Junction 2, Heidelberg Construction Noise and Max Factor Vacated

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert

July 26, 2024

I’ve been to Boston Manor Park a few times this week, which is always a pleasure. Well, a bit less because we are in Junction2 territory but lots of the park are not affected and this notice is about wizard wheezes you can do in August.

On Saturday I went to church. People who know me know I usually avoid religion but St Lawrence has not been active since 1961 so I figured I might be safe. Anyway, I like old buildings and this one definitely fits the bill. According to this article the tower goes back to the 15th century so older even than the Melvinator.

Nice to get in the gardens and have a look out (luckily no Just Eat bikes or ambulances passing) but the interior is a bit sad. A lot has gone that would have once been lovely (EG stained glass) but there’s enough left to give you a sense.

No idea who Louisa Clayton, her husband James Henry or her descendants were or are but she did put electric power to the church as recently as 1946. Perhaps that’s why we have a Clayton Crescent off Challis Road.

Also on Saturday I had an interview with an academic who is doing a MA at Greenwich University including a Research Project on “ What are the Socioeconomic effects of the expansion of the Brentford Stadium on the local community?”. It was interesting to think about this, and it strikes me how this wonderful community has taken what is quite a serious change in its stride. The main thing I remarked upon is that there are less horse manure in the streets. I remember the copper who is an expert on stadia (excellent Latin there) remarking that no doubt there would be occasions where there would be trouble but nothing that would surpass the trouble on a typical Saturday night in Richmond. Who’d have thought it?

A brief shift looking what was going on at Max Factor which had the usual complement of coppers keeping our unruly artists and their perhaps more unruly landlord from causing a riot. A bit like Richmond on a Friday night.

By this time they were nearly all out. Doesn’t do a lot (or anything – actually - the reverse) for Brentford and its vibrancy, but I suppose it has created another empty building to go with all the others (Police Station, Watermans, Morrisons, Griffin Park, Alfa Laval Tower etc) for the landlords to cosset.

Then straight to Watermans Park, and a pleasant session listening to musicians and a story teller. Lovely, on a summer afternoon.

The last one this year is this Saturday. I’m away for the weekend so you’re safe, but do give it a try. Bring a picnic and you never know who’ll turn up. Taylor Swift didn’t make it last week despite us laying on Swift boxes but there’s still one chance this year.

On Sunday in the morning we had our surgery in the Digital Dock on the High Street. Mainly we had a deputation from Brentford Dock who are upset about the noise from the Heidelberg development (more later) and their concern that the work is making their homes unstable. Where I live I get a certain trembling in my floor when they are bashing away, but I don’t think the earthquake would register on the Richter scale. Some people write that shelves are falling off the wall in Braemar Road. I have offered to buy drinks for 10 of them if anybody raises this with me but very surprisingly I have had no takers. I know I have BO but I didn’t think it was that bad.

Another lady, also from the Dock observed that there was a lovely copy of the vision document for our town centres in Brentford library but some larcenist had nicked the pages which focus on Brentford. You can’t trust anybody around here. We have had some copies sent to the library and Katherine Dunne has agreed to put on her Postman Pat hat (no black and white cat available) and deliver it to the lady who is in her ward.

Later I was down for the Party on The Pier in Chiswick. Very nice and I met a few people including our lovely mayor and her consort, whom hereafter I will refer to as Prince Albert – so much more aristocratic than Dave.

On Monday I had a Teams meeting with various people who are about the NHS in the borough. On reflection I think this was a hangover from my cabinet role so I don’t have much to say, but interesting about local GPs and other local NHS issues.

Then a chat via Teams with Sue Sampson on housing issues. Sue is the Cabinet member and I’m just a backbench hack but we have some similar concerns about housing and a similar ambition to make things better.

Later I was in Hounslow for a Labour group meeting, preparing for the council meeting on Tuesday. I was scheduled to have a deep meaningful with leader Shantanu but he didn’t attend and I had the deep and meaningful with the Chief Whip and the Political Assistant. Not ideal, but it’s a busy life for a leader.

Tuesday I went to Twickers to be assaulted in the foot department by my Podiatrist. The foot trade seems to be thriving, probably because the country is full of old crocks like me. I escaped without too much anguish, then the day to myself apart from reading up for the council meeting (and the usual mail etc). The meeting was very long with a load of announcements, questions and motions. I made a little intervention about housing, because it grips me that (whatever we think of the proposals) we have at least 4 significant developments in Brentford where planning permission is there but developers are sitting on their hands (or shovels, or piles of fivers). If these gets built we will have a much better chance of people who need homes to get one!

Wednesday morning I was down on the River Brent quay outside my flat, with a woman from one of the boats and 4 suits from the developer, Fairview, who is building out the former Heidelberg site. We have been complaining for some time and planning enforcement have been involved, but it’s a knotty problem. They have done some things to mitigate the racket with some kind of shields, and they have reduced the working hours. Doesn’t affect me terribly when I shut the windows but people who live on boats and in some cases work out of normal hours get little sleep. The developer is trying to help and have pledged both to update regularly an information website and give us residents more timely warning of their plans.

Later, Emma and I had a Tour of the romantically-named building on Catherine Wheel Road where some 96 council homes have been (nearly) built. It is known as Block D though the buildings have names. One is puzzlingly called Hamlet House but cigars are not encouraged. I’ve forgotten the other name(s) but usually they are based on someone who had a shop there in 1674, though I always thought Hamlet was found in Denmark. Walking round them with officers it all looks very built indeed and a really lovely development.

No surprise that people are desperate to get in there and I share that. I am pressing for these flats and the 5 new houses on Windmill Road to be occupied molto pronto, as they say in Scunthorpe.

Then off to Isleworth for a Labour members’ meeting. Everybody pretty jolly for reasons you can probably imagine.

Then it’s Thursday, and we have a walkabout in the site for Junction2. It always astonishes me the amount of construction etc of the temporary buildings there involves. The site looks impressive, and ready for about 11000 to 15000 people each day for the next 3. There was very little trouble last year and I am pretty confident it will be again. I only had one complaint about last year’s (inevitably about parking) and the councillor from Ealing Northfields who was with us said similar. The preferred underground station is Northfields so there is scope for difficulty in his ward.

That’s the main stage and there are several others.

This dome one has 360degree video (you can see loads of cameras on the pod in the middle)

It looks like Nicola Sturgeon was a visitor. The caravan says Swift but I don’t think it is Taylor.

Somebody from the ENT unit in W Middlesex phoned me in the middle of this (It was supposed to be later). She didn’t think there is much she can do for me but has agreed to give my head another examination. All is forgiven because her letter said “it was a pleasure to review this lovely gentleman over the phone today”. Lovely Gentleman will get you a long way.

Then a session with Brentford Voice with Katherine. I missed a review of the new bit of Cycleway 9 but I can catch up with the exhibition in the Digital Dock on Tuesday 6th and I also missed Katherine's presentation about road plans.

I’m off for a weekend Oop North in Cheshire where I was dragged up. Nice to get away from time to time.

Councillor Guy Lambert