Good News on the GSK Sports Ground on Swyncombe Avenue

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert

August 16, 2024

Yes I know. You poor people have been on the edge of your seats for a whole week awaiting my update on last Thursday. I know the people who read this week after week are desperate for their next fix of nonsense, a bit like John Cooper Clarke whose (now resolved) need for heroin was blighting his life for many years. I have just been reading his autobiography I Wanna Be Yours which is a good read. I have even been inspired to buy the first poetry book I’ve bought since JCC hadn’t even discovered heroin.

So here’s your fix. On Thursday I had a coffee in the lovely Potting Shed with Stephen Clarke, recently a Green candidate in these parts and a local activist and a valued friend. Looked at plans to save the world, planet, our knees, and everything.

In the evening we had our police ward panel. This still works very well ever since we persuaded Andy Ward to take over the chair. He is very organised and the meeting is well-attended. I think the people who come value the meet greatly and enjoy the obvious upgrade since they got rid of me as chair.

On this occasion, however, there was a marked dearth of coppers. They were busy with someone who was (I understand) brandishing an offensive weapon. It’s too easy to forget that police have to deal with matters like this often and we usually hear nothing about it. I do appreciate what they do and I admire the ones that I work with, even though in the news today it seems there are still great issues with how the Met Police performs in general. The local police are excellent, though there have been quite a lot of changes recently and I must catch up with them (fortunately they are not trying to catch up with me). We had new representatives from Brook Road South and Reynard Way. Always pleased when local people invest their time in improving the town.

One thing I learnt at the meeting was about the GSK sports ground on Swyncombe Avenue. I have been trying to get to grips with that for years. Frankly, I never even knew it was there until a resident asked me what was happening with it. I told them at the time that the council would be looking to build a 34 storey block of flats (I was fibbing) but I would find out the real plans.

In short, it is now controlled by a trust and after some discussions with the council it has been donated to Middlesex County Cricket Club and will be a centre for cricket for women and girls. I had known about this for several months but was bound to secrecy and had not been told a conclusion had been reached until very recently. Was just trying to find some contact, but a resident showed me a letter he had had from Middlesex. Clearly they had been talking to residents for some time but us humble ward councillors had not been informed by the council, which is a bit annoying! Now I have a contact and have started hounding him. These are the gates on Swyncombe. Are those Art Deco gates? I hope they are retained and cherished.

Another welcome piece of news at the police meeting related to Julie Brooker, the excellent community leader in Clayponds estate, who also spends time as an ‘appropriate adult’ who supports people who have been detained by the police. She is to be recognized by the Met Police with a Commander’s Commendation. This is a fantastic recognition and only given to those who have contributed exceptional service – congratulations.

On Friday I was at the library to meet people from the Community Hub as they visited Brentford Library. I went, but whilst there was a small team there and interesting stuff, there were not many people taking advantage. I have written to suggest we need to get better at communicating as I think it could be helpful for a lot of people if they know about it!

After that I had an online meeting with fellow councillors and the officers who bring the Area Forums to Brentford. We are due for one in September - provisionally the 10th in my diary - but I don’t think the date or location are finalized – I think it will be at our treasured Musical Museum.

I spent some time at the weekend going up and down the Golden Mile to see what’s going on there. I did this a while ago and rather cheekily started referring it as the Derelict Mile. There are a lot of neglected sites there and I am looking to draw attention to it and get the Golden Mile regilded. Not much has happened recently, but the rather ugly building which used to be on the Firestone site is being redeveloped by its owner Legal and General and there is now a shiny new Renault, Dacia and Alpine showroom etc there and a currently empty site which they are going to revive.

The other change I spotted was Carpetright has become Carpetclosed, along with a lot of their shops I believe. DFS is still going if you want a new sofa.

Elsewhere I found this little garden.

It is where Clayponds Avenue meets the now closed to traffic Occupation Lane and proves that where roads are closed they do not need to feature horrible concrete blocks. There are a lot of these positive changes around the area. I need to do some sleuthing to find out who is maintaining these. I want something similar (though probably needs to be 3 bricks higher rather than 1 because some clowns like to drive over it in Whitestile Road.

I also took a new look at the bin housings we put in on the Haverfield estate, made a source of pride for pupils at Green Dragon School, who made the pictures. I wanted to check if they had lasted for the 3 years or so since they were installed – idea from The Melvinator. They are just fine. I have this crazy dream of doing the same on telco cabinets…

Our beloved chums in SSE decided to close Windmill Road to put some flex there. This was supposed to have happened some time ago but having checked it out this week I presume the single bloke who seemed to be in charge wanted to finish the game he was playing on his phone before getting started. To be fair, when I looked later there were 3 people there and somebody had dug a trench.

We had our joint surgery on Sunday but very few people came. There was someone talking to Dan about some Syon problem but both Dan and I talked to a couple who live in Town Wharf on a boat. This of course is Dan’s ward but we are all quite worried about boat dwellers, who have few rights and are easy to forget. We need to work on an answer for this, but not simple.

Another rather quiet week. Went out with a housing officer to look at council properties around Whitestile Road, Challis etc, but in truth not much to see and going inside the homes is not part of the plan (unless invited).

Later on Tuesday, A FoodBox trustee meeting. I am a bit concerned because demand is not receding at all, but our income from donations of food and money has reduced. I think we need to do a bit more campaigning but if you’re feeling generous.

On Wednesday I met a resident in her home, who has some trouble with trees in her neighbour’s garden. Wanted to see it and will follow up via officers.

On Thursday afternoon we had an online session with a dynamic woman from the community group who is working with us to improve the community hubs and to have them make an impact in all types of residents. Work in Progress.

After that, another online with the transport team, consulting on our transport strategy. Interesting, but rather poorly attended by the public. Somebody complained on Facebook it was short notice but I pointed up it was being repeated on 23rd September. Let’s be having you, as Delia would say, and make a difference to our transport strategy!

Just this then. Those of us who like me live in Ferry Quays, on boats on the Brent, in parts od Brentford Dock and to a lesser degree around Griffin Park are having to put up with sometimes deafening (I need no help in getting deaf) and vibrating (may be good for circulation in my feet) coming from the river wall replacement progressing (very slowly) on the former Heidelberg site. This is how it looked from my block a couple of days ago.

More excitement next week.

I have been wandering the streets, as I do, and a few days I came upon a familiar image in an unfamiliar place. This is on the back of the Weir pub in the centre of Brentford.

Councillor Guy Lambert