Another busy couple of weeks with lots to keep my colleagues and me occupied.
Thursday 5th August
I attended Hounslow’s Planning Committee where I have a vote on planning applications across the borough that get called in. You can still attend these meetings live via Hounslow’s website and I hope that members of the public will be able to visit soon. This was my third visit to the Civic Centre in over a year due to the pandemic and there are several safety measures in place. A security guard helpfully showed me the new rules for entering the civic centre, including placing my wrist to a machine to take my temperature, sanitising my hands and following a new one-way system.
Among the applications was one to extend The Old Station House pub in Grove Park so that it includes a basement, with extensions to allow for four residential flats above. It followed a previous application which the committee had deferred due to the lack of a kitchen in the plans and concerns that the pub would not be commercially viable. The pub is over half a mile away from the next nearest establishment and a firm favourite with locals. I was impressed with the application as it allowed the pub to continue to serve residents and also complemented the council’s drive for more housing, albeit in a small way.
Tuesday 10th August
I met up with Seb Wallace, Gabriella Giles and Gavin Morrison, the Conservative councillor candidates for Chiswick Riverside Ward who will run in 2022, and others to discuss that election and the forthcoming ward boundary changes. Fresh faces to the ward, Seb has lived in Chiswick with his family for several years and, as well as being a venture capitalist, he is a governor of a state school. Gavin works as a consultant advising organisations on adopting cloud technologies. Going into the election for a second time, Gabriella brings knowledge from her previous work at International SOS and her first term as a councillor. She has been a reliable voice for residents and her time on Hounslow’s Licencing Committee has been particularly valuable. All three should add great value if elected and would be able to call on their experience not only when advising residents but also sitting on committees. Having moved to Brentford two years ago, I am hoping for selection in one of the new wards there.
Wednesday 11th August
I caught up with emails from residents. There have been several complaints about the council’s issuing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) since an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera was introduced on Hartington Road at the end of last year. Although residents in Hartington Road and in the CPZ zone immediately adjacent are exempt from the charges, those in nearby roads such as Ernest Gardens are not and it has been understandably frustrating for these latter residents.
Sam Hearn, Gabriella Giles and I have been in contact with Councillor Khan, the Cabinet Member responsible, and the council to bring these concerns to them. We feel that the council did not communicate the operation of the new scheme well and that the signage is poor. We have been asking the council to review these and other measures introduced in Chiswick.
Thursday 12th August
Following a request from residents, Gabriella Giles, Sam Hearn and I met twenty or so neighbours of a planned development in Hartington Road that has been submitted to planning officers for consideration. This proposal is to provide four houses, parking and landscaping. Being so close to the Thames, there were concerns about the removal of trees and a weakening of their role in flood defences, the possible presence of a spring and the loss of a unique garden. We answered questions and I provided an overview of Planning Committee and what issues councillors might give particular weight to, such as the council's housing needs.
In the evening a council tenant in Isleworth posted photos of water leaks from her flat on a Hounslow resident’s group on Facebook, unsure of what to do or whom to go to for help. I gave her my mobile number and had a chat late at night so that I could understand the situation and provide reassurance. I had dealt with a similar case before and was able to advise her on what the next steps might be. Unfortunately we’re not allowed to operate in other councillors’ wards so I urgently got in touch with her councillors and ensured that they prioritised the matter.
Friday 13th August
In the morning I texted the resident in Isleworth to check that her councillors had made contact. I was glad to see that Brentford kicked the Premier League off to a great start with their victory against Arsenal. Gabriella Giles and I had attended the Bees’s friendly against Spain’s Valencia the previous weekend not only to watch the football but also to see first hand how the club managed a large gathering of attendees and evacuation plans. In the lead up to the match we had had several virtual meetings with representatives of the Brentford Stadium on how they might plan such an event. I was surprised at how quickly the stands emptied after the match and, with Gabriella monitoring the westward-leaving crowd and I the east, I noted that the supporters dispersed quite evenly in a nearby park and minor streets. It’s important to note that Gunnersbury Station will be closed for an hour after the end of matches in order to ensure the safety of supporters.
Wednesday 18th August
A resident called me to say that workmen had dumped a large pile of rubbish near Meade Close. He had reported it to the council but two weeks had passed and, frustrated and without a satisfactory response, he wanted to escalate the matter. I raised the matter with the council and asked them to take action and respond to the resident. The council has an excellent online log system where councillors can raise cases such as these and chase council officers if no action has been taken. I will continue monitor progress on the matter. These sort of cases are rare – I think this is my first as a councillor – and unacceptable; I therefore encourage all residents to raise such issues with me, Sam Hearn or Gabriella Giles if the council has not responded within a reasonable time.
