Weekly Update From Councillor Guy Lambert

Prior Approval rules provide "rabbit hutch studios" for Chiswick

I was dead right about a long evening in planning. First thing was a block in Chiswick which is being converted from commercial to residential space under ‘Prior Approval’. This is another of George Osborne’s wizard wheezes which allow such conversions without the local authority having any input: developers can ignore space and amenity standards (and they do), have as much or as little parking as they fancy, convert to 10 bed apartments or rabbit hutch studios (trust me, they are rabbit lovers) and the only role for the local authority is to check they ticked the right boxes on the form. And take the blame. They wanted to add another floor on top of all this and there was no planning reason to refuse the extra floor, but the debate was passionate.

Then an Edwardian semi in Chiswick the owner wanted to demolish behind the facade and rebuild (we were Ok with that) and then extend into the space between his semi and the next pair. We thought that messed up an elegant street (so did the elegant neighbours) so we refused.

The big one was a plan to redevelop a block of flats near the Civic Centre to make a load more flats. The room was packed with banners saying ‘No to Concorde Close’. Their arms must have been tired after they sat through all the Chiswick shenanigans but they went home happy. We thought the proposal was just too big for the area and too close to some of the existing houses, for little benefit, so we refused. Then there was one to do with the golf range on Hounslow Heath. Committee was split and I think we ended up deferring it but by this time it was 11.45pm and my memory is dim!

On Friday morning I had a one to one with our new CEO, Niall Bolger. He has experience running environment services so we’re confident he will throw some new light on what we do in Hounslow and help with the improvements we are bringing about. We talked partly about my cabinet portfolio and partly about wider perceptions of LBH. It all felt very productive to me though I don’t exclude Niall having nightmares about the kind of Cabinet members he has to deal with.

After that I had a video interview about fly tipping. This was a young Brunel student who had an unfamiliar name. It turned out she was from Syria and was studying international journalism. She made the interesting observation that in Syria where they have been in Civil War for 8 years, every street is swept daily (well, maybe only in the posh bits where I presume she comes from) and she was surprised that it wasn’t so in this country. Some of us think it should be, but it won’t happen until someone decides to put serious money into it, as opposed to constant cutting.

In the afternoon I did a tour of the ward on my lovely ‘new’ bike. I wanted to make a point of looking on the day after our fortnightly street cleaning day. On the whole, the streets were OK, which is not to say I didn’t find problems, captured on my camera phone. Then I have the struggle of compiling them in emails to TfL, Hounslow Highways, Greenspace 360, etc etc followed by the inevitable ‘This email is too big and has been rejected’ message. Grrr. Square 1 beckons.

In the evening a Labour group social in the Civic centre. A few very nice Onion Bhajis, Samosas, Peronis etc and chats with various comrades, then I escape to pursue my private life. I do have one, honest.

I spent a bit of it dawdling round the back streets and my friend suggested I recorded a bit of ‘before’.

I wonder how many people in Brentford even know this place exists. I think it’s called Workhouse Dock and in a year or two there will be a new quay here, and I think the actual wet bit (I’m assuming someone will clean it up a little) will be for water sports type activities, I suppose paddleboarding and the like. Most of the buildings you see will have gone, except I think the long thin brick one which I believe will be retained (maybe with some windows??). Oh, and the pointy bit is the church steeple so that stays. The big white thing – well, who knows when that will disappear (sooner the better).

This week has been spookily free of meetings during the day, so Monday I am free until the evening when we have sessions about issues in Heston: firstly Walnut Tree Road, where a very heavy duty builders merchant lies at the end of a street of residential semis and HGVs dropping sand etc cause a lot of upset. We discuss what we might do to limit the problems, which we can’t really take away. Then a meeting with the redoubtable HAGs who work so hard to improve the street scene in Heston. This is focused on what we can do to persuade or compel the many local off licences to take a responsible attitude to littering, drunkenness, ASB etc.

On Tuesday we have a ‘Pothole Pledge’ update meeting. I’m unhappy with the letters being sent out by H Highways which do not explain how the potholes which don’t meet their criteria for repair will be considered for special treatment. We agree to modify the letters and send out new letters to those who have had unsatisfactory ones in the past. We are beginning to understand better the kind of issues and roads which are causing widespread grief, and to hatch a plan to deal with them to make our £2M pot of gold to make the most difference we can manage.

Wednesday morning I have a FoodBox meeting with the Company Secretary. We discuss a few concerns we have amongst the trustees: the charity is operating superbly day to day but we’re thrashing out issues on various development matters. Then I go to see our new Interim Head of Planning, partly to improve my understanding about Permitted Development (see above) and partly to get updates on various local developments – some proceeding, some held up in legal/planning wrangles.

So here we are, back to Thursday again. I’ve spent the morning at the keyboard but it’s time to get out in that sunshine. A public meeting tonight at Brentford School for Girls about their plans for an all weather court in the grounds. Could be lively – who knows?

Cllr Guy Lambert

January 18, 2019