A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF THIS COUNCILLOR

– A particularly busy and interesting week, which merits it’s own blog entry. Look out for future updates.

• ·         Hounslow Tenants & Residents Association Conference
• ·         Dangerous Crossings on the A4
• ·         Team GB Parade
• ·         St John’s Community Centre Roof
• ·         Chiswick High Road
• ·         Heathrow
• ·         River in Brentford
• ·         Benefits Crisis

About 200 people attended the HFTRA conference, many of whom work tirelessly day-in-day out to make life better for their neighbours.  Most are Council tenants or leaseholders, with Hounslow Homes - our Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) managing their homes and estates.  However, it was good to also meet tenants of Housing Associations including a lady from Green Lawn Lanes in Brentford.   Not all estates have active associations, but there were residents at the event who came to learn how they could set one up on their patch.

The dangerous crossings on the A4 have been an issue for ward Councillors for 5 years.  Early on Monday morning  I met up with London Assembly member Murad Qureshi at the Clayponds Lane Crossing whilst children were heading for school.  At the end of last term I had collected over 300 signatures from local parents demanding action from TfL, and this week Murad handed it to the Mayor. 

As the borough’s lead on Olympic preparation, and having played a small part on behalf of London Local Authorities in the lead up to the bid and early preparation for the Games, I was honoured to be given a ticket for the end-of-the-Mall gig at the end of the Team GB Parade on Monday.  I was seated in a stand directly across the Mall from the dignitaries – which included Tony Blair, Tessa Jowell and Ken Livingstone - who were instrumental in the UK putting together a serious bid for the 2012 Games, yet whose contribution was not recognised in the PM’s nor the Mayor’s speeches on Monday.

Once the floats had passed we were allowed to the end of the Mall overlooking the stage on the Victoria Memorial, with Buckingham Palace in the background, for the speeches and then the Pet Shop Boys.  Heading back across St James Park for the tube, we were treated to a low-key amble-past of the athletes as they headed up Birdcage Walk – with no crowds and direct contact with them.  Sadly I didn’t catch Mo Farah, to give him Hounslow’s congratulations!  So much has been said and written about what the Games did for London and the UK so all I will add is that I hope that we can ensure there is a legacy in Hounslow – the new athletics facilities in Osterley, and more people also cycling, rowing and playing tennis, as well as taking part in a host of other sports and activities.

Before I left the Civic Centre on Tuesday I signed the order to repair the roof at St John’s Community Centre in Isleworth.  This has been a long-running issue for the volunteers who run the centre, who ensure there it is available for a variety of community activities all day, every day.  The reasonable rents they charge keep the charges low enough for users, which is sufficient to cover the week to week costs.  But for years the volunteer committee have had to battle with increasingly large quantities of rain pouring in to the former school building, putting off hirers and having to rent indoor pumps to siphon off the water.  The centre was also on a long-list of community buildings in 2010/11 that were considered might have to close as part of the cuts the Council needed to make in revenue funding.  However, due to the dedication and hard work of the Committee members who run the hall, the building receives no Council subsidy for its normal annual running costs.– but did need funds to fix the roof .  Anyway, the issue was in my In-tray when I took over Cabinet responsibility for Assets in May this year, and as soon as committee members showed me round the centre, I ensured we had funds in the capital budget to cover the repair costs and instructed officers to go out to tender.   The quotes for the work came in below the level at which we would have needed to go out for full EU tender which means that now the contract for the work is signed, the builders will be on site within 3 weeks, and hopefully the work will be complete before the worst of the weather in the New Year.

 Heathrow continues to dominate the headlines; I will write a separate blog article about the current issues, but suffice to say, BAA’s crude attempts to define the debate as “without Runway 3, UK plc. goes down the pan” has little economic basis particularly on a national stage apart from BAA’s own commercial interests.  It does not address the real capacity issues now or in the future, nor address the real noise and air quality challenges we have right now, right here in Hounslow.  I was able to attend a really useful meeting in the House of Commons of people representing residents in West London and beyond -  MPs, Councillors and members of the House of Lords from all 3 main parties, as well as Council officers –  ably co-ordinated by John Stewart of HACAN .  It even featured in the Evening Standard.  Boris Johnson wasn’t there but his Estuary Airport idea was attacked, as it would require the closure of Heathrow – with inevitable devastating consequences for the West London economy.  It’s all about balance – but as I say – another day.

I joined Seema Malhotra MP for some doorstep canvassing in Feltham West ward and as ever was enthused by the result we got.  People are worried about jobs, and the more local stuff such as litter and parking.

Sunny Saturday turned out to be spent round the River in Brentford.  With Cllr Steve Curran, I went to Town Wharf to meet the residents who live on narrow boats in this hidden and untouched old wharf off the Thames end of the River Brent.  They are worried that their unique and low-impact way of life, is under threat from the future development of the High Street.  They have a lease but being boat-dwellers they have little security of tenure.  We will have to consider how we can protect this as the plans for the redevelopment of the South side of Brentford High Street progress,

I walked from Town Wharf across Johnson’s Island which has artists studios (Open Day next weekend I gather), to the bottom lock on the Brent and up onto Brentford Dock.  I ran into an old friend and together we watched the Great River Race, hundreds of human-propelled boats of all shapes and sizes coming up the Thames from Dockland to Richmond.  An amazing sight and another example of extreme human endeavour. 

I can’t complete this blog without covering the benefits crisis; brought about by the Government’s attacks on those on the lowest incomes paying the price for their defict strategy.  I was made aware of two particularly sad cases this week .  Whilst I know there is a climate of public opinion that abhors “scroungers”, the Welfare State has always been a safety net and many of the current changes particularly to Housing Benefit have been made with no consideration of the high rent levels in London.   I lead on “Financial Inclusion” issues on Hounslow’s Cabinet, and we are seeing more people facing homelessness through no fault of their own – as housing benefit no longer helps with rent for people’s whose weekly wage is less than their rent, or who are required to pay a penalty for remaining in the family home once the children have moved.  Hounslow will do whatever is within our legal and financial powers to support people facing the effects of the welfare benefit cuts– but it feels to me, and front-line staff, that we will have an unstoppable deluge of people who can no longer keep themselves and their families housed and fed.