Weekly Update From Councillor Guy Lambert

Planning, Boston Manor Park and out with a bunch of HAGs

A volunteer from Heston Action Group

A very uneventful planning committee with nobody attending to put a case against, which means nobody puts a case for either (except planning officers). There were only three items before us – a couple of council flats on a garage site in Feltham (looked good to us) and a refurb and extra floor on a lowish rise office building in Bedfont Lakes which actually improved the look of the building – and it’s pleasing to have such an investment in these difficult times. But we really didn’t like a proposal for flats etc on the site of the former Ford dealer in London Road Hounslow. Too high, too ugly and too unaffordable so refused against officer recommendation by a large margin.

On Friday morning I went for a bike ride with some chums from the cycling club to Hounslow. We wanted to look at the designs for the Cycleway9 extension from Brentford to Hounslow which is under consultation with TfL at present. Most of this route is quite straightforward but there are some tricky areas and one or two places where trees will have to be felled, always controversial. I couldn’t see any real room for improvement. I’ve seen someone asking why it’s needed, since there is a (very average) partial cycle lane linking Brentford to Hounslow along the A4. You could ask the same question about why London Road is needed as a thoroughfare for cars, given there’s a 6 lane highway that does the same job a few hundred metres to the north, but that would be an outrageous idea, obviously.

Later a brief Zooting © with the Lampton group MD about a personnel matter of which the less said the better, and that was Friday.

Saturday morning was surgery at the Mission Hall, a gig normally played out to a full house by The Melvinator. But he was off up to Scouseland in (vain, as it turned out ☹ ) search of FA Cup glory with them thar Bees so I stood in. 3 punters. Well, actually one of them was a delegation of formidable women who wanted to raise a series of concerns about Brentford library, which I’m now working through with library management. There was an elderly gent who really only has eyes for Melvin, so I’ve passed an update on to him, and the woman I talked of before who is trying to organise her over 60 Oystercard. We’ll get there in the end but it’s not been straightforward.

Then I was out to Heston to catch up with the wonderful Heston Action Group who work so hard to make Heston lovely. Loads of them out picking litter and sweeping, talking to local people and retailers, creating lovely planters

And running a local history stall – fascinating stuff about the soldier who modelled for the statue on the war memorial. The statue is rather obscured by palm trees, and the HAGs have funding to restore the statue and remodel the whole surrounds, which should be a massive improvement

My camera skills are not improving, but at least I get the people fairly unblurred!

On the way home I paid a visit to Layton Road and met with the neighbours of a house which is being extended and converted, always tricky in a terrace and this is a big job. They have real concerns, and having seen for myself I share these concerns and am investigating what the council can do to help with them.

On Sunday I go out door knocking in Lionel Road. This is likely to be a farewell tour, because the ineffable Boundary Commission have decided this part of Brentford has now migrated to Chiswick Gunnersbury ward. Of course, the Labour party have yet to select candidates for any ward so I could end up in that one, but it won’t be my first choice. People seem pretty content and I pick up no casework, though I did invite one woman to write to me with some concerns about repairs – she hasn’t as yet.

On Monday morning, after another brief attempt to sort this Oystercard, I cycle off to Kingston. My fairly new hearing aids have suddenly ceased to function but the lady in Boots gives them a bit of electro-convulsive therapy and this cures them, at least for now.

On Tuesday we have a Zooting© of the Boston Manor Park steering group. Attendance is a little bit thin, not least because the redoubtable Linda Massey, who does so much for the park, is coping with two close family bereavements at present and is unable to attend. We learn that the rebuild of the community café – necessary because the old building was found to be unstable – has been delayed by the shortage of certain building materials which means it will not be open until the autumn. We discuss the lease which the Friends group are negotiating. I am eager to see this concluded so we can look forward to a reopened facility as soon as possible and I’m reassured to hear negotiations are almost complete. Meanwhile the park renovations are continuing, roughly in a counter-clockwise direction and we’re hoping to see the north part of the park, around the pond etc, completed and reopened pretty soon. It seems the iconic hedge, which enables BMP to be seen from space, is diseased and cannot be saved, so the team are working on how the area can best be used – probably colourful flowers etc.



The house itself will shortly be handed back by the contractors and then there’ll be a period of interior fit out before it reopens in new-found splendour.

As to the Bridge over the River Kwai, aka the Grand Union Canal, we didn’t have an update in the meeting but I later heard bad news. It seems the structure is seriously impaired and we are likely to have to replace the bridge entirely, which will obviously take a while. In the meantime it’s unsafe so cannot be used, which is really upsetting.

In the evening, I trundle into Hounslow House for cabinet. Really, we just endorse the things we discussed in the recent cabinet briefing. Highlights are the 2022/3 budget – which will go to Borough council in March – and progress on our work on equalities.

On Wednesday morning I attend the top secret location where our CCTV headquarters is located. There were pictures taken but I can’t reproduce them or I would have to kill you and these Brexit days it’s hard to get the necessary equipment. Anyway, I was there with leader Steve Curran for the launch of our Let’s scrap fly-tipping campaign – the successor to Grime and Punishment which ran for a while then was mysteriously discontinued.

I can show you a still from the website so if you recognise anybody….

In the afternoon we have the trading companies shareholder board, where we formally hold the companies to account under the chairmanship of the Council’s Executive Director of Finance. We are all very mindful of the risks running any business in current circumstances, with the threat of pandemic still ever-present and the added issues about inflation and the general cost of living crisis which is nearly upon us. The companies are on track at the moment, but there are certainly winds that could blow them off course.

During the day I had another look at Watermans Park – really getting there, with a lot of new trees planted and most of the equipment now in place.

Sunny Thursday, blogging coming to an end, more Oystercarding to do and then the Isleworth and Brentford Area Forum, back in the good old Free Church at 7.30 this evening. Hope we get a decent turnout.

Cllr Guy Lambert

February 10, 2022