Local MP puts pressure on Hounslow Council to use special powers to protect the Great West Road
Following a meeting with the Rt. Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mary Macleod MP has put pressure on the London Borough of Hounslow to use special measures to protect the Great West Road as a business hub for West London.
Mary met with the Secretary of State to discuss the impact of changes to permitted development rights in the Hounslow Borough.
She and local businesses fear that failure by Hounslow Council to guarantee an exemption will seriously endanger West London’s ability to act as a business hub. Pickles advised that the only way to protect this area is in the form of an Article 4 Direction.
Mary commented:
“We need to maintain the unique nature of the Golden Mile in attracting businesses to West London. If offices are converted into residential sites, I fear that existing businesses may even migrate out of the Borough. I would urge the Council to immediately initiate an Article 4 Direction to allow this part of West London be retained as a business hub.”
Mary was recently named London’s new Small Business Ambassador by Prime Minister David Cameron and is working with him and his team to help the Government support small businesses across London.
Mary continued:
“As one of the Prime Minister’s advisors on businesses across London, I feel it is vital that areas like the Great West Road are preserved as business hubs. I am proud to represent an area with one of the fastest business growth rates in the country and we must work to protect that unique status.”