Dialogue Continues After Successful Vision for Brentford Meeting
Brentford Voice holding Local Conversation later this month
Council officers answer questions at the Holiday Inn meeting.
Far more people that were expected turned up to the meeting earlier this week to discuss the future of Brentford.
Extra chairs had to be brought in and partitions removed at the conference room in the Holiday Inn to accommodate up to 80 people at the event.
The Vision for Brentford meeting was organised by Brentford Voice in cooperation with the council and council officers Kate Bull, Head of Economic Recovery and Regeneration and Sarah Scannell, Assistant Director Planning and Development were on hand to answer questions.
Afterwards the meeting was described as constructive with a range of suggestions on ways to be considered to improve the local area.
Cllr Mel Collins raised the issue on engaging people living north of the A4/M4 and Green Party election candidate Stephen Clark questioned the exclusion of Gunnersbury Park from the vision. It was widely acknowledged that linkages between the two parts of Brentford and the park were sub-standard and much needed to do to improve them.
Sarah Scannell insisted Gunnersbury Park was an important part of the council’s vision for the area adding, "The local plans will talk a lot more about connections into Gunnersbury, across the A4. How can make that environment better? Feedback can help when we are looking at our next level of green walkways and infrastructure – all great stuff that we'll take back and put into the pot. Those links to Gunnersbury are definitely part of the local plan reviews and will go forward as part of the green recovery."
The issue of Brentford’s retail centre was raised with many highlighting how the current developments were disrupting trade in the commercial centre and that the priority in the area seemed to be housing rather than shops. David Shailes urged the council to protect what was left of the High Street and other businesses in the area. He said that the Ballymore development had ‘absolutely trashed’ the area.
A video of the meeting appears below.
To follow on from the success of this meeting Brentford Voice has organised a "Local Conversation" which will take place at Brentford Free Church, Boston Manor Road on 29 March between 7.00 and 9.00 p.m.
This next meeting will seek to develop some of the issues that were raised on 15 March and to identify any other matters of concern to the community. This time there will be no input from council officers.
Brentford Voice says, “We hope that the outcome will be the identification of specific actions that are needed in Brentford.
“In the meantime, please email us at info@brentfordvoice.co.uk with a little bit of background on any issues that you believe should form part of our conversation. “
The group asks also if you could confirm by email if you are expecting to attend to help with organisation. An outline agenda is expected to be distributed next week.
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March 18, 2022
