
Just when shop owners begin to feel a sense of life returning to the Terrace, along comes Cadent on behalf of British Gas. The southbound carriageway is to be closed for five days from Monday, 21st for work needed between Aram Picture Framing and CHR. So why did a sign appear outside Windfall Natural on the northbound carriageway announcing that the entire road would be closed? We've got it fixed. But why does Hounslow make so many thoughtless judgements?
Of course, closing one carriageway could put off shoppers who need to drive and park but I hope it won't deter you, even though getting to or from it means diversions.
GUNNERSBURY PARK AND ITS BOWLS CLUB
As from next year's local elections, Turnham Green ward expands to take in the whole of Gunnersbury Park, the residents on the south side of Popes Lane up to and including the shops and flats above the shops over the junction of Lionel Road North, and the residents of Lionel Road North. We have started to introduce ourselves to them – though we've known some of the members of the Gunnersbury Park bowls club since shortly after we were elected.
We are as angry as they are at the Gunnersbury Park CIC's determination to obliterate the bowls green, evicting the bowls club, by only considering one option for a Putt in the Park mini-golf course. It wants to build it on the bowls green despite the bowls club members showing it would be possible to have both. Our older residents are being pushed even further down the list of people to encourage into the park.
The Friends of Gunnersbury Park published a strongly-worded article about this but there is still no sign that the CIC is interested in listening to locals. Our view continues to be that the CIC should establish a formal consultative committee of relevant representative groups, not the occasional "Big Conversation" with a self-selected group.
The planning committee will consider the fate of the bowls club on 24th June.
COVID-19 PCR TESTING AT BRENTFORD FOOTBALL STADIUM
Unfortunately, I was away this Saturday when mass testing took place at Brentford Football Club but I know several of my colleagues were there as volunteers. I'm sorry to have missed the opportunity to see the stadium from the inside, and take photos of the pitch from the stand.
Everyone just needs to stay safe. The government has now announced that every care home worker needs to be vaccinated. Having my partner, Peter, in a care home I can understand the need especially when, early on in the pandemic, I could not visit him as the care home had several cases of Covid and Peter too briefly had Covid.
BEDFORD PARK FESTIVAL
Chiswick's favourite fortnight continues until 27th June, different from usual but still an important community event. You've missed the very popular Summer Exhibition of art by local artists but there is still much to enjoy including the Festival Fete on Saturday, 26th June and Bedford Park Open Gardens in the afternoon on Sunday, 27th June. See the full programme here.
CASE WORK
Case work continues as normal. I spent over two hours on Wednesday evening discussing problems with a group of residents over tea. This problem has been ongoing for a year. The pandemic has increased councillors’ workload significantly and last year I did around 697 cases. I am happy to deal with all sorts of cases as are all your Chiswick councillors so please get in touch.
CHISWICK STREET MARKETS
1 st Sunday – Flower Market
2 nd Sunday – Antiques Market
3 rd Sunday – Cheese Market – this weekend.
Councillor Ranjit Gill
Another Closure of Turnham Green Terrace and Music at the Flower Market
Cllr Gerald Mcgregor on issues of concern in Chiswick Homefields ward
Councillor Gerald McGregor
The Street Environment
Roads and Streets Closure of Turnham Green Terrace - More Problems ahead
Earlier in the week Hounslow Highways posted a notice of a closure of Turnham Green Terrace to Southbound through traffic from 21st June 2021 till 31 st December 2021. The notice (see below) was posted on four separate posts in the Southern area of the street but not shared with your local councillors beforehand.
When this was reported other councillors reported and I immediately took action to discover precisely what was going on. The traffic and transport team at Hounslow were contacted and I received a telephone call followed by a helpful message from the recently appointed Assistant Director – Traffic, Transport & Parking Jefferson F.A. Nwokeoma who signed off the traffic order.
The explanation in the message gave more details:
“The ‘TTRO’ (Temporary Traffic Regulation Order) in question is for a Cadent Gas works and it is expected to be in place for five days, as stated on the order – with a scheduled completion date of 25th June. We do not, at this point, see any reason for the works to last any longer than scheduled.
"Traffic Orders are usually advertised for up to a period of 6 months, to allow for unexpected delays or possible remedial works. In almost all cases, the works are usually completed to or near schedule and the additional time is not needed.
"I would not approve of any measure that would necessitate a 6-month road closure without first engaging with the relevant Ward Councillors and you, as the Leader of the Opposition."
All of which is very heartening but what consideration was given to the people of Chiswick and what other solutions are there?
We hope to find out more by asking questions of all the parties involved in the coming week.
The impression given was another six months Hard Labour for no purpose.
Your councillors are seeking further details of what alternative routes would be given priority not merely marked as diversions, whether extra temporary traffic lights could be in place and avoiding limiting parking and overall the rationale behind closing the southbound carriageway.
Turning Turnham Green Terrace into a one-way street will again be damaging to the turnover income of the shops, traders and restaurants in this busy shopping area (which is the dividing line between Homefields and Turnham Green Wards and involves six councillors).
The recent bad experience in Acton Lane outside Chiswick Park Station with the over-extended works carried out by another utility company (Thames Water) does not auger well.
We have not heard details of the Cadent plan.
Given the fact that Turnham Green Terrace has been recognised as a thoroughfare not a rat run any limitation to daily traffic would be economically costly.
Are Cadent working a two shift system to get the work done fast with minimum delay?
Could they do the work at night and avoid the road closure? Could the traffic lights at the junction of Turnham Green Terrace and Chiswick High Road be re-calibrated to allow for a stop line before the excavations and extra time (the current lights allow just over 10 seconds for a southbound priority every 85 seconds) for traffic to move.
What about the route provision of the E 3 bus and the change that this requires?
What about re-opening Fisher’s lane for non-HGV traffic?
The last leader of Ealing Council was heavily criticised for the hash that the transport team in Ealing Council appeared to have made of its’ Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and Fishers Lane in particular. (In the case of Fishers Lane Hounslow Council was its’ nefarious partner.)
Our next report to Chiswick W4 will hopefully have some answers and solutions
The Chiswick Flower Market 6th June
A warm day, lovely stallholders, great garden products, cafes and Public Houses enjoying some freedom and well stewarded crowds all contributed to a great atmosphere accompanied by some great music from, among others Chris Harvey and Matt Begg giving us Jazz and chamber music at separate venues.
Litter and Waste
The Chiswick councillors led by Councillor Ron Mushiso organise a litter picking activity centred on Turnham Green last Sunday of each month. It has been very well attended and all the Chiswick wards in Hounslow get a visit. This activity is a regular event at the end of each month assisted by equipment provided by Hounslow Highways and really makes a difference to the visual surroundings. If you would like to assist in the effort please make contact with Councillor Mushiso
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
Litter, Streetsweeping, Trees and Damage to a Local Landmark
Cllr Gerald Mcgregor on the issues of greatest concern in Chiswick Homefields ward
Councillor Gerald McGregor
Damage to a noted local landmark in Bedford Park W4
Vandals have defaced the war memorial at St Michaels and All Angels Church by prising off and stealing about half of the metal plaques that list the names of the dead. The offence took place overnight on Monday 1 st June and Tuesday 2 nd June
The Tabard pub is very close by as are local restaurants at Bedford Corner. If any resident was there on that evening they may have noticed suspicious behaviour or had your suspicions aroused. The Police Crime Management Team would welcome a call if you had any information to offer (however limited).
Vandalising a public monument commemorating our war dead is now a severely punishable offence and regrettably it is not the first time this memorial has been targeted.
For those who need to know, our Church Archivist is very happy to provide detailed photographs of all of the missing plaques and their inscriptions, taken as part of his centenary project commemorating the congregation and residents of Bedford Park during the First World War.
Metropolitan Police Crime Reference Number 0510905/21
Crime Management Team on 0208 284 5100 (open M-F 8.00AM-6.00PM)
The Street Environment
Roads and Streets
Highways and streets management has been evident across Chiswick with a large exercise in street sweeping and gully clearance keeping dust down and debris away from the drains during this summer of mixed weather.
Trees
Tree management and surgery carried out by Hounslow Highways and its agents has been evident in several areas of Chiswick. The cycle of tree life and growth means that not all trees will be pruned (or pollarded) at the same time, but I am assured by the teams that they will be back in evidence at the change of seasons to carry on keeping Chiswick green.
Litter and Waste
The Chiswick councillors led by Councillor Ron Mushiso organised a litter picking activity centred on Turnham Green last Sunday which was very well attended and all the Chiswick wards in Hounslow had a visit. This activity is a regular event at the end of each month and really makes a difference to the visual surroundings. If you would like to assist in the effort please make contact with Councillor Mushiso.
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
Slowly Getting Back To a New Normal
Joanna Biddolph looks at the issues of greatest concern in Turnham Green ward
Councillor Jo Biddolph
Turnham Green Terrace nearly back to normal
You would expect any blog from me to include a plug for our local independent shops and the news that the business-damaging removal of parking from Turnham Green Terrace, our second most important shopping street with many independents on it, was to be reversed was welcomed with joy by its shop owners and residents. The u-turn was announced on Monday, 17th May and, following a commitment from Hounslow council to reverse the restrictions speedily, the wands and planters were taken away the next day with traders giving broad-grinned thumbs-ups to anyone who asked how they felt. The parking spaces were slow to fill at first but are now turning over almost as before. Habits change very quickly so, if you've switched to buying online or driving to another location since the parking was removed, do switch back. You can get a lot done during a free 30-minute stop-and-shop parking session.
Devonshire Road
Devonshire Road is still restricted access and without parking other than for loading bulky/heavy goods or for blue badge holders. The Chiswick Shops Task Force ran a consultation, which adhered to Market Research Society (MRS) guidelines, giving the survey to all 39 traders on the road and in Prince of Wales Terrace. Only two didn't complete it – a very high level of participation – and the results, analysed by a professional market researcher, showed not only that over half want the road returned to how it was but also that there is a high level of support for a compromise. Even business owners who support a change do so for only part of the year.
Regular critics of mine who comment on the forum were swift to pick holes in my description of the way the survey was conducted. For clarity, it was compiled and analysed by a market research consultant adhering to Market Research Society (MRS) guidelines. One resident commenting on the criticisms said, " The focus on semantics and loss of the actual issues at stake within politics as a whole is what turns so many people away" and I agree. That is what the counter-arguers want – to silence those with whom they disagree and to bully them into inaction. I wasn't elected to stay silent and do nothing.
Meanwhile, the council's interim review of its Streetspace schemes, published on Monday, 17th May, was notable for its small print which announced a consultation, though its description of the subject – "community-led public realm improvements" – leaves the sceptics among us worrying about what that is code for given that the access and parking restrictions have not been reversed. There are many businesses on this road whose customers will be buying bulky/heavy goods and I know some who have stopped spending here, transferring their custom to another business where they can park. And, yes, while many enjoy eating out in good weather, we tend to retreat indoors when it's wet, cold or miserable. Indeed, one day last week I noted that only two people were eating outside while raindrops dripped from the canopy above on to their legs nearest the road. It is important to note that, come rain or shine, retail outnumbers hospitality on this road by 3:1.
There is also the crucial point about residents living above the shops, bars, cafes and restaurants and what is acceptable from their perspective. Late night outdoor dining/drinking can be hugely disturbing. Before anyone leaps in with a comment that residents knew what they were in for when they moved into a flat above a shop (which is what I did with my first home in Chiswick, on Devonshire Road) yes, we all know what to expect. It's trading after licensed hours; loud music blaring across the road, whether canned or live, at unreasonable decibel levels; a blatant disregard of others' rights.
Having said that, what has struck me throughout this exercise is the reasonableness with which most people approach this tricky issue, whether they are businesses or residents. Everyone wants to have their say, to be recognised, listened to and heard – and to reach a compromise that works for all.
Misjudging the public
So, how did Hounslow council get it so wrong? In a 2009 council-commissioned survey, through Steer (the same consultant as is involved with Streetspace workshops, discussions, reviews, etc), Chiswick stood out as the area in the borough with the highest car free lifestyle and slightly behind the Osterley area as the most environmentally aware. It's what we've been saying all along. We Chiswickians already walk, cycle or use public transport and turn the key in the ignition of our cars only when necessary. [Link to the full document, as attached] Is it the absence of a corporate memory – or the deliberate obliteration of it – or the dogged determination to dictate dogma that is to blame?
What next for C9?
The judicial review of the temporary C9 cycle lane on Chiswick High Road, being brought by One Chiswick Limited, has been postponed until the autumn by mutual agreement between all parties. The announcement came in the middle of the OneChiswick fundraising campaign, dropping leaflets through doors encouraging donations to cover the cost of legal fees. Have you had yours? The amount raised keeps rising, as you can see from OneChiswick's GoFundMe page.
Council life returns slowly to life – what should we scrutinise?
Slowly our diaries are booking up with face-to-face meetings. The first for me was a meeting of the licensing committee, fully spread out in the largest configuration of the meeting rooms in Hounslow House, our voices muffled by masks as we forgot to take them off when speaking. The virtual refrain, "You're muted", applies just as much in person as it does online.
Unfortunately, the overview and scrutiny committee is proposing to meet virtually for its annual work programme planning meeting on 16th June. I have raised huge concerns about this not just because these work programme meetings rely on robust exchanges between members about priorities, with spontaneous comments leading to improved discussions and better decisions. Raising a virtual hand is far less effective, much more restrictive, and rarely conducive to good discussions - as we have all experienced throughout the last year-plus. If the committee is to do anything of value this year, we must get our work programme right. Highest on my list of subjects is, of course, the management of the pandemic and lessons to be learned. If you have suggestions for subjects we should scrutinise, please email me so I can put them forward, I hope in person not as a disembodied virtual voice.
Round up
- Licensing: Cllr Gabriella Giles, who is a member of the licensing committee, and I have both been trying to improve the licensing process, each of us making recommendations from different viewpoints. Whether it's the way applications are advertised (still on lampposts or trees rather than direct to neighbours … really?) or the information sent to inform those wishing to comment (why not attach the policies that apply?), there is still much to do to make this process work for those who might be affected. I've had some successes such as removing the requirement for drawings to a scale of 1:2500 which foxed many making humble and uncontroversial applications. Marking a sketch with measurements is all that is needed. There's a new overall policy which, among other things, sets borough-wide core hours within which applicants can apply; see the full policy here.
- Surgeries: We still can't meet face-to-face but we hope this restriction will be removed from 21st June. It all depends on the impact of the Indian variant and that depends on …
- Vaccinations and testing: On Bank Holiday Monday Twickenham Rugby Stadium (TW2 7BA) will be open from 10am to 8pm for all eligible residents to walk-in and receive their first dose. Although you don't need to book you can reduce your queuing time by doing so here. Complaints about long waits at the Welstead Way testing centre were taken up by Cllr John Todd; steps are being taken to rectify . I'm hoping that there is a fuller article on all the options for testing and vaccination – it's a very long list that I've sent to the editor.
- Freddie the seal: Have you signed the petition to protect seals against attacks, inspired by the sad case of Freddie Mercury in the Thames between Chiswick and Barnes? Please forward it to family and friends who live in riparian boroughs or on the coast – or anyone who might care about this appealing pinniped.
Councillor Joanna Biddolph
Election Campaign Tells Us People Feel No One is Listening
Leader of the opposition Gerald McGregor reports back on his week
Councillor Gerald McGregor
The Continuing Need for Feedback and Listening to our Residents
The Conservative group in opposition have tried very hard to help in setting agendas at the Council, supporting our dedicated Covid 19 public health team, liaising constantly with the senior management team at the council and giving support and enthusiasm to our colleagues on the front line and fellow supporters in different neighbourhoods in Hounslow.
The continuing issue for the public is that when watching Ealing and Hounslow councils in action they get no sense of any consistency in feedback or constructive engagement. We have learnt a huge amount about this in the May election campaigns and the constant iteration on the doorstep that no one cares and no one listens to voters and to the population in general.
The Street Environment
Highways and streets management is a continuing feature of the work we do and the progressive policies we wish to introduce. Chiswick councillors keep a constant liaison with Hounslow Highways reporting flagstones and pavement problems, potholes and poor construction and signage which are an irritant to residents. Recently, due to the raised profile of traffic and transport issues we have commenced surveys on street space and scheme impact. Councillor Hearn has produced a searching report and will be responding to the latest news about new closures and abandonments of experimental schemes in Chiswick. Another issue that crops up is the question of waste management and the scourge of fly tipping and dumping. In Chiswick we ask all residents to report issues immediately to the council for remedial action. We are told that in practice quick and speedy clearance actually limits the total amount of dumping that might take place in a specific location , but not removing some fly tipped waste merely encourages more copy-cat bad behaviour. The Chiswick councillors are out and about across the area and can often be seen taking pictures of any missed rubbish or dumped material. Councillor Ron Mushiso organises a litter picking activity centred on Turnham Green held regularly at the end of each month. If you would like to assist him please make contact him with him (details below)
Housing and Homelessness
On the Housing and Homeless front, as a group, we are responding to the growing number of cases involving poor maintenance of council owned homes and consequent health issues. Estates across Chiswick need to be surveyed and inspected on a regular basis, and sometimes it would appear that essential maintenance schedules need to be re-instituted.
The Planning Environment
Planning is a good example of engagement but with the difficulty of remote access to Zoom or Teams getting in the way of good communication. Another difficulty with planning is that access for objectors is covered by planning rules and boundaries that many ordinary residents are unable to comprehend without access to professional help. The original national planning legislation was meant to provide access, not prevent consultation. Our policy programme now includes bring planning meetings back to local areas across Hounslow starting with the Chiswick Area Forum.
The Local Economy
The Chiswick Shops Task Force headed up by Councillor Jo Biddolph has produced a comprehensive survey of Devonshire Road retailing taking comments from traders, shopkeepers and restaurants in this valued and important part of Chiswick. The financial and economic environment has proved very tough and the restrictions on access have proved a real pain.
Banking Locally
Barclays Bank has reviewed the status of the long-standing Chiswick Branch and has decided to close operations in August. This comes on the heels of other Barclays closures in Brentford and Acton.
Obviously there must be financial implications for the bank in maintaining its branch network, but the drop in business traffic during the Covid-19 pandemic could soon be remedied after the lockdowns are fully eased. Conservative Councillors are consulting on how to change the decision and prevent Barclays having absolutely no representation at all in the Eastern part of the Borough of Hounslow. Alternative branches in the Boroughs of Hammersmith and Kensington are a very long way from our area.
(Let me declare an interest, I have an account at the Bank and I consistently find the staff to be pleasant and courteous (and up to now happy); their future is not great.)
Another Traffic Issue Devonshire Road
Be warned Hounslow Council is placing closed circuit cameras covering traffic entering this access only road. Expect PCN’s to follow. Someone isn’t listening to the residents of Chiswick.
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
The Continuing Need for Feedback and Listening to our Residents
Leader of the opposition Gerald McGregor reports back on his week
Councillor Gerald McGregor
The Wider World
Electioneering and campaigning came to an end on May 6th with a nail biting wait for results during Saturday 8th May. The count at Olympia covered many constituencies, many elections and many close-run outcomes. Our thanks, as politicians, go to all those who used their freedom to take part in the ballot and to all those public servants who diligently managed all the polls, counting and back up postal vote administration.
For Example: The impact of Covid 19 on the postal vote was clear with a recognisable increase in numbers for the two by elections in Hounslow and Feltham. The Conservative candidates effectively doubled their vote from 2018 with some well organised campaigning and strong messages to their neighbourhoods. Chiswick councillors supporting their colleague candidates were prominent.
Chiswick councillors as you would expect were active on behalf of Nick Rodgers (candidate for South West London) and Shaun Bailey (candidate for Mayor). We saw great performances from both. The predominant theme for them and for our by-election candidates was mismanagement at every level across London with a volume of complaints about the state of roads, waste collection, road closures and penalty charge notices issued and enforced in apparent disregard of all reasonable responses to Covid 19 and all the schemes causing confusion.
Disrupting Lives
The new Mayor of London will be issuing new charges and penalty notices for his pollution schemes and congestion charges from this autumn, and expect more disruption from new schemes. Please could residents be aware of the charges (proposed for 24 hours a day seven days a week and no allowance for public holidays) for friends and relations as visiting motorists.
Covid-19 and Council Tax
Damaging Business in The New Financial Year
By now every council taxpayer in Chiswick and in Ealing will know what they are in for. Council tax bills have arrived and at the end of May if you pay in instalments like the vast majority of people you will get your second larger bill than last year. An increase of six per cent is hard to stomach in very difficult times.
We are all suffering fromc idiotic council policies, costing us money, disrupting lives and making a simple shopping trip more like running the gauntlet of cyclists running red traffic signals, and with the obvious economic and financial consequences of cars, delivery vehicles and emergency teams stuck in ever increasing traffic congestion, and at the same time contributing to the increased future need and cost of healthcare because of high pollution.
The Continuing Need for Feedback and Listening to our Residents
The Conservative group in opposition have tried very hard to help in setting agendas at the Council, supporting our the Covid-19 public health team, liaising constantly with the senior management team at the council and giving support and enthusiasm to our colleagues on the front line and fellow supporters in different neighbourhoods in Hounslow.
The continuing issue for the public is that when watching Ealing and Hounslow councils in action they get no sense of any consistency in feedback or constructive engagement. We have learnt a huge amount about this in the recent election campaigns and the constant iteration on the doorstep that no one care and no one listens to them and to the population in general.
Housing, homes and streets are a continuing feature of the work and policies we wish to introduce. Recently we have commenced surveys on street space and we are responding to the growing number of cases involving poor maintenance of council owned homes and consequent health issues. Planning is a good example of engagement but with the difficulty of remote access to Zoom or Teams getting in the way of good communication.
Thank heavens for Chiswick W4. Details of survey results are being published.
Public News
Virtual meetings have again been dogged by poor technical capacity with the recent Annual General Meeting and Mayor making of Hounslow Council bedevilled by electronic feedback (buzz) and poor-quality sound.
Our new mayor has announced his chosen charity, SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, is a UK charity that provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents, a very worthy cause in the opinion of many residents of Hounslow
Contacting the Councillor Team
Please continue to contact your local councillor team in Chiswick directly, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration. (details are below)
The Opposition Conservative Party has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
We make it clear; The only way to properly deliver local government is to listen at all times and learn what people need, and understand residents’ cares, provide moderate and progressive responses and deliver changes not just promises, that are supported and delivered after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
Chiswick Well Placed for a Community Led Recovery
Turnham Green ward councillor Ron Mushiso reports back on his week
Councillor Ron Mushiso
The Community
This Sunday’s Antique Market is another shining example of Community led initiative. Held in Chiswick, now becoming a focus for well organised Sunday markets in the middle of Chiswick Town Centre, fast recovering from the worst impacts of Covid-19. Residents of all four Chiswick wards and welcome visitors should be able to enjoy a safe experience (and hope for good weather).
Listening to the Community across Hounslow
Six weeks of campaigning came to close this week and as I write this blog, I have yet to learn of the outcome of all the results from London’s Mayoral Election and GLA. We also contested two by elections in the West of the Borough of Hounslow, with two incredibly strong and hardworking female candidates in the Hounslow Heath and the Cranford Wards. It was a hard fought campaign and as Deputy Leader of the Party I am very proud to be associated with our two outstanding candidates, Nada Jarche and Shabnam Nasimi who have given residents a glimpse of what prospective Conservative Councillor candidates can achieve. Their work ethic and personal campaigning was reassuringly Conservative.
I count the number of steps I made, the doors I knocked on and the number of residents I spoke and listened to across the Borough. There was an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction with this administration. Nothing new there I suppose. People are entitled to complain when services aren’t delivered and when the lamps, roads and pavements are not properly maintained and potholes remain potholes.
Residents have endured years of empty promises and poor services, so that they have given any hope for a better run Council. But in the words of GK Chesterton, ‘Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.’ The hope for many people is to have a focussed and listening administration next year. To stem the tide of mismanagement the only cure is to embrace change and return a Conservative majority across the Borough in 2022.
The Chiswick Community and Recovery
Campaigning across Hounslow makes you appreciate Chiswick even more. It really is a very special place in so many ways; made more special by the people that we deal with every day, rain or shine. Chiswick is the only place where one minute you can be having a heated political debate with someone and the next minute you are working together as volunteers in a worthy cause. Say, the Chiswick Flower Market.
A few months ago I wrote that we needed to be work collaboratively with residents and community leaders as we recover from the pandemic and the lockdown. There was a report commissioned by Hounslow and produced by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies called the, Community Engagement Review; it gave recommendation for delivering a community led recovery.
They shouldn’t have bothered with recommendations. It comes naturally in Chiswick. They could have just come to the Chiswick Flower Market to see a blueprint for a community led initiative that can actually work! They can also just pop down to the Highroad this Sunday from 9am to engage with over 40 traders at our first Antique Market. And as for the environment, we can just point them to the numbers of community champions who go out of their way to volunteer as either litter pickers, gardeners or planters.
Chiswick is well placed for a community led recovery. The sense of civic pride is deeply imbedded in our psyche. Residents in Chiswick as whole are so much more engaged with the goings on in their community than any other part of the Borough. Just Look at the activities on the Forum to the left of the screen. Our residents are active participants. They want to be heard and they resent not being consulted on matters concerning their area.
Chiswick Area Forum
The Chiswick Area Committee used to stand for localism, not now that the Administration has emasculated its authority and responsibilities leaving no more than a shadow consultative forum with little executive capacity. It is obviously no coincidence that the administration is not politically represented in Chiswick.
The mistake that the current administration always makes, is that they think they can bulldoze their way into Chiswick without any engagement or consultation. That’s what has led to a number of unwanted LTNs and a Cycle Superhighway that is not only an obstruction and safety hazard to bus passengers, pedestrians and shoppers alike but is also the cause of constant tailbacks on the Highroad and a huge increase in pollution from traffic (now standing not moving).
You just couldn’t make it up! They think they can raise Council Tax by 6% and escape censure whilst unemployment in Hounslow has climbed and people are having trouble attempting to pay the tax. Moving out of the pandemic is part of the cure and Chiswick Conservatives are working hard to develop plans and programmes to meet the challenge.
Making the Change
As we come out of this pandemic, and ease restriction, it is our hope as Chiswick Councillors that TfL and the administration absorb the comments in their limited traffic management and minimum statutory consultation, will then rethink their policy of imposition. and will then join our pledge as Chiswick Conservatives to be listening on the side of the community in a collaborative and properly consultative future manner. We promise all residents of Hounslow that May next year will be a game changer with a new conservative administration.
The beating heart of Hounslow is actually here in Chiswick. Our task is to spread Chiswick into Hounslow.
Cllr Ron Mushiso
The More Things Change the More Things Stay the Same
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles reports back on her week
Councillor Gabriella Giles
Plus ça change?
Since writing my previous blog at the end of February, there have been many events that have marked our lives – the passing of loved ones, strangers and those who inspired; the great vaccine rollout resulting in over 32 million people in the UK having received their first dose of a vaccine; and the further easing of lockdown restrictions meaning that many of us have been able to enjoy a draught pint for the first time in many months.
However, when I look at my inbox, many aspects seem to be constant – emails about the road closures that have been imposed on Chiswick by the powers that be still fill my inbox; concerns about social distancing and cycling on the towpath at Strand on the Green continue to flow in; and, of course, meeting agendas prompt us into the normal rhythm of council life.
Hartington Road
In March, you may have seen a piece on the 4,065 PCNs that were issued between 2nd December 2020 and 10th March 2021. After further investigation, I found out that 2,419 of them were warning notices issued to first-time offenders, and 77 were cancelled for other reasons.
Between 18th January and 15th February, no PCNs were issued to those who crossed the threshold of enforcement (just after Roko and before Chiswick Quay - pictured above) “due to the number of vehicles that were captured by CCTV going through the restrictions”. Formal enforcement began on 16th February, and no warning notices have been issued since.
Which unfortunately means that, if you are a mother who resumed driving her child with special educational needs to Strand on the Green for school via Hartington Road at the start of the summer term, there is a high chance that you would have incurred 10 penalty notices in the course of a week without even knowing you had incurred one.
I know that supporters of this scheme will criticise me and say that people shouldn’t be driving their kids to school down this route when there are other options available (different routes available, public transport, walking, cycling, etc) but when you receive emails from residents and non-residents alike expressing confusion at the multi-faceted schemes that now rule our lives in Chiswick Riverside ward, you can’t help but wonder what has gone so wrong.
Back in June 2020 , I referred to the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood as “a rose by any other name” and I have taken every opportunity to write in my blogs about what has been happening in the ward. I have been criticised for exaggeration for saying that these measures would create segregation in the neighbourhood I grew up in. Unfortunately, I can’t sit by and watch while the powers that be carve up this beautiful part of Chiswick in such a way that means that there is inequality between those who have access to certain routes based on where they live and those who don’t.
The River
Regular readers of this blog will know that I sit on the boards of the Chiswick Pier Trust and the Thames Landscape Strategy. Old Father Thames, which has brought solace and freedom to so many over the past year, has seen a bit of a revival. It is at its cleanest since before the industrial revolution, home to endangered species and one particular little visitor that brought inspiration to many during a time of unease.
It was in my capacity as trustee of these two organisations that I first contacted Mary Tester, the British Divers medic who was responsible for observing and monitoring the seal Freddie Mercury. We had been working with the Chiswick Pier Trust to get further information in the public domain about what to do when encountering a seal in the wild when Freddie was unfortunately attacked.
Not wanting to let Freddie’s demise be in vain, Mary has worked furiously hard to ensure that people are aware of the fact that there are over 4,000 seals in the Thames, that the river is not biologically dead, and asked me to join the Seal Watch group formed by local river users. Aside from raising awareness of what you should and shouldn’t do when seal watching, we now have a few projects in the pipeline and I would like to share with you one that could create a real difference.
During her investigations, Mary identified that seals are not protected under law in the UK from harassment by people or their dogs. Not least a new petition (I know, I hear you exclaim “not another one”) asking the government to “Strengthen laws protecting seals”. If you feel as strongly as we do about protecting these marine mammals in the UK, please do sign our petition.
Continuing with the river theme, this week the Chiswick Pier Trust hosted the latest Spring Series talks, and the recordings of Old Father Thames and Rewilding Arcadia are now live on their website. Both these events were very well subscribed, and the upcoming events are not to be missed – with another talk on the Thames, the Jazz Cruise (already sold out) and the much awaited return of Party on the Pier . Be sure to put the dates in your diary!
Events and Local Groups
That’s not everything that’s been happening, so please take a look at some key events and future dates for your diaries.
- Riverside Ward Police Panel: At the request of the outgoing chairman of the Riverside Ward Police Panel, I have taken over this responsibility. Our first meeting was held on 14th April. Topics discussed included Anti-Social behaviour, the risk of personal injury if confronting anyone stealing catalytic converters, electric scooters, and of course the perennial speeding that we see on Sutton Court Road, Burlington Lane and Grove Park Terrace. The Ward Police team were out with the Community Roadwatch team on the 21st April, we’re expecting a report of findings to be issued soon.
- Hounslow council AGM: The annual general meeting of the council will be this Tuesday. It is a largely ceremonial council meeting, to welcome the new mayor, which also ratifies membership of committees and outside organisations. Be sure to check out the proceedings on the council’s youtube page
- Sutton Court Road: the junction with the A4 will be closed for works from 4th May to 11th June between 20.00 and 05.00. I have again asked the council whether alternative routes will be reopened to allow for one 100% clear-from-restrictions-route into the area. As at Friday, 30th April I had not received a comment from the council.
- Mayoral and GLA elections: On Thursday we will go to the polls to elect members for the Greater London Assembly and Mayor of London. I have been out campaigning over the last couple of weeks with my council colleagues for our superb candidates Nick Rogers and Shaun Bailey who are aiming to deliver a #FreshStart for London.
Cllr Gabriella Giles
On Team Playing, Listening and Acting
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Gerald McGregor reports back on his week
Councillor Gerald McGregor
Listening
Residents telling us how it is: The post bag and E mail traffic is now about consultations on street space and the continuing hassle and danger caused by the TfL controlled Hounslow instituted Cycle Super Highway which temporarily runs down Chiswick High Road. The dangers are not just to the physical well-being of residents, shoppers and cyclists but the continuous congestion of traffic, the interruption of bus timetables and the operational turning round of buses before they get to Chiswick because they would merely add to the congestion.
Information
The post is now also full of technical articles about pollution levels rising, about journey times being difficult to forecast or people turning round and going home, about emergency services tearing their hair out and about bus drivers complaining to their union and to the wider public about the danger of the bus stops to the safety of dismounting passengers and those trying to board a bus. Traffic on the afternoon of Friday 23rd April was locked solid from Acton Lane along South Parade to Turnham Green Station. The Chiswick High Road was never wholly empty of standing traffic during the day from Goldhawk Road to Acton Lane according to retailers. The pollution levels make a warm day unpleasant.
Acting
Councillor Sam Hearn, (Riverside Ward Chiswick) Conservative sub-committee chairman of Traffic and Transport for the whole Borough of Hounslow has been making the strongest representations to the administration in Hounslow and to other authorities. Replies come back repeating all the stuff about emergency and settling down and consultation but the lack of response, the lack of decision-making and the lack of remedial action is hard for residents in Chiswick to take. His archive has grown, recording all the responses from residents, electors and taxpayers enabling prompt communication back to a widening audience. The administrations of Hounslow and Ealing are generally embarrassed, lethargic and confused about what to do next.
Acting
Councillor Jo Biddolph (Turnham Green Ward) has received a further range of responses in terms of the retail economic environment and the lack of safe pavements for pedestrians with silent scooters and cyclists not using the spaces reserved for them through these schemes. Her archive supporting the Chiswick Shops Task Force has grown considerably as more and more people put pen to paper or open their PC to find out more information. The independent One Chiswick movement wishes to bring all four Chiswick Wards (Homefields, Riverside, Southfields, Turnham Green) to challenge what is going on in our beautiful area, and has established a mass response to the limited consultations currently on offer to the population, (who are having to put up with this complete lack of care). Councillor Biddolph has been talking to retailers across the area to gauge the temperature. Many are still showing the protest poster issued last year by One Chiswick in their windows. Meanwhile the High Road and other shopping streets are facing a difficult time with a greater number of empty properties and premises than anyone can remember.
Politics
In the background we are in the middle of a series of political campaigns with all the Conservative councillors acting in teams to support candidates for the election to Mayor and for London South West, who are both frequent visitors to Chiswick and Hounslow, and for two by-elections for returning new councillors to Hounslow Borough Council
Councillor Ron Mushiso (Turnham Green Ward) Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group has been very active in campaigns such as collecting computers and tablets for school children and students, litter picking support for Chiswick open spaces. He is now using his boundless energy to spread messages not just in Chiswick but across Hounslow, alongside all our colleagues who are heavily involved in spreading the message of concerns that we have all received during the campaigns.
We are turning listening into campaigning for the issues important to the people of Chiswick
More Problems with the Administration
In recent messages the Conservative group has pointed out the huge rise in Council Tax caused by the administration, our alternative budget (Fully verified by the Councils own Finance team) would have avoided an increase of 4.99% in the demands made by the Borough. Those who were interested in the budget outcome would also be aware that the council administration (against Conservative Opposition) voted huge increases for Councillors and for their extra duties. The net cost was £400,000 plus, but the insult was to backdate these payments by a year on the flimsy pretext that they began work? on this last April!
So now we have more pay, but the administration is in fact doing less work and rewarding itself substantially. The Leader and Cabinet should be consumed with shame, not consuming our taxes.
Cancelled meetings are now the norm. There is a proposal for a Ceremonial meeting on May 4th 2021 to elect a new mayor and re-instate all councillors in committees etc. The normal business, reports, questions, debates, will not take place at this meeting.
There is now going to be a gap of eight weeks until June 29th before a substantive Borough Council meeting will be held. (The last one was actually held on March 30th 2021 so nothing in April!)
Where does responsive democracy and lawful debate and challenge appear in this administrations culture and why do officers take the lead in Policy? Is it because the Cabinet is poorly led?
Meanwhile the Overview and Policy Scrutiny meeting has been rearranged and the opposition finds that the chaotic nature of the current administration is extending to committees across the range.
Not much chance there then for listening to residents
Visiting and Listening
On the other hand and with a personal note, my thanks to the trustees of the Central Hounslow Mosque and the Heathrow Cranford Mosque for their hospitality and goodwill on Friday 23rd during Ramadan and allowing our attendance during Friday Prayers. Listening to the congregation and having worthwhile discussions afterwards gives everybody a chance to grow in knowledge and develop understanding.
Actively Campaigning
All the Conservative councillors in Chiswick have been active across the Borough. Apart from those already mentioned your local representatives are doing their best to promote Conservative victories across the Borough.
Great Work has been done By Cllr Ranjit Gill (Turnham Green) in Feltham and Heston where he has been building relationships and listening to residents. (He is getting lots of complaints about Council Tax rises way above inflation)
Cllr Giles does a lot of work on social media and her responses to LTNs in Chiswick Riverside are well known. She avidly posts great interactive photos of streetscapes including traffic congestion. She has been out assisting the two candidates Shaun Bailey for Mayor and Nick Rogers for London South West and supporting our by-election council candidates
Cllr John Todd (Homefields) maintains a strong grip on case work and provides consistent advice to residents, very useful in listening to concerns and responding with his experience to hand during the campaigning sessions.
Cllr Patrick Barr (Homefields) is heavily engaged with the NHS management of Covid 19, even so he has been out and about campaigning when he is available even after a twelve hour shift.
Cllr Michael Denniss (Riverside) is heavily engaged in his professional role in the Civil Service where Covid 19 has impacted heavily (as with Cllr Barr) on space and time to provide support (He is also the Group Chief Whip) but again across Chiswick, Brentford and in the West of the Borough he is representing the Conservative campaign well.
All in all a great team effort.
Gerald McGregor (Homefields Ward)
Leader of the Opposition, London Borough of Hounslow
Chiswick's Councillors Pay Tribute To Prince Philip
This week has seen the nation and the Commonwealth enter a period of mourning following the death of His late Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Here in Chiswick and across the London Borough of Hounslow, flags have been lowered to half-mast and remembrance services have been taking place. From the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme to the various visits made by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke, many residents across the borough have some sort of contact with the royal couple. This has often left many happy memories and experiences for our residents.
On Friday 9 April, the day His Royal Highness passed away, the Conservative Group at Hounslow Council laid a bouquet of flowers outside Buckingham Palace with a message of condolence to Her Majesty The Queen. This was then followed up by a letter of condolence which was sent to Her Majesty’s Private Secretary.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award programme has had resounding success across the world, with it not only operating in the United Kingdom but across 144 countries. Here in Chiswick we have seen many success stories linked to the DoE Award. One in particular is the achievements made by Chiswick School in June 2019 when 98 of their Year 10 students engaged in several challenges over a weekend and achieved the Bronze Award. This incredible achievement by a fantastic group of students led them to become better prepared for their end of term assessed expeditions. This reflected the rationale behind the founding of the scheme, which is for self-improvement of young people and to expand their learning beyond the classroom.
Councillor Ron Mushiso (Turnham Green), Deputy Leader of the LBH Conservative Group explains, “As a DofE assessor currently assessing four young students in Chiswick as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award, it is an honour to be associated with his legacy. It is a remarkable initiative that has given confidence to so many young people here in Chiswick and around the world.”
Councillor Gabriella Giles (Chiswick Riverside) said, “As a teenager growing up in Chiswick, I had the pleasure of taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award and seeing it through from Bronze to Gold with the team at the Hounslow Youth Centre under the inimitable leadership of Dot Hasler. It was during this time that we learned of those four pillars that shaped Prince Philip’s youth – service, physical activity, skill and adventure – pillars that have shaped the characters of millions of people worldwide and have set apart generations of leaders. Our graduating group in 2002 was then part of a programme that followed in their Royal Highnesses footsteps and spent almost 3 weeks with a group of Maltese Scouts, learning more about the local culture, trekking the islands of Malta and Gozo, learning to sail, sleeping under the stars at the Red Tower and battling sand storms. I never had the pleasure of meeting the Duke of Edinburgh, but I would like to think that he would have told us all that a cold, sleepless night spent on ground so hard we couldn’t pitch our tents for fear of them blowing away as ‘character building stuff’ that would help us learn resilience, and precisely the type of trip he had envisioned when setting up the initiative many moons ago.
“At the age of 18, I was able to leverage these skills and became a leader for the younger girls at Notting Hill and Ealing High School where, along with some friends, we were responsible for teaching the inaugural Bronze class how to read maps, make sure nobody got lost and having great fun mountain-biking along the Jurassic coast and rocking up to camp covered in mud in front of a group of girls who were at that point still scared of getting their parachute pants with streamers muddy or having to untangle them from bushes. Like many young people who have been involved with this scheme, we all have stories to share, and while some would discover that this scheme was not for them, many of us can only look at the time we shared learning how to become independent adults as life-changing. And for that, we have nothing but gratitude.”
Councillor Joanna Biddolph who represents Turnham Green ward said, “Anyone living in Bombay in early 1961 has at least one indelible memory - the visit of HM The Queen and HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on one of their many tours of the Commonwealth. I have a photograph of my parents standing in the crowd, with family friends I recognise, though we children were in a different spot, lining what my mind’s eye tells me was a large arena; there is no photo in my album of that. None of us who reminisces about our joint Indian birthplace and childhood can remember whether we were at the Willingdon Club, the racecourse or somewhere else but I can remember clearly the huge excitement of a day that, as it turns out, I would never forget. I remember The Queen and Prince Philip being driven round the arena, standing in the back of an open workaday vehicle, perhaps something like a Land Rover - certainly it wasn’t a grand car - with everyone waving and cheering and that I was not that far away, perhaps a few feet. As for who remembers the occasion, about 10 years ago at a foodie press event, I sat next to Indian chef and restaurateur Cyrus Todiwala, also born in Bombay, and asked him if he remembered the visit. ‘Of course! Who could forget that!’ he said.
"A Pathe News video of the event shows just how important the Commonwealth was - everyone was beaming whether they were Indian, British, American, French or none of the above. I was born in a Commonwealth country and how proud I am of that - and to have experienced such a special occasion when the head of the Commonwealth and her devoted-to-the-Commonwealth husband came to my hometown.
“My other memory is of attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 1979. After general elections, each party headquarters is given an allocation of places for staff and I was on the Conservative Central Office (CCO) list. Prince Philip's charisma made him stand out not just from the large crowd of guests but from his family, too. Perhaps it was because he was rather like my father - very good looking, always very well dressed and with well-cared for hair - that I was so struck by his presence. He, they, represent an era that is slowly slipping away though, as several of my colleagues have said, Prince Philip lives on through the Duke of Edinburgh Awards - and for as long as those of us with other memories can remember the actions and character of this very remarkable man.”
Councillor Ranjit Gill who also represents Turnham Green said, “Prince Phillip: The Rock of the Royal family. A great human being who put Queen and country before his own personal ambition. The nation has lost a true gentleman, a father, a grandfather and a devoted husband.”
Councillor Gerald McGregor (Chiswick Homefields), Leader of the LBH Conservative Group added, “His deep love for the Royal Navy and for mariners is reflected by his outstanding record during the second world war where HRH displayed professionalism and bravery at moments of crisis that drew tributes from crew-mates and superiors alike.
“As HRH The Prince Philip has been laid to rest surrounded by his loved ones, we send our sincerest condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family.”
Hounslow Council is Not Listening To Residents
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Gerald McGregor reports back on his week
Councillor Gerald McGregor
The Wider World
The news at the end of the week gave everybody pause for thought.
The death of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh marks an era passing for the whole of the United Kingdom. The Conservative Group on Hounslow Council has sent a message of condolence and support to the Royal Family, reflecting on the life-time service and strength of character shown by the Duke, who acted so well to mobilise support for his wide and non-political concerns.
His interests in science and technology helped to bring about a more modern Britain. He was someone who acted by bringing society together, by supporting causes such as the protection of wildlife and the wider environment, by his support for the Charity Aid Foundation and the enabling gift aid schemes that have raised tens of millions of extra funds for good causes, and his close relationship with long standing institutions and the armed forces which he used to the good as an influencer and thinker.
The work on bringing young people into social and leadership roles through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was a huge achievement, copied across the Commonwealth and the wider world.
There is still so much to say in tribute to this loyal and hardworking man but all of us know what we will be missing in the future.
Our heart goes out to Her Majesty the Queen and all the Royal Family.
Covid-19 and Council Tax
Disrupting Lives
Damaging Business
Destroying Trade and Commerce
The council tax bills have arrived on peoples’ doorsteps and there is a huge degree of shock being expressed to your councillors in Chiswick about the rises imposed on residents of both parts of Chiswick. Ealing and Hounslow Council Administrations have shown no mercy on hard pressed council tax-payers even during a period when incomes have been hit by the impact of Public Health preventative lock downs and business suspensions.
The New Financial Year
The Opposition parties led by Greg Stafford in Ealing, and by myself in Hounslow, tried very hard to get their respective Council administrations to avoid an increase in tax. The Mayor of London has put his precept up by a shade under 10% and the administration in Hounslow raised their demand by a shade under 5% (taking advantage of the legal limit being changed). In Hounslow our Conservative alternative budget at the beginning of March would have provided for no increase in the Borough council tax, without damaging or reducing budget expenditure plans. It is not rocket science, just good management!
Putting People Last!
I became Leader of the Opposition on Hounslow Council at the end of July last year. During the last eight months all the neighbourhoods in Hounslow have been facing a continuing series of issues. The range of different concerns about health and unemployment, about the retail and hospitality sector economic recovery and about travel and transport to name some of the key features raised by residents. Our internet traffic and post bag as councillors looking after the three Chiswick wards in Hounslow reflects this to a great extent. But a new source of concern: The council tax hike is just too much for many of them.
The Need for Feedback and Listening to our Residents
The Conservative group in opposition have tried very hard to help in setting agendas at the Council, supporting our council public health team, maintaining a dialogue with the senior management team at the council and working hard with colleagues and fellow supporters in different neighbourhoods in Hounslow. The difficulty for the public is that when watching Ealing and Hounslow councils in action they get no sense of any feedback mechanism or any real listening to the population that they are meant to administer.
Virtual meetings have been dogged by poor technical capacity and where the public should engage (for example on Planning or Licensing concerns or on Housing issues) their voice has literally disappeared). Please contact your local councillor team in Chiswick, if you are getting no satisfaction from direct contact with the administration.
The Opposition has an absolute certainty that in future we can do better than this.
The only way to run proper local government is to listen with respect and learn what people need, and what residents care for, provide moderate and progressive responses and make the necessary changes that have broad popular support after proper consultation.
Gerald McGregor Councillor
Chiswick Homefields Ward, Leader of the Opposition
London Borough of Hounslow
Lots of Unanswered Questions at the Borough Council Meeting
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Patrick Barr reports back on his week
Councillor Patrick Barr
Easing lockdown – no complacency
This week we have seen the easing of lockdown across England, with the ‘stay at home’ order coming to an end. Whilst this is a positive move reflecting the gradual suppression of the COVID-19 virus, it does not mean we can now become complacent in our actions – as you'd expect me to say, given my role as a nurse! The government is still asking that we remember 'Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air' and to wash our hands regularly, particularly when coming back from being elsewhere, cover our mouth and nose when outside, maintain a safe space from each other, get some fresh air and increase ventilation in enclosed spaces.
Borough Council Meeting
Throughout the pandemic my time and duties have been dominated by supporting the NHS in my role as a clinical services manager (wards manager) in a private hospital that treated patients from the local NHS trust for just over a year throughout the height of the pandemic. But I have done my best to maintain my council duties to our residents.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Hounslow council held a full council meeting which I attended for as long as I could before having to leave to return for a sleep-in at the hospital to be on call overnight. I have seen first-hand the effects of the virus and fully support the council and its stakeholders in their positive work in responding to the crisis but it's also important to hold the council to account where necessary.
We had tabled three strong motions – on the council's response to and recovery from the pandemic; on homelessness; and on public health. I was dismayed that, as so often happens, and it is one of the many frustrating aspects of borough council meetings, the motions on homelessness and public health were amended to such an extent by Labour that it entirely changed their emphasis and point.
On homelessness, in a motion proposed by Cllr Michael Denniss (Chiswick Riverside ward), we called for the council to devote further resources to homelessness. Despite the additional funding the council received from government to get everyone in during the pandemic, there is more to be done and we think the council should devote additional resources to this important area of work.
On public health, in a motion proposed by Cllr Gerald McGregor (Chiswick Homefields ward) we called for the council to use government funding to support the mental health of council staff, teachers, tutors, looked-after children and vulnerable adults in care and in the community. Everyone has experience of someone whose mental health has deteriorated during the pandemic. Even the strongest people have been vulnerable to the confines of lockdown and the extra pressures, and reduced contact with others, it has imposed on our lives. A debate would have given us a chance to add important context and contribute to a subject that concerns all of us.
We did, however, debate the council's response to and recovery from the pandemic in a detailed motion proposed by Cllr Joanna Biddolph (Turnham Green ward). She's a crisis management consultant in her other life and has worked through several international crises. It is essential to learn lessons so mistakes are not repeated and best practice becomes embedded in successive crisis management plans. Council leader Steve Curran does not understand the importance of everyone being asked to make contemporaneous (taking place at the same time as, as later clarified by Cllr Gabriella Giles of Chiswick Riverside ward) notes of what went wrong, well or was missed that shouldn't have been. Councillors have not been asked for their experiences and he repeated his determination that this will not happen until after the pandemic. As Cllr Biddolph said, it is very hard to remember what happened a year ago, a few months ago or even in January because the effects of the pandemic have been so fast-paced. She offered a bespoke record-keeping chart, a system that has worked well for crises such as air crashes and bombings. Does Hounslow want to capture those problems and experiences and possible remedies? No. As she said during the debate, Labour's amendment showed the council's disregard for the experiences of the people and business rate payers it represents and from its democratically elected councillors. All it did was to serve the interests of the leader and his very wobbly majority in his Labour group.
Cllr Giles (Chiswick Riverside ward) emphasised the need for transparency, respect, good governance and best practice, themes she returns to again and again because they are so lacking in Hounslow. As she said, the role of a good opposition is to scrutinise, and preventing us from doing so doesn't serve those we serve.
These important points of principle were also discussed in a debate on the council's constitution which proposes to restrict the ability for call-ins to succeed. A call-in enables councillors who are concerned about a council decision to call it in to be reviewed by the overview and scrutiny committee. There are no national restrictions on who can sign a call-in and councils have different approaches. In one London borough, call-ins can only be signed by members of that council's scrutiny committee. In others, it is a certain number of councillors with or without being on the scrutiny committee. Here in Hounslow, the constitution is to be changed so that no member of the overview and scrutiny committee can both sign a call-in and vote on the call-in. Given that eight councillors must sign a call-in, and that of the Conservatives' 10 councillors three are members of the scrutiny committee, it is clear that Labour is trying to prevent the opposition from scrutinising its decisions.
The full proceeding of the meeting can be viewed here on YouTube.
While there is a competition to table the three motions allowed at each council meeting, each party can table three questions. Ours were on education, housing failures and whistleblowing.
The question on education from Cllr John Todd (Chiswick Homefields ward) gave him a chance to raise the very worrying case of an autistic child whose education during the pandemic was neglected, resulting in the local government ombudsman upholding the parent's complaint, saying that the failure meant that the child was " without suitable education for a year and caused the complainant unnecessary stress, time and trouble". The cabinet member responsible, Cllr Tom Bruce, was unable to provide an answer in the meeting – incredible, in our view.
The council's record on collecting rent arrears was raised in a question from Cllr Denniss (Chiswick Riverside ward). The total projected by London Councils for Hounslow council tenants for 2019/20 was £3.8m – an eye-watering sum and an increase of 40% on the outcome for 2018/19 of £2.7m. The average level of rent arrears projected by London Councils for all councils stands at £3.9m.
Our third question was on the council's whistleblowing policy, tabled by Cllr Biddolph (Turnham Green ward) who was concerned about the very low number of whistleblowing reports made. She asked for improvements to the description of the whistleblowing policy, specifically to give staff more confidence to report wrongdoings, and for the policy to be much easier to find including by embedding it in the council's constitution.
The Chiswick Shops Task Force
Cllr Biddolph wrote last week of the work the task force, of which I'm a member, has been doing throughout the pandemic including the fact of the 31st March deadline for grant applications. This resulted in a flurry of businesses wanting help with their applications, to get round IT problems and seeking clarity on what they were eligible to apply for, prompted by our reminder emails. It is now too late to apply for this round of grants.
The next significant government grant to be distributed is the Restart Grant, helping non-essential retailers, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses with the inevitably increased costs of opening up again. Business owners will have to apply for these grants – there is no automatic payment – and councils have been asked to pay them more quickly. The details were announced as I was typing this and are here. In total, the government has given councils more than £25bn to pass on to businesses, part of over £352bn to protect jobs and livelihoods through the pandemic.
The full proceeding of the meeting can be viewed here on YouTube.
While there is a competition to table the three motions allowed at each council meeting, each party can table three questions. Ours were on education, housing failures and whistleblowing.
The question on education from Cllr John Todd (Chiswick Homefields ward) gave him a chance to raise the very worrying case of an autistic child whose education during the pandemic was neglected, resulting in the local government ombudsman upholding the parent's complaint, saying that the failure meant that the child was " without suitable education for a year and caused the complainant unnecessary stress, time and trouble". The cabinet member responsible, Cllr Tom Bruce, was unable to provide an answer in the meeting – incredible, in our view.
The council's record on collecting rent arrears was raised in a question from Cllr Denniss (Chiswick Riverside ward). The total projected by London Councils for Hounslow council tenants for 2019/20 was £3.8m – an eye-watering sum and an increase of 40% on the outcome for 2018/19 of £2.7m. The average level of rent arrears projected by London Councils for all councils stands at £3.9m.
Our third question was on the council's whistleblowing policy, tabled by Cllr Biddolph (Turnham Green ward) who was concerned about the very low number of whistleblowing reports made. She asked for improvements to the description of the whistleblowing policy, specifically to give staff more confidence to report wrongdoings, and for the policy to be much easier to find including by embedding it in the council's constitution.
The Chiswick Shops Task Force
Cllr Biddolph wrote last week of the work the task force, of which I'm a member, has been doing throughout the pandemic including the fact of the 31st March deadline for grant applications. This resulted in a flurry of businesses wanting help with their applications, to get round IT problems and seeking clarity on what they were eligible to apply for, prompted by our reminder emails. It is now too late to apply for this round of grants.
The next significant government grant to be distributed is the Restart Grant, helping non-essential retailers, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses with the inevitably increased costs of opening up again. Business owners will have to apply for these grants – there is no automatic payment – and councils have been asked to pay them more quickly. The details were announced as I was typing this and are here. In total, the government has given councils more than £25bn to pass on to businesses, part of over £352bn to protect jobs and livelihoods through the pandemic.
Traffic schemes and transport management As usual, the road closures and traffic schemes dominate our days. The success and hard work of our group's Chiswick traffic and transport committee, chaired by Cllr Sam Hearn (Chiswick Riverside ward) in bringing to the attention of residents and businesses the wholesale disruption of their lives by illegitimate changes in the east of the borough, has led to us expanding our work to the whole of the borough. It isn't only Chiswick that is being treated badly – though we certainly do have the worst and the most damaging schemes here.
Helping residents
Some of the most difficult cases councillors are asked to help with are when a resident needs to be rehoused, for what can often be very serious reasons. The process can be unhelpfully bureaucratic; they must register for a computer-driven home swap but the swaps aren't always acceptable. Councillors can intervene to escalate their cases and achieve a compassionate move.
One Chiswick resident and her adult son, the subjects of anti-social behaviour, were offered a flat in a part of the west of the borough where the resident had been attacked. Her whole life was in Chiswick; being swapped out of it, and to a place where she would not feel safe, and which would have exacerbated her struggles with mental illness, made no sense. They have now moved within Chiswick.
We are all well-aware of the effect of lockdown and the stay at home policy on people in violent or abusive relationships. Intervening to rehouse a resident fleeing domestic abuse required speed and sensitivity.
Elections are coming
On 6 May, the UK will have its biggest ever set of local elections. People will choose almost 5,000 councillors, 16 mayors and 40 police and crime commissioners up and down the country. Here in Hounslow there are two by-elections, in Cranford and Hounslow Heath, and of course we will be casting votes in the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections.
This is an opportunity for us to decide who we wish to represent us in the London Assembly, and who we wish to add to our current council body. Just as importantly, it is about building back better after this pandemic and focusing on people's priorities. So, I'll be out campaigning for Shaun Bailey as mayor of London and Nick Rogers as our local GLA member.
Cllr Patrick Barr
Chiswick Homefields Ward
Money, Money, Money - a Week Dominated by Supporting Local Traders
Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph reports back
Cllr Jo Biddolph
It's been week of money, money, money. Not mine, well it is – and yours, too. It's the grants allocated to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses to help them through the rollercoaster months of Tier 3, Tier 4 and lockdown during which some have been able to trade more or less as normal (thank you to all our food and health shops and stalls and our amazing pharmacists); others allowed to operate for takeaway and delivery only (not just cafes/restaurants but also homeware, books, clothes and anyone else with an online business); and still more who were not allowed to operate at all (gyms and yoga studios, beauty/hair salons and others).
Confusion was caused by the unnecessarily unclear titles allocated to the grants by the civil service. Instead of calling the grants something logical (such as Tier 3, Tier 4, Lockdown, Spring Grant), traders have had to grapple with titles such as Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) and Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) where using the word "closed" has been particularly perplexing if you've been allowed to be open for takeaway/delivery (which counts as closed). The official gov.uk list of which businesses fall into each category has been firmly in my favourites bar throughout the pandemic (essential as the list has changed several times as new categories have been added, such as travel agents who have inevitably experienced no business beyond taking bookings then cancelling them).
On top of that, just as traders started gearing up to re-open – which means a flurry of activity – HMG announced that all the current grants must have been claimed by 31st March. During the pandemic, the four of us who run the Chiswick Shops Task Force (Cllrs Patrick Barr of Chiswick Homefields ward, Gabriella Giles of Chiswick Riverside ward, me of Turnham Green ward plus Anthony Young on behalf of Ealing's Southfield ward) have sent 37 informative emails (plus half a dozen emails about retail generally) to all the 300 plus traders on our list, urging them to apply for grants or passing on details they might have missed from government announcements including the Chancellor's budget.
Most traders clock them. Some miss them completely. So, it was inevitable that several business owners have not applied for the grants they are due – while struggling to pay their rent and bills. This week has been a frantic ring round of businesses I know needed guidance for the first batch of grants early on during the pandemic (even I can't remember when it was, so odd has passing time been) and who might not have re-applied for this second batch (no-one who was eligible for grants in the first batch was assumed to be eligible for the second so they all had to apply again – I know, I know; it's not how I would have run it, either).
It's been difficult enough for people for whom business-based working is the norm. Imagine what it's like if English is not your first language; you have had no training in office-based methods; and you conduct much of your business on a mobile phone. I do so hope no-one has slipped through the net. If any traders are reading this, please get in touch with Patrick, Gabriella or me. (And I'm acutely aware that all our emails, and this blog, fall into the guilty category – inaccessible to those for whom the English language is a challenge.)
Pandemic briefings and training : learning from Handforth Parish Council
All councillors have seen a significant increase in casework during the pandemic. At first I reckoned it was because people were going through their when-I've-got-time-to-do lists. Now it's because, unfortunately, so many more people need help and support. Our other work has increased too, including briefings for all councillors on the pandemic and a new refresher training programme that has had little attention since our three-month-long induction sessions after we were first elected. What's the main topic? Governance.
It would be intriguing for such intensive training suddenly to take place a year before the next local elections but for the fact that our meetings are now broadcast live, and held on YouTube, enabling greater scrutiny of the behaviour of elected representatives and, potentially, officers – and particularly following incidents during the most recent borough council meeting on 2nd March.
When the live stream failed, according to messages sent to me by those trying to watch, my polite reports in the meeting chat were met first with an offensive comment from the council's chief executive then, when I raised concerns about that message, I was muted by the mayor. The offensive remark, quickly deleted, was not aimed at me but it raised alarm bells about whether it is a symbol of how things are run in Hounslow. I received a notional apology from the chief exec which I have acknowledged while I look into this further. The mayor appears unabashed.
After those two significant actions, it's clear to me that the party in control (some in Chiswick might prefer the term "controlling party" given how much is being done to us, whether we want it or not) has reached a mid-term sense of invincibility and has lost touch with why each of them stood for election and what their roles are in relation to those they serve.
It is important to note that I was trying to tell the mayor (who is in charge of the meeting) and officers that the live feed wasn’t working – which might make the meeting illegal under COVID-19 legislation. Other councillors were reporting it, too. So why were my polite reports singled out? And why, given all the national publicity to muting at a Handforth parish council meeting, to which the mayor referred at the start of the meeting, was that tactic even considered here in Hounslow? The controlling party doesn't like to hear others' voices, not even when they are trying to report a failure that might make the meeting illegal. Silencing the opposition, whether trying to be helpful or expose failings, is the aim.
This was the annual budget-setting meeting, the single most important borough council meeting of the municipal year; it must be legally held. I have since been told that, despite its many broadcast failings, it was legal. It needed to be checked.
Consultation area appraisals
With so many unrepresentative consultations, quasi reviews and pre-determined outcome workshops about the road closures, LTNs, C9 and our town centres, you might have missed two important consultations in the heart of Chiswick: re-appraising the Chiswick High Road conservation area (including taking in more of Turnham Green Terrace) and proposing the Glebe Estate conservation area (a symbol of Chiswick's development and historical context). Please make your views known.
For me, the most important point about the Chiswick High Road conservation area is what has been said behind closed doors by lobbyists – whether formal or informal, groups or individuals, recognised or self-styled experts. As with all the recent unrepresentative "consultations", it's important to imagine the worst and say what you don't want. One of the worst things anyone could do to Turnham Green Terrace, which is unquestionably different from every other shopping street anywhere and much the better for it, is to destroy its single storey shops on the eastern side (in Turnham Green ward). These give so much charm to the road, provide a sense of openness and give it cheer – as the photo on the cover of the consultation appraisal document shows.
Yet a well-known architect said in a recent workshop that these "poor quality" single-storey shops must go. So, apparently, did one of our commercial estate agents. Why? Would they have a vested interest in developing the sites and/or selling/letting the new shops, offices or flats? What about the hundreds of thousands of pounds that have been poured into improving them by their hard-working and talented tenants? What about us and the pleasure we get out of their quirkiness? Oh, sorry, I forgot. Chiswick would be so much better if it were a clone-town with character-free streets picked from a catalogue.
Freddie the seal tragedy on the Thames
Everyone seems to have been moved by this. Freddie the seal was so much more than a visitor basking on our foreshore. His presence demonstrates the increasing cleanliness of the Thames and its importance as a habitat as well as its value as a transport route, its historical place in our city, and a source of pride for all of us who enjoy being on it in boats or canoes, watching the annual (mostly) boat race, strolling or sitting beside it or even just knowing it's there, looping round and embracing our home town.
We councillors talk to each other quite a lot and this week's chats with Cllr Gabriella Giles have inevitably focussed on Freddie. Gabriella's role includes being the councillor representative on the Chiswick Pier Trust and the Thames Landscape strategy where Freddie's case has been prominent. All are working for something positive to come from this incident which will take further the spirit of pride we have in being a riparian borough.
An election is coming
After months of confinement, we are back on the campaign trail delivering leaflets. I will, of course, be voting for a fresh start for London from Shaun Bailey and for Nicholas Rogers for the London Assembly, replacing Tony Arbour whose support locally and personally has been immense. Nick's approach epitomises the phrase "hit the ground running". With a career in transport, he was quick to pick up on our long-running campaign for the Piccadilly Line to stop at Turnham Green Terrace (he knows it is achievable), improvements to buses and tube stations and our recent call for our borough police to reintroduce special constables to support our busy ward police teams and increase night-time patrols (he's been a special). Feeling safe at night is fundamental not only to us as residents but also to the survival of our bars, cafes, pubs and restaurants as they come out of lockdown from 12th April. Please do eat and drink out in the open with them when they re-open.
Shaun and Sadiq Khan went head-to-head on BBC1 on Monday. If you missed it, you can catch up with key moments here (the full broadcast doesn't seem to be available on iPlayer) and here's an article from the Evening Standard.
Still time to complete the census
One of the most newly prolific Twitter trolls was quick to criticise me for completing the census a few days early. The letter made it clear we could fill it in early, as long as we were certain our answers would apply to census Sunday. I was. It's not too late to do it now, either. If you haven't yet done so, please complete it asap via this link.
Keeping track
Early on I asked long-standing councillors how they kept track of information – specifically filing. We are supposed to read everything online and printing documents is looked-down on particularly by young Labour councillors with no age-affected eye-sight limitations. The reality is that some documents need to be printed, and pages marked, so you can have them in front of you during meetings, whether we meet physically or now when meeting virtually on screen. Importantly, too, our annotations can have long-lasting significance. I now know that laughter was the only logical response – my office and dining room floors prove the point. There is no system that works.
It took less time to work out how to manage keeping track of subject-based work. Instead of one notebook for everything, I need one notebook for each topic or committee (and, so far, two on the pandemic alone). I buy beautiful notebooks for casework to elevate the humdrum and honour the heartbreak (some people's lives are unnecessarily burdensome) and for the Chiswick Shops Task Force (because our traders deserve special attention). Colourful practicality works best for committees/council projects (and thank you, to Bookcase on the High Road for carrying the ideal range).
Surgeries to resume soon
The council is working towards reinstating face-to-face surgeries from 17th May, if the roadmap to the end of lockdown goes to plan. I so look forward to being able to meet residents in person again.
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
Brace Yourselves for Strand on the Green Traffic Chaos
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Sam Hearn reports back on his week
Cllr Sam Hearn
Another busy week with lots to keep my colleagues and I occupied;
Kew Bridge – The up-river pavement has been closed to pedestrians for over two months whilst works by TfL contractors have proceeded at their own leisurely pace. Cyclists and pedestrians struggle daily to share the restricted space and social distancing is as Will Shakespeare would have put it “more honoured in the breach than the observance”.
I have at last receive responses from both Will Norman, TfL’s cycling supremo, and the Kew Bridge Construction Manager. Apparently, it is all for the greater good. The comment that We are … making the assumption that the public are highly aware of the current pandemic and are ultimately taking precautions themselves when in tighter areas is frankly breath-taking.
I hope that everyone is prepared for the traffic chaos that will ensue as TfL alternates the closure of the north and south bound carriageways from the bridge to Chiswick Roundabout. For several days access to and from Strand-on-the Green will be blocked. This will allow residents of SOG to sympathise with the plight of the residents of the Stile Hall Gardens / Chiswick Village trapped in their enclave by TfL’s whizzo cycle way with no western exit route.
There seems to be no further news on the promised walk-way under Kew Bridge through one of the arches. Supposedly all the bureaucratic hurdles had been cleared.
Old garage blocks become sites for affordable housing – The council and a housing association have brought forward proposals for the development of four sites in Chiswick Riverside; at the far end of the Lindens, St Thomas’s Road near the school and at the rear of Quentin Court on Station Approach Road. A further site on Florence Road has been identified but no proposal has yet been brought forward. Some residents have expressed concerns but the need for affordable housing is well understood. There are similar schemes proposed in the other Chiswick Wards. Contact your local councillors for more information.
Blossom Day – 11 th April: The task force behind the event are committed to making it happen this year although as a largely a virtual event. The website says it all www.blossomdayw4.org.uk. If you wish to book a place on the free Haiku workshop on the 10 th April you better act fast. Places are limited. In future years we all hope that this can be a much larger community event that will bring together residents of Staveley and Park Road and the surrounding streets.
ULEZ – October 2020: Many Chiswick residents are asking what the scheme will mean for them. Some older and less affluent residents are faced with impossible decisions. I have been seeking clarity via Hounslow Council on the implications of the scheme and where the TfL cameras will be sited. In addition I have asked if they could in principle double up as part of the LTN monitoring network. Our traffic officers are lobbying on our behalf but TfL is currently playing its cards close to its chest.
Pension Investment Fund Panel – As chair of the Pension Board I am required to sit in on these meetings. Members of the public can attend but are excluded from the so-called yellow pages parts of the agenda. I only ever recall one member of the public attending and he did not return for a second helping. Important decisions were being made at the meeting so I felt obliged to stay until the end. This meant that I missed most of the briefing on the work of the Members’ Constitutional Review working party.
Cllr Sam Hearn
March 22 2021
The Politics of Envy. The Politics of the Playground. The End of Democracy?
Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph on her week
Jo Biddolph
Residents living in Grove Park and Strand on the Green have long said they feel separated from the rest of Chiswick by the A4 but nothing has divided Chiswick more than the current supposedly temporary road closures and cycling schemes.
For many, it’s the arrogant attitude of the anti-car brigade, harping on about the perceived selfishness of single occupancy cars, and criticising what they consider to be non-essential journeys (in both cases without knowing why people are driving), that has created such bitter division between us, splitting our sense of community.
For many others, the effect of Hounslow closing roads and pushing traffic onto Ealing roads – gridlocking Ealing residents’ lives – has created a them-and-us chasm that only the boundary-obsessed approve of. Ealing’s Southfield ward is just as much a part of Chiswick as are the three Hounslow wards of Chiswick Homefields, Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green. The shared W4 postcode binds us together. The boundary barrier doesn’t exist when we bump into each other, shop, have a coffee, get a haircut, eat out, take a pet to the vet. What was an invisible division is now a deep and wide canyon with Hounslow punishing Ealing.
All this has led to even more unpleasantness on this website’s discussion forum and on Twitter. The formerly kinder gentler NextDoor, where posts about lost cats, found keys and restaurant recommendations were the norm, is now the trolls’ new home. New names crop up – because the closure of Fisher’s Lane at South Parade is an action taken by Ealing council – with members of the Ealing branch of the London Cycling campaign taking on the role of attackers-in-chief (though the Chiswick branch hasn’t exactly gone silent).
I’ve heard from one person who has been moved to use her car less frequently but everyone else I’ve met, had emails from or heard from by phone, has said they already choose walking or cycling first; then the bus, though for some the tube is as popular; only when it’s absolutely necessary do they turn keys in ignitions (if they have a car, and not everyone does). The environmental agenda – the climate emergency – does not only exist in impassioned cyclists’ lives.
Huge numbers of us live within easy walking distance of the shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants and service businesses we use – so walking is inevitable. There are pockets of Chiswick where reaching a bus route is prohibitively long, particularly for people less able to walk or carry heavy shopping, but overall our generous network of buses (with some inconveniences from relatively recent changes - the shortening of the 27 bus route, for example) means we hop on and hop off routinely. And when we use our cars, we do so because we have to, combining several essential reasons in one big journey. As one resident wrote on one of our social media platforms the other day, people choose to live in Chiswick because of its travel connections to the world beyond us: not just the tube, not just the buses but also the M4, the M40, the M3, the M1 and the M25. You can’t walk or cycle along them; they were built for cars. Commuter journeys or, as in my case for many years, trips by car to visit ageing parents (taking heavy shopping with me) and other reasons are inevitable with so many routes close by.
The perpetual hectoring lecturing from those who cannot tolerate lives lived differently – and for whom no good reason for driving is good enough – has turned our polite, accepting, warm community into one of rising anger and, as one person I know put it, “making normally law abiding drivers into offenders out of sheer frustration” adding that “the behaviour of councils is harsh and verging on what citizens of places like China have to endure”. Others have said they feel they are living in a banana republic or Communist state. In the 1980s we called it the politics of envy.
The frustration is making people aggressive. I have heard from one mum of young kids who more than once narrowly missed being rammed into by drivers frustrated by the gridlock. When a few of us flash-mobbed onto the High Road late on Thursday night, one of us witnessed a near incident between an oil tanker, a cyclist and a bus. The next day a resident reported another near miss when her husband had to slam on the brakes to avoid driving into the car ahead which had braked suddenly to avoid a pedestrian crossing the road where the island refuge had been removed, confusing all.
Add to that the fact that many of us feel stressed and anxious as a result of the pandemic, with the constant uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next. That’s made worse by not being in control in our own home-town thanks to councils, and TfL, springing massive changes on us without proper warning. They, and the lack of consultation, have inevitably increased feelings of powerlessness.
Certainly, I feel bullied by the council – and I’m an elected member of it! Seeing photos of self-satisfied cabinet members posing on the pavement with London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman was like looking at a photo of a proud and un-cowed illegal elephant hunter posing with his trophy. The insensitivity – towards us. The lack of respect for the target – that’s us. The smug pleasure – from overruling and ruling over us. My heart rate rose.
It was doubly insulting given that three of the cabinet members – leader Steve Curran; lead member for transport, traffic and parking Hanif Khan; lead member for highways and borough bodyguard-cum-bouncer Guy Lambert – have not had the decency to fix a date, at our (your councillors’) invitation, to come to Chiswick to meet residents and businesses to hear first-hand about the effect of these ill-thought out schemes. There they were, with Will Norman and at least one well-known local cycling tub-thumper, in a safety-in-numbers group, stopping briefly for the sunny-day photo-op then disappearing, leaving their terrible mess behind them like litter louts.
Hounslow Council Cabinet Members get on their bikes with Will Norman
And triply insulting given that I had sent an email marked URGENT to council leader Steve Curran because of the risks we flash-mobbers had witnessed to workers’ safety, drivers’ safety, pedestrians’ safety, businesses’ loss of trade and residents’ loss of sleep due to incompetently programmed work, unsatisfactorily supervised workers, poorly laid out diversions and complex traffic light configurations at the junction of the High Road with Acton Lane during overnight works to install a CW9 bus gate. No time to respond to alerts to safety risks. Plenty of time to pose in the sunshine for photos. It is worse than shabby.
Was it shabby or, as one of my councillor colleagues put it, “insulting” when, instead of answering a reasonable question about money management, council leader Steve Curran chose personal attack. That was on Tuesday, at the first ever and much-overdue virtual borough council meeting. When I asked a supplementary question about the two subjects cited as causing significant losses of income –parking revenue and rough sleeping/homelessness – Steve Curran chose to be rude about my short stint as leader of the Conservative group. Then he criticised me for asking about parking at the same time as the far more important subject of rough sleeping/homelessness (which his inadequate answer had lumped together). This was borough council – the senior council committee. It was a public meeting – a form of accountability. And the subject was money management. Instead of a serious, considered reply we had the politics of the playground.
We have been fighting on the side of residents since we were elected and been ignored. Residents now see they, too, have been ignored. We reflect our resident’s views; the council is wearing dark glasses and blinkers and sticking its fingers in its ears. But we are not giving up.
It’s been quite a busy week.
Joanna Biddolph
20 September 2020
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Chiswick Homefields ward councillor John Todd on his week
John Todd (centre) with fellow councillors
Rumblings Underground and Hounslow Council Redacts Self-criticism
Chiswick Flower Market
Every best wish to this new venture.
Thames Tunnel Construction to Warple Way Acton- Combined sewer overflow construction
My beloved dog Rosie uncertainly stirs looking at me for guidance. The house quivers and a strange hollow woofing noise frequently comes from under the floorboards. Like an arriving thunderstorm, not quite synchronised.
On some days I notice that a number of silent theodolite operatives are outside my house furtively monitoring any possible subsidence by monitoring three round mini-dart patches fixed to my house by Thames Water (TW). One operative enters my garden holding back a naughty plant which has overgrown and is blocking their line of sight. This incites a sheepish grin as if they expect me to blast them for trespass. The pavement has lots of new shiny metal studs too as part of this process.
What's causing this turmoil? A tunnel boring machine called Rachel (named after Rachel Parsons founding president of the Women's Engineering Society) is currently gorging the soil under my house, and elsewhere, on its way to Acton. It's now arrived at Stamford Brook Tube station and heading for Emlyn Rd. I'm advised it's very deep in the ground and there's no adjacent aperture where we can get reassurance that everything is going OK. TW offered £50 towards any legal costs we incur. Not many takers at that rate I suspect.
Homefields North Play area Improvement Works This Summer
Following a great response from many local residents seeking change, and Ward Councillor intervention, LB Hounslow (LBH) have now procured a specialist contractor to undertake an extensive list of improvement works at Homefields North playground. Works will include refurbishment of all existing swings frames and seats and the large multi-play unit will get a facelift, along with all benches and picnic tables. Safety gates and safety surfaces will all be repaired or replaced. New play equipment will provide additional activities for younger children in the fenced area.
In the older children's area, the repairs needed to put the adventure playground back into action will be undertaken, including the stepping stones, rope bridge, basket swing, cradle swing and traverse wall. The grass mound and slide will be improved, so this previously unusable area can be accessed no matter what the weather.
Tree Pit Located Rubbish
Black bags full of rubbish and other items continue to blight Chiswick High Road. Local residents continue to send me pictures and we've been asking officers for some pro-active action. Some PCNs have been issued and warnings given to those responsible but the blight continues. Purple coloured plastic bags are used by residents who live above the shops and are collected at published times. Many bags are placed in the road days before the collection date and get damaged by foxes and others. We've suggested tighter collection time slots and this amended scheme is being worked on.
Barnes Footbridge update
The project continues. After interviewing prospective contractors, LBH has entered into a pre-construction service agreement with the successful contractor. This will enable the contractor to commence the detailed review, engagement with the key stakeholders and the steel fabricators, to look at all value engineering options with the target of achieving a second stage lump sum price within the council's available budget.
Richmond Cemetery - Restriction Sign
No sunbathing or BBQs!
Hounslow Council Self-Assessment
A now removed document (see below) formerly published by LB Hounslow (LBH) on its website admits ‘Our digital offer is ineffective, our customer service delivery is not good enough (and)…We do not have a single Corporate, systematic way of understanding our customers and their needs.'
This quote is taken from an Appendix to a recent (28 th August, 2020) Single Member Decision, LBH published report in which a Cabinet member sought an additional £500,000 to restructure its Human Resources and Organisational Development (HR & OD) Department, which already costs £1.29m.
I posed a number of questions about this report believed to have been written in February including ‘who wrote this section' and ‘where is the data previously published which evidences the adverse comments in this section? I received a prompt response. The senior management had drafted this paragraph. My second question was not answered to my satisfaction
My interest in the council's performance was heightened In June 2019 when the cabinet agreed a different way of assessing its performance data, highlighting success rather than failure. Our opposition role is to chase the latter so I met with the Chief Executive and Head of Overview and Scrutiny to express my concerns.
My intervention over the HR and OD Report caused the Cabinet Member to direct that the published appendix I had quoted from be immediately removed from the LBH website. A most unusual course of action.
Covid 19 Testing
I've been in contact with our Director of Public Health requesting that testing facilities be established in Chiswick. Some of the testing sites in Hounslow are some distance away with poor transport access. She and her staff are now endeavouring to do so. A possible testing site is in the grounds of Chiswick House. Xanthe the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust has offered to facilitate this facility.
Cllr John Todd
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Back To School Soon But Cleaning Up the Area First
Turnham Green ward councillor Ron Mushiso on his week
Cllr Ron Mushiso in front of Flower Market poster
As I write this, I am preparing to return to my regular job as a teacher after the Bank Holiday weekend. The Summer Holidays have come to an end and I am looking forward to seeing our pupils back in the classroom and on the sports fields. We all accept that Covid-19 is not going away anytime soon, but that we have to prioritise the educational needs of our children.
Chiswick Clean Up:
Our monthly litter pick returns this weekend after a long lay-off due to covid-19. A number of you have been in touch throughout the lockdown offering with this cause. We are finally able to bring it back and I know much our regulars have missed this humbling monthly get together. The full details will be at end of this blog. We will be meeting on Turnham Green (in front of the Church) ready to start at 2pm. I encourage you all to get in touch on using the detail below if you wish to come along. Strict social distancing measure will be in effect. This unfortunately means that we will not be congregating indoors for refreshments afterwards at 3pm like we have previously. Hounslow Highways have kindly provided us with gloves, litter pickers and bin bags. Hand sanitizers will be made available. I hope to see some new faces there.
Chiswick Flower Market.
Looking ahead to the following weekend; it will be the turn of the Chiswick Flower Market on Sunday 6th September 2020 from 9:30 - 3pm. I hope that you will all be able to attend and help make it a resounding success. Cllr Gill and I have already signed up for the odd jobs working behind the scenes and marshaling. We are both looking forward to it especially knowing how much effort and hard work has gone into bringing this event to our doorstep. I tip my hat off to Ollie Saunders and the rest of his team for putting Chiswick on the map once more for all the right reasons. A good news story for our residents and local businesses at last; especially given the chaos and disruption that they have endured this summer. I am of course referring to Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road, as orchestrated by Cllr Hanif Khan, the Lead Member for Transport at Hounslow Council.
Chiswick in Chaos thanks to Labour
Thanks to Cllr Khan and his administration, what should have been a glorious walking and cycling revolution, has turned into a blockade of sorts that seek to divide our community. As my colleagues have pointed out previously in their blogs, part of the reason there was such a rush to introduce these schemes to Chiswick was purely financial. Many of these projects dreamt up and prepacked long before the pandemic. In their haste to secure funding, Labour put finances before people.
What's frustrated people the most on Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road, has been the removal of parking spaces and the end of the 30-minute free parking allocation. These parking spaces and their proximity to local retail is what's helped some businesses to stay and not relocate. In some cases, parking is the absolute lifeblood of their business in retaining customer. And yet, the Labour administration has failed to acknowledge this fact. They have also failed to acknowledge our elderly residents and those who rely (health/medical) on the car to make their journeys. These closures and restrictions on the High Road are clearly harming our local economy.
What a cycling revolution should look like
We have been consistent from the outset that we were fully behind Secretary of State Grant Shapps' announcement that should have heralded a Walking and Cycling revolution across the entire country. We published our cycling policy as a follow up to ensure that good planning and open dialog with elected representatives and stakeholders would prudent, in order to maximize this opportunity. We asked Labour to tailor any and every project to the needs of that particular community. We warned that a bulldozing approach would not be appropriate.
We pledged our support for a public consultation provided that it was thorough. In other words, all the stakeholders including businesses had to be consulted. We respected the fact that due to the pandemic some temporary cycling schemes would have to be introduced to make it easier to get around on foot or on two wheels. We have since learned, to my horror, that Cllr Khan intends to allow these schemes to remain operational for at least 3 months before they are reviewed. That takes into the middle November at the earliest.
What Cllr Khan has failed to grasp is that you can't bulldoze your way into getting what you want. You need to bring the community with you. The community includes cyclists, motorists, visitors, business owners, children, the elderly and their careers. They all have a stake in the Walking and Cycling revolution.
Lessons from Amsterdam and Berlin
My social media feed is congested with comparable anecdotes between Amsterdam and Chiswick. And even though I am a keen cyclist and I find some of these posts useful; I have to remind my cycling friends time and time again that Chiswick is not Amsterdam. But to be absolutely sure, I took a trip to Amsterdam in the summer to see the cycling phenomenon for myself for the first time. Then as a comparable I went across to Berlin and hopped on a e-scooter for the first as I navigated my way around city.
What impressed me the most about these great cities was the harmony between pedestrians, cyclists, E-scooter riders, motor-cyclists, car drivers, trams and commercial goods vehicle. Yes, there was plenty traffic and the best way to get around was either on foot or on two wheels but the roads were shared seamlessly.
This collective approach is exactly what our cycling policy had set out to promote in response to Grant Sharps announcement during the height of the pandemic. Our cycling policy was welcomed by motorist and cyclist alike. Labour just simply refused to work with us. But we all know that things can change. Even as I compose this blog Brighton and Hove Council have decided to remove 600m section of temporary bike lane along the seafront to ease congestion. I hope that we too can return back to this and restart that conversation that began in May 2020.
The Lead Member for Transport ought to familiarize with John Maynard Keynes and his famous quote that said ‘When the facts change, I change my mind.' The entire Labour administration should take note, after all, he is one theirs.
Chiswick Traffic and Transport Committee
As the Conservative group, we are engaging with our residents on this and have as of this week, formed our own subcommittee to look at ways that we can improve the various traffic management measures being proposed and implemented by Hounslow Council including the temporary Cycleway 9 scheme. We had our first meeting this week chaired by Cllr Sam Hearn. You will be hearing more about this in the coming weeks.
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Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles on her week
Cllr Gabriella Giles
First, I would like to thank all of you who have emailed me since I last wrote the councillor’s blog, back in June, and which, admittedly, was quite technical. As each new road change is unveiled, it would appear that the levels to which Chiswick is being experimented on is increasing and, understandably, the level of frustration from local residents is also growing.
I would like to reassure you that your nine Hounslow councillors in Chiswick are working together to persuade the powers that be in the Ivory Tower which is Hounslow House, that we need to come up with suitable schemes for residents and traders. Unfortunately, for anyone who has logged onto the various public meetings from Hounslow and the Labour group, it would appear that the administration has very little insight to the eastern part of the borough, which Gerald McGregor alluded to last week as being the other side of “the Berlin Wall of West London”.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Back in June I mentioned that the funding for the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood scheme had been stopped, and that the scheme would now be funded by the COVID-19 response appearing under the category “a rose by any other name”. I then had hopes that, regardless of the name of the project, the execution would remain true to its original six aims:
- increase levels of walking, cycling and public transport use
- reduce car use in the local area, in particular for short journeys and those centred around the school run
- improve road safety and reduce collisions
- improve personal safety and security
- improve air quality
- help local businesses and the area’s economy to thrive
Unfortunately, the more this project develops, the more disappointed I become. I had hoped that there would be some significant measures that would make the area I know as Chiswick Riverside, but we all know as Grove Park and Strand on the Green, a safer, more liveable neighbourhood. I had great fun suggesting to officers in October ideas that included the introduction of play streets, the possibility of School Bike Buses or trains, and even maximising the use of the Thames to get people out of their cars and onto other modes of transport. How about a water bike anyone?
Of course, there were more serious discussions, such as the junction of Hartington Road and the A316, the need to look at the cycle path on this road, the danger of crossing Sutton Court Road and the A4, the speeds I had observed as part of the community roadwatch team on both Staveley and Sutton Court Roads, and of course that horrific junction at the southern end of Grove Park bridge. None of which have been covered as part of this project, but are on the list either to be requested for action by TfL or relegated to the longer term priorities (surely an oxymoron?). Taking all of this into account, what we are going to see is a series of measures implemented across the whole of Chiswick that don’t pay due notice to how we, the residents, use our local area.
Don’t get me wrong, I do realise that due to a certain virus, our lives have changed, and there is a need for urgency. But surely this shouldn’t mean that ambition and innovation should go out of the window? (Just because ANPR is new to Hounslow, doesn’t mean it is innovative.)
Under the guise of the COVID-19 statutory guidelines, the leaders of the council are steamrolling through plans which don’t do much to achieve the aims I have mentioned, but seem purely set on making life really very awkward for residents of an area that is so poorly served by public transport that even Transport for London rates it at “1b - Very poor”.
Great Haste makes Great Waste
To be fair, in discussions with officers, we have been told that the easiest thing to do would be to create hard blocks across the area so that residents only have access to their nearest A-road, and be done with it. I, for one, am very grateful that this is not the current plan of action, but what we have seen so far leaves a lot to be desired. I appreciate that there are budgetary constraints, that in order to secure more funding the measures have to demonstrate success, however, the project manager in me can’t help but feel that in the rush to secure additional funding, this project is not getting the buy-in that we would expect if the process had been followed properly.
This is by no means an attack on the lead officers involved . The guys are doing a great job (and I’m not being unconsciously biased, those we have been speaking to are male), working to a really tight project timeline, managing a lot of stakeholders and a huge amount of correspondence. I’ve been there, it’s tough, and they have my full support.
I just can’t help but feel that, if the process - as detailed by the Project Centre for a Traffic + Parking webinar on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods above - where the steps labelled 2 - 6 (Feasibility Design, Public Consultation and Detailed Design) were not just rushed through, we could have had an active engagement on a number of different, safety-audited measures, and potentially save a lot of time and money in the long run.
Safer Cycling?
Instead, we see Harvard Hill closed with no prior warning, following designs that did not pass the initial security audit, creating havoc for a road that in the run-up to the closure saw 60-vehicles an hour at peak hours. How do I know this? Along with residents, we went to count the cars at 8am and 5pm. From our observations, the majority of these vehicles were delivery or labourers’ vans. Of the cars, most of these clearly displayed a Hounslow CPZ badge. This was not a perfect data collection process, but do you know any that are?
Apart from my frustration at the fact that the “anti-rat-running” measures seem to be starting from the last line of defence (you wouldn’t build a winning rugby team around your full-back), I am still struggling to see how these road closures will support the initial aim of the scheme to “Increase levels of walking, cycling and public transport use”, when the construction of the first measure makes the cycle path along the top of Harvard Hill more tricky to traverse. I mean, if you look at the actions rather than the words, does this instill trust that the rest of the measures across Chiswick will be suitable for use?
It’s not all traffic, but there’s a lot on the go!
For the casual observer, it may appear that my life has become all about traffic, and while it can feel like a fair chunk of my time is taken up by these issues, the regular case work continues. Overgrown trees, investigations into wood-burning stoves, and working with officers to support residents are still very much part of the day-to-day. Meetings with Chiswick Pier Trust, the licensing committee and the Thames Landscape Strategy (TLS) are still ongoing. I would like to ask that, if you have rediscovered your appreciation of the Thames, please look at the fundraising initiative from the TLS – a new camera obscura tent to help educate about the environment of our beautiful, amazing river – the true lung of London.
Cllr Gabriella Giles
Chiswick Riverside Ward
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South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme and Other Matters
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Michael Denniss on his week
Councillor - Michael Denniss
There have been a number of developments since my last blog. National guidelines regarding Covid-19 have cautiously eased, with emphasis on individual responsibility such as wearing facemasks. The South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme has begun, much to the chagrin of local councillors and residents. The Planning Committee meetings continue albeit with fewer councillors and I include my report from the latest meeting. The council continues its plan to address homelessness in under difficult conditions.
There had been a general easing of restrictions following my last blog and I enjoyed my first ‘takeaway' since lockdown from the Bell & Crown and my first coffee at the Coffee Traveller (who also sell bags of whole beans for coffee lovers like myself!). The gradual reopening of businesses has provided a welcome boost to Chiswick's economy. I attended a fundraising event at Chiswick House and Gardens where plants from the greenhouse were available for purchase under the expert guidance of their gardeners.
However plans to further ease restrictions have been cancelled and wedding receptions for up to 30 people are off and facemasks have become mandatory in more places like galleries, shops and museums. The period has presented a particularly difficult period for residents who have been furloughed or made redundant if they had had the misfortune to join a company short of the required time limit. Please see the latest government advice here .
The government is committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and ending it by 2027 through combination of national and local government. As the Conservative representative for homes and homelessness, I have kept up to date with the council's plans in light of Covid and asked questions when the Conservative Councillors meet with the leadership of the council.
The outdoor nature of being homeless and the proximity to passers-by has put such people at a greater risk of catching the disease than others. The council has focussed its efforts on permanent accommodation and has moved people in hotels and B&Bs during the crisis. Whether this is sustainable in the long term and whether it delivers value for money is not clear and I am in the process of gathering further information having spoken with homeless charities and experts for their views which I hope to have in time for my next blog.
The council advises that, if you believe that you have nowhere to stay, you should immediately call them on 020 8583 3942 or by email at MyIndependence@hounslow.gov.uk
Councillors Gabriella Giles, Sam Hearn and I wrote an open letter to Councillor Hanif Khan, who is the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transport, giving voice to several issues that residents had raised on the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme , which aims both to encourage residents to make more journeys by foot, bike and public transport and to improve public space. Councillors Giles and Hearn have done considerable research into the scheme and spoken to officers and residents.
While we supported measures to reduce speeding and rat-running, we demanded that a full public consultation be held before the measures be implemented and pointed out logistical weaknesses in the scheme. At a follow-up meeting between us and Councillor Khan, the latter took our comments on board including suggestions on how to improve the plan. The failure to use a full public consultation denied residents the opportunity not only to voice their objections to the scheme but also to use their knowledge of local roads to suggest possible improvements and mitigations.
This is an issue that all Conservative Councillors have prioritised and we have been working closely with residents' groups; for instance Councillor Biddolph met residents' associations to discuss the local effect on South Acton Lane. Councillor Giles has developed a mailing list for the latest information on the scheme (please email her at gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk to join). We are working with officers to gain a greater understanding of timelines and other details and considering further action. Please do get in touch with your views via email at michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk .
I am a member of the Hounslow Planning Committee and have a vote on planning applications that get called in. The meetings, which had been cancelled as part of the council's reprioritisation efforts to combat Covid-19, began again with fewer councillors and based on the current 5:1 ratio. You can attend these meetings live via the Hounslow Monthly Meeting Calendar. I attended my first meeting since lockdown on 4th June where I heard a residential application in Isleworth, an expansion to Cineworld in Feltham and the demolition of two houses in Chiswick High Road.
The latter development's future neighbours would be both residential and commercial properties and I sought assurance from the planning officer and the applicant that appropriate access would be guaranteed, particularly rear access for the commercial premises. Residents had raised concerns about privacy and these had largely been addressed by the applicant's acceptance of certain conditions for approval. However I proposed a further condition that a front window be opaque and the entire application was approved on this basis.
Litter picking with Nicolas Rogers
Nicholas Rogers (on the right), the Conservative London Assembly candidate for Hounslow, Richmond & Kingston has spent much time getting to know our borough. Nick has had a visible presence in Hounslow even before he stood for election and been involved in several campaigns such as opposing the council's CS9 plans.
Nick met up with Councillor Ron Mushiso and me in Brentford to discuss the latest local issues and to see how the Covid crisis was affecting rubbish collection and recycling in the area. We picked litter from the riverbank and were shocked at how quickly our bags filled up. Although the streets appeared to be largely well maintained, there were areas on private land where rubbish had built up. A dedicated strategy is clearly needed to deal with the rubbish here and on the riverbank.
Councillor Michael Denniss
Chiswick Riverside ward
3 August 2020
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Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph on her week
From the Smell of Dope to Drug Dealing with Some Highs in Between
Sunday 12th July 2020
It's at least seven years since I burned a joss stick but by 8pm I'm compelled to light one, hoping it will overpower the sweet, sickly smell of dope insinuating itself through my home from a nearby house in multiple occupation (HMO). Tenants there turn over frequently and I'm used to the occasional distinctive waft drifting through but the current occupants seem to have a rota for smoking in the garden so it seeps in continuously, through the night too. I'm not sure this is why it's sold where I bought it – at the Neasden temple. Are people smoking more or is the reduction in pollution making it more obvious?
At best, the scent is a distraction from the main task of the day: sending journalists the Chiswick Shops Task Force policy paper “Ensuring a Thriving Retail Economy in Chiswick”. Producing it has been a-long-time-coming labour-of-love for four of us (Hounslow Cllrs Patrick Barr and Gabriella Giles and Ealing cllr Anthony Young plus me) and now we must lobby hard for its recommendations to be taken on board nationally and locally so our wonderful independent shops, cafés pubs and bars can recover from the tricky retail climate that existed before COVID-19 made it even worse. I'm so impressed by the measures our hard-working traders have put in place to ensure social distancing and good hygiene. Please support them if you can. It's the only way they'll survive.
Monday, 13th July 2020
Still doggedly working through a list of people who should have our retail report. I've allocated time to join a webinar on high street recovery. I Zoom in only to be interrupted by an urgent phone call so I have to Zoom off. There's just enough time to prepare for our councillor group meeting. The 10 of us have been meeting twice a week during the pandemic, the first to prepare for and agree questions to ask of the council's Gold crisis team and the second on general group issues. The traffic management schemes dominate our discussions just as they are dominating our email inboxes, the Chiswickw4.com forum and exchanges on what used to be the much gentler, kinder NextDoor.
A resident emails about an oversized tree. This is the first of four oversized trees that I'm contacted about this week. They are all getting high.
Tuesday, 14th July 2020
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has kept me busy during the pandemic. It started with his 11th March budget announcement of a business rates holiday and other business support measures: that required a long and detailed email to all the traders I'm in touch with through the task force. Today I send the fifteenth COVID-19 email, informing them that the Eat Out to Help Out registration process has opened. I've sent them a few non-Coronavirus-related emails in between and I worry about overload but each one brings in a few comments, always from new people (“ Just to let you know that the emails are actually a very useful summation of advice/policy, etc. Thought you should have that feedback and keep up the good work!”) which let me know I'm helping.
Hounslow's cabinet meets to consider the council's climate emergency plan, the quarterly performance report (for the fourth quarter of 2019/2020) and the financial monitoring report. From the start, council leader Steve Curran is eager to Get Cabinet Done, rearranging the agenda so that Cllr Shantanu Rajawat (cabinet member for finance and corporate services) can leave for another commitment, and saying that he will propose each of the reports to speed things up
It's the usual litany of embarrassing-to-watch self-praise. There is no real scrutiny of the reports or the climate emergency action plan. It's a rubber-stamping exercise. There was a rare moment of questioning when Cllr Tom Bruce (cabinet member for education and children's services) asked Cllr Katherine Dunne (cabinet member for communities and climate emergency) about the initial cost of the air source heat pump that is due to be piloted at Cavendish School. By his own admission, the climate emergency will be a bigger crisis than Brexit or COVID-19 – so surely spending money now to off-set the long-term effects of this crisis is a worthwhile investment? If you would like to experience its lows – and highs – yourself, you can watch it here on YouTube.
Wednesday, 15th July 2020
The day goes by in a flash – I'm still pushing out the retail report and following up on actions agreed at our group meeting on Monday. Whoever said that being a councillor is a part-time job needs to tell me how they do it.
One task is to start the process to recruit a new political assistant for the group. If you know anyone who might be interested, please contact me for the job description and background information. It's a dynamic and busy role roughly equivalent to a London-based parliamentary assistant on the IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) pay scale. And, yes, the salary is far higher than a councillor's allowance.
Thursday, 16th July 2020
I miss the weekly webinar run by the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce for something even more crucial. A haircut. Kevin has cut my hair since 1980, always in South Kensington and it was several years after I moved to Chiswick that he revealed he was born here, in Duke Road. Anyone who shopped at Tots & Teens in the Terrace (sadly long gone, but now Zen Maitri) will have met his sister Cathy. And if you had tea at The Copper Kettle (now Avanti) at Bedford Corner well, that was his sister Jo's business. It's no surprise that our hairdresser chat always takes a sweeping look at what's going on in Chiswick, with muffled-by-masks voices this time. As I clutch my mask to my nose and mouth so my ears can be free of elastic, I worry about the mountains of additional waste Covid-19 has brought us including strange disposable towels and single-use plastic gowns. Regardless, I leave feeling renewed, very much on a high.
Using the tube for the first time since before lockdown, I get off at Turnham Green and drop in on traders along the Terrace then Devonshire Road. There is only one topic of conversation. If you haven't yet commented on the road access and parking schemes, whichever one or all (there's a drop down menu listing various schemes in the borough) here's the link:
I queue for the wonderful E3 outside M&S and as I get on I spot Cllr Guy Lambert at the back. We give each other a strong, masked-up, lack-of-smile-acknowledgement nod. I'm grateful we have to social distance (I expect he is, too). We exchange a similar word-free head-bob as he gets off.
Home to emails from the government's High Streets Task Force responding with warmth to the retail report.
I log into MSTeams and the council's first-ever virtual cabinet question time. There is an astonishing level of outrage afterwards. We suspect the audience was dominated by Chiswickians but council leader Cllr Steve Curran was as hard-hearted and disinterested as ever. “There's life beyond Chiswick!” he declared, dismissing yet another traffic scheme question. He tries to bring in every member of his cabinet to answer questions and it's painful listening to their tortured attempts to sound relevant, while reading from their notes.
Afterwards I meet a resident at a fly tip hotspot. We also discuss an oversized tree (2). As we walk towards it, the resident indicates that things are slightly awkward at a nearby household. Holding two fingers to her lips and sucking in air, it's clear she means they are fans of marijuana. I walk round the corner and bump into someone smoking a joint. It is hard to escape it, wherever you are in Chiswick.
My phone pings with a message. It's another resident about another far too high tree (3).
Friday, 17th July 2020
Another high street recovery webinar. An email about yet another far too high a tree (4). And an email from a resident asking for help to stop the drug dealing taking place along his road. Our police teams are responsive, despite the dispiriting knowledge that for the most part their actions achieve displacement – the dealers simply move elsewhere.
It's been one high after another this week. I sink gratefully into another Zoom session, this time with five friends in Battersea, Vauxhall and Chester and a couple of glasses of red wine.
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
19 July 2020
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Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Sam Hearn on his week
Chiswick Riverside councillor Sam Hearn
Friday 3 rd July: My ward councillor colleagues and I have been working with council officers since the autumn to identify the best way to invest TfL funding in measures to stop the commuter rat-running along Grove Park's largely residential streets. At long last the cabinet member responsible for the Transport, Cllr Hanif Khan, will join Chiswick Riverside ward councillors in a virtual meeting .
Now that TfL is bankrupt it is government funding that is providing councils with the ability to implement schemes to stop the rat-running and encourage cycling and walking. This however has become the excuse for the council to deploy experimental traffic orders that will impose overly complex and ill-thought out measures. Some of the measures incorporate technology that officers have little experience of and that they have previously refused to use.
When pressed Cllr Khan does not understand why public consultation before the proposed measures are introduced is an essential democratic control to ensure that public money is not wasted, people's lives are not needlessly damaged and businesses hamstrung. He is not a traffic engineer and does not live in the area and yet he claims to know better than the 1,200 people who have signed the petition already submitted to the council asking them to think again and the hundreds of people who have already contacted him by email.
There is little meeting of minds. However, Cllr Khan admits that there is a need to look again at the details of the Edensor Road school street scheme but everything else can wait until after implementation. He refuses to accept that, apart from the School Streets, the measures do not have to operate 24/7. The fact that the proposed road closures and diversions will force drivers along residential streets that they would otherwise avoid is a “price worth paying”. How does this assist pedestrians or make cycling safer? Nor could he explain why the proposed measures provided nothing that would reduce the excessive vehicle speeds recorded on our roads nor why the package includes nothing that would assist social distancing – a key requirement for the government funding.
Saturday 4 th July: I wake up in the Lake District having travelled overnight. Up on the fells above Staveley picking field mushrooms. The light drizzle persists for most of the day but it is wonderful to be out in fresh air. We arrive at the newly reopened Hawkshead Brewery and sit outside to drink our beers in the approved socially distanced manner. The brewery's free face masks are a great souvenir.
Sunday 5 th July: Another long walk. The sun comes out, butterflies crowd around banks of wild flowers and a lone fawn dashes across our path. You can almost forget Covid-19. Time to reflect on the meeting with Cllr Khan. He says that he does not want the residents of Chiswick Riverside to be locked into an “exclusive bubble” and yet weirdly that is exactly what his traffic measures will deliver. He and the small team of traffic officers are trying to deliver 40 schemes across the borough. Serious mistakes will be made.
Monday 6 th July: A short walk this morning with a detour to avoid a farm where there is a polite notice asking walkers not to cross their land even on the public footpath. Everyone else has been very welcoming. On the way home I catch up with fellow councillors on the phone.
Tuesday 7 th July : Residents continue to contact me about the proposed changes to the street network. It seems that everyone is faced by different problems. Some are worrying unnecessarily whilst others are quite simply seriously disadvantaged. Click on this link to see FAQs prepared by the council.
Joined the virtual Conservative councillors' group meeting. This prepares us for the meeting with the officers' Gold crisis team meeting on Wednesday. We need to understand what the recovery phase will look like and what preparations are being made for a possible second spike. There are several issues on which we require updates.
Wednesday 8 th July: The virtual meeting with the officer responsible for the measures in South Chiswick reveals that although the programme is still proceeding rapidly (so that the funding is not “lost”) a number of key areas remain unresolved. It emerges that there will be an interim review of the new measures after three months in addition to the review at six months. There is now a requirement to engage with ward councillors. No comment. The council website has been updated to reflect the change in the project governance.
And there is a new consultation where you can record your comments on any of the schemes including South Chiswick, Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace.
The Gold crisis team meeting remains confidential. The officer updates are useful and give us a chance to probe more deeply.
Thursday 9 th July: Joined the St Paul's Grove Park weekly virtual poetry and readings session. The selections can be found posted as anthologies lodged on www.stpaulsgrovepark.com The Group has decided to keep running even though the lock-down is ending and the church has opened for the first time on Sunday.
The normal casework continues. Why did no one tell me about street trees when I applied to be a councillor? If you are interested in running as a Conservative candidate in 2022 contact office@brentfordandisleworthconservatives.org.uk or one of your ward councillors.
Cllr Sam Hearn
10 July 2020
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Chiswick Under Assault By Another Huge Development
Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph on her week
Cllr Jo Biddolph
There is no doubt that Turnham Green ward bears the brunt of Hounslow Council's and others' decisions (or non-decisions) about Chiswick. It has parcels of land most ripe for over-development – the Chiswick Curve on the Chiswick roundabout, The Fourth Mile at the B&Q site, 250 Gunnersbury Avenue and perhaps other plots nearby. Then there is Power Road and a strip of land next to Gunnersbury station, which have been designated part of the Brentford Mile opportunity area by the Mayor of London. What is meant by an “opportunity area”?
Apparently it means throwing up tall buildings of limited or no aesthetic value that also cut off their residents from our local community. There are yet further plots behind Empire House and near Sainsbury's and others that might become vacant at some point (such as the police station) to tempt developers.
And now we have TfL's Bollo Lane development, a stream of tall blocks of flats on the edge of Chiswick, stretching north from the boundary with Ealing's Southfield ward.
There is supposed to be collaboration between the boroughs on developments that might impact on another's area. When I checked this point with Hounslow's planning department, I was told that there is collaboration on developments on the border but not close to or near, just on. Chiswick is not confined to the three Hounslow wards. Ealing's Southfield ward is just as much a part of Chiswick as anyone who lives there knows (and as I did for 22 years). These tall buildings start at the boundary of Ealing's Southfield ward and Ealing's South Acton ward.
South Acton ward also runs alongside the north-eastern boundary of Turnham Green ward and the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate conservation area, separated only by land servicing Acton Town tube station. What collaboration was there? No one can tell me.
If you would like to comment on the application, please do so here.
Don't be put off by the fact that there are 265 documents associated with this application. Do bear in mind the fact that comments must be on planning grounds; here are some tips.
Remember it's an application in Ealing so where the tips refer to Hounslow's local plan and planning guidance, you'll need to refer to Ealing's local plan and Ealing's planning guidance .
Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace closure
After a week or so of the new traffic and parking schemes it is already clear that the impact is devastating. At one local shop, business is now down by 80 per cent – much lower than it was during the lockdown before access was restricted and parking removed. Another trader has lost 15 per cent a week since the bollards were put in and the signs went up. A third has heard from customers from other boroughs that they won't be coming again because they can't park nearby.
Signs, particularly those at the entrance to Devonshire Road, are misleading – does anyone ever know what “except for access” actually means? – and plants in the planters will soon grow to obscure the words making the signs even more unhelpful (whoever thought to put the tallest growing plants in the front clearly doesn't understand the purpose of signs – or do they want drivers to be fined?).
Apart from the fact that residents of the Glebe Estate will have to go all round the houses to get to theirs, when another ugly planter is installed blocking the way in to Glebe Street, there is the question of who will be stung by a fine if they get the rules wrong?
I came across an example last week. It was a man who had turned in to Devonshire Road and parked having not understood the sign. He'd come from Ealing with his family specifically to find a hairdresser then asked about ice cream shops; he'd been here for well over the maximum 20 minutes. If the ANPR cameras had been in, he'd have breached the rules and been fined. He could appeal but without evidence of circumstances that would persuade the council to cancel the fine (not seeing or not understanding signs has never been a winning argument) he would have to pay up. It's £130 or £65 if paid promptly. Will that entice him back to Chiswick or put him off? Doesn't Hounslow council want to encourage people from other areas to support our retail economy?
As so often with ill-thought out schemes of this kind, what will happen will be that drivers will turn in, find there is nowhere to park and that the loading bays are full and leave immediately to try again or find a space elsewhere. Such a journey will not meet the criteria for using the road and the driver will be fined. So, we'll all end up hovering in the middle of the road, engines running, causing congestion and pollution – exactly the opposite of what is sought.
People drive for a purpose. It isn't a frivolous act, as some would have us believe. We do it to do a big shop; to go to and from appointments; to transport heavy, awkward, bulky, large or fragile objects; to collect or deliver from other locations it's hard to reach; to save time, particularly if the journey by foot or public transport (when we can use it again) is long or complicated; or because of limited mobility or frailty.
Residents of the Glebe Estate, who will no longer be able to reach their homes by car via Devonshire Road, will be forced to travel considerably further through previously quiet residential roads as well as adding to the amount of stop-start traffic on the already congested Annandale Road and Duke Road. Visitors to them, including heavy goods vehicles and delivery vans, will have to do the same. How is that a reduction in traffic, in congestion, in pollution?
Reaction to the changes was swift. Many of you have emailed local councillors, the cabinet member responsible (Cllr Hanif Khan), and the Hounslow officer supervising its installation and compliance. We were asked to suggest changes using a heavily loaded questionnaire. And now, perhaps to confuse us or in the hope of getting a different outcome, Hounslow has launched a consultation. Please make sure you make your views known.
It's not too late, I hope, to get some changes that will at the very least mitigate the worst effects of these schemes.
Please support what Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace currently have
In the meantime, please support the shops and services along Devonshire Road. You are welcome to arrive by any means and, if it is by car, remember there is free parking between 12.30pm and 16.30pm Monday to Friday; after 12.30pm on Saturdays; and all day Sunday in the Central Chiswick CPZ including in the Glebe Estate.
Devonshire Road and Prince of Wales Terrace
Some are not open yet but come and have a look!
AALondonGallery
Beehive Café
Big Jim's Trims
Capital Motors
Casa Dino
Chiswick Pets
Clean Box Dry Cleaning
The Chiswick Lighting Company
Damsel Boutique
Devonshire Glass
Duci Gelato
Frivoli Art Gallery
Genco Male Grooming
The Italian Job
Lea & Sandeman
London Laser Clinic
Mayfive Hair Salon
May's Chinese
MEM Hair and Beauty
Meraki Nails and Make-up
Napoli on the Road
Optimal Spine
Rich Nails
Rokkon Japanese
Strand Antiques
The Stitching Room
TAMP Coffee
Top Hat Dry Cleaning
Tribe Rugs
La Trompette
Urban Pantry
Vinoteca Wine Bar
Vision Express Cab Hire
W4 Bathrooms
Wild Swans
Turnham Green Terrace, Turnham Green Terrace Mews, Chiswick Common Road and Bedford Park Corner
Some are not open yet but stroll along to see who is!
L'Appetit Fou Belgian Chocolate
Aram Picture Framing
Baron's Dry Cleaner
Bayley & Sage Delicatessen
Bedford Park Pharmacy
Buenos Aires Argentine Steakhouse
Capricorn Travel
Chief Coffee
Chiswick Cobbler
Covent Garden Fishmonger
Creations Haberdashery
Elias
Fortitude Bakery
Foubert's
Good Boy Coffee
Hack & Veldt
LA Menswear
Lemon & Limes
Lara Turkish Restaurant
Lizard Fashion
Macken Brothers Butcher
Makoto Sushi Bar
Marmalade Jewellery
Mr Clean and Mrs Stitch
Natoora
Oxana
Philip Neal Chocolatier
Pizza Treat
Postmark Cards
PR Hair
Puff “N” Stuff
Ruby B Organic Vegan Hair Salon
Snapdragon Toys
Spa & Massage
Studio 17 Exercise and Natural Healthcare
Sweaty Betty
Trinity's Café
Trotters
Turnham Arts and Crafts
Wheelers Flower Stall
Wheelers Garden Centre
Windfall Natural
You Me Sushi
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
5th July 2020
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Turnham Green ward councillor Ron Mushiso on his week.
I welcome the fact that all but one school in the London Borough of Hounslow has opened to eligible pupils and students. In addition, the Government has made it clear that all schools are now safe for our children to return.
I also welcome last week’s announcement by the Department of Education to allocate a further £650 million across state primary and secondary schools over the 2020/21 academic year to be spent on small group tuition to enable children to catch up on their education.
I want to take the opportunity of this blog to thank our head teachers in Chiswick directly. They have worked tirelessly throughout this crisis to continue to offer an education service. They have been called upon to show the levels of flexibility, adaptability and magic only found in the Genie of Aladdin. Moreover, as I write this blog, our head teachers are pulling another rabbit out of the hat by preparing to offer catch up programmes in the next academic year as well as getting ready to say ‘good bye’ to our year 6 and year 11 pupils and to welcome the new cohorts in September.
Teachers know that they cannot do their work without the support of parents at home. In order for the child to get much out of online education during the lockdown, credit also has to go to the parents at home working in partnership with the school. So with my teacher hat on, I want to thank all of our parents.
Black Lives Matter and implicit bias
In the past few weeks we also saw the sad death of George Floyd and the anger that followed it. I’ve personally had to step back for a moment to reflect. I am glad that so many people have reached out saying that they understand the anger at injustices that have continued to be felt by the black population here and abroad.
I have been on the receiving end of a fair amount of racism in the past and continue to suffer the many racial biases that are implicit in our society. To me, the BAME acronym is too broad a term but if gets our society talking about race that’s fine. My experience of race as a first-generation immigrant from an African background is very different from that of a black person from a Black American or Afro-Caribbean background.
My ancestors did not endure slavery, but three out of my six foster parents were Afro-Caribbean and they can trace their lineage back the transatlantic slave trade. The fourth was, Charita Jones an African-American (Momma Cherri of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares fame) who fostered me for almost two years in Chiswick. I still remember the posters of Martin Luther King on the walls of the flat denoting the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
So it was fitting that all these years later that it fell on Charita’s shoulders, on a platform in front of what seemed to be thousands in Brighton, to address those who had congregated in solidarity in the name of justice and equality. She would agree that we have come a long way as a society in Britain on issues of race but there is more to be done if we are to achieve a lasting change in our national story.
That change means facing up to our own implicit biases. There is even technology online from some very smart psychologists at Harvard that can help people to unearth whether they harbor implicit biases on race. Their findings are remarkable. But it is these truths, and the open conversation that follow, which will determine our appetite for change.
I’m currently reading a book by a new author, Candice Brathwaite, called I Am Not Your Baby Mother. It is an autobiographical account of the implicit biases that she has encountered with medical professionals, even from her own race, during pregnancy. In one moving account she recalls:
“It all became clear – just how bad the treatment had been from beginning to end. How I had not been cared for, let alone listened to. How there was this general expectation – even from healthcare providers who looked like me – for me to be strong and silent, or grin and bear it. ...Feeling unwell and not having my symptoms taken seriously was not a one-off experience.”
Brathwaite’s account would not be out of place in many parts of our society. The awareness generated by the Black Lives Matter movement will gives us the opportunity to reflect on issues such as the diversity on school boards of governors, on local charity boards and amongst councillors.
Fostering crisis
Last week I had a meeting with the LBH fostering team. They have been doing a brilliant job during lockdown in continuing to provide a service for children in care. I have said previously in one of these blogs, that councillors are co-opted as corporate parents to around 250 looked after children in the borough. We are an extension of their parental network, looking at issues such as placement, education and welfare. Hounslow Council have also established a Virtual College programme to support our looked after children’s academic endeavors.
There is, however, an impending crisis that will emerge after the lockdown. According to Barnados, one of the leading fostering agencies, there has been a 44% rise in referrals for children needing to be placed in foster home as compared to the same period last year. They report high levels of abuse and neglect under the lockdown, while the number of enquiries from prospective foster parents has dropped sharply by 47% in the same period.
I spoke to the senior officer in charge of fostering at Hounslow council and she anticipates that those figures will not be far from the local picture. The most pressing concern for her is the lack of foster parents willing to foster a young mother and their child. She is also worried about the pool of potential foster parents going through the assessment process, who will be willing to welcome siblings into their lives.
My hope is that just as we have come together as community under Covid-19 with food parcels, NHS responders, befriending neighbours, and even standing together in solidarity against racism, we can come together once more and find individuals in the community willing to come forward as foster parents.
For further information on fostering in Hounslow see here.
Cllr Ron Mushiso
29 June 2020
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Local Transport Plans Need to Be Fair To All in the Neighbourhood
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles on her week
Cllr Gabriella Giles
Participate
Oh where to start? As we begin to move from the Covid-19 crisis management phase that I wrote of a few weeks ago, into the recovery phase, I think a lot of us are wondering what our “new normal” will look like.
From a council perspective, Hounslow Council's cabinet has published its recovery paper to which we have responded and has advanced many measures under the new COVID-19 network management statutory guidance.
These plans include the closure of and removal of parking from Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road and other changes in central Chiswick, and the advancement of the project known as the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme (SCLN) that would have been due for consultation round about now, if it hadn't been for the pandemic.
A rose by any other name?
The SCLN scheme was first raised, in September 2019, as a two-month fact-finding mission. Meetings were held at St Paul's Church in October and a huge amount of traffic data was collected, recording movements throughout the area. The full report was released on 8th June and the recommended priorities to turn South Chiswick into a Low Traffic Network, under the new “Streetspace” initiative as a result of COVID-19 “response related issues”, were published on the original consultation page .
It is worth pointing out that this project is no longer funded by TfL under the Liveable Neighbourhood scheme. Instead funding for these plans will come from central government with the expectation that, if residents don't leave their cars at home and take up multiple forms of active travel to get around, especially for trips for under two miles, we will be welcoming what some have referred to as “carmaggeddon”.
Reports from Hounslow Council have alluded that current trips done by all motor vehicles are already at 70% of the pre-Covid-19 levels. When questioning the cabinet member for transport, Cllr Hanif Khan, he was unable to provide the source for that figure so I went searching. It turns out that, on 2nd June , the actual percentage of trips completed by all motor vehicles was 69% across the whole of the UK. An article in The Economist, “Urban Living After the Pandemic”, stated that London was only 15% as busy as normal. Given this discrepancy in the reported figures I, for one, would appreciate a little more localised data. I have asked for it and hope we will get it soon.
Nobody wants a return to the rat-running we have seen in Chiswick Riverside ward, especially not to the level we have experienced since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. But, personally, I am struggling to see the need to remove a full consultation phase, and accelerate plans that were based on a wish list of hotspots and, to be fair, some pretty robust traffic data. But that completely misses the point on the biggest risk factor, expressed by a lot of cyclists I have spoken to in Chiswick – crossing the A4. Instead, these plans will be driving all traffic in the affected area to this very busy junction.
Within the South Chiswick area there are houses which rank, by TfL's own analysis, as having a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 1b, or very poor. This potentially increases to PTAL 2, or poor, in 2021. The statutory guidance, a hyper-link to which is so frequently the auto-response by those in charge, does say that, in areas where public transport accessibility is low, local authorities can use any number of the measures listed, including the introduction of modal filters or “bringing forward permanent schemes already planned”.
Yes, the SCLN programme was in the roadmap – but the extent to which the project was planned is questionable.
The priorities we have been presented with are interesting in isolation. The introduction of School Streets, a new initiative in Chiswick, is one I am all in favour of. It means closing streets outside schools at school start and finish times. However, in the new normal world of potentially phased entry and exit times, how long will these roads be closed for? We don't yet know.
This is just one example and I have more but won't go into the details now. Of course, we want to ensure that some of those new habits we've taken up – all the old bikes taken out of sheds and garages that were desperately needing some TLC, and all the new bikes we've bought – were not for nought. As a long time cyclist, and the Hounslow Conservative spokesperson on the environment, these are causes I can get behind but we need to make sure that the plans implemented are fair for all the residents of our neighbourhood.
Simultaneous consultation
Readers of my previous blogs will have seen that the Chiswick Riverside councillors have been working with officers to ensure that engagement on the next stage of the consultation will be better than what we have seen in previous years. In March I lamented the fact that a 25% response rate on a consultation was considered high. I suppose one must be careful what you wish for.
I say this, as the SCLN report details the response rate of residents was about 5%. However, the petition that asks for a full consultation listed more than the original consultation's 518 respondents in less than 24 hours! It now stands at well over 1,000. I suppose it's another of the good things to come out of this crisis – the communication channels that have opened due to our offers of community help are now flowing with local news.
All the measures detailed in the new Streetspace Low Traffic Network will be brought in by experimental traffic orders. This means that, when each measure is put in place, there will be a consultation period of 6-18 months so changes can be made before determining if (for which read when) they should be made permanent. There is currently a consultation asking for residents to advise where more social distancing measures should be implemented on the Hounslow Council website . This closes on 25th of June.
As you can imagine, along with my fellow ward councillors Sam Hearn and Michael Dennis, we are receiving a large number of emails and calls about the new proposals. I am collating a list, to keep them up to date on this scheme. Please email me if you would like to be added.
The three of us have written an open letter to Councillor Hanif Khan asking for consultation on any measures to be implemented in September, and have invited him to a socially-distanced visit to the ward. His reply was to give the links to his latest press release.
Is that all?
Meetings of the Conservative Group are continuing on a weekly basis via Zoom. I have also taken part in the management committee meeting of the Thames Landscape Trust. Its fantastic rewilding project for the Thames, with a 20-minute video introduction, is now live. Like many charities, its fundraising strategy has needed to change as many projects that were planned have been cancelled. Please contact me if you would like to hear more. And, of course, if you have any issues that you would like support with, I am still working on cases for residents.
Any old phones or tablets?
Cllr John Todd, of Chiswick Homefields ward, mentioned in an earlier blog that, as he was shielding, Zoom and MSTeams had come to his rescue so I wanted to put out a plea for any old smartphones or tablets as I know of a great organisation, London Rainbow which is collecting spare hardware so that patients in hospitals and care homes can keep in contact with their families while having to isolate. They will take your unwanted tech, reformat and install relevant software to ensure people can still keep in touch.
Celebrating Father's Day
Is anyone else really bored with/fed up about feeling that they are constantly either cooking or washing up? As lockdown measures start to ease, one of the things I am most looking forward to is being able to break bread with friends and family over a meal I have not had to cook. Many of our local restaurants have been open for home delivery and take out, but there really is something special about being able to share good conversation over a good pint. I am delighted to see that the Chiswick Cricket Club is open for service, and have instigated a rigorous plan to maintain social distancing. I suppose that, as Sunday is Father's Day, it would be rude not to buy the old man a pint.
Gabriella Giles
20th June 2020
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Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Mike Denniss on his week
Virtually Planning the Borough's Future
I wrote my previous blog just as the government's lockdown response to Covid-19 came into effect. I had not appreciated how long the lockdown would last, and had taken for granted seeing my family and friends, outside exercise and shopping. In the nine weeks since then I have placed greater value on these activities.
The chance to go without the burden and expense of catching the daily train to Vauxhall has been a real boon and I eventually managed to get my Oyster card refunded from TFL (see guidance here if you have not yet done so). However it has been a difficult period for many residents who have been furloughed, who are self-employed or who recently changed jobs and now do not qualify for a redundancy packages.
Council leadership
Although all council surgeries have been cancelled, councillors continue to fulfil their roles from home and have been able to attend certain meetings virtually. Each week the other Conservative councillors and I meet the senior staff from Hounslow council who are on the council's crisis team who answer our questions and brief us on the council's response. This provides us with an overview of the council's activities so that we can better advise residents. The Conservative group leader, Cllr Joanna Biddolph, has also led regular group meetings to discuss priorities and ensure that the council is able to deliver for residents in this difficult time.
Parks and leisure activities
The council has, to its credit, kept parks open for the public provided they follow the relevant social distancing rules. This has been particularly important for those residents with dogs who have not liked being contained in a property for such a long time. However, some parks are working with smaller teams. This week Chiswick House warned about the implications of this on litter and asked the public to be observant. Regretfully Gunnersbury Park has closed due to a fire at its café; I hope that the park will reopen soon.
Government guidance on social distancing
The government is easing restrictions nationally in certain areas and from 1st June groups of up to six people will be able to meet in public places. Please see the latest advice here
Shopping
Supermarkets have managed to meet the challenge of the extra demand with items noticeably present on stock shelves; M&S's sale of food and drink were at record levels nationally. What is also apparent is that staff have worked out a system of social distancing and gently but firmly asked shoppers to queue appropriately.
Our independent shops have worked hard to meet the extra challenges they face. Those that have been allowed to be open throughout, such as our corner shops and cafés/restaurants offering takeaway, have had a one-at-a-time or two-at-a-time policy with customers patiently waiting outside in a socially distanced queue. Others have put in arrangements for sales at the door with payment card readers strategically placed to accommodate social distancing. Those that will be able to open from 15th June are working out what to do and, more importantly, what the demand from customers will be. Will we stay at home out of caution or be keen to get out and shop in reality, catching up with shop owners and forming our new normal?
My council activities
• Planning committee. Planning committee meetings, where I have a vote on planning applications that get called in, were temporarily cancelled as part of the council's reprioritisation efforts to combat Covid-19. However, they have now resumed albeit online and with fewer councillors, with attendance based on the current 5:1 ratio of Labour to Conservative councillors. The first such meeting took place on 14th May with Cllr John Todd as the representative Conservative councillor. The committee is not party political – we are all obliged to make decisions based on planning law and guidance – but representation on the committee must be politically proportionate. At that meeting an application to install high ball-stop netting at the Staveley Gardens north-western boundary of Chiswick Cricket Club was approved.
Next week I will hear two important applications: one to make a minor change to the original housing development at the large Morrisons on Brentford High Street, which will increase the proportion and quality of affordable flats in the plan. The second is to construct two, two-storey mews-type houses at 30-36 Chiswick High Road. Both will contribute to the borough's housing needs but I will need to look at an array of issues such as impact on neighbours. Please let me know if you have any views on these; the council officers have recommended both for approval. You can see these and the other planning applications here .
• Homelessness. The Shelter Project Hounslow (TSPH), where several residents including me volunteer, ended its winter shelter earlier this year. The government is committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and ending it by 2027 through a combination of charities such as TSPH and national and local government. As the Conservative representative for homes and homelessness, I pressed the council's leadership on its long-term strategy in this area at one of our recent weekly meetings. The government had a few days before announced an increase to £433m of its fund to end rough sleeping which will build 6,000 long-term safe homes for vulnerable rough sleepers, 3,300 of those homes will become available in the next 12 months. Homelessness in Chiswick is of great concern to residents, and to us; we want rough sleepers to be properly housed.
Councillor Michael Denniss
30th May 2020
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Dear All,
I do hope you are well and continue to be so during this extraordinary time. I’m emailing as leader of the Conservative group on Hounslow Borough Council - councillors elected to the wards of Chiswick Homefields, Chiswick Riverside, Turnham Green and Feltham North (won in a by-election held on General Election day last December which seems decades ago).
While the world is changing all around us, some of it in our control some not, we wanted to let you know what we have been up to during this pandemic which has inevitably increased our councillor workload immensely. We also ask you to respond to an important consultation on walking, cycling and parking in the borough.
Roles of councils
Overall direction and day-to-day decisions were devolved by the government to councils, with chief executives and senior officers instructed and supported by Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government (MHCLG) and other relevant secretaries of state. These senior officers form the crisis Gold team. This does not mean that political direction has been totally absent locally - we have been working hard at giving our political direction when processes have gone awry and by anticipating or following up what is needed or requires attention and action.
Cross party working, a critical friend in private
Soon after the start of the pandemic, I wrote on behalf of the group to Hounslow council leader Steve Curran suggesting cross party working, with us being a critical friend in private, to avoid public spats when the focus should be on the pandemic and its impact on residents, businesses, care providers and council staff. Consequently, after a meeting with Steve Curran and chief executive Niall Bolger to discuss the many concerns we had, we have had weekly virtual meetings with the Gold team submitting some of our key questions in advance which enables supplementaries on the day. We raise difficult issues, challenge claims and push for shifts in focus and it is gratifying to see improvements. Hounslow’s cabinet has a similar weekly briefing with the Gold team. As managing the pandemic is easing, these meetings will be fortnightly from this week.
We meet virtually as a group the evening before the Gold meeting and immediately after the Gold meeting to discuss follow up and look ahead. Meeting as a group twice a week is unprecedented but brings huge benefits of concentration on key policies and safeguards. Meeting more often than we used to, including virtually, is likely to be the norm though there is no doubt that it is not so easy, in the virtual world, for everyone to be heard in the same way as when we are all in the same room. The number of emails and phone calls between and among us has increased hugely, too.
Inevitably, our concerns have shifted as the crisis has progressed but we have been constant in raising the most important subjects:
- Finances. A running issue with more questions asked by us than on any other subject. Spending on crisis management is a given; no-one questions cost against saving lives and rightly so. We do want a robust recovery plan and budget with a strategic review of operations and how the the council is reshaped to deliver new, clearly identified and essential services.
- Homelessness during a health crisis. The government’s requirement that all rough sleepers be housed, to protect themselves and others, was laudable and has created an immediate and significant reduction in rough sleepers in Hounslow (and nationwide). Our concerns turned to how they can be accommodated long-term - finding an alternative to expensive hotel accommodation - then Robert Jenrick announced funding for 6,000 long-term safe homes for vulnerable rough sleepers, 3,300 to be made available this year. It takes a crisis to tackle a crisis and the government deserves praise for recognising it must continue its strategic involvement for the long term.
- PPE and care. The focus has switched from getting PPE to all care staff, to standards of care and specifically what is being done to ensure action on CQC recommendations which highlight inadequacies in Hounslow.
- Education. Establishing virtual learning in schools revealed low take-up among less well-off students. Now we worry about how they will catch up, particularly if some schools do not reopen in June. Looked-after children are always on our agenda; we are keen for them to be encouraged to take up virtual education opportunities. Chiswick School has set an astonishingly high standard in every respect; its programmes and ways of engaging students in home-schooling opportunities are inspiring.
- Community support hub: Required by government, fulfilled by the council, some of us have volunteered at the hub (several of us can’t because of being shielded or isolating, and others have full time jobs) raising legitimate concerns about, for example, the freshness of some of the provisions.
- Business and retail. We look at this below in this newsletter.
- Volunteering and community support. We’ve all been impressed by the surge in volunteering and good will; we’d like to harness this community spirit post Covid-19 across the borough.
- Domestic abuse and domestic violence. One of several issues that will become more significant after lockdown is eased, the need for support is likely to increase as people currently trapped at home are able to escape abusive or violent situations. We are currently pulling together an article which includes comments from the Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird.
- Council operations. Staff have been working at about 80 per cent capacity - roughly the same as normal (accounting for holidays and sickness absence). Hounslow Highways has maintained its service, collecting waste and recycling, clearing fly tipping and graffiti as normal and residents have been suitably appreciative of their hard work, despite the risks, some leaving them bottles of fizz on collection day.
- Recovery and the future shape of the council. The crisis and redeployment of staff have revealed new roles for the council and untapped skills but how will these be funded in a world of debt and are some roles now expendable? Our new normal is not yet fully known; our concern is not to build a bigger democracy without a proper review.
- Restoring democracy: A concern from the start, we have pressed for council meetings to be reinstated. Parliament is meeting, in reduced numbers to meet social distancing. Other London boroughs have held borough council meetings virtually; all providing hindsight for others including us. Here, planning and licensing committees have met virtually with no hiccups. However, borough council meetings - the only chance to challenge Labour across its policies - have been postponed until September, cancelling meetings in May, June and July; there is normally no meeting in August.
Consultation on walking and cycling prompted by social distancing: deadline 25th June
Responding to social distancing requirements, the council has initiated a consultation on walking and cycling throughout the borough. We encourage you to add your views. The government has enabled experimental temporary measures to be brought in for walking, cycling and driving - all three - to reduce demand on pubic transport. The council has brushed aside the driving option, certainly in Chiswick. The council is already acting on suggestions and is currently looking at measures in Chiswick, including reducing parking, installing pop-up-cycle lanes and limited access to some roads to reduce traffic volume including Chiswick High Road, Chiswick Lane, Devonshire Road, Duke Road/Dukes Avenue, Fishers Lane and Turnham Green Terrace. Chiswick members might like to comment on these proposals and say where, if CS9 were to be implemented through pavement, social distancing will be compromised - and where parking must be retained to make shopping at independent shops possible. The proposals are borough-wide so please comment on roads where you live or work. All consultations are best when they have representation from all personal and political viewpoints. Here’s the link: https://haveyoursay.hounslow.gov.uk/traffic-and-transport/streetspace/
Walking and cycling policy
Meanwhile, on Monday, 18th May we published our policy on walking and cycling. COVID-19 has been a useful catalyst to look ahead, shifting the focus from CS9 to what we’d like to see locally (internally throughout the borough). We don’t yet know whether signs of increased cycling will be sustained for the long term which is why we call for temporary arrangements to be subject to a full and proper review, not automatically made permanent. Our press release and policy statement are on the B&I association website: https://www.brentfordandisleworthconservatives.org.uk/news/hounslow-conservative-councillors-welcome-new-government-policy-walking-cycling
Chiswick Shops Task Force
We have sent 11 briefing emails to independent traders in Chiswick outlining the extraordinary range and extent of government measures to support business and chasing up their applications for grants when the council was slow to process them. In the next week or so we will publish the task force recommendations for a vibrant and successful retail economy in Chiswick, now even more uncertain because of COVID-19. This is a plea to all of you please, if you can, to support our independents as they re-open and afterwards; they make Chiswick Chiswick. Very early on we published a list of shops remaining open for takeaway, delivery or online; this has now been taken over by chiswickw4.com and we continue to provide updates. It is not comprehensive because of the fluidity of the situation but it is the biggest list. It is now on the B&I association website: https://www.brentfordandisleworthconservatives.org.uk/news/local-shops-and-services-need-your-support
Don’t believe everything you read in the press
Some comments on social media about social distancing have implied chaotic queues outside independent shops where social distancing was impressively in evidence. It’s a nationwide phenomenon which is why the government paid for an advertorial in The Times warning about fake news, “Don’t let truth be a Covid casualty”. The point was well-illustrated in Bored Panda: https://www.boredpanda.com/different-perspective-telephoto-lens-vs-wide-angle-philip-davali-olafur-steinar-ry/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BPFacebook&fbclid=IwAR37foZJJ0DEW3_neZgQwJGMXIKm5UfHjIZkhpx0uQO_iCu5OgZxAbZybW4
Councillor blogs
I hope you are enjoying our weekly blog on chiswickw4.com, now written by each of us in turn so readers have perspectives and variety. They are listed far down the weekly Sunday newsletter sent to subscribers; please scroll down to find them. And please forward the link to others. All are published on the B&I association website so you can catch up with them there, too: https://www.brentfordandisleworthconservatives.org.uk/blogs
The days of meeting over a glass of wine and a raffle seem long ago but we hope to see you in a new normality soon. In the meantime, we all hope you stay healthy - and have found this email interesting.
Yours ever,
Jo
Councillor Joanna Biddolph on behalf of the Conservative group on Hounslow Council
Jo’s landline: 020 8896 9369
Jo’s mobile: 07775 902904
01 June 2020
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Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles on her week
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Gabriella Giles
Oh how quickly our world has changed. In my previous blog, written at the start of March, I encouraged readers to tune into borough council meetings on Youtube so that they could see what was being discussed in these public meetings. However, with COVID-19, it would appear that my enthusiasm for the council's leap into the 21st century, by using technology to keep us connected and involved in council business, may have been a little premature.
Some may say that I was naive back in the days before COVID-19, when we were free to go out at will, spend time with friends and family and even enjoy a pint in the pub. March seems like a lifetime ago. And unfortunately during that time, the council hasn't quite managed to get to grips with the changing times to make sure that democracy and transparency in the management of the council is upheld.
The first virtual licensing committee meeting
It is only in the last two weeks that virtual public meetings have been held and, on Tuesday, I took part in the licensing committee meeting which is now available on Youtube . I must say that I was surprised at the level of hand-holding that I was offered in the run up to this meeting. Calls from multiple officers to confirm that I would be using council-issued hardware, then calls to ensure that I knew how to use MSTeams (the Conservative group has been using this for our weekly meetings with the Gold crisis team throughout the crisis), posting the meeting documents to us, holding technical rehearsals for the meeting to ensure everyone is able to use the system - all ahead of the meeting itself. I don't think I've had so much support for attending a meeting since I was elected!
For those who don't know, the licensing committee is responsible for “all matters relating to the discharge by the borough council of it's licensing functions” under 10 acts ranging from licensing and gambling to zoo Licensing and hypnotism. The full agenda of our virtual meeting is available here . We were being asked to review and adopt two reports.
The first report, an updated version of the terms of reference for licensing, details responsibilities and elaborates on what is a very short reference in the council constitution. The second, a more detailed report on the council's new licensing policy for the years 2020-2025 that needs to be approved by the borough council before November 2020 when the current policy expires.
Like most of the reports we get, there are multiple references made to other reports, studies, plans and acts, mostly referenced in such a way that it is expected that we should know each of these in detail. For anyone who has tried to navigate around the council website, I'm sure you can understand my frustration that the documents created to help us often leave us with more questions.
I therefore requested that these references be hyperlinked wherever possible to ensure that we, as a council, can make it easier for all of us to access the required information. This is with the knowledge that the way we now access information has changed dramatically in the last 10 years and, just because a report of policy was published a certain way in the past, doesn't mean that it cannot be updated for modern, everyday use.
My So COVID Life
My life over the past two months hasn't been all licensing. I have also been working with my fellow Conservative councillors to put together our statement on walking and cycling [link here statement on cycling . Some would say it is an overdue document on what we really think about cycling in Chiswick and across the borough. The lockdown has given us the opportunity to breathe and focus on what we really want to say, and what we have been trying to say for the past two years. Obviously, the fact that our streets have been quieter has been a great catalyst for more people to cycle. What we now need to focus on is how we keep them cycling and keeping our roads safe in the future.
The need to promote social distancing while out and about has been a bit of an ongoing battle. The age-old saga of cyclists on Strand on the Green, and lack of signage along this beautiful and popular route, does not seem to have stopped. Both Cllr Sam Hearn and I have had multiple email exchanges with the council's transport officer Mark Frost about appropriate signage along this stretch of the Thames Path and, on investigation yesterday, I now have photographic evidence of the need for more signs to be put in place. I have a feeling that some of the signs that went up in April have been destroyed by the wind. I did spot this little one on the railing, that is still managing to cling on!
For those who can't read the small print, the sign states:
“Great View. And this piece of railing is the most touched/leant on along here. Suggest washing your hands after stopping here”
A small reminder to myself never to leave the house without a small bottle of anti-bac in my pockets or bag and, in hay fever season, tissues and maybe a packet of hand wipes. Tools that I always take when travelling abroad, but have now become a staple at home too – yet another change, however one I can control and which will have a benefit to my own mental health at this time.
Managing mental health and appreciating neighbourliness
I don't know about you, but throughout this period, there have been numerous posts on all forms of social media about mental health, or it could be that I am just paying a bit more attention to them now than before.
According to Mind , every year in the UK one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. Change can exacerbate this so I have found it extremely encouraging to see the sense of community that has arisen. Formal groups like the Chiswick COVID-19 Mutual Aid Group , or the offers of help via NextDoor.com to neighbours happy to add a loaf of bread, eggs, or other necessities to their online shop for those who aren't able to leave their homes, or a simple phone call to check in on someone you haven't spoken to for a while.
All these small acts of kindness have been gratefully received, reminding me of a line from Avenue Q: “When you help others, you can't help helping yourself”. Somewhat cynical, perhaps, but, when alongside another quote I have been seeing: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind” it's a reminder that by being good to each other, we can also be good to ourselves.
ON VE Day I popped round to my parent's home to enjoy a doorstop beer. They stayed one side of the wall, and I stayed on the pavement. It was a true pleasure to see their neighbours, some of whom have known me since I was a child, and others I am getting to know, and their children, reminding me of all the neighbourly family summer afternoons I spent there. So, I suppose, as much as things may be changing around us, in a way things haven't really changed, reminding me of another saying: “Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose” - the more things change, the more they stay the same. Perhaps we all needed a break away from our manic 21st century lives to remind us of what really matters. Love.
Cllr Gabriella Giles
25th May 2020
Being a Critical Friend to the Council During Covid-19
Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph
I’ve written before of the decision the Conservative Group on Hounslow council – nine councillors in Chiswick and one in Feltham North – to act as critical friends in private during the Covid-19 crisis.
Now that processes have settled into a rhythm, we plan to publish a weekly report on what we’ve been doing behind the scenes, without breaking our agreement. Do look out for it.
Committees are going virtual
The council has begun to hold meetings virtually, starting with statutory committees. Fewer councillors attend to make the new system easier to manage; political proportionality applies.
First to move on screen was the planning committee, held on Thursday, 14th May. Cllr John Todd was in attendance, well-practised and laid-back about the technology as we’ve been meeting virtually as a group for weeks. It was a little disjointed, with not much interrogation of applications (I hope that changes, members mustn’t be less vigilant just because they’re less visible) but nothing went wrong though Brentford councillor Guy Lambert might disagree – his hair went strobing.
Next is the licensing committee which meets this week on Tuesday, 19th May at 5pm. The council’s new licensing policy is on the agenda. Cllr Gabriella Giles is in attendance. Why not log in? The link is on the front page of the agenda.
Shopping local to support our hard working retailers
The Chiswick Shops Task Force, which three of us set up shortly after we were elected, was the first to compile a list of cafés and restaurants open for takeaway and delivery; shops considered essential and their social distancing arrangements for buying or collecting orders at the door; and shops trading online. It drew the ire of what I call the new hair shirt brigade (they aren’t punishing themselves but looking for ways to punish others) who deemed it irresponsible. The idea has since been copied by at least three other organisations or businesses while our list was taken over by chiswickw4.com to whom we pass on updates known to us. Here is the current list.
The point was, and is, to let residents know how they can continue to shop local, avoid unnecessary travel and support our hard-working traders through these difficult times. I am constantly in awe of their hard work and dedication to Chiswick. Those not yet allowed to trade are currently busy working out how to accommodate social distancing and hygiene management when they can re-open their doors.
Don’t believe everything you read (or see)
If you are on social media you might have seen some photos of queues that purport to show a lack of social distancing outside shops some deem not to be essential. I had been in a queue at the same spot on the same day – though at a different time – and was impressed by how seriously residents and the businesses were taking social distancing.
Often I’ve bumped into residents and we’ve chatted, 2m apart, checking around us and moving if others were coming close. It’s the new version of doffing one’s hat.
It is true that some people seem oblivious and others who share a household forget that they must socially distance themselves from others. But the vast majority of us know and stick to the rules. If bothered by the disregarders, we seem more than capable of indicating concern or, if really worried, issuing instructions. I know some who walk with arms spread wide; others hug walls or shop fronts; my neighbours and I climb onto the small grass verge on the route to our local shops to give the required leeway to the person coming towards us on the pavement.
Most of us are doing the right thing. Which is why the government felt compelled to publish an advertorial “Don’t let Truth be a Covid Casualty” (in The Times and perhaps elsewhere) warning us to fact check or, at least, check our instincts and why some professional photographers showed the tricks being used.
More business as usual
Most of us in the Conservative group report a surge of casework, some of it related to Covid-19 and some of it life-as-usual.
A problem house in multiple occupation (HMO) continues with its weekend long parties with others who have travelled to join in. Social distancing is not being practised, nor is social respect with numerous people dancing through the night on a flat roof to which they have no right of access. The neighbours – including at least one key worker – can’t sleep through the rowdiness. The area is a flood of empty bottles.
Nearby, an expensive car is parked irresponsibly, blocking a garage so a resident can’t get out her car to do her essential weekly shop. The unhelpfully parked car is taxed and has a valid MOT so Hounslow Highways can’t remove it. Given that two police cars arrived the next day, it was stolen as I had reported speculatively.
An elderly resident reports suspected fraud – an issue councillors are especially alert to during lockdown when people might be more at risk of exploitation.
Residents are anxious about going back to work where social distancing could be tricky; three planning applications are causing concern; several businesses have been refused business support grants and want the decision reviewed; garden waste bins weren’t emptied; a wall of graffiti efficiently cleaned by Hounslow Highways has been defiled again, reminding me of painting the Forth Bridge. Just like the life of a councillor – as soon as it’s done, we have to start all over again.
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
May 17, 2020
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor on getting boilers fixed and leper windows
Chiswick Riverside councillor Sam Hearn
Friday 1 st May: In many respects councillor work outside of meetings continues much as normal, at least on the surface. I follow up with a council tenant who has been without her boiler since the beginning of the month. She is overjoyed that a new boiler has just been installed and at last she has hot water and heating. However, other Covid-19 problems drift into my in-tray. A lady not familiar with the system has twice requested food parcels and is now receiving two! She wants to know how to return the unwanted parcel and to stop further over deliveries. A man with a disabled wife wants to know how to apply for a Blue Badge now that Hounslow House is shut – the answer is to email the documents to www.bluebadge@hounslow.gov.uk
Saturday 2 nd May: Joined the first online Saturday Social organised by St Paul’s Grove Park. Peter Capell gave an interesting talk about his involvement with the Weir-Archer Academy and the training of wheel chair athletes up to and including the Para-Olympics. See the St Paul’s website for details of future events.
Relaxing in the evening when I receive a desperate phone call from a resident in a council property. Water from her upstairs neighbour’s washing machine is cascading out of her kitchen sink and flooding her house with foul water. There is apparently a longstanding problem and regular maintenance work has not been carried out.
Sunday 3 rd May: Participate in the Zoom church service at St Paul’s Grove Park that my wife coordinates. Each week the process seems a little less strange and a new etiquette emerges. I find myself recalling the ‘leper windows’ built into the chancel walls of medieval churches so that unclean parishioners could watch the Mass. There is a head of steam building to open-up churches for some activities e.g. funerals. As always councillors must think of the impact across the Borough and how any changes would affect temples, mosques and gurdwaras.
In the evening I enjoy a regular Sunday night pint with a few friends. This is now a Zoom event and we are finding it hard to adjust to drinking alone together. One of our number has been struck down by the virus and still feels too weak to join in. You can survive the virus if you are over 70 but it will knock you for six.
Monday 4 th May: I am still working onour group’s response to the council’s climate emergency action plan. We submitted our formal response in the survey format required but there is still much left to be said. The pandemic and our corporate responses to it have, despite the additional government grants, torpedoed the council’s finances. How can Hounslow pay for its ambitious climate emergency plans? Surely, we must first focus on protecting all our residents, but particularly the most vulnerable, from the impact of unpredictable climate change?
Tuesday 5 th May: We have settled into a routine of holding a weekly virtual meeting with the officers leading the council’s response, the so-called Gold team. To get the most out of this meeting we hold a pre-meeting on Zoom the day before and run through questions that need to be asked and issues that should be raised. We try hard to deal with generic and strategic matters – but specific problems cannot be ignored. Cllr Gerald McGregor has formulated four questions seeking clarity from the finance team on key issues such as the expected impact on budgeted revenue and expenses. Our questions go to Gold in advance so that they have time to prepare.
The Staveley Blossom Day event has been cancelled. But the winning haiku from the associated children’s poetry competition was submitted by Skyla (Year 9) a pupil at Chiswick School.
Cherry Blossom
First buds spring to life
Opening to the bright sun
A pink explosion
Wednesday 6 th May: The Gold meeting reports good progress on a number of issues. Discharges from hospitals are exceeding new admissions. There is some trepidation about what the easing of the lockdown will mean. Ideally officers would like some forewarning so that they can prepare. We are now housing twice the number of rough sleepers in hotels than were identified in the council’s annual survey.
Following the virtual meeting with Gold we settle in for own post Zoom meeting. From this our political assistant produces a summary and action plan. Predictably this half hour meeting lasts over an hour. Numb-bum, numb-brain syndrome sets in.
Thursday 7 th May: Joined the St Paul’s Grove Park weekly virtual poetry and readings session. The selections can be found posted as anthologies lodged on www.stpaulsgrovepark.com . L ots of nonsense verse to leaven out the Shakespeare and George Herbert. Very personal and great fun.
I had a long conversation with Mark Frost, Hounslow’s head of traffic management, about what the council calls “changes coming to a street near you” under the Liveable Neighbourhoods Scheme. But first there will be a detailed public consultation on the options. A real chance for all of us to shape our neighbourhood’s future. However financial constraints on TfL will mean that some of the big-ticket items will be delayed.
Another late evening call. A resident has tracked down the classic car stolen from outside his house in 2016 and wants the police to take action before it is sold on yet again. Yes, I know this is not a problem for councillors. Yet somehow it is.
Councillor Sam Hearn
11 May 2020
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor John Todd on doing his job virtually
John Todd (centre) with fellow councillors before social distancing
As someone designated by the NHS as a “shielded” candidate I've found it difficult to adjust to the related restrictions. As a distraction both my garden and allotment are now in pristine condition. The weather has been quite remarkable too. I've now adjusted to the new council regime and seen no evidence of reduced service.
Virtual meetings
Zoom and Microsoft Teams have come to my rescue. Hounslow Council will hold its first virtual meeting on 14th May when the planning committee meets. Our Conservative group meets frequently via this medium and once a week we hold a meeting with the executive crisis team of Hounslow Council. Other similar virtual meetings I've attended include the governing body of Chiswick School and the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust (CHGT).
I'm the SEN-D governor at Chiswick School and frequently liaise with Claire the SENCO and her colleague Wanda who keep me fully briefed so I can update my fellow governors. Laura, the headteacher, continues to do an excellent job in providing online education, supplemented by teacher contact.
Xanthe, our new Director at CHGT, has a most difficult role. The Trust relies on commercial activities, including weddings, to fund its activities and maintain the site to a high standard. Covid-19 has meant most bookings have either been postponed or cancelled. Vegetables and flowers from the walled garden have been provided to the Hounslow community support hub which are much appreciated by the recipients.
Casework
Casework remains diverse as ever. A resident in one of our houses in Feltham decided to hire a mini JCB and expand his rear garden by removing trees from an adjacent common and then build a fence on his new unilaterally decided boundary. I was contacted by a local resident as she couldn't get a reply from her local councillor. Officers quickly attended and are restoring the original boundary fencing line.
I was delighted to help Philippa of Chiswick Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group regarding a resident who required assistance over various matters. There's an excellent video on Chiswick Buzz where she is interviewed explaining what they are doing. A really committed team. They can be contacted at: chiswickmutualaid@gmail.com
Air pollution measurement
I'm frequently asked for local pollution levels especially in Chiswick High Road. Our monitoring team advises as follows:
Live monitoring data for LBH is available from this site.
Current data for the Chiswick Monitoring station, near the George IV Pub, is available here.
In addition, we get monthly reports from all our automatic air quality monitoring stations across the borough which are available here
I wanted the W4 data displayed on the side of the Chiswick monitoring station but my idea was rejected. Another alternative site is Breathe London (breathelondon.org) which has sophisticated pollution measurement readers in Devonshire Road and throughout London.
I noted that, although air pollution has reduced post the Covid-19 shutdown, there were a number of days when ‘moderate' warnings were issued. I closely follow the PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) level in W4 because of its clearly confirmed link to reducing lung development and performance in children. I've now found an explanation which may assist. From the Breathe website:
• ‘The Breathe London network exhibits variability of PM 2.5 levels, but at this stage there is no clear reduction or evident association with the reduction in traffic. London experienced pollution episodes from 25 to 27 March and from 8 to 12 April with elevated PM 2.5 levels, which have been captured by the Breathe London network. These increases were likely due to wind blowing in industrial and agricultural pollution from mainland Europe, as well as wood burning for the March episode.'
The wisteria outside Fullers Brewery seems to be thriving. Picture: Gabriella Giles
Chiswick Eyot
The Old Chiswick Preservation Society (OCPS) does a great job protecting the Eyot. It's a real nature reserve which has recently had some unwelcome human visitors who were caught out by the quick rising tide and had to be rescued by the RNLI.
In their informative spring bulletin the OCPS mentions: “We cannot be sure which birds nest on the Eyot, but probably far more than we realise. All of the following can be found on this part of the Thames. The locals nest first (including Cetti's warbler, which used to migrate but no longer seems to), and then the summer migrants arrive.
“Here is a list of likely Eyot nesters: Reed warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat, blackcap, willow warbler, chiffchaff, robin, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, nuthatch, wren, reed bunting, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, tree sparrow, house sparrow, magpie, green parrot, green woodpecker, greater spotted woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, moorhen, coot, mallard, teal and wigeon”.
An incredible list.
Keep safe
John
Cllr John Todd
3rd May 2020
Cllr Ron Mushiso congratulates school students for embracing new ways of learning
Councillor Ron Mushiso represents Turnham Green ward
The Easter holidays are over, and schools are back (online at least) for the summer term. Parliament has returned from recess to continue to uphold its constitutional functions that have remained unbroken since the time of the Black Death in 1349. The Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, added to the sense of measured national resilience by saying that, “thanks to modern technology, even I have moved on from 1349, and I am glad to say that we can sit to carry out these fundamental constitutional functions”.
In normal circumstances of course I would have returned to my regular functions teaching sport at St Benedict’s School. I would also be attending to my council duties at Hounslow House and having face to face conversations with other community leaders. Instead I find myself glued to my laptop, moving from one Zoom meeting to another, relying solely on emails to track casework and preparing to deliver my next set of online lessons to my pupils – all to meet our current guidelines to stay at home and practice social distancing specifically to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed.
It is important to remember that these measures are temporary. But spare a thought for pupils across the borough having to deal with these adversities for the first time, especially those who were looking forward to sitting their GCSE and A level exams this term. They should be commended for their patience and fortitude at this important stage of their lives. Continuing to study and studying from home in these uncertain times requires new levels of discipline to harness their love for learning.
In my workplace, there is an expectation that pupils embrace the daily routine in accordance with the school timetable. There is some flexibility with younger pupils, but ultimately, we are asking parents at home to support schools in implementing these new working patterns. Teachers I speak to regularly are thankful for the support that parents are giving to their children at home.
The Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, confirmed last Sunday afternoon what we had all anticipated: that schools would remain closed until the medical experts were assured that, across the country, the NHS was coping with the demand, that both the daily infection and death rate from Covid-19 were receding, that we had full testing capacity and that the risks of a second wave of infection were sufficiently mitigated. I fully endorse his statement.
Of course, schools have stayed open to children of critical workers. In addition, provisions have been extended to cover vulnerable children and those with learning difficulties. I am one of those teachers who has been taking turns in working at school to enable key workers to keep doing their heroics. It is true that we have not been at full capacity. This is also the case at schools across the borough. To look into this issue, I have started a dialogue with my colleagues, council officers and the lead cabinet member for children and young people to establish the extent to which this trend is affecting our most vulnerable children.
Vital support for residents through the Community Support Hub
As you may know, the Hounslow Community Support Hub is now fully operational. It is serving as a vital source of food provision to shielded residents. Its services have been extended to reach other vulnerable members of our community, not just the shielded. And it offers befriending and other support to vulnerable residents. It has a team of dedicated staff answering phone calls and responding to general enquiries. I have been attending the community support hub regularly both to see the operation at first hand and also to help as a volunteer packing the regular food boxes. If you are aware of anyone who could benefit from the support of this vital service, please get in touch with us or go directly to the hub.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all our local NHS staff, fellow teachers, dustbin men, street cleaners, council officers, councillors, social workers, foster parents, bus drivers, delivery drivers and postmen and women for their local contribution towards our national effort.
Cllr Ron Mushiso
25th April 2020
Cllr Joanna Biddolph writes about cross-party working during the health crisis
Working cross-party and lobbying ministers
Not long after the lockdown, I wrote to the leader of the council stressing the importance of working cross-party on this crisis and Hounslow’s response to it – with our group, the official opposition, acting as a critical friend in private. It’s quite a leap for some to make but we remain resolute that it’s the best way to ensure our residents are protected and supported through these unprecedented times, without descending into back-and-forth arguments or posturing for party political gain. We started by providing a long list of actions, initiatives and pressures to anticipate, recommending mitigation, and discussed them and other issues in a three-way meeting with the council leader and chief executive.
As a consequence, our group now has a weekly briefing with the crisis team using MS Teams and, for urgent three-way discussions, conference calls. We hold our own group meetings on Zoom. Skype, previously a universal medium, seems so last year. And last year seems so long ago. I’m frequently reminded of the phrase, used by Lenin (obviously not a political hero of mine) "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen". We’ve all lived through what seems like several decades in less than four weeks since lockdown started on 23rd March.
Looking for comparisons is useful so we can continue to hold the council to account, albeit behind the scenes. I’m active in a Conservative group leaders’ WhatsApp group which all but guarantees instant responses to questions about democracy (what are councils doing about their statutory planning and licensing committee responsibilities and their council AGMs); achievements (how many business grants have been paid, how and how quickly); and community initiatives (how many food boxes have been distributed to shielded residents and what’s the quality and range of their contents). A government minister is in the group which makes it particularly easy to highlight concerns raised by residents and businesses and lobby for policy changes.
How are we doing?
Our highest priority is, of course, social care. Hounslow is not as badly affected as some London boroughs but the aggressive nature of Covid-19 remains a challenge. We have 320 care homes; all of them need PPE (personal protective equipment) which is in short supply everywhere. The amount of co-ordination required to make sure everyone who needs PPE has it is extraordinary. Today (Friday) I delivered food boxes to shielded residents – people at greatest risk of being badly affected by Covid-19 – including in Hounslow homes. Our care-givers include our housing managers, and caretakers whose role is to maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness at blocks of flats. I was greeted by a housing manager wearing a mask, both of us doing the social distancing dance we’ve all learned – moving forward, standing back, stepping aside, a concerned question, a thumbs up – before I delivered the food box to the resident’s front door. Our grateful thanks go to all our care-givers, in whatever setting and whatever role.
Homelessness pulls all our heartstrings and even more so with the risk to homeless people of Covid-19. Over 30 homeless people in Hounslow have taken up offers of accommodation since the government instructed local authorities to house rough sleepers to protect them from the virus. A few rough sleepers remain resolutely resisting housing in Hounslow. The homeless team is regularly in touch with them, checking on their health and continuing to offer accommodation.
Not everyone in Chiswick is on Twitter so you might not have seen photos of messages of thanks, and the occasional bottle of fizz, left out for our recycling and waste collection teams who have continued as if nothing were different. They, and across the board at the council, have been working at 80 per cent capacity – roughly the same as normal when holidays and sickness absences are taken into account. It’s impressive and at least in part due to the fact that Hounslow staff were moved to WFH (working from home) rather earlier than in other boroughs.
Fly tipping has increased which is depressing. So, it seems, has graffiti if the number of reports some of us have put in is representative. Several of us – if we aren’t isolating – use our exercise time to walk briskly or cycle through our wards spotting and reporting problems. We’ve raised the need to manage what will inevitably be a surge in quantity of waste, including garden waste, when recycling and waste centres re-open. Hounslow, Ealing and Hillingdon councils’ recycling/waste departments are talking together about this, given that some of us use other boroughs’ centres because of where we live. Please hang on to the additional waste you’ve accumulated when clearing out sheds, lofts, garages, cupboards and drawers and be prepared for a phased or other system for taking them to a waste/recycling centre. Normal services are unlikely to be resumed in full overnight.
Valuing our volunteers
Another surge has impressed us all – the wonderful offers of time and tasks from people wanting to support others. Our churches have networks of helpers. The Chiswick COVID-19 Mutual Aid group moved fast to establish itself and is already adapting, setting up hyper-local WhatsApp groups by street or small clusters of streets to make it even easier to ask for help. The group is on Facebook – a challenge for people who are not online so please help neighbours in need by letting them know about it and contacting it on their behalf.
As always, residents in blocks of flats find it hardest to know what is going on. If you live in a block, please help by checking on residents and letting them know that practical support (for shopping or collecting medicines) is available. They might have been managing – working through store cupboard food for example – but this might change and become critical now that lockdown has been extended. Today Turnham Green ward councillors received an impassioned plea for shopping help from an elderly couple living in a block. We have raised the need to contact residents of blocks without increasing the risk of taking the virus into blocks.
The Chiswick Shops Task Force continues its work
Supporting our independent shops is always a priority – it’s why I set up the Chiswick Shops Task force with Cllr Patrick Barr of Chiswick Homefields ward and Cllr Gabriella Giles in Chiswick Riverside ward. When I emailed all those on our then current list about initiatives in the Chancellor’s Budget on 11th March I had no idea that less than a week later I’d be emailing again with news of more government initiatives to support them through Coronavirus; then again three days after that; four days later; and a further nine days later. Today’s announcement of an extension of the furlough scheme means another email is due. Anyone who thinks it’s a simple send-to-all admin task hasn’t experienced the council’s tech. It’s a slow process taking several hours.
Inevitably, there are replies to act on including desperate pleas for faster payment of grants (we have pressed for improvements that speed up the council’s processes); appeals by businesses that aren’t eligible for grants to be included in the scheme; and grim examples of landlords threatening eviction despite a ban on such actions (the callous tone of those letters makes my stomach churn).
We were criticised for compiling, before lockdown was imposed, a list of shops open for business including those who trade online. There’s nowt so queer as folk but thank you to everyone who is supporting our independents – indeed, all our retailers – not simply turning to distant international giants. We need to support our shops so they continue trading after the virus. Chiswickw4.com has taken over our list of cafés, restaurants, fruit and veg stalls and other businesses offering takeaway and/or delivery, some diversifying to sell other goods, others trading on-line instead of in-store. The arrival of spring means that the addition of Wheelers, our garden centre, has enabled people lucky enough to have a garden or balcony to do more than weeding and clearing; borders, pots and in my case an urn are gradually filling with cheerful colour. Find the list of traders still trading here:
What next?
As we know from the daily 10 Downing Street briefings, and from our own experiences here in Chiswick, there is a high degree of compliance with the lockdown but pockets of rebellion, or care-less-ness, still exist. Enforcement teams are out dealing with violations and police have started issuing fines.
We are in lockdown until at least the end of the first week of May. Whether it is extended, or lifted in its entirety or in phases, we are already looking ahead to the end of lockdown and the all-important recovery. Some say our lives and lifestyles will have changed forever; others are less sure. While helping today at the community support hub, opinions were divided on the long-term sustainability of WFH. Some miss their colleagues, the team culture and bouncing ideas off each other. Others want to escape family dynamics – and the fridge. We want to get back to the democratic process, which has been hampered by the lack of appropriate technology, and start reinvigorating our local economy. Some things will have to change so normal life can continue. In the meantime, stay home and stay safe.
Councillor Joanna Biddolph
18th April 2020
Cllr Patrick Barr gets strength from 'camaraderie' at work during Covid-19
WORKING ON THE FRONT LINE
As the peak of Covid-19 grips the country, life is very surreal. As I write this, 7,978 people have lost their lives to the virus. I’m on the frontline looking after some Covid-19 patients. Many of us would view looking after a Covid-19 positive patient in a healthcare setting as their worst nightmare come true. I see it as an absolute privilege. It is just another day as a nurse, delivering care to people in real need – and one of the reasons I get up in the morning.
Everyone is living their own experience of this pandemic, a once in a lifetime experience we hope. This is my attempt at giving you an insight into my experience on the front line in the NHS during this time.
A day in the life
I’m not an ICU nurse and I don’t manage ICU wards but patients do get Covid-19. It’s even more of a concern when they are already unwell. My day starts in a meeting at 7.30am with my Senior Ward Sister to discuss patients being admitted that day: in-patients displaying symptoms of Covid-19. We then discuss bed capacity, nurses on duty and skill mix. I liaise with staff to discussing any concerns they have on the ward, checking on their welfare and hopefully supporting them. Positivity, togetherness, high spirits and a can-do attitude are infectious amongst my team.
I don a surgical mask, visor, gloves and apron and reassure the patient it’s to protect them. If I manage to make them smile, then that’s a bonus. I change gloves and apron for every bay. I change the mask less often – a surgical mask is effective for up to an hour but after an hour, or when it becomes moist or comes away from the face, it’s ineffective. I then monitor the ward reminding all staff, nurses, physios, doctors and consultants to practise social distancing. It’s very hard to establish this as all the wards are heaving with activity first thing in the morning and the place is rammed.
Mid-morning the madness subsides and, in recent weeks, most days another patient develops symptoms of Covid-19 and our focus turns to them: getting them swabbed and giving them the support they need, both emotionally and physically.
Strength from camaraderie and belonging
For the duration of my working day I’m in a bubble. There is a huge sense of camaraderie on the wards and, frequently for me, it’s my absolute comfort zone and the most reassuring place to be. When you’re in it together and all are working towards one goal, it gives one a real sense of belonging.
Each night when I have downtime and a chance to reflect, my thoughts are with those who are struggling with the social isolation, experiencing increased anxiety and depression. Be reassured: we are all in this together.
The most poignant moment of each week is when the #clapforcarers occurs on a Thursday evening at 8pm. Listening to the sea of clapping should give us all strength. It does that to me.
The effect of not following social distancing
Richard and I went for our hour walk around Chiswick last Saturday. I did not see particularly good social distancing being implemented. Chiswick is not immune! I saw groups of people talking in close proximity, sunbathing and having picnics. Chiswick High Road was certainly quieter but still quite busy. Maintaining two meters social distancing with everyone who does not live in your household is extremely important. Remember without social distancing one person with Covid-19 can infect a further 1,093 people after six weeks, as opposed to 127 cases after six weeks with social distancing measures.
The facts about wearing masks
I also observed people wearing surgical masks. It is important to remember that there is no need to wear a mask unless you are unwell (with symptoms of Covid-19) or you are looking after a person with suspected Covid-19 infection. The masks can give you a false sense of protection and can be a source of infection. Wash your hands before you put the mask on, avoid touching the mask as it could become contaminated. If you do touch the mask wash your hands. As I mentioned above, surgical masks last for up to an hour and are ineffective if moist or no longer grip your face. At those points you must change it. Most masks are for single use only and are not to be reused.
Essential prevention
The most effective prevention method is to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water frequently. Practice social distancing when you have to leave your house for essential travel, health reasons or work (if you can’t work form home).
This is an Easter none of us planned for. Over this period, take time out to pick up the phone and call someone you know who is on their own to reduce the anxiety or depression they may be experiencing due to social isolation.
On a lighter note, the Easter bunny is immune to the virus so have a Happy Easter!
Councillor Patrick Barr
10th April 2020
Cllr Michael Denniss blogs about living in 'this strange and dangerous time'
Since my previous blog there has been an enormous national and local response to Covid-19. With this in mind I want to use this opportunity to share information that you will find useful. I have also continued to attend surgeries, support the local charity The Shelter Project Hounslow (TSPH) and heard applications at Hounslow (LBH)’s planning committee.
Covid-19
It is a strange and dangerous time. Only those with a memory of the war would be able to remember such government intervention and controls on our daily lives, although I was a little shocked when I found out that my granny, who was a ‘WREN’ during that conflict, had bought an enormous amount of Spam! For more recent generations these changes have been new and surprising. A small number have taken a while to get used to the new rules: as late as 24th March, 20 people attended a barbecue in Coventry and refused to disburse, and police resorted to pushing over the cooker! However, the vast majority have responded bravely and we see this in our doctors, nurses, essential businesses like butchers and residents, particularly those with young children, running households in difficult circumstances.
It is difficult to know what it would be like to have to stay in a property for a period of what could be several weeks or more. Luckily I have a great housemate and an assortment of boardgames to keep us busy. It is encouraging to see community support flourishing; a note quickly went up in my block offering a team of volunteers to help anyone who was struggling and my parents, who live in Chiswick, received a letter from a neighbour establishing a community WhatsApp group for their street.
Shops and pharmacies
Supermarkets and essential businesses like butchers’, corner shops and pharmacies continue to operate, albeit with varying degrees of stock. Trying to go out and do everything in one go – posting letters, buying essentials from more than one business and picking up that exciting but non-essential parcel that has been at concierge for over three days – is a challenge.
Several businesses have taken precautions: the security guard at Sainsbury’s wore a mask, only two people were allowed in at a time at the local butcher’s, although I did struggle to keep my distance from fellow shoppers without appearing to be passive-aggressive. Sainsbury’s (yes that is where I do most of my shopping!) as of 26th March had introduced a policy of selling just one type of item at a time. That did make me put back the pack of six ‘Pork’ sausages on the shelf as I didn’t fancy my chances arguing that it was different from the pack of six ‘Cumberland’ ones I had picked earlier (I was buying for my housemate), but I hope that this allows more people to get what they need.
Those who rely on food deliveries can use a few local cafes and restaurants who are continuing to provide a takeaway/delivery service, others may find themselves choosing online businesses with close links to farms such as Milk & More and Field and Flower as the supermarkets’ delivery dates are too far in advance. Many such businesses continue to service their customers but are unable to take on new ones. However, I did find some where you could order as a first time buyer and which delivered to London, although they were based further afield and could incur greater delivery charges.
Government Guidance
The Government sent a text to all mobile phones with a link to the latest guidance and instructions on when it is safe to go out. I won’t repeat it here as it is widely available but please use the link here to see the latest advice, particularly if you do not have a mobile phone. Essentially, wash your hands regularly, wash them well and only go outside under certain conditions.
Oyster travelcards
Transport for London is offering refunds for anyone who has a travelcard on their oyster card. Please see their website for information on how to apply. Several residents have told me that this was straightforward. However the line is under pressure from calls. I have tried for three days, sometimes being put on hold for over 30 minutes and at other times the phone call ended! But do persist. If you have continuing problems please get in touch.
My council activities
A recent meeting of Hounslow councillors -file picture
Hounslow Planning Committee
Until the shutdown I continued to attend the planning committee meetings where I have a vote on planning applications that get called in. The most recent meeting took place on 5th March where we considered designs for residential and commercial properties in Hounslow, Feltham, Bedfont and Brentford. In each case we took into account the officers’ recommendations and factors such as local objections, the implications for local infrastructure and the effects on residents. The environment is a factor that the council has finally strengthened its stance on, and it was encouraging to see that the plans for one application to erect a further storey to two tower blocks, whose developer we had asked to revise, had been returned to us with a much ‘greener’ solution including solar panels on the roofs. I hope that this marks the start of a trend and that developers will go further in the future than they have before.
Homelessness
I continued to volunteer with The Shelter Project Hounslow (TSPH), which ended its season earlier this month, a week early due to Covid-19. I was working alongside volunteers, many of whom live in Chiswick, cooking breakfasts and stewarding overnight. Several of the charity’s homeless guests have jobs, sometimes waking up early to get there on time, but are as yet unable to raise enough for a deposit; the charity’s caseworker helps them with this.
Homeless people are at risk from Covid-19, but the government has recently issued plans for them to be housed in temporary accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs. The first priority must surely be to save them from the virus, but I hope that steps are taken to ensure their safety and privacy too. I will monitor the situation and report back in my next blog with any developments.
Casework
I will continue to work from home, so please do get in touch. Recent casework includes advice on the planning applications, contesting expensive developments at council-run properties where leaseholders are asked to contribute and the inevitable problems with waste disposal.
Please email me if you feel that you do not have enough support under the government’s response to Covid-19.
27th March 2020
Cllr Gerald McGregor on how political differences are put aside during the crisis
Hounslow residents are increasingly concerned to find answers to the epidemic of Corona virus that is affecting London and the rest of the UK. To this end, some good news. To counter the impact of the epidemic on our daily lives in Chiswick and the rest of the Borough senior staff and political leaders have got together to evaluate the current situation and deliver important quantified plans and programmes covering vulnerable residents.
Huge thought has been given to the political, economic and social impact of the current crisis (described by the World Health Authority as a “Pandemic”)
This week a high-level special review meeting was called by the Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Steve Curran (Cllr Syon Ward) in order to brief the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Joanna Biddolph (Cllr Turnham Green Chiswick Ward). Niall Bolger, the Chief Executive Hounslow Borough Council (providing the brief) and I (Cllr Chiswick Homefields Ward) were also present.
Following Mr Bolger’s admirably clear briefing, the party leaders agreed to an immediate suspension of party-political activity in the Council to deal with the increasing gravity of the situation. Councillor Biddolph expressed her full support for the work being done by the crisis team under Mr Bolger’s leadership, ensuring that council business would continue to be fully undertaken
I raised concerns about healthcare, discharge from hospital, provision of maintainable social care as well as the impact on our Looked After Children. I am glad that since we met the Government has agreed a broad definition of “key worker” so that their children, and those children in particular need, will still be able to attend school.
The Council is of course concerned about the well-being of its staff and the impact of school closures on them and on parents more widely.
There were also deep concerns raised about the local economy and local employment, particularly the high number of local residents employed in supply chains and logistics at Heathrow Airport.
Councillor Biddolph responded to the briefing quickly and decisively, saying the position required immediate cross-party support and importantly pledging that the Conservative Party would be supporting the plan of holding the necessary Borough Council meeting in reduced circumstances to deal with legally required business, which should take place as scheduled on March 31st. We are waiting guidance on how future meetings should be conducted from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
I suggested a variety of measures to provide the councillors (both Labour and Conservative) with a voice if (because of public health and wellbeing fears) they were not able to come to the Borough Council in person.
There was further good news about possibilities of holding future meetings during the current emergency using remote access technology.
During the crisis period Council staff will often be working from home in accordance with Government guidelines but a crisis group under the Chief Executive is meeting daily to ensure that the most critical services (such as for adults needing care, public health and waste disposal) continue to function. We must look after the most vulnerable at this difficult time.
Councillor Biddolph indicated that both the human dynamic of healthcare for workers, their immediate safety and security (including those keeping schools open) and the economic impact on traders, shops and employment were critical in this situation. We all welcome the Chancellor’s decisive action, and in particular the support for the wage bills of the most affected businesses.
There is a huge amount of information to digest from local and central government. Meanwhile keeping local administration and services on track and to budget is still a priority for both political parties at Hounslow whilst awaiting the latest decisions and financial releases from Westminster. Councillor Curran and Councillor Biddolph agreed to establish further regular meetings on a cross party basis.
I hope you and your family are safe and well at this difficult time. If we continue to work together as a Council and a community, we will get through this crisis.
Please note:
All face-to-face councillor surgeries have been cancelled until further notice but you can still contact councillors, click here for further details .
Cllr Gerald McGregor
March 21, 2020
Cllr Jo Biddolph put the concerns of traders in Chiswick to influential politicians
Minister for Housing, the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick with Jo Biddolph
There is no such thing as a typical day, or week, in the life of a councillor. Time might be moving along nicely with us keeping on top of residents’ requests for help and the ever increasing flow-in of emails, dashing off to Hounslow House for committee meetings or discussions with officers, meeting residents to unravel the detail of the most complex issues, and wandering round our wards spotting then reporting graffiti, dumped waste, fly-tipping, damaged pavements and potholes (usually while having a moment for some normalities of life such as shopping for food) and bumping into residents and having a chat. Then along comes a curved ball, or a special event, and our directions switch.
In my case, looking at the most recent fortnight, I realised my councillor life has been sandwiched between ministers and talking to them about the state of Chiswick’s retail economy.
Putting the Chiswick Shops Task Force retail manifesto in the hands of ministers
As Conservative councillors we are obliged to join the Conservative Councillors’ Association (CCA) which provides training, guidance and support to all Tory councillors. This is the second time I’ve attended its annual conference – a one and a half day event, this year in Leicestershire – with excellent presentations, workshops and briefings, a generous drinks reception and dinner, and a large amount of networking that doesn’t only take place in the bar. Throughout, we have direct access to ministers and the chance to ask questions, face-to-face and one-to-one, about national, regional and borough issues.
Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for housing, communities and local government, was first to step on to the podium and noted that there has been a nine per cent fall in rough sleeping nationwide (though it might not seem like that to us in Chiswick) and spoke of the government’s commitment to all but eradicate homelessness including through its flexible homelessness support grant and the homelessness reduction grant for local authorities. Hounslow has been allocated £1,723,056 and £800,787 respectively – a total of £2,523,843 for 2020-2021. (For comparison, Newham: nearly £11m. Enfield: over £8m. Haringey: over £7m. Brent, Birmingham, Croydon, Westminster: over £6m each; Ealing, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest: over £5m each. Hackney: over £4m. Hammersmith and Fulham: over £3m. Richmond upon Thames: a little over £1m. See the full list here
He faced questions about funding special educational needs provision and adult social care, two of the most significant issues facing all councils. On social care and deprivation, his department is currently tackling problems in systems.
During the ministerial Q&A that followed, also with the minister for housing Christopher Pincher MP and parliamentary under secretary of state for housing and homelessness Luke Hall MP, Robert Jenrick said that, before Brexit took over, the big issue for his department was the state of our high streets and that tackling business rates is absolutely critical.
Cue my chance to talk to him about Chiswick’s retail economy, and the Chiswick Shops Task Force retail manifesto. His first comment was about the £51,000 rateable value (RV) threshold, a fixed level which defines a small business nationwide. Outside London, that RV applies to businesses that are very much bigger than they are in London. I nodded and confirmed that this point was already in the retail manifesto – the RV threshold should be much higher in London. In Chiswick, it’s a small to medium sized shop – a much smaller business.
That point applies if the government sticks with the current business rates system. The Chiswick Shops Task Force wants the system to be torn up and the taxation of the retail sector looked at afresh, bearing in mind all the other taxes and charges retailers also pay. If tinkering is what we end up – please, no – the manifesto lists all that is wrong that must be put right.
Since the conference we’ve had the budget announcement of the abolition for the coming financial year of business rates for retail and hospitality businesses with an RV below £51,000. This is good news for many of our shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants and others though some miss out by a whisker and others aren’t sure if they fall into the eligible categories; the Chiswick Shops Task Force is lobbying on their behalf. Regardless, there is a very strong hope nationally that, having abolished business rates for a year, they will not be reintroduce exactly as they were. From my perspective, that means reform must be on the agenda; it cannot just be a review.
Back to the conference – and the dinner (ham hock terrine, chicken with a thyme and rosemary stuffing, white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake) with Rt Hon Alok Sharma, ( seen above) secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy. He represents the UK at this year’s UN climate change conference (otherwise known as COP 26) and firmly stated that sustainability is at the top of the business agenda. He also said that the UK is the best place to run a business and the best place to start a business. You might detect a pattern here, with this Hounslow councillor … cue my chance to talk to him about Chiswick’s retail economy. As with Robert Jenrick, Alok Sharma had the full force of the Chiswick Shops Task Force retail manifesto placed into his hands.
Moving on two weeks and I’m at a meeting with Paul Scully MP, minister for high streets and minister for London, who had been to Chiswick a couple of years ago, canvassing with we three then council candidates (Ranjit Gill, Ron Mushiso and me) in the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate at the top of Turnham Green ward. Also at the meeting was Andrea Jenkyns MP, parliamentary private secretary to Robert Jenrick MP. With the two of them together in listening mode, and with the state of our high streets in their portfolios, it was another déjà vu here-we-go-again moment. Cue my chance to talk to them about …
Chiswick’s retail economy is firmly in the inboxes of the ministers with the most influence and the Chiswick Shops Task Force will ensure it receives their full attention.
Back to other aspects of Chiswick life
The Coronavirus has, inevitably, taken centre stage. Remember Brexit? That’s long gone. We are now more interested in whether the masks others are wearing have any effectiveness and if we or anyone near us show any signs of Covid-19. It’s an ever-changing situation which we councillors must be concerned about on behalf of our residents, people who come here to work, visitors and of course staff. It can be personal, too: my 19 year old cousin, living with me since August, has been whisked back to New Zealand by her worried parents and I’m suddenly in a rather quiet snapchat-free world.
Otherwise, in my inbox recently are residents’ concerns about neighbours’ antisocial behaviour; persistent illegal trading; lorries and vans speeding up and down a small residential road damaging pavements, verges, a tree and the road’s usual peace and quiet; finding a new home for an evicted private tenant; a dangerous junction that needs more safeguards; and a new planning application at 250 Gunnersbury Avenue that includes 204 bedsits in a block that is a mix of 11, 12 and 13 storeys high. One minute we celebrate the fact that the Chiswick Curve appeal has failed; the next, another high-rise appears. We will have more to say on this.
15th March 2020
Cllr Sam Hearn on his week dealing with local issues
Thursday, 27th February 2020: At an early morning meeting with residents who are applying for conservation area status for their well-defined area of Chiswick Riverside ward. The council’s consultation on the borough’s conservation areas closed in December but it was good to see that, as the report for Cabinet is still being prepared, the officer concerned has applied some common sense.
Friday, 28th February: At St Mary’s Church Hall, Hatton Road, Bedfont, Feltham to attend a public meeting ostensibly about Heathrow’s Third Runway proposal and its impact on Feltham. The Appeal Court decision had changed the whole context for the meeting. It turned out that that it had been organised by a group dedicated to campaigning against ALL immigration detention centres. Many local residents left when they realised the political nature of the meeting. Nevertheless, for those of us who do not believe the fight is over yet, it is important to realise that Heathrow’s plans for the Third Runway necessitate the closure of immigration detention centres at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook and the construction of an enormous new detention centre in Feltham. This is strongly opposed by our Feltham Councillor Kuldeep Tak. We urge Hounslow Council not to change the green belt status of the proposed site for the detention centre and to oppose any development consent order (DCO) relating to the site that Heathrow Ltd may submit.
Saturday, 29th February 2020: A day for catching up on casework. As always, a wide range of subjects from council tenants wanting to swap properties to enforcement issues. As I have mentioned before, we have a trader who, despite enforcement notices and police raids, is still selling alcohol to minors and illegal tobacco products (under the counter).
Sunday, 1st March: Out helping Chiswick Homefields ward deliver targeted survey leaflets. The Mayoral/GLA elections are on 7th May but very few residents seem to have the date in their diaries. Our local GLA candidate, Nick Rogers, has been campaigning hard since he was selected last year but the South West London constituency covers a huge area.
Monday, 2nd March: Into central London to visit the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery and on for a meal with family and friends to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The exhibition was hugely impressive and it is hard to beat Howard Carter’s now legendary exclamation that he could see “wonderful things”.
Tuesday, 3rd March: After literally years of cross-party lobbying, TfL has agreed to transfer ownership of an arch under Kew Bridge to Hounslow council for it to be used as a new footway. As of today, the council is consulting on which of two options residents would prefer. Click on the link if you wish to learn more and help the council make the right choice. Not all residents are happy and emails are already dropping into my in-box.
Wednesday, 4th March: At Hounslow House (our new civic centre) for a Conservative Councillors’ Group meeting. Always good to focus our attention on up-coming consultations and on-going issues such as the delays caused by TfL’s roadworks at Kew Bridge and the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. The council has just begun the second phase of the consultation on its Liveable Neighbourhoods project. It ends on 31st March so please do not delay in looking at the plans for the so-called Grove Park Piazza and making your views known.
Artist’s impression of the so-called Grove Park Piazza
Thursday 5th March: Into Hounslow House to discuss my ideas for the work programme of Hounslow Pensions Board. After four years it is a good time to reflect on the board’s corporate governance and officers have helpfully provided comparisons with other councils’ pensions boards. Out in the evening for a meeting of the Staveley Road Blossom Day steering group. Everything appears to be coming together for a fantastic street party in Staveley Road on the afternoon of Sunday, 19th April. In Chiswick’s best traditions, Conservative, Labour and Green party activists and those with no party affiliation are working together constructively. All we can hope for now is for the street’s famous cherry blossom to appear on cue and for the weather to be kind. We are still looking for volunteers – so contact us at contact@blossomdayw4.org.uk and for more information see: http://www.blossomdayw4.org.uk/
9th March 2020
Cllr Gabriella Giles not impressed with Hounslow Council's budget proposals
Councillor Gabriella Giles, Conservative spokesman on environment and climate emergency, notes that box-ticking overrides ambition
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how the plans laid out by the council need to be scalable and sustainable and now I would like add another word to that list – ambitious. This week's borough council meeting agenda included the budget for the next financial year. This is the second time I have been present as a councillor for this annual meeting and I must say I am not impressed.
Were you watching?
I won't go into great detail about who said what and who didn't speak during the debate (the vast majority of the Labour administration); if you are interested, the full show is available on YouTube as the meeting was live streamed from the chamber for the three-plus hours it took to go through the proceedings. When I checked to see if anybody was watching, I was surprised to see that 14 people were still online. Did anybody know that after 10 years of no broadcasts this meeting was going to be live-streamed? I found out a couple of hours before the meeting but I hadn't seen anything about this earlier. Perhaps there was a Tweet sent somewhere, at some point.
Hardly ambitious – more like a box-ticking exercise – but perhaps it will happen again and, if it does, I invite you to watch these meetings (we include the dates at the end of our blogs). You don't have to watch the whole thing but a brief dip in might give you an insight into the proceedings. The full calendar diary of council meetings is available online too. Tough luck if you don't have access to a computer but it's the cheapest form of disseminating information. Or so we are told.
So, what does this mean? It means that whenever there is a consultation, or a planning application, or official communication, you have to be connected and following the correct channels to be made aware of it. This does seem to be a recurring issue, and my dismay at initially hearing that a response rate of 25 per cent was high, is simply reinforced by seeing first hand how information between the council and its residents is shared.
To take just one example, along with my fellow ward councillors, we have been involved in the consultation on the Liveable Neighbourhoods Project and continue communications with the officers involved. The latest update is that although this is a Transport for London funded project, the timeframes will primarily be set by the Borough. Officers are currently reviewing the large number of comments and submissions made via the consultation, in conjunction with the traffic data received. This is all in advance of the publication of the consultation report which should comprehensively explain the data, provide a response to any questions raised, and set out the priorities and timeline for the project. There is a provisional timeline: the aim is to have an idea of the main headlines by March, the main report in May, then there will be another series of public drop-in sessions where residents will be able to see and help develop the details of the proposals.
We must engage with the under 35s
All in all, a very clear plan, with feasibility studies and a costing exercise for the Barnes Bridge walkway in March. The updates so far have been promising. However, despite the large number of responses from residents, there has been practically zero input from residents under the age of 30. To get over this hurdle a specialist consultant (another consultant!) will be contracted to help shape a plan (another plan!) on how the council will best engage with the under 35s in the borough. At the moment, the plan is to target Chiswick School which is all well and good but it misses a huge chunk of the local population and it is vital that we include the opinions of all those who will benefit most from the future developments.
To that note, I also attended the first consultation on the council’s climate emergency action plan where, apart from council employees, and one member of our Youth Parliament, I was one of the youngest people there. Admittedly it was held during the day, and I have a vested interest to take time out of work to attend, but I find it disappointing that, at every level of our democracy, it seems to be people who will least benefit from any of our long-term initiatives who have the biggest say. To that point, there will be another consultation on Monday evening at 6.30pm at Hounslow House to brainstorm on how the objectives of the climate emergency action plan could be put into action.
As for people wanting to have their say, I understand that some people have been trying to contact me by telephone. For various reasons, I have been issued with a new telephone number and this is listed below.
1st March 2020
Cllr Ron Mushiso reflects on a stormy week and how the winds of change are needed for our recycling habits
Councillor Ron Mushiso outlines his week and looks ahead at this weekend with two Clean Up Chiswick litter picks
My turn for the weekly blog couldn’t have come at a better time. This weekend I take the councillor surgery at the Chiswick Library and it is our monthly Chiswick Clean Up initiative which, this time, involves two clean ups. If you know an area that needs litter pick attention, please get in touch.
Turnham Green cherry trees
Regular readers of ChiswickW4.com news articles and the forum will be aware of the ongoing discussion of the postponement of the tree planting event last Saturday. I urge caution on unnecessary speculation. I am sure the full picture will start to emerge and people will form their own opinions.
As I write this blog, I have learned that Rebecca Frayn has resigned as chairman of the Friends of Turnham Green. I am saddened by this and want to pay tribute to her as an outstanding chairman and a lady who cares deeply about the local environment here in Chiswick. I want to thank her especially for her long-standing stewardship of Turnham Green. She has dedicated a lot of her free time to leading the Friends and ensuring that Turnham Green is a well-preserved green space that we can all be proud of. Indeed, it was members of the Friends, particularly Mitra Alam, who spearheaded the Chiswick Clean Up initiative. I am grateful for Rebecca’s support and I know she did her upmost behind the scenes to try a reach an amicable compromise with all the interested parties. A running commentary at this point will not be helpful, but neither will a blanket silence from me on this matter. Thank you, Rebecca.
12th February 2020
Conservative Friends of Cyprus
I spent the day at Godolphin and Latymer School on a training course, an opportunity to learn from prospective pastoral leaders in other schools across the country. Then it was off to the Houses of Parliament for an event organised by an old friend, Jason Charalambous, former Conservative candidate for Islington South and Finsbury and now chair of the Conservative Friends of Cyprus. I was delighted to be invited and it gave me a chance to catch up with Jason after a busy general election campaign and was an opportunity to congratulate some newly elected MPs from the 2019 intake including Alicia Kearns MP, Angela Richardson MP and Ben Everitt MP. Theresa Villiers, president of the Friends of Cyprus, was the keynote speaker. It was to be Theresa’s last act as secretary of state for the environment. She lost her cabinet post in the government reshuffle the following morning. I am sure it’s only a matter time before she will back in cabinet. She is a talented politician with a lot to offer. I am sure she will support the new secretary of state, George Eustice, and will continue to be an important voice on environmental issues from the backbenches.
Thanks to the marvels of the District Line, I was able to get away quickly after the speeches and was back in Turnham Green ward to join Catherine Meisels and the Friends of Chiswick Common for their AGM at Homecross House. We discussed various issues including a proposal for a joint Ealing and Hounslow cycling festival in July.
Saturday 15th February
Flower marketAfter campaigning with Nicholas Rogers, our Conservative candidate for the GLA, I went for coffee with Ollie Saunders on Chiswick High Road to get a better idea of the proposals for a new Chiswick flower market. Ollie offered councillors the opportunity to meet to explain some of the details ahead of the public meeting that took place on Thursday.
I was then back on my bike fighting the head winds as I made my way via Richmond Park to New Malden to watch my former team, Old Emanuel RFC, take on Chobham. The winds did not subside so I allowed myself some respite by jumping on a train to Teddington before hopping back on two wheels to complete my journey home. My exercise for the week was done!
Monday, 17th February to Wednesday, 19th February – Half Term week.
I managed to get away for two days to go to Brighton to see my nephews who are visiting from Normandy. It meant a very quick turnaround bearing in mind the week ahead – discussing the council’s budget, following up casework and planning the two Chiswick Clean Ups on Sunday.
Recycle more
On Wednesday I visited the Lampton 360 waste recycling depot at Southall Lane to speak with staff and ask a few questions. It was my second visit to the site and site officials emphasised a push for more residents to recycle their food waste. I learned that one ton of food waste sent to the recycling depot sends a £100 plus saving to the council. In the run-up to the budget with the council still haemorrhaging on spending pledges, we residents can do our bit to support the environment and the council by ramping up our recycling rates. If you don’t already have a food waste caddy, households can order them
The team at the waste recycling depot was very supportive of our Chiswick Clean Up initiative and keen for us to add another dimension to our efforts – where possible to try and put the aluminium cans, tin cans and plastic bottles in separate bags. I promised to start doing this from this weekend.
22nd February 2020
Cllr Gabriella Giles on e-bikes, and Hounslow Council's preference for consultants
Scalable and sustainable. My councillor colleagues must be bored to death with me saying this. Repeatedly. A huge part of our responsibilities as councillors is that we support initiatives that leave the world in a better place than which we found it. With that thought in mind, I have been looking into the cabinet papers for the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Greener Borough with interest, and had planned to propose a motion at Borough Council at the end of January.
What I find fascinating is that some people are very happy to talk about things, but very reluctant to make the changes needed to achieve their goals. As someone with a project management background, I am all for plans. Plans that are robust, costed, measurable and realistic.
I would also add that these need to be aspirational. Hounslow Council produces a lot of reports, and plans, however, the more I read, the more I despair. Somewhat like the failed bid to be a London Borough of Culture, these documents are well-intentioned but rely far too much on external consultants and not enough on local experience or knowledge.
This is something that is blatantly apparent in the Climate Emergency Action plan. Based on estimated figures from 2017 from a government report that classifies data based on regions, rather than locally available data.
At the borough council meeting on 28 February, we heard that for the borough “existing aircraft noise monitoring infrastructure is not as robust as that for air quality because system is rather antiquated and deserves major overhaul and further investments” (sic). The response from the administration? That we would rely on reporting from Heathrow on air and noise pollution. As much as I applaud organisations self-reporting, surely we, as a borough, have a responsibility to keep track of this ourselves to ensure that the measures we adopt are measurable, and realistic, for our local environment.
With that in mind, I leapt at the opportunity thrown onto Twitter by WestTrans to trial the new Brompton ebike.
As some of you may know, I’ve been an active cyclist for years and, like many, I have looked longingly at the Brompton folding bikes with the desire of heart and legs, but not my wallet. For those of you who don’t know, WestTrans is a partnership of six boroughs in West London, including Hounslow, formed to develop and implement sustainable transport projects in the area. One of these projects is to encourage more people to cycle, including by getting them onto ebikes, and, from time to time, ask locals to test the feasibility of some of the bicycles they might then roll out across the area.
Never having ridden an electric bike, I was super keen to give it a go, and eager to get my hands on the handlebars of the new Brompton ebike and start pedalling. It is lovely to ride and surprisingly fast. One point that I really appreciated was cycling to and from meetings and turning up looking smart, if a little windswept, even in the depths of winter. The speed is limited to 15.5mph so, for me – who normally tootles around London at anything between 10mph and 14mph – it felt as if I were flying with very little exertion. Until I rode over a pot-hole. Or ironworks. At which point, the battery had a tendency to disconnect, and the bike lost power. Which was fine when cycling during the day. At night, the battery-powered lights turned off; when cycling uphill, all the power would go when you needed it most.
One of the most attractive reasons for ebikes is to get people who may have mobility or health issues to be more active, or to encourage people who want to cycle but have neither the courage nor experience to do so. As far as this cycling experience went, it was nice, the upright position made me feel that I was seen, and I had a good perspective to see what was going on around me. When not used and folded, it was cumbersome to move around. And heavy. And bruise-inducing. You need to be quite strong to carry the 14.7kg bike and the 2.9kg battery, especially if you have to lug it up two flights of stairs with your weekly shop. Brompton says that their bikes are not for everyone.
WestTrans wants testers for bikes to see if it will encourage those who wouldn’t normally cycle to get on a bike. I have fed back to WestTrans saying I am yet to be convinced that this bike will be suitable for those users.
WestTrans are always looking for residents’ feedback, and volunteers and organisations to trial their bikes. If you are interested, Emily Shovlar, the senior WestTrans coordinator, is available via email on ShovlarE@ealing.gov.uk.
15th February 2020
Councillor Gerald McGregor rebukes Labour-led administration, in this week's blog
Wonderful news from the other end of the Borough. A by-election win that now returns Conservative support in the Borough Council to double figures with 10 councillors. Only another 21 to go and we will be running an effective, financially secure Borough Council again.
Kuldeep Tak ( pictured above) was the Conservative and Unionist Party candidate in Feltham North in the Hounslow local election. He was elected with an impressive 2,025 votes. This seat was formerly held for more than a decade by Conservative Councillor Mark Bowen. Many thanks to Feltham and Heston Conservatives team for the work that was done in supporting our winning candidate.
Setting a budget
The Labour group is now belatedly engaging the councillors and electors of Hounslow with an outline of the budget proposed. Expect to see an increased council tax of 3.99% from the council and more piled on top by the Mayor for London and his cronies at the Greater London Authority.
In my previous blog talking about the budget, I mentioned Labour had claimed once again great cuts in revenue from the taxpayer via Central Government and we now have proof that they don’t have the political will to drive the savings required to keep the council in balance.
Tens of millions of pounds of capital investment projects and plans already budgeted for have not started as there are long-standing weaknesses in project management capacity across many departments of the council. These capital programmes are in the main designed to provide support for more efficient support for council staff and thus to deliver long term cost savings and there is little drive to get them in place and deliver a balanced financial outcome.
Gerald McGregor
London Borough of Hounslow as a Trader
Lampton 360 Ltd was established by the London Borough of Hounslow in 2012 with the objective of trading in local authority functions in order to generate financial surpluses and return those surpluses to the council. It is a company wholly owned by the council and with an aim of returning value to the council. (It was meant to represent a bold, new and ambitious approach by a London Borough.)
Once again, we hear that Lampton 360, the Labour-sponsored plc, is unable to deliver its current programme budget and provide the revenues promised by the cabinet to the council over and over again. The overdrafts involved are still toe-curling and in addition to the lack of capital projects starting, there are unfunded investments creating real problems for the council.
And now facilities management, including maintenance and security. As its chief operating officer said, “LFM 360 has been running as a wholly owned company of London Borough of Hounslow since April 2017. In this time we have undergone significant changes with increases in work streams as well as staff. Starting with 120 employees [!] and were only doing planned works [generally provided by the borough]. Now we have 300 employees and we are undertaking huge amounts of responsive repairs, grounds maintenance and facilities management as well as all the original planned works.” Is this success? And why change a “winning formula” as the management changes necessitated “a need to change the brand and name to more closely reflect the current and future aspirations of LFM 360”.
Hence coalo. The chairman of the new company tells us that the name “coalo” comes from the Latin and simply means sustain and nurture together, which is what they hope to do.
The ambition is to sustain the housing stock of Hounslow Council and nurture positive relationships within the target community and customers. He goes on to say, “We can also apply the same idea for all of us that work for coalo. We all want to work in a company that values development and
opportunities. As a company we have been, and will continue to be all about delivering on target and on cost with excellent quality”.
Well the jury is certainly still out on this one.
It is reminiscent of the 1990s Community Investment Partnership in Hounslow which had a constitution of four different entities and an opaque management relationship with the council. Perhaps the current administration (still smarting from this previous failure) wants to try again and prove that, by again using public money, they can manage a trading entity.
The latest quarterly performance statistics covering Hounslow Council will be out on 3rd February. Locate them on the website under cabinet. They might make pleasant reading … who knows?
Brentford Chiswick Border
Don’t expect relief any time soon from the chaos at Kew Bridge. The lack of good competent project management is well illustrated by the delays caused by the unthinking approach with one of three key Thames Bridges out of action and the Brentford development scheme now about to create the transport links with Chiswick that the scheme required. Obviously now is not the time to commence the construction of the much disputed Cycle Superhighway junction changes at Kew Bridge
Back to Hounslow and Co-operation
Meanwhile, as a sixteen-year-long councillor, delivering solutions and providing support are now concentrated on looking at the new budget year and co-operating with the administration on policies for the benefit of residents and their families and protecting council taxpayers.
This means better financial control, better investment, avoiding mad schemes, rebuilding confidence in constitutional practice, looking to improve education, meeting housing need, supporting leaseholders and Hounslow Housing, helping deliver the consultation on parking issues and, bearing in mind the crisis in the retail sector, acting to support the high streets and encourage multiple retailers to stay in Chiswick and Brentford and giving our independent traders and corner shops the support necessary for their survival.
So, while Labour maladministers a borough, we will do our best with our range of expertise and experience to advise … and hopefully to help avoid … what is a poor picture – a picture repeated from the ill-managing London Mayor spiralling like CS9 downwards into the activities of dodgy local councils across London promising a Socialist ideology or pretending that repeating past errors and mistakes will have a different outcome. (See Einstein’s response – but given the ferment in the Labour Party they currently won’t want to look.)
So, as well as our group helping with the budget, it’s more business as usual for all your Chiswick councillors.
1st February 2020
Councillor Michael Denniss blogs about his week
Since my previous blog I have attended local residents’ group meetings, attended surgeries and heard applications at Hounslow (LBH)’s planning committee.
Application approved for building retail and residential units in Chiswick High Road
I have continued to attend the planning committee meetings where I have a vote on planning applications that have been called in. At the most recent meeting, held on 9th January, I and the planning committee councillors considered and approved an application to build a six-storey building with two retail and thirty four residential units in 396-400 Chiswick High Road, which is next to Toni & Guy and where Daniel Beds currently still trades. Several businesses, including the much-loved Valentina’s, have long gone and residents have been concerned about the empty units here and nearby.
We considered the objections to the application, particularly to the height of the building, the loss of light to neighbours, overlooking considerations and parking stress. The building does indeed raise the skyline to a new height, which will likely set a precedent for other applications, but I felt that on balance the application was sound. I was pleased to see that there was adequate provision for affordable housing and I hope that this will allow residents to get on the first rung of the housing ladder.
The West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society had requested that certain details be secured as a condition for approval. These included structures on the roof terrace not impacting the skyline and that shopfront glass be clear rather than mirrored. I felt that this was reasonable and I raised it with the rest of the committee. After some discussion the committee agreed to approve the application subject to that condition. I hope that this will mitigate issues with the skyline.
Other applications included erecting new residential buildings and extending existing ones in Hounslow, with two in Staines Road and in Bedfont. All were passed. Again I am impressed by the professionalism of the council officers and their knowledge of planning matters. You can see all details here:
Wider planning and environmental considerations for new housing
A key consideration for all these applications is the council’s aim to build 5,000 new affordable homes as part of its 2019-2024 strategy. While this is commendable, I feel that councillors put too much weight on this and do not ask enough questions about the long-term sustainability and future concerns that residents might have. As The Economist pointed out this week, in 1950-1970 Britain followed a similar initiative and built some 3m units of social housing. The boom ended when fewer people wanted to live in poor-quality residential accommodation. The dash for volume encouraged the government to cut corners, demonstrated by the gas explosion at Ronan Point block in Newham in the late 1960s. I am therefore keen to see that residential units are of good quality and would attract residents in the long term.
The other issue is environmental. The council declared a “climate emergency” last year and will launch an eight-week public consultation on the draft climate emergency action plan next month. However, in all applications for residential blocks, there has been no corollary on the use of gas appliances on new applications, which could easily be added as a condition. This is an issue which Conservative councillors, particularly Sam Hearn, have repeatedly and vociferously raised in the council. I invite the council to consider a ban on gas appliances for new properties as a real and practical step towards combating climate change and in line with the “climate emergency” it has declared.
Hounslow Council holds back funding for homeless charities
Local charity The Shelter Project Hounslow (TSPH) opens up for the winter season TSPH, the locally run charity project that provides meals and beds for homeless men in the borough, has started its winter season. TSPH is a classic example of a grass roots-led community organisation that has been stunningly successful. The charity recently moved 70% of its guests into accommodation, won The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service and commands an army of volunteers from across the borough including Chiswick Riverside ward. It is a well-run organisation with regular trustee meetings and a dedicated caseworker who works with the guests to find them permanent accommodation.
I stewarded two overnight shifts last week, one in Hounslow on 16th January and one in Chiswick on the 20th. What was clear to me was that homelessness remains a real issue across the borough. On both evenings at least six homeless men were catered for, and during the night I could see other homeless men walking around. The project is funded through grants, fundraising and generous donations which up to this year included a grant from Hounslow Council that unfortunately was not available this year. You can read more about it and make a donation here.
25th January 2020
Cllr John Todd's blog outlines some of the deprivation that exists in W4
A WEEK OF CHALLENGE……
Case work continues at a pace.
A family rehoused post a fire in their council flat were having difficulty in accessing their property because of health and safety reasons. I persuaded officers to change their mind and grant access. Two residents who for what I regarded as valid reasons wanted to challenge the planning departments decision to indicate in its ‘Pending List’ that approval for an adjacent property was recommended. I exercised the London Borough of Hounslow (LBH) Call-In procedure which caused the application to be heard by the planning committee later this year.
The LBH Energy Manager has produced a Cabinet report asking for authority to spend £6.2m to procure electricity and gas from the current supplier for a number of years. I’ve challenged the contents of this cabinet paper and established that a local SME located in the Chiswick business park can offer better value and sustainable energy.
I’m grateful for the Council Leader who has deferred this cabinet item pending me making a credible case. I’m on a big learning curve absorbing the detail but VFM sustain my case. Savings as much as £250-300k a year I believe may be possible.
Residents of the Edensor Estate await to hear if LBH will go ahead and build a number of flats on the roof of the current housing blocks. Additional soil samples taken late last year are still being examined and the related report is awaited.
I’m pleased this potential development has led to the forming of a Residents Association with strong and effective leadership. We conducted a comprehensive examination of the estate grounds and found a number of defects and matters requiring either repair or replacement. I’m now advised by Hounslow Housing that the remedial work required will commence shortly. It’s clear this estate has not been previously maintained to an appropriate standard. Working with residents we will actively monitor this matter.
I was really delighted to hear from the hard working Chair of the Hogarth Youth Club Fred Lucas of his successful fund raising operation and the expansion of their valued work touching on Chiswick in the community.
Government data on deprivation in Chiswick mentions pockets of extreme poverty hidden from view. When I led a campaign to save the club last year I was having a coffee in a café opposite the La Trompette Restaurant when a young boy came in asking for left over rolls and bread. The owner explained they come in every day. I met families in the club who were clearly struggling and so valued its existence and aims.
I was reminded of the café incident pre Christmas when with an employee of IMG we delivered on behalf of the Hounslow Community Foodbox huge trays of diverse food etc to a number of
residents in W4. One lady hadn’t left her small flat for over six years because of weight issues.
Another hadn’t spoken to anyone for days. Both were so grateful for this unexpected visit and the scheme that delivers such valued and needed products.
Its budget time again. In February we’ll see the accounts justifying the increase again in council tax. If we increased our current atrocious recycling rate of 31% (high rise flats only 7%) we would save a considerable sum in waste disposal costs and reduce the current budget deficit.
January 18, 2020
Cllr Joanna Biddolph on post-election life and an encounter with 'mansplaining'
Cllr Biddolph on right, with Cllr John Todd and Gabriella Giles, during the election count
Having experienced life as a councillor for over 18 months I now know that there is a rhythm to the council year. That rhythm was interrupted by the general election with all of us expected to do as much campaigning as possible while continuing with council commitments – following up residents’ concerns and attending council meetings.
One meeting, of the full borough council, was compulsory (though Labour members had a rather more lax attitude to that, with many absentees … out canvassing, I assumed). In December we meet to consider the council’s medium term financial strategy. We all have different aptitudes and Cllr Gabriella Giles’ particular skill is speaking in the chamber. She talked of Labour’s inability to balance its books and failing to understand the basics of profit and loss. This infuriated Brentford councillor Guy Lambert who afterwards, in his usual patronising way, offered to provide Gabriella with some training in local government finance. He had taken exception to the words “profit and loss”. He’s half right. Local authorities cannot be profit-making. But they should operate within their means.
Here in Hounslow, Labour’s budget is full of “funding gaps” an affectation, surely, for “loss”. Ok, we should have used the
word “deficit”. But should we take up Cllr Lambert’s offer of some mansplaining?
Another election – and now we are ten
There is a rhythm to elections, too. The leafleting, canvassing and knocking up are relatively predictable as is the need to expect the unexpected. This time I was caught out by the generous attitude of the presiding officer of the polling station where I was on the dawn session as a teller (she decided the cold and dark start to the day amounted to inclement weather, entitling me to stand in the indoor porch rather than outside) and caught up in the first day of CS9 traffic chaos at Kew Bridge (45 minutes to get from Verdict in Brentford to the Express Tavern, with one traffic light so badly phased it only allowed one vehicle through at a time).
Although our parliamentary candidate, Seena Shah, didn’t win, we were successful in one of the two bye-lections that took place on the same day. Kuldeep Tak was elected in Feltham North ward in the Feltham and Heston constituency. So now ours is a group of 10 Conservative councillors.
Judging a bake-off
Because of the general election, I haven’t been in and out of Hounslow House as often as is typical. But I chose a good day to go in for a couple of meetings and to pick up post and papers. As I was catching up with casework, there was a knock on our door, an apology for interrupting and a question. Would I be willing to judge the planning department’s bake-off? It’s an annual tradition at Christmas and taken very seriously – one participant came in with his dish despite officially being on holiday. A group of us – several officers and I – listened as each team described the food story at their table, summarising life in an area in Hounslow. We tasted and munched through dishes from around the world, representing the borough’s diverse population.
We huddled together outside to decide the best sweet, best savoury, best presentation, the most authentic and the best overall. We asked that there should be an award for the best story, too. It was over far too quickly – we were asked not to take too long so the teams could eat each others’ efforts – with no disagreement amongst the judges. Many more deserved praise – there was something prize-worthy at every table. It was fascinating to see officers in a relaxed setting and in teams rather than individuals in formal committee mode.
What do Hounslow residents talk about over Christmas lunch?
There was more prize-worthy eating at the second annual Christmas lunch for residents of the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate (GPGE), a forgotten part of Turnham Green ward (it’s a conservation area of around 480 houses and flats opposite Gunnersbury Park and includes the Gunnersbury Triangle Tennis Club). This year 26 people enjoyed the full works cooked by local chef Hildred Watts who has also reinvigorated the fortnightly coffee morning for GPGE residents.
Of course residents talked about the outcome of the general election, the superb turkey and the dreaded return of the Lovebox festival but one subject stands out for being raised with irritation, anger, despair and disbelief – and it wasn’t Brexit. Leaves. The non-collection of. We’ve been asking for far too long for our pavements and roads to be cleared of slippery mush but Hounslow is sticking to its pre-determined schedule with no change to respond to this year’s exceptionally heavy leaf fall.
The Fisher’s Lane playground is currently particularly dangerous. I’ve asked for it to be cleared urgently – it’s likely to be in high demand over Christmas and New Year. What are the chances?
Please walk with care and have a safe and happy Christmas.
Councillor Joanna Biddolph
22 December 2019
A week in the life of Cllr Sam Hearn …
Friday 28th November: Terrible news from London Bridge. A man shot dead by the Police and several people stabbed. Yet again horrific events during a general election that are so hard to make sense of. We are told to suspend campaigning until further notice. Attended a hustings organised by the Chamber of Commerce at the Clayton Hotel on Chiswick High Road. Our candidate Seen Shah once again delivers a clear message and answers all the questions put to her clearly. There have been so many hustings meetings but I have only been able to make few of them.
Saturday 29th November: To Harvard Hill with my colleague Cllr Gabriella Giles and our candidate Seena Shah where a community tree and shrub planting event has been organised as part of National Tree Planting week. The plants have been provided by the council but the tree planting itself is a genuine well supported community effort. Interesting to see parents with young children making the effort to lead by example.
Sunday 30th November: A catch up on councillor casework and preparations for another busy week. Tactical plans change frequently during election campaigns and it important to stay on top of things. As well as the General Election there are council by elections in Feltham North and Heston West. Both seats were held by Labour and have been vacant for some months. In more normal times we would be assisting our colleagues in Feltham and Heston. Thankfully there is time to fit a walk in with friends who promise not to talk politics. Fat chance.
Monday 1st December: I note that the current planning application for the Old Station House Pub has been brought forward for consideration with a recommendation for refusal by the Planning Officer. Some residents are campaigning for the pub not to be downsized out of existence. My councillor colleagues and I are happy to lend our support. The pub as it stands is certainly a good venue for music and celebratory events. It forms a key element of the so-called Grove Park Piazza that is likely to receive funding from the Liveable Neighbourhoods Project.
Tuesday 2nd December: Chiswick and Brentford Councillors have received formal confirmation that enabling works on the Kew Bridge Junction section of Cycleway 9 will begin on the 12th December. Work will not be completed on this section until the Autumn of 2020. There will be lane closures from 22nd December. Chiswick’s Conservative Councillors are united in believing that this work should not begin until Hammersmith Bridge has been reopened. There are currently 2,000 additional cars crossing the Kew Bridge Junction because of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.
Wednesday 4th December: Fire at the Brentford Travel Lodge in the early hours of the morning. The early indications are that there are no casualties and that 160 people were evacuated safely. This is a tribute to the skills and dedication of the emergency services. It will be interesting after the election to review how well things went and if the lessons learnt in the recent resilience training for councillors have beenlearnt.
Thursday 5th December: Finishing off local leafleting deliveries and canvassing north of the A4. As in every election there are streets and residents that we just do not manage get to try as we might. We will be canvassing in Riverside ward with our candidate Seena Shah.
Councillor Sam Hearn
Chiswick Riverside Ward
Email: sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
8 December 2019
Cllr John Todd blogs on the current financial overspend and attitude to residents
Tree pollarding by Dukes Meadows
Council Finances
Council finances have elicited a damning verdict from London Borough of Hounslow chief executive citing “significant and unmitigated overspend in some key areas … and unrealised savings.”
In June 2019 our new chief executive, concerned at what he found, instituted the #1Hounslow programme of cultural change – from the ground up – to help LBH become the best it can and become an outstanding council. This includes a systematic review of all services led by a champion, a consultant and a new assistant chief executive who arrives in early 2020.
In his report to the LBH cabinet, he raises a number of worrying matters. Most important is his statement of “significant and unmitigated overspend in some key areas … and unrealised savings”. He adds, “This cannot continue … a robust performance framework will be established”.
Dealing with customer services he says, ”There’s much to do. Our recent residents' survey indicated that our approach was aloof, out of touch and uncaring. Our interactions with our residents and businesses lacked personal attention and was characterised as being dismissive”.
Drilling into the detail
We had a meeting of the borough council on Tuesday evening to approve the administration’s medium term financial strategy. Disappointingly, the overspending continues unabated. The Lampton group of (in-house) companies still fail to contribute any profit and their outstanding loans of £50m will be paid back by 2037.
We drilled into some of the items. Disappointed to learn that we have 30-plus vacancies in our specialist SEN-D schools. The cost of educating these pupils outside the borough was highlighted as a growth item without evidence of awareness of these vacancies.
The brown garden waste wheelie bin charge was recommended for an increase because “we hadn’t done so for some years” and a comparison, not seen, highlighted the need to do so. I examined the related costs. The profit, or surplus as officers describe it, for this year is circa £45.5k and next year I estimated it’s £180k. The huge variation is because when people join their initial fee only covers the cost of the bin. In the following year, undiluted creativity especially when our waste operation is frequently requiring additional funds to survive.
Climate emergency
Utility costs. The council publishes its plan next month. In an interim paper to our scrutiny team they mentioned current negotiations to procure electricity which was 50% renewable. I’ve advised the cabinet member that a company located in Chiswick Business Park can supply 100% renewable and beat our current costs.
Carbon offset fund. I recently asked a question at council about the sum of £300k lying dormant in a carbon offset fund. We charge £60 per tonne to developers to mitigate their carbon obligation. The leader said the funds were used in 14 schools in the borough – a statement he later retracted. Other local authorities in London charge up to £114 per tonne and using these funds reduces pollution and conserves energy in a number of schools. An amended charge of £100 per tonne is under consideration by LBH. Andrea Carnevali, the dynamic instigator of the St Mary’s School green wall alongside the A4, told the area forum that LBH had now completed its tests on the filtration equipment installed in the school and found they reduced pollution by 40% plus. Others believe the figure is higher. Whatever, five schools in Hounslow feature in the list of school with the highest level of pollution in London. Carbon offset funding must now be used to protect our children.
Dukes Meadows
Barnes new footbridge. The recent soil tests are satisfactory. More needs to be done on the footpath near the Emanuel boathouse. We now have a projected timescale of end 2020. A value engineering assessment (linking construction materials, etc, with budget) is under way.
Tree pollarding. Pollarding shown in the photo has opened up the footpath and been done to a high standard.
Dukes Hollow. This unspoilt piece of river embankment is described by the Wildlife Trust as the last area of natural river frontage on the Thames.
1st December 2019
Cllr Ron Mushiso compares 2007 and 2019 election campaigns
It has been an interesting few weeks since the General Election was triggered at the end of October. In that time, I got myself on to the shortlist as a Conservative candidate in one of the Ealing seats close to where I work. Although I was unsuccessful, it was a great honour and privilege to share the platform with three brilliant colleagues who are now contesting Feltham and Heston, Ealing North and Ealing Southall constituencies.
I returned to Brentford and Isleworth constituent to give my full support to our candidate, Seena Shah, who is running a brilliant campaigned. One of her first actions was to call for all candidates in Brentford and Isleworth to sign a clean campaign pledge ensuring that all candidates and their teams conduct themselves with an appropriate and respectful tone towards one another. This would encourage debate amongst the parties whilst upholding our shared values of courtesy and tolerance towards those we may disagree with politically. Congratulations Seena for taking the lead.
Campaign trail comparisons
A lot has been written about the rarity of a winter election but, in fact, some Chiswick riverside residents will recall a winter by-election in 2007 that saw Cllr Sam Hearn elected for the first time following the passing of Cllr Robert Kinghorn.
Much has changed since 2007 but the basics are still the same. We still gather at an agreed location for a planned canvassing route. Local and national issues are intertwined where you could be talking to one resident about a local services issue and another about the NHS, having conversations, delivering our message and seeking their support at the ballot box. For councillors in particular, it is a key opportunity to listen to concerns in the community whether at a local or at a national level and that is what we have been doing here in Chiswick.
Technology is another major difference between the two elections. In 2007, the Apple IPhone had just been launched but we were out with pens and paper canvassing sheets. Fast forward to 2019 and I am in possession of a smartphone with maps, apps and all the gadgets at my fingertips. This year’s campaign is fast-paced and extremely demanding on our time as councillors. We must, of course, still attend to council meetings and carry out our casework, taking up residents’ concerns and issues, with campaigning taking up the rest of our time so something has to give.
Rugby on the back burner
For me, it has meant putting my rugby-coaching role at London Irish Academy on hold for six weeks. I was excited about coaching rugby in Chiswick, the first time here. In my previous stint as an Academy Coach for London Irish, I was stationed in Harrow. Chiswick is definitely a nicer place to spend an evening coaching rugby than Harrow though I am biased, I know!
Chiswick Area Forum
This week we took a short break from campaigning to carry out our duties as Chiswick councillors to hold our area forum at Chiswick Town Hall. We heard a very detailed and praiseworthy police report illustrating the hard work that our ward officers have done over the past four months to make us feel safe. There is a marked difference between now and 12 months ago. I have nothing but praise for our police officers.
We also welcomed an update on the green wall around St Mary’s primary school from local resident, and St Mary’s parent, Andrea Carnevali. Since its launch in June 2019, the project has grown and additional measures have been taken to tackle air pollution around and in the school. These include a pilot study for an air purification system that has produced truly remarkable results and a new paint job in the main hall with air purifying technology that prevents bacteria and reduces pollutants such as NOx, SOx, NH3, and CO2. St Mary’s Primary School can be proud to have Andrea as its champion. He has a busy day job but has been taking his project to other schools, spreading the word about what can be done and how.
Laura Ellener, head of Chiswick School, was listening attentively and making notes. She, too, made a presentation to the area forum about Chiswick School and the significant changes made since she took up her role championing the school and all it offers.
Community champions clean up Chiswick
Speaking of community champions, last week I met with council officers to discuss the next chapter of the Chiswick Clean Up initiative. Several volunteers are now wishing to take this initiative to their roads and their local green spaces. Council officers are aware that they have a responsibility to make better use of their resources to keep our streets and parks clean. However, they have also welcomed our Chiswick Clean Up Community Champion idea in principle where local residents take the initiative, if necessary, when they identify an area in need of gent attention due to littering and other forms of antisocial behaviour. Council officers will then work closely with a small group of residents, or an individual, to resolve the matter. We agreed that this would give an excellent opportunity, especially to our young people, to learn about how residents can contribute positively in their local community. We are still in the planning stages and have agreed to meet again after the general election to discuss it further. In the meantime, we will not be holding a Chiswick Clean up until Sunday, 26th January 2020 for obvious reasons. If you would like more details about the initiative, or would like to volunteer for our next outing, please get in touch using the contact details below.
24 November 2019
Councillor Patrick Barr, Chiswick Homefields ward, writes about a happy ending to a lengthy battle by a local gym
Patrick (2nd from left) with volunteers in the recent clean up Chiswick day
We have watched parliament in painful paralysis for weeks with opposition parties trying to thwart what this country voted for. What do we want? A second referendum (a people’s vote) or to remain in the European Union? It’s a highly contentious and emotionally charged issue that has spilt this country, political parties, families and friends.
When opposition party leaders speak on Brexit, I detect enormous insincerity. Jeremy Corbyn (a leaver throughout his political career) was neutral on Brexit and now leads the party that wants a people’s vote. The Liberal Democrats initially said they would back whatever this country voted for. They now
want to stop Brexit. What is going on?
Recent events have seen the Benn Act passed when the Prime Minister was forced to request a delay to ensure a no-deal was taken off the table or a deal could be reached. A brief ray of light was the backing of the Brexit deal at a second reading in parliament when it appeared we were finally united. However, the timetable to pass it was voted down. A General Election has been called for 12th December. No matter how you voted in the 2016 referendum it is so important we now come together.
We have a fantastic Conservative parliamentary candidate – Seena Shah. She is a true representative of the area we live in – aspirational and multicultural with a strong voice. I am also on the parliamentary candidates’ list and will be sent somewhere to fight the General
Election. Despite this, the residents of Chiswick will remain at the forefront of my mind. I will still be dealing with casework, attending local residents’ group meetings and taking the councillor surgery on 30th November at 09:30 in Chiswick Library.
Championing residents – a slow process
A notable recent triumph was that the Combat Temple, (a martial arts and boxing gym under the arches by Stamford Brook Tube station) will not only stay open but is due to move to a newer, larger plot a few arches down. The gym is an integral part of the local community: a place for all warriors, young and old. Combat Temple is led by Reza Khodai and his inspirational team. Reza stopped paying rent in 2012 when his lease ended (as did other businesses under the arches) due to not being able to make contact with TFL, despite numerous attempts. This went on for 42 months until a new lease was signed in 2016. Reza was paying the back rent from 2012 as well as the rent for the new lease. He had wanted to occupy the second floor of this plot; however he was unable to afford the extra £8,000 per year.
Following a call from Reza, I visited him at his gym in June 2018 when he highlighted all TfL's failings and the financial implications on him, his family and his business as result of TFL’s neglect. He further spoke about his aspirations for his gym and to move his business next door due to increased demand from the local community. I contacted Tony Arbour, the London Assembly member for South West London, who probed TFL to respond to countless requests for help from Combat Temple. I then facilitated a meeting in September 2018 at Combat Temple with Reza, a consultant for TFL and a property surveyor for TFL aiming to come to a resolution to Reza’s ongoing issues with TFL. I am so delighted for him that, nearly 18 months later, works have started on the new premises. Reza is a truly inspirational person with a selfless vision for local residents. Exercise is a good medicine for us all, both mentally and physically. I’m glad I could help.
Casework is a constant
Casework remains constant. Amongst all the cases residents have brought to me, I have picked out three, each of them raised by several residents demonstrating how much of an issue each on is. I’ve recently been addressing uneven/cracked pavements and the covering of unswept leaves that seem to have been present most of the summer along various Chiswick paths in Chiswick Homefields ward. I have recently sought an update from TFL following their promise of traffic mitigation in Chiswick as a result of the closure for Hammersmith Bridge. Finally, I am supporting the Chiswick Dental Practice based in Chiswick Health Centre which is under threat as it has not been included in the plans for the new Health Centre on Fishers Lane. I am working closely with the practice and hope to, with them, find a solution soon.
Another successful community clean up
I recently supported the regular monthly Chiswick Clean Up with a group of committed local residents led by Cllr Ron Mushiso. We got under bushes, behind fences, anywhere we could fit, collecting bags and bags of rubbish. It was a display of community at its finest and I really felt we were making a difference. It was also a great opportunity to meet many tireless people who contribute to keeping Chiswick looking spectacular.
3rd November 2019
Councillor Michael Denniss, Chiswick Riverside ward, asks can a pub survive in Chiswick without a kitchen?
Since my previous blog I have attended local residents' group meetings, heard applications at Hounslow (LBH)'s planning committee and taken part in the selection of the new Conservative Party parliamentary candidate for Brentford and Isleworth, Seena Shah.
Public meetings to listen to locals' views
The local Chiswick councillors Patrick Barr, Joanna Biddolph, Gabriella Giles, John Todd, Ranjit Gill, Sam Hearn, Gerald McGregor, Ron Mushiso and I are keen to hear residents' views on local issues for Chiswick including policing, Heathrow's third runway and the Cycle Superhighway C9.
To this end Sam Hearn, Gabriella Giles and I hosted a public meeting in Chiswick Riverside ward at St Paul's Church on 8th October. Over 40 residents came. Of particularly concern was the proposed planning application to change The Station House pub from its current form into a site with new flats and a smaller pub. There were some revelations. The current plan does not allow for a kitchen, and a resident with experience in managing pubs doubted the economic viability of a smaller pub. The application does go some way to address housing needs, albeit at the cost of a beloved local pub, and I will need to consider all factors when it comes before the planning committee. The planning committee is considered to be quasi judicial and members are required to keep an open mind and not to express an opinion until all evidence has been heard at the meeting.
There wasn't such an impressive turnout at Hounslow';s Cabinet Question Time on 16th October at St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road. About nine residents came not including local resident Andrew Murray who chaired the event. Nevertheless, there were some tough questions on CS9, unanimously approved by cabinet on 3rd September despite a well-researched and argued case against it. There had been enormous local resistance to CS9, particularly with regard to safety and the practical difficulties for businesses and other organisations working on Chiswick High Road. A petition led by the Chiswick councillors at the start of the campaign prompted Transport for London to alter its plans which partially mitigated concerns about rat running and traffic gridlock.
Other issues raised at the meeting included a new controlled parking zone, which was largely popular, although there were concerns about the large number of related signs and requests for the council to look into that point. Other points raised included the continuing effect on Chiswick of the closure to traffic of Hammersmith Bridge. The event was recorded and audio should be available on the council website.
A shift in planning rules puts more weight on housing provision
I have continued to attend the planning committee meetings where I have a vote on planning applications that have been called in – a process that allows for a review of applications on which a likely decision has been recommended by officers. A councillor in the relevant ward calls in the application which is then heard either at an area forum or the full planning committee, depending on which comes first. These call ins can range from small residential extensions to the construction of large blocks of flats.
At the most recent meeting, held on 10th October, we considered the extension of a house in a road in Chiswick Riverside ward which would mean its side wall significantly closed the gap between that house and its neighbour. A key consideration in this application was the symmetry of the houses in the road, which would be considerably changed by this alteration, and the view of the sky between the houses, enjoyed by so many residents and a key feature of the street. The application was narrowly passed and I feel that it sets a worrying precedent for properties not only in that street but across the borough. The planning rules, which the committee has to follow in making decisions, have recently changed so that we must give more weight to the provision of housing when making decisions. Consequently there have been cases which the officers now recommend which they would not have recommended previously.
One application for a block of flats was passed, albeit with the slimmest of margins, despite the application using incorrect measurements! However there have also been applications for genuinely exciting and innovative designs across the borough and I look forward to seeing these when they are completed. In all the applications I am impressed by the professionalism of the council officers and their knowledge of planning matters.
On 24th September local Conservative Party members selected Seena Shah as the party's parliamentary candidate for the Brentford and Isleworth constituency. Seena comes from a marketing background and has experience in digital communications and working with social media. You may have met or read about her already – she's been going around the borough meeting local groups and gaining a first hand understanding of local issues while we have been delivering leaflets through doors introducing her to local residents. I had the chance to meet her properly at an event celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Friendly, sincere and with a shared interest in history – which may come from her degree in international relations – she struck me as just the sort of candidate who would appeal to a wide range of people and represent the constituency well.
27th October 2019
Councillor Jo Biddolph blogs about environmental concerns and local issues
With climate change dominating the news this week, the council’s Cleaner Greener Hounslow workshop on Wednesday was unexpectedly well-timed. Guided by independent consultancy Eunomia, our role was to consider ways in which the council and we could reduce our environmental impact.
As a committed (for which read obsessive) recycler. I’ve long said that our aim should be to reduce, not increase, the amount we recycle by producing less waste overall. I’m currently in despair about the volume of single use plastics in my red box; it has shot up thanks to my lodgers’ ready meal suppers.
We discuss ways of reaching our transient residents who, it often seems, appear less aware of the need to recycle. Is language a barrier to creating a cultural shift? Why do some people ditch their recycling habits when under pressure such as before going away? What can be done to make
recycling routine for all?
Having attended a celebration of Indian independence in a large field in Ealing a couple of weekends ago, at which all but one food stall served home-made samosas, curries and gulab jamun in plastic tubs or on polystyrene plates, my view is that every event held on or in Hounslow property – including our open spaces – should be required to be plastic-free.
Imagine my disappointment when, at a meeting with visitors at Hounslow House today (Friday), two days after the climate change workshop, a trolley was wheeled in offering coffee, tea and half a dozen plastic bottles of water. Two Labour councillors reached for plastic bottles. I reached for the jug of tap water in front of us on the table. It takes time to change minds but time is running out on climate change.
An image flashed into my mind of my too long ago visit to India where not to drink plastic-bottled water means dysentery or, at best, Delhi belly. The efforts we residents make here in Hounslow – with a population of around 260,000 – can seem pointless in a global context but that’s no reason to give up.
A nip to the ladies loo – where the dilemma was to dry hands on throw-away paper towels or under a heated hand dryer – left me wanting to know which option has the greater environmental impact, taking into account every step each goes through: sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, freighting, installing, using, recycling/throwing away. Drinking water was served in glass jugs and glasses – but what is the environmental cost of glass that needs to be washed, rinsed, dried (in a dishwasher or by hand using a couple of cloths) and that can’t be recycled if broken? We need a price list, or a green-amber-red identifier, to guide us through the climate change moral maze.
Yes, of course we considered the impact of cars (at our table, councillors and council officers had a surprising number of car drivers who said they would find it very hard to be car-free – I suggested they provide their colleagues in traffic/transport with a reality check). Which to do – a few hours’ journey by car to a remote part of Wales to spend a weekend with elderly parents, improving their quality of life, or taking longer to travel less impactfully and turning round to come home very soon after arriving leaving very little time for social interaction?
Climate change is a deadly serious subject. Should it ever be balanced against a socially beneficial action such as, for example, air-freighting fruit, the international sales of which mean jobs and incomes for the least well-off in the developing world or should it always be considered in isolation? We left scratching our heads.
No such puzzlement for Labour councillors asked for their views on the Extinction Rebellion activism a few miles away. All those interviewed would join in wholeheartedly and applauded the activists’ actions, however extreme, to highlight the climate emergency. As a former lobbyist, I support and defend the right to protest to give people and causes a voice. I don’t support disruption to individuals, businesses and services. We have a long history of peaceful protest in London, by marching to and demonstrating at Trafalgar Square. There are effective ways of highlighting even the most worrying of issues without disruption.
The workshop had started with a climate emergency temperature gauge. We were asked to raise an arm high if we were hopeful of the future, hover it somewhere in the middle if we weren’t sure, or hold it low down if fearful. At the end of the day temperature gauge, the half a dozen arms held high had disappeared; our mood was significantly more fearful about our ability to act fast enough.
Making the most of and from our allotments
Climate change was inevitably raised at Thursday’s seminar and workshop on allotments. There are seven allotment sites in Chiswick’s three wards and 21 in the 13 wards in the rest of the borough. Lucky us! Growing fruit, veg and flowers to cut, provides obvious benefits to health and wellbeing; supports education; encourages sustainability and biodiversity; and provides airmile-free food. It’s not so good when the maintenance service is so slow that a water tap at one site was left on full for six months while waiting for repair. Theft, flytipping, people living in sheds, providing water, the need for loos, managing the waiting list and allocating allotments that have been empty for years … the problems and requests came in as thick as a pea-souper. Everyone agreed more staff are needed, as is a much greater level of awareness of what having an allotment entails – it requires more effort than turning up for a couple of hours over a weekend, with a book and a G&T, to sit in the sunshine.
No sitting still with a general election in the offing
There’s no time for slouching when Seena Shah, our newly selected Parliamentary candidate, comes to town. We are off at a fast pace introducing her to residents. There is no door knocking without picking up work and Cllr Ranjit Gill and I went home with several issues to follow up including the unswept state of our roads, dangerous out-of-true paving stones and partially-filled potholes. Attempted burglaries and policing concerns gave us the chance to say that Ranjit has succeeded in persuading our borough police team to reinstate the third public meeting we were promised but which was withdrawn. We should next week have a date to announce.
Subjects raised with me this week
A house of multiple occupation (HMO) where over 100 people party for nights on end keeping
neighbours awake, strewing waste, urine and worse in the garden and over a neighbour’s fence. The house has its own Facebook page and YouTube video encouraging visitors to its debauched way of life. Neighbours complained for over 15 years but gave up relatively recently, resolving to move. The council has no trace of those complaints which means starting from scratch, keeping incident/noise records of anti-social behaviour before action can be taken. A festering fly tip between two shops and unfortunately on private land so it’s not for Hounslow Highways to remove.
Other issues raised : Begging on Chiswick High Road; An illegal car repairing business affecting residents’ quiet enjoyment of their homes; Business rates and rents and competition from street stalls.
DATES FOR DIARIES
• Borough council: Tuesday, 29th October at 7.30pm at Hounslow House
• Chiswick Area Forum: postponed and a new date to be confirmed
• The future of policing in Chiswick: date to be announced soon
Surgeries
• Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library, upstairs in the private
room.
• Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The
Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
October 11, 2019
Councillor Sam Hearn's blog on matters of local interest
Friday, 27th September: To Strand on the Green Junior School for an 8.00am meeting of the governing body’s pay committee. Always an opportunity for a quick catch up about other school matters. On, by bike, to Brentford for a business meeting. Ready by the early afternoon to head off to Oxford for an overnight stay and to meet up with old friends for a meal. The Ashmolean Museum stays open till 8.00pm on a Friday evening so we went and gawped at the amazing Pompei exhibition (open until 12th January).
Saturday, 28th September: We stayed at the Head of the River Hotel, a beautifully situated and fitted out Fuller’s Hotel. I won a voucher for a one-night stay in a Tory Raffle but don’t tell my wife. We visited the quirky Oxford Castle and prison and went for a stroll along the Thames before heading for home.
Sunday, 29th September: After the morning service at St Paul’s Grove Park many of us stayed behind for a soup lunch organised to raise money for Water Aid .
Time flew by in lively conversation and I almost forgot that I had promised to join Cllr Ron Mushiso and others for the Turnham Green Clean-up Sunday. These community-based events are advertised on ChiswickW4 and are very worthwhile (see picture). Best of all I had the chance at the end to discuss, over a cup of tea, the latest developments in Orcadian archaeology with Helen the midwife who attended the birth of both my children.
Monday, 30th September: Finalised plans for a public meeting at St Paul’s Grove Park Isis Rooms to discuss local issues such as the Liveable Neighbourhoods consultation and the proposal to convert the upper floors of the Station House Pub into flats and modify the pub itself. The meeting begins at 7.00pm on Tuesday 8th October and follows immediately after the first of a three drop-in sessions being organised by the council, at the same venue, as part of the initial phase of the Liveable Neighbourhoods consultation.
An estimated £3.3m of public money has been allocated to South Chiswick to fund initiatives with the potential to improve public spaces, and increase the trips to be made by foot, bike and public transport. Your councillors are talking to local amenity groups and officers but we really need your ideas and suggestions so that this money is spent wisely.
Tuesday, 1st October: Chiswick Riverside’s new controlled parking zones (CPZs) began yesterday. Several residents have complained over the last couple of weeks of difficulties in using the parking permit section of the council website. My emails tell me that everyone who contacted me now has a permit. Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you are still experiencing problems. Local schools are complaining that the small number of teachers who have to travel to work by car cannot afford to purchase a so-called business parking permit. I have been raising this issue with officers and the relevant Hounslow cabinet member but so far to no avail. Other boroughs can provide sensibly priced permits for teachers so why can’t Hounslow? This is not just a Chiswick problem. Do we actively wish to discourage good teachers from working in the borough?
Wednesday, 2nd October: Out canvassing this evening with colleagues in Osterley. It is good to see that support for our party is holding up well and that people are pleased to see us. Looking at my diary I am sad to discover that I cannot join our excellent new parliamentary candidate, Seena Shah, for a canvassing session on Saturday morning. I will be in Aylesbury for a conference on social housing.
Thursday, 3rd October: To Thame to assist a friend giving a talk about John Hampden MP to the local branch of the U3A. The recent interest in obscure parliamentary procedures forcibly reminded me just how ill-informed even some of our opposition politicians and otherwise well-educated commentators are. Our constitutional arrangements did not just happen but were hammered out on the hard anvil of social conflict and civil war over centuries.
Back in Chiswick for the Initial meeting of the Blossom Day Steering Group at St Michael’s Elmwood Road. A group of Staveley Road residents are seeking permission to close off part of the road to cars for a one day street party during that magical time every year when the street’s cherry trees erupt into bloom.
7th October 2019
Ron Mushiso updates us on his week as a local councillor
4th August 2019
I hope you have all been enjoying the weekly blogs and have found them to be insightful and illustrative of the diverse nature of our work as councillors. Since May 2018 it’s been an honour and a privilege to serve our residents in Chiswick in this great team of nine Conservative councillors. They all do a great job championing Chiswick and the interests of its residents. Here is a snippet of my past week as a councillor.
Sunday 28th July : BBC Radio London Interview with Dotun Adebayo
I was chuffed to learn that BBC Radio London wanted to hear my views on the new prime minister Boris Johnson and his new cabinet. I felt that our party had made a brilliant choice in electing a prime minister who has made it his priority to deliver a democratic mandate of getting Brexit done by the 31st October doing so, while sensibly making contingency plans in case of a No Deal Brexit.
As a teacher, I welcomed his pledge to level up per pupil spending in primary and secondary schools across the country. I told Duton Adebayo that one of our priorities in Turnham Green, and Chiswick, is crime. Our hard-working ward police officers do a great job already but the additional 20,000 police officers on our streets, as promised by our new prime minister, will have a massive impact.
On Tuesday we gathered as a cross-party group at Hounslow House to agree our priorities as an overview and scrutiny committee for the current municipal year. The scrutiny committee is one of the most important bodies in the council as it monitors local governance and spending. Its task is to review the performance of the council, investigate the effectiveness of its departments, help to develop new working policies and hold the cabinet to account. Of the 41 topics raised by residents, interest groups and councillors, there were 10 high impact subjects that we could take on. They have been divided between the three scrutiny panels – children and young people, health and adults care, and housing and environment – and the main committee. Here is a flavour of three that we all agreed on and the evidence behind our decisions.
Waste and Recycling
To consider the performance of this service and assist in the early stages of the implementation of the council’s new Cleaner Greener Strategy. The background data includes:
• The recycle refresh programme and fortnightly black bin collection is working for low-rise collections with a 51.2% recycling rate.
• High-rise flats recycling levels are only at 7%.
• The household waste recovery rate is 68% (incinerated waste converted to energy)
• In 2018/19, 92% of roads inspected across the borough passed the expected standard of cleanliness. This is up from last year’s figure of 86%.
Social Isolation
Social isolation is an increasing problem across the UK. A scrutiny review could consider how social isolation manifests in Hounslow and make recommendations for action for one or several affected groups. The background data includes:
• 45% of people in Hounslow are single, divorced, separated or widowed. In London the rate is 49% and in England it’s and 41% in Hounslow which is ranked in the top quartile in Age UK’s loneliness index.
• 35% of people in care had as much social contact as they desired. The London average is 40%
• 62% of households are not living in a couple, compared with 55% in England.
Tri-Borough Policing
Scrutiny might assess the tri-borough basic command unit (BCU) model and its impact on community policing, safety and crime one year on. It lends itself to a one-off meeting where stakeholders are invited to present evidence. Hounslow background data on includes:
• Incidences of reported crime increased by over 3,000 from 2015 to 2017.
• In the 2018 resident’s survey, 92% of residents said they feel safe during the day (this is lower than in 2016) and 65% reported feeling safe after dark (this is higher than in 2016).
• With the move to BCUs, the number of staff remained similar at 1,439. The number of PCSOs reduced from 65 in the three boroughs (16 in Hounslow) to 63 across the three boroughs.
• Response times before and after the introduction of the BCU model remain similar.
Wednesday 31st July: Eve of the Ashes and I get run out by a council officer!
With the ashes starting this week it was fitting that we set things off with the Mayor of Hounslow’s annual councillors and officers charity cricket match. It was my first appearance at this event although, as a PE teacher, I was somewhat on familiar grounds. Cllr Vickram Grewal (Labour) was on my team and he is decent cricketer (he doesn’t mind saying so himself) but we came up short chasing 154 against a team with Cllrs Tom Bruce, Mohammed Umair and Khulique Malik. I got run out without facing a single ball, so we will never know! I
n the end, cricket was the real winner and of course we raised money for the mayor’s two chosen charities. Our Barn which runs community-based activities providing learning, life skills and social interactions for young people with learning disabilities, and Hounslow Seniors Trust which works with local partnership groups to organise the Hounslow Older People’s Festival.
Edensor Gardens Community Fun Day on Sunday 4th August 1pm -6pm
Things went from bad to worse when I returned home and checked my emails only to discover that I will not able to start off with rest of the group at the Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle this Saturday (it starts at Market Place in Brentford at 9:30am and finishes at Green Park). I have contacted the organisers to say that it clashes with our surgery at Chiswick Library and it’s my turn this week.
Nonetheless I hope to catch up with the tail end of the peloton after my duties but certainly I will be amongst it on the return trip from Green Park in the afternoon. I manged to touch base with Janet Omondi from the Riana Development Network after missing each other’s phone calls on several occasions. Janet is an ever-present member of our Chiswick Clean initiative. Her and her husband Rodgers are organising the 2nd annual Edensor Gardens Family Fun Day this Sunday from 1pm-6pm.
Last year the event was a resounding success and from our discussions, this one promises to be a belter! The supporting cast includes Hounslow Council, the Metropolitan Police, Brentford FC, Dr Bike, Hounslow Housing and the Road Safety Unit. Not to mention all the food stalls and music that will add to the atmosphere.
Thursday 1st August: Shortage of Foster Homes for Looked After Children and my visit to the Ride
Fostering is one of the kindest things any person or family can do for neglected or displaced young person without a family or a home. A foster parent may be that last opportunity for that child to transform his or her future. As a former looked after child myself, taken into care by Hounslow Social Services at an early age, I know full well the importance of this altruistic act by from a member of our communities. Fostering is a subject very close to all of us as councillors because we are known as corporate parents to over 300 looked after children in Hounslow. We have a duty of care to them just as a parent would to their child.
Nearly 300 Looked After Children in Hounslow!
The London Borough of Hounslow has nearly 300 looked after children. Hounslow is at a critical point. In 2018 only 36% of Looked After Children were in foster homes. Between April 2018 and March 2019, the fostering team registered just five foster carers.
The chief executive of the Fostering Network said in his report this year that, “We are facing a continued increase in the number of children coming into care at a time when financial pressures and reduced budgets mean that local authorities are increasingly cash-strapped”. It means that most looked after children have either been placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough or, worse, outside London in some cases. You can only imagine the impact this might have on the child who is in the process of dealing with hardship and uncertainty.
The Ride
I visited The Ride, a very well managed residential home for looked after children based in a quiet residential part of Brentford. I spoke with the team of social workers who have done a brilliant job in making the place look and feel like any other family home. The Ride is one measure that relieves some the pressures of demand for more foster homes. But at full capacity already, with a full complement of six young people aged between 12-16 years, you can understand the urgency of the situation. I spoke at length with the senior residential support worker Eliramson Saro who has worked there for nearly 10 years. We discussed ways in which we could try to create more of an awareness of this crisis not just in Hounslow but more specifically in Chiswick.
We agreed that potential foster parents may not be aware of the following: Did you know
… 1. Short term fostering : a potential foster parent could foster on a temporary or short-term basis from an overnight stay to anything up to a year. There are several cases in the borough where looked after children are being fostered on a short term basis. It gives a bit of time for social services to match children to potential foster parents in a carefully considered manner. In some cases, it gives social services the time and opportunities to rebuild bridges and plan for the child’s return home.
2. Long term fostering : an extensive matching process considering the needs of the child and the capacity of the foster parent to meet those needs. For some children a permanent home will make all the difference.
3. Parent and baby foster carers : this is a particularly specialised area. Often in these cases, the young mother and child are in need of a safe and nurturing family environment where they can be supported in developing their parenting skills.
Would you consider becoming a foster parent? If you have any questions or would like more information about fostering, please get in touch with me or the fostering team on 0800 731 8558 or fostering@hounslow.gov.uk
Dates for diaries ;
● LBH Cabinet meeting: at which we expect the CS9 decision will be made: 3 rd September at 7pm at Hounslow House
● Borough council: Tuesday, 10th September at 7.30pm at Hounslow House
● Chiswick Area Forum: Tuesday, 17th September at 7.00pm in Chiswick Town Hall
● Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in the private room
● Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
Cllr Ron Mushiso
Email: ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
Phone: 07976 702887
Twitter: @RonnieMushiso
Sam Hearn updates us on his week as a local councillor
July 25th 2019
Chiswick Riverside councillors; Sam Hearn, Gabriella Giles and Mike Denniss
Friday 19th July: As the day dawns I find myself listening to the honeyed words of Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. Apparently a new Labour government would pass a law forcing local authorities to bring all their services in house. He cites the Carillion debacle as the reason why this makes sense. He quietly ignores the decades of inefficiency, restrictive practices and corruption in council-run services across the country. In Hounslow we experienced at first hand an in-house refuse collection service that struggled to reach a 17% recycling rate. Under a Conservative-led administration, a private contractor was within three years delivering a 34% recycling rate. The service was brought back in house by Labour and Hounslow now struggles to achieve a 31% recycling rate in its new purpose-built facility.
At our group meeting we bring together our ideas about next week’s borough council meeting. We remain unhappy about Labour’s response to the Boundary Commission’s draft proposals. On purely practical grounds we disagree with the idea that residents are ever better served by the creation of two-member rather than three-member wards when this can so easily be avoided.
Saturday 20th July: On Chiswick High Road with colleagues seeking signatures for the petition to Hounslow Council asking them not to support TfL’s proposal to construct a cycle super-highway (sorry a two lane cycleway) along Chiswick High Road. As usual our request for support is generally well received. Residents queue up to sign. It is interesting how well the campaign message is getting through. Again and again I hear people saying “I am a cyclist but I realise the damage CS9 would do and I want to sign your petition”. You can sign by clicking on this link.
In the evening to the new premises of the Grasshoppers Rugby Club on Syon Lane, Isleworth, for the new Mayor’s inaugural dinner and dance. The building is a little austere on the outside but the large function room with its airy balcony were a revelation. As always, this was an ostensibly non-political fundraising event showcasing the two local charities that the mayor has chosen to support in the year: The Hounslow Elders Trust and Our Barn Community. It was good to hear on the grapevine that the Chiswick Curve project has been vetoed by the secretary of state.
Sunday 21st July: A chance to catch up on casework, particularly the responses received from Hounslow Highways. It was sad to see that resurfacing work on Grove Park Terrace, that will precede the introduction of a new CPZ, will be delayed by essential remedial works by the gas utlility company. Nothing in life is ever simple.
I decide on impulse to make a quick trip out of London in the heat of the afternoon to idyllic Stonor Park. The house has been in the same family for 850 years; they suffered centuries of persecution for their steadfast adherence to the Catholic faith. Made me reflect on the Labour Group’s motion about how our country’s heritage has been shaped by diversity.
Monday 22nd: To the Hounslow Civic Centre for a meeting of the Community Investment Advisory Panel, one of those bodies that most residents have never heard of. Many small voluntary groups in the borough are not aware of the grants that they can apply for. Funds are not unlimited but it would still be worth checking out the following two links:
- The Community Information Guide is here
- The findings of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Survey (VCSE) is online on the LBH website
On my way home I drop in at a well-attended Conservative social event in Osterley. Our hostess, a long-time supporter and originally from Iraq, had laid on a magnificent banquet. Good to see our GLA Member Tony Arbour and his wife Caroline again and our candidate to replace him at next year’s London-wide elections Nick Rogers. Maneesh Singh and Cynthia Torto, two of our candidates for the ward in last year’s local election, were much in evidence. Mary Macleod delivered an amusing and reflective speech. I am used to being the butt of her jokes.
Tuesday 23rd July: A bit of a dull borough council meeting: a discussion of the annual report of the overview and scrutiny committee was deferred because of the absence of the committee’s chairman, Cllr John Chatt, due to illness. The Labour motion on hate crime was pulled, ostensibly to work on a revised motion that we could all support. Finally, Labour refused our request to extend the meeting for 10 minutes to discuss the motion proposed by Cllr Joanna Biddolph and seconded by Cllr Patrick Barr seeking pledges from the council to set up a cross-party group to lobby TfL to find a long term solution to the closure of Hammersmith Bridge and to provide residents with a quarterly update on progress.
No one in the room seemed overjoyed by the draft proposals from the Local Government Boundary Commission for the new ward boundaries. It was also clear that Labour’s response to the proposals did not command overwhelming support from their side, and the Conservative Group was unable to support it despite some serious cross-party discussions.
Cross-party agreement briefly broke out when I accepted the Labour amendment to my motion calling for some immediate practical action to begin the process of delivering a carbon neutral council by 2030. It is, however, hard to accept the genuineness of Labour’s commitment when they fail actively to support the campaign against Heathrow’s third runway. It is also hard to understand why Labour continues to support CS9/CW9 when TfL itself acknowledges that it will do nothing to reduce air pollution on Chiswick High Road.
Wednesday 24th July: Hounslow Highways has responded to my request for information about the culling and replanting of street trees across the borough over the last three years. It is encouraging to see that, despite year-on-year fluctuations, more trees are planted than are culled. However, we will have to seriously step up our tree planting if the borough is to be carbon-neutral by 2030.
I was disappointed (not really) when a lady who had asked me to get the council to deal with her wasp infestation rang to say that the wasps had left of their own accord.
Thursday 25th July: Papers for theplanning committee meeting on 1 st August have been published. The committee will consider the application by the Quentin Trust to construct a new access road off Hartington Road to run parallel to Ibis Lane, and to intensify the use of its rugby pitches and enlarge the rowing club. I will be unable to attend this meeting but interested members of the public can. It is sad that such an important decision has been scheduled for what is traditionally the start of the holiday month.
Dates for diaries
● LBH Cabinet meeting: at which we expect the CS9 decision will be made: 3 rd September at 7pm at Hounslow House
● Borough council: Tuesday, 10 th September at 7.30pm at Hounslow House
● Chiswick Area Forum: Tuesday, 17th September at 7.00pm in Chiswick Town Hall
● Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in the private room
● Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
Councillor Sam Hearn
Chiswick Riverside ward
Email: sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
Phone: 07833 376222
Twitter: @samhearn53
Gabriella Giles updates us on her life as a local councillor
7th July 2019
This week, it’s my turn to update you on the life of a local Councillor, so I’m going to try to summarise some of the activities I have undertaken in my first year and hope to show the breadth of what we do, or at least an insight. As you will see, this past year has indeed been eventful, full of challenges, learning opportunities and firsts.
In representing Chiswick Riverside ward on Hounslow Council, one of the first things I learned was that you need to ask the obvious questions. Often there is a presumption that fundamental questions such as who, what, when, where, why and how have all been asked and answered. As I quickly discovered, most of the time the answers to these questions can prove to be really hard to find. As a first time councillor, and project manager in my 9-5 life, I have found this extremely interesting as the council is a machine for change management. Time and time again, simple principles seem to be missed so change is imposed upon us, based on a supposedly extensive consultation where it is praised if there is a 25 per cent response rate from residents. At any given time, the council is conducting some sort of consultation, whether it be on CPZs, proposed council strategies, or transport developments (not including the TfL consultations on bus routes or blinking CS9/CW9). You can check out the current consultations here.
Much of my professional life has been connecting people and ideas to come up with practical solutions. It has been frustrating at times that what may appear to be an obvious and simple solution, has not been considered – but the point is that each councillor brings different skills and viewpoints. Everyone, whether they be residents, council officers, councillors, associated local and council organisations such as Hounslow Highways or the local police, or voluntary organisations where I represent the council, wants to be sure that, as far as possible, what some may say are the obvious questions often go unasked and unanswered.
With that in mind, I have loved seeing the number of groups that we have in the area that do fantastic things locally, but we don’t necessarily hear of as local residents. Although I grew up in Chiswick Riverside ward, I had never heard of the Thames Landscape Strategy, an organisation that was set up 25 years ago to conserve, promote and enhance for the future, one of the world’s great river landscapes between Weybridge, Hampton and Kew. I have taken over former Councillor Paul Lynch’s seat on the strategy executive review board of this group. Here I was amazed to find out that, despite the best will of all involved, they were struggling with a structured fundraising and marketing strategy. As a former charity trustee I was able to bring that experience to TLS, working with its director Jason Debney, to develop a plan to put a tiered fundraising and corporate partnership approach into place. I was delighted to hear, at the beginning of June during its anniversary celebrations( pictured below, with Patron Sir David Attenborough), that they have secured their most recent corporate partnership. The TLS does some fantastic work, having raised £25m over the past 25 years, and with the help of volunteers, coordinated a phenomenal 350,000 conservation hours along the river on projects such as river litter picks, the mapping of the Thames Towpath and encouraging community engagement through a fostering and ownership programme. This is just one example of the extended roles that your councillors undertake in addition to their core responsibilities of attending council meetings, surgeries, meeting and speaking with local residents and raising issues via casework.
Gabriella on left with David Attenborough
I mentioned earlier that this year was a year of firsts – but by no means lasts. From being elected, and signing the oath of office, to the first time speaking in the council chamber, chairing a Chiswick Area Forum back in February, and inspecting the streets with Hounslow Highways on our regular quarterly wardabouts, the variety is extraordinary. Then there was coordinating a litter pick on Strand-on-the-Green (where I found out that there is a diligent team of local residents who go out regularly to tidy up the slipway by the blue pier), attending the Riverside ward police meeting (getting an opportunity to hear about the great work from Chiswick School), going out with the local Community RoadWatch (where we clocked an idiot driving 44mph in a 20mph zone on Sutton Court Road), and, most notably, proposing my first motion to the Council on climate change in June.
Unfortunately, this motion was stopped by the council’s bureaucratic process (only 30 minutes allowed for three motions) which meant that it was talked out; this is typical behaviour. If you ever have a spare couple of hours on a Tuesday evening on a full borough council meeting night, I suggest you come to the new Hounslow House to observe the council in action. I believe you would be amazed to see what happens – the fact that only a small number of Labour councillors speak, and that any proactive suggestions made by our group to work with existing campaigns or organisations are immediately shot down.
As I have quickly learned, these meetings are not the most important item on our agenda. Being available to residents, and listening to their needs, are vital aspects of our role. And on that point, I’ve taken up a number of issues from housing requirements, benefit allowance calculations, council tax issues, planning, electric vehicle charging points, bins, and of course potholes!
Litter picking with Sam Hearn
On Clean Air Day this June, along with Cllrs Joanna Biddolph, Patrick Barr, Michael Denniss and Sam Hearn, we were out on Sutton Court Road and Stilehall Gardens asking drivers to turn off their engines when stationary for a minute or more. It was extremely important for me to do this on Stilehall Gardens as we have heard time and time again from residents about how this road is used. During clear hours, drivers rush through (despite the 20mph speed limit) as if trying to beat some invisible race round Chiswick roundabout. During rush hour, cars are running, engines idling in those times when they are not slowly edging their way closer to Kew Bridge. This has only been exacerbated by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.
I know there are some who argue that all of this will be avoided by the development of CS9/CW9 but, as those of us who have lived in the area for a while know, the junction at the bottom of Kew Bridge has been a nightmare for years. The revised plans for CS9/CW9 have done very little to rectify this and will only mean that the bumper-to-bumper traffic that we are currently experiencing in the area around Stilehall Gardens, Brooks Road, Regent Street, Wellesley Road, Oxford Road South will become the norm. The only access to these roads – Cambridge Road South, Oxford Gardens and Chiswick Village – by car will then be down a very narrow Brooks Road. Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. We’re renewing our campaign against this plan, so keep an eye out for our leaflets through doors and sign our petition. We will be out in person on Chiswick High Road but you can also sign online.
I understand that we need a modal shift on how we get around. Personally, I use my bike for 90 per cent of my journeys (I’ve done the maths) and do indeed find my journey times quicker than those in cars, especially at the moment. We need to ensure that the roads are safe for all users: pedestrians young and old, wheelchair users, parents with prams, blind or partially sighted people, cyclists, drivers, and even electric scooters (when legal to use on public roads) but putting it on the pavement, at the expense of walking, is wrong for residents and it’s wrong for the shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants on the south side of the High Road. That is why it is so vital that we have a plan that works for everyone, not just for a minority.
So there you are, a brief insight to the first year of a local councillor. It has indeed been eventful, fascinating and challenging. I am very much looking forward to building on what I have learned and making sure that this isn’t my last year as a councillor for Chiswick Riverside ward.
Dates for diaries
Borough Council: Tuesday, 23rd July at 730pm in Hounslow House
Chiswick Area Forum: Tuesday, 17th September at 7.00pm at Chiswick Town Hall
Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in the private room
Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
Cllr Gabriella Giles
Chiswick Riverside Ward
Email: gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk
Phone: 07976 704129
Twitter: @GabriellaSG
Clllr Gerald McGregor's blog criticises proposed 60% CIL increase
1st July 2019
Cllr Gerald McGregor on right, with fellow councillors
One long term issue, about expenditure on a road improvement near Turnham Green station, has achieved no result whatsoever at an enormous cost to the taxpayer. Drivers of the wonderful 94 bus find it very difficult to swing round the mini-roundabout at the junction of Bath Road and the top of Turnham Green Terrace. Our request for a change to the layout resulted in the wrong side of the junction being changed. I raised this at the Chiswick Area Forum on Tuesday, deploring the wasted expenditure and asking for the correct action to be taken. It remains on the issue tracking list – a system by which we can keep important items on the agenda so they don’t slip through the net.
Helping a constituent
Another long-term issue, supporting a Chiswick resident who is trying to get justice (or at least a satisfactory answer) concerning an NHS medical malpractice, and who has been waiting at length to have a meeting/interview with a local MP to discuss the case.
Housing Matters
How long does it take to transfer a property under leaseholder enfranchisement legislation? I am now dealing with one group trying to buy out a freehold from Hounslow Housing and another applicant waiting in the wings. The legal team acting for Hounslow Housing (Hounslow Council by another name) appears to be delaying every element of agreement with the leaseholders despite high-level acceptance of the proposal. Perhaps they have never done a conveyance?
Other Chiswick leaseholders are now getting no change from the same organisation with regard to improvements to the common parts of a property, including enhanced security and sound-proofing. I am now advising them to buy out the council freehold to ensure their interests are protected.
Local politics
The financial record of the current tired bunch of has-beens and never got theres who make up the Labour administration in their new £65 million headquarters in Hounslow centre is sickening. Budget targets missed, deficits at the end of the last financial year carried forward despite promises in February not to do so … it looks like Venezuela-on-Thames. The council reserves look very sick.
What will happen after Hounslow council’s proposed hike in the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)? It will create more housing cost inflation in the borough – and especially in Chiswick. This levy is applied to developers of large properties specifically to fund the operation, maintenance, improvement or provision of local infrastructure. The council proposes to increase CIL, priced per square metre, from £70 to £75 in Zone 3 (the west of the borough); from £110 to £160 in Zone 2 (the central area) and from £200 to £320 in Zone 3 (Chiswick and Brentford). That’s a hike of 60% here in Chiswick. This will undoubtedly push up prices of homes making it even more difficult for people to get on the housing ladder – and will price the less well-off out of Chiswick. Ours is rightly a mixed community and should remain so. This change is wrong and I urge you to make your views known and respond to the current consultation.
National politics
The last round of the selection of the new leader of the Conservative Party has provided what, for me, is a clear-cut choice. Locals may disagree but I believe we have a choice between two great candidates both with a broad big-picture vision and strong records of public service. This is democracy at its best with a mandate to serve the nation and the people at the end of the process. A chance to end dispute and heal division is in sight.
Back to Hounslow
Meanwhile, as a councillor of 14 years’ standing, delivering solutions and providing support continue in casework of various types involving, as examples, housing need, parking issues and retailers needing relief just to stay in business. So, while Labour maladministers a borough – a picture repeated from the ill-managing London Mayor downwards into local councils across London promising a socialist ideology rather than answering to the needs of local people - it’s more business as usual for me.
Cllr Gerald McGregor
This week Councillor Michael Denniss writes about his work in the community
16th June 2019
It’s been a year since I was first elected councillor for Chiswick Riverside ward. Since the election I’ve been familiarising myself with new responsibilities and challenges and meeting residents and community groups. Hounslow council’s induction course introduced new councillors to its key structures and procedures and informed my work as a councillor.
I have spoken several times at meetings of the borough council. For instance I endorsed and voiced my support for the council’s acceptance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s interpretation of anti-semitism (all nine of us supported it, of course). After several residents raised concerns about the complicated language in the council’s annual budget I asked the council’s cabinet to consider simplifying the language and to produce an accompanying document that summarised the key points. I do feel that, at all levels of government, transparency such as this provides legitimacy in a democracy.
I’ve have taken on several roles outside the council, on groups on which there is formal council representation. One of these is the board at Mortlake Crematorium which oversees how the crematorium is governed, how it manages its financial arrangements and how it forecasts future risks. It’s also a chance to ensure that the crematorium serves residents effectively. The Grade II-listed building is beside the Thames and is a stunning Art Deco design. The atmosphere there is entirely tranquil and provides enormous comfort after a long day in the office!
Measuring potholes
This year I’ve taken on new roles and am now a member of the housing scrutiny panel. This role will allow me to study and contribute towards the council’s plans for housing, ensuring that they are being run soundly and that they deliver value for money.
Another of my new tasks in the Conservative group is to keep abreast of and promote online petitions that affect residents in Chiswick. This is so that residents don’t miss out on adding their voice on matters that they care about. One of these is the current petition to oppose Transport For London’s proposed Cycle Superhighway 9 (CS9) which the council will vote on perhaps as soon as September or October. Last weekend I promoted the petition on Chiswick High Road at a stall with Shaun Bailey and Nicholas Rogers, the Conservative candidates for Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly respectively. The petition is live until 3rd September and you can sign it here: http://petitions.hounslow.gov.uk/Stop-cs9/. The system only allows for one name for each email address so if you share an email address and would like a paper copies to complete, please let me know.
I’ve also attended meetings of local community groups such as the Grove Park Group Residents Association and the Strand on the Green Association. This is a chance for me to find out what these groups are planning and what their common concerns are. It’s really encouraging for me to see residents getting together and taking action on issues that matter, such as the Grove Park Piazza, local crime and rubbish collections. It’s great to have this focused understanding of the key topics and also to catch up with residents. The Conservative group recently hosted two large meetings with local and borough police in Chiswick which drew large numbers of residents. The other councillors and I met attendees and collected formal feedback on concerns about crime and how safe they feel in Chiswick.
Another key activity is regularly to walk around Chiswick Riverside ward, either on my own or with your other Riverside councillors, Gabriella Giles and Sam Hearn. These have the dual effects of learning about or better understanding existing problems and developments in the ward, and raising our profile amongst residents. We recognise the issues that residents have raised with us, for instance the number of cars driven to and left near Chiswick Station on a work day and the number of potholes, especially on Grove Park Gardens. We take different routes so that we cover the whole ward. I particularly enjoy the walk along the river between Kew Bridge and Strand. Chiswick Riverside is a lovely place to live in and I am lucky to have grown up in such an area.
If you have any comments about any of the issues that I have raised then please do get in touch.
Dates for diaries
• Hounslow Borough Council: Tuesday, 18 June at Hounslow House (papers are online now).
• Chiswick Area Forum: Tuesday, 25 June (papers will be published a week before)
• Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in a private room.
• Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
Cllr Michael Denniss
Email: michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
Phone: 07976 703274
This time it's the turn of Patrick Barr to write about his week
9th June 2019
You’ve heard the news by now, Cllr Joanna Biddolph is our group leader and I was appointed her deputy, an absolute pleasure. We’ve had a year to settle in and are now raring to go. It's early days in our new roles, however three words spring to mind; change, fresh and innovative. We have hit the ground running thanks to the support from a superb team.
This week started differently. My husband and I flew back from Venice last Sunday, after a short break. We were waiting for the vaporetto (similar to the Thames Clipper from Westminster to Greenwich) to take us from St Mark's Square to San Marco airport, not aware of what had just happened - the collision between a cruise liner and a small boat. It was only when we received messages from friends and family asking if we were ok that we realised, relieved to learn that it could have been a lot worse and that there were no serious injuries. Friends and relatives who know you’re abroad always assume you were directly involved when an incident occurs. “I know you and Richard are away, there’s a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean. Are you all right?” I find it very amusing.
A shock on Monday morning as I returned to work. I like my job, however, I do leave promptly to get back to what I really enjoy: being a Chiswick councillor. I start replying to emails walking to the car, making and receiving phone calls on my way home to catch up on the day's events. My husband and I are, at times like ships passing in the night. Once home, we chat about our day over a coffee. I absolutely treasure these moments; love, married life, bliss.
On Monday evening I started to prepare a health question for borough council. I have been doing a lot of work as shadow spokesperson for adult health and social care over the past few months (attending meetings as a member of the Adult Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel, other regular meetings including Healthwatch Hounslow, an observer on the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny committee meetings, meeting with heads of health and social care as well as doing my own research). The fruit of the hard work is starting to come to fruition. I had a conversation with my four year old nephew and asked him what he wants to be when he grows up. He said he wants to be a nurse, I got a tad emotional in the moment as he would make a super nurse as he’s such an intuitive little lad, but I know his career choice will change several times before he decides what he wants to be.
On Tuesday evening I attended Whittingham Court for the Parochial Charities trustees meeting, I arrived to find it was cancelled due to too many trustees being unable to attend. I take real pride in my work as a trustee for this cause. For those of you who don’t know, Chiswick Parochial Charities consists of The Lying-In Charity, offering an annual grant to assist pregnant women in the London Borough of Hounslow, and the Educational Charities. It supports older/elderly people to prevent or relieve poverty through accommodation/housing. Whittingham Court, based in Chiswick Homefields Ward, is an almshouse for people aged 55-75 at the time of application who are in financial need. I am about to start my second year as trustee. I have had the pleasure of meeting most of the residents, all of whom have a story to tell. Although I mostly attend just for trustee meetings, it has an incredible warmth which comes from the staff and the residents.
As is the same with most evenings, on Wednesday I had time to follow up on nitty gritty casework, the most important part of being a councillor. Recently it's been dominated by housing issues, both local authority and housing association complaints. Although we are unable to obtain a case number for housing association issues, taking up all these cases is essential. The meetings we attend, the residents we meet, the time we spend on casework provide some evidence of the amount of work we do but those simple figures don't cover everything we do. I would also ask that you bear in mind that some of us have full time jobs, unlike some of our colleagues who are retired, don’t work, or work from home and can dip in and out of council related work in the working week. This is reflected in the casework stats that you will see from time to time.
On Thursday evening Jo and I attended a public meeting about the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. The meeting, arranged by by Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park, took place in St Mary’s Church, Barnes, so Transport for London could provide an update on the closure of the bridge and for the public to ask questions and express their concerns. We went to on behalf of Chiswick residents to understand what has been put in place to alleviate the gridlock traffic at peak times and the increased number of rat runs in Chiswick. You will hear more from us on this very current and important issue effecting us all.
Friday is a day I don’t go to work and use the time to focus on council work that needs more delving into, a chance to meet with residents whose casework isn’t as simple as just an email, and to go round Homefields ward looking for any obvious issues that need to be addressed. Friday is also a day I use to arrange meetings with heads of Hounslow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), heads of social care, visits to nursing homes, GP practices, anything I was unable to do in the week.
I'm very much looking forward to Green Days; I hope to see many of you there. My next surgery is on 22nd June 2019 at the Chiswick Library at 09.30-10.30 am. As always, please come along and say hi, I'm really looking forward to seeing you.
Dates for diaries
• Community litter pick, A4 underpasses: Sunday, 9 June at 5pm (note time change, meet St Mary's School, Duke Road, contact Cllr Ron Mushiso)
• Chiswick Area Forum:Tuesday, 25 June (papers will be published a week before )
• Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in a private room.
• Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
For casework please email me at patrick.barr@hounslow.gov.uk or call me on 07976 703263
Cllr Patrick Barr
Local Conservative Party group leader Joanna Biddolph writes about her new role
2nd June 2019
It’s a year since the nine of us were elected – three of us re-elected, six of us brand new – and what a year it’s been. I tell everyone who asks that I don’t think anyone could have described it in words that would have meant anything.
Overwhelming is one but understanding what it means in practice would have been impossible. Interesting? Of course. Busy? Unimaginably so. Worthwhile? Without doubt.
Residents and others don’t always know that being a councillor is not meant to be a full time job. It can take up as much time as being employed but it’s supposed to be fitted in around work. And the majority of us do work. An analysis by First, one of many local government related magazines that flop onto our actual or digital doormats, recently revealed that councillors spend, on average, 22 hours a week on council business the largest chunk of which (eight hours) is on council meetings. Some of us do more than that in an interesting interpretation of work-life balance. There isn’t much balance.
I’ve now come off the planning committee, only partly because it meets so frequently and can involve two days of scrutinising applications and visiting sites, not to mention long meetings. The record meeting end time this year was 23.47 and how lucky am I to live on the Piccadilly Line which runs till well after midnight midweek. We don’t all have such convenient journeys home from Hounslow House, the council’s shiny new office.
Being on the overview and scrutiny committee is illuminating. It’s totally free of political combat – we are all on it to hold the council to account, to ask critical friend questions and dig deep to see where weaknesses are, or which needs aren’t being met, and to break through PR puffery, as I call it. Having said that, all the new councillors on this important committee have said it’s taken us time to find our investigative streaks while getting to know and trust each other, and to understand the process and the effects of various options open to us. This is despite excellent training from the national external specialist Centre for Public Scrutiny.
This year, I’ve sat on task and finish groups (a term I struggle with – it’s incomprehensible local authority gobbledygook, isn’t it?) interrogating the council’s record on fly tipping (Turnham Green ward is host to the borough’s second worst fly tip and thanks go to Hounslow Highways for meeting its commitment to remove fly tipping within 24 hours of it being reported) and the council’s approach to contract management.
Cllr Patrick Barr, on the health and adults care scrutiny panel, has considered A&E targets, health integration and the role voluntary groups can play in prevention and early intervention. Cllr Ron Mushiso, on the children and young people’s scrutiny panel, has looked at knife carrying, increasing apprenticeships and enhancing provision for looked after children. Watch out for the committee’s official recommendations on these and other issues. If you think any aspect of the council’s work should be scrutinised, please let me know. We meet soon to discuss priorities.
It’s too early to know if every municipal year is the same but our first started with fewer committee meetings (evenings filled instead by an onerous and intensive training course) building to a crescendo with my diary full of council-related meetings every midweek evening, and visiting residents or following up their enquiries over the weekend, for several weeks in a row.
Now, at the start of our second year, the pace has slowed but I’m expecting it to build to a sprint. New commitments include councillor development training. I hope we’ll be asked for ideas of what is needed. If we aren’t, I’ll be offering suggestions. To be Rumsfeldian, we now know the known unknowns we wished had been uncovered when we were new – and we expect more unknown unknowns to come. All thanks to residents for raising issues that keep us inquisitive and enquiring. It has been surprising, and pleasing, discovering how much happens in Chiswick that enables us to contribute to discussions, about issues affecting other parts of the borough, with knowledge and first-hand experience.
Some wards are entirely residential without the extraordinary mix we have, here in Chiswick, of big international business, light industrial, retail, education, health, adult and child care, housing, poverty, leisure, open spaces, the threat of big development as well as the standard planning stuff of extensions, pollution, litter, recycling, waste, conservation areas, the river, major transport routes, rat runs and CS9. The list is exhausting, if not exhaustive.
Invitations flow in. We can’t accept them all and there will always be clashes with committees and allowing time for having a life outside the Hounslow bubble. Seven faiths or denominations are represented in Turnham Green ward and we are all aware that, although we were elected here in Chiswick, we have a wider responsibility to speak up for residents throughout Hounslow whatever their faith or none. Attending a community iftar last week, sharing the daily celebration of breaking the fast during Ramadan, was a first for me and deeply impressive. The welcome at the Hounslow Jamia Masjid was warm, inclusive, embracing, generous, kind and inspired. I kept my speech very short which suited everyone. My only regret … the choice of scarf to wear on my head. I learned it’s essential to wear one with texture; slithery will slither, as mine did repeatedly.
Left to right: Hounslow councillors Komal Chaudri, Javed Akhunzada, Afzaal Kiani, Sam Hearn, Hina Mir, Joanna Biddolph and Khulique Malik.
And now I have added another time-eater as leader of the Conservative group (the cake I baked for our first group meeting, held in the afternoon, went down well, the houmous made for the second, an evening meeting, not so much; everyone loves the Indian nibbles Cllr Ranjit Gill brings).
One immediate change is to this blog which will not be written every week by the same councillor. Instead the nine of us will take it in turns, exposing the full range of what we do. Divvying up our workload in other ways is crucial, too. If your instinct is to turn to long-standing councillors can I ask that you give new councillors a chance to shine? We are all here to provide a public service.
Subjects on my desk and at my finger tips this week
Traffic gridlock made worse by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. Working with our ward police tackling shoplifting. Mitigation plans to reduce the impact on residents and businesses of Lovebox/Citadel in Gunnersbury Park. Offensive graffiti (four words, collectively best described as paying homage to the EU) it was removed very swiftly (thanks Hounslow Highways). A contentious planning application (I am now free to help, no longer constrained by being on the committee). Warning businesses of the risks of their land being used for fly tipping. Deterring drug dealing. A dangerous road junction. Alleged illegal trading. Parking infringements and enforcement. Visiting a resident foxed by conservation area guidelines. Nuisance neighbours. Supporting independent traders and continuing the work of the Chiswick Shops Task Force.
Dates for diaries
• Community litter pick, A4 underpasses: Sunday, 9th June at 2pm (contact Cllr Ron Mushiso)
• Chiswick Area Forum: Tuesday, 25th June 2019 (papers will be published a week before here)
• Chiswick surgeries: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick library, upstairs in a private room.
• Gunnersbury surgeries: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
Email: joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk
Phone: 07976 703446
Twitter: @JoannaBiddolph