Weekly Update From Councillor Guy Lambert

Anyone want to set up Friends of Watermans or Carville Parks?

Thursday evening it’s the last Area Forum until late September. That’s what democracy does for you! I have a bit of a grumble at the police because I don’t think the stats they present at these forums are very meaningful. I have recently done some research on the Met Police website and, looking back to 2011 where the records begin, crime in Brentford has been going up across nearly all categories. Our local team work hard at it, and the officers paid for by the council obviously help, but the combination of brutal cuts to police numbers and equally brutal attacks on incomes, especially of those who didn’t have much income to start with, has had the completely predictable consequences.

We have an update from officers on the parks transfer – progressing OK – and from Hounslow Highways. Now here’s a thing: for road condition, measured by LoTAG (London Technical Advisors Group – road gurus from the 32 boroughs) Hounslow’s roads have gone from 32nd in London to 2nd. Of course, that doesn’t mean things are perfect and I am desperate to see action to improve Netley and Lateward roads (to name but two).

Here’s another thing: LBH has gone from the bottom to the top quartile for cleanliness, as measured by Keep Britain Tidy. Residential streets are cleansed every two weeks – dates are on the H Highways website – and bins are emptied daily. They have promised to publish data on bigger streets – which are cleansed more frequently – and an update to schedules by the end of April. Meanwhile, they have some new sit-on Hoovers which will, I hope, help with one of my great bugbears – the A4 foot and cycle paths including sucking up some of the particulates that lie there. If you think your street is not being cleansed to schedule, if you see flytipping or an unemptied bin or dog poo or graffiti – go to the H Highways website and report it (tell me if you like as well). If it’s in a park – go to the LBH website and Report It.

Then an update on potential public transport improvements of which the most exciting (I think) is the West London Orbital. If you want details of the others you can find the presentation (and lots of other interesting stuff) here [or the short version here, Ed]

We also had a presentation on the proposed allocation of S106 and local CIL funding – details again on that link if you have a magnifying glass. Final decision is imminent.

Friday, Corinna and I and chums go canvassing. Naturally as we arrive at the bottom of Green Dragon Lane, hoping to do some addresses on Kew Bridge Road and the Houses on GDL, it commences to hiss down, as the saying goes. So we go and do one of the trusty – and very dry - towers instead (whereupon the rain stops, obviously). Friendly reception and the usual bits and pieces of casework.

Saturday morning and great excitement – first day of my old cars going round in circles season – so I’m off to Goodwood. I’m not sure how this works with snow. Anyway, it all goes off but the car parks are a muddy morass (on Sunday I have to get pulled out by a tractor) and it’s flaming freezing. I break the habit of a lifetime and buy an (overpriced) hat but despite best endeavours the Beast cannot be tamed. Good fun though, between the shivers, but others must have been even colder, even after the snow mainly thawed…

Monday morning I visit Myra, whose IT has gone on the blink. Poor thing is still mainly housebound and in pain from her broken wrist. Anyway, I take her iPad and phone to the Civic where helpful geeks sort the problem. 12.30 it’s One Over the Ait  for free sandwiches, chips and beer (thank you Fullers) as we prepare for the first sod turning of Lionel Road Stadium. Good short speech from Cliff Crown thanking everybody, then over to the site for the usual 50,000 photos. All very nice, but my favourite is this one I took myself. Do you think this councillor might be a QPR supporter?

In the evening, the Thamesbank AGM. We were hoping for a few more members to attend this year and got one or two. I’m really excited by our new board and some new initiatives we’re working on – do let your friends know they will do much better coming to us than these loan sharks that advertise on the TV or the rent-to-buy stores!

Tuesday morning I meet with a resident and the dedicated and lovely Councillor Linda Green – who I’m very sad won’t be standing for re-election – about a really difficult housing issue. Linda, like Myra, seems to know everyone so digs up problems in my ward (for which I’m very grateful). In the evening a meeting at the FoodBox – we are meeting monthly now as trustees and I’m most inadequately standing in as treasurer whilst the real treasurer recovers from an operation.

Wednesday afternoon our libraries and parks transfer group. Everything proceeding to plan and I compliment the parks team as they have started engaging very well with the Friends groups. We still have at least two ‘friendless’ parks in Brentford – Watermans and Carville Hall – and if anybody wants to start Friends groups for these, let us know – they can really make a difference.

In the evening, the final meeting during this administration of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. I didn’t really understand what this was for when I was first a councillor but it’s really valuable – taking a second look at decisions and how things are working out, admirably chaired by John Chatt. The centrepiece this time was Lampton360 – the housing and the recycling arms  - and as you can probably imagine there was plenty of challenge. Housing is getting there, and recycling is now pursuing opportunities to generate external revenue as well as plenty of honing of the domestic service, which after all is barely three months in its new depot. That’s all for this weeks, folks.

Councillor Guy Lambert

March 23, 2018