On the Doorstep in Boston Manor

For the last two Saturdays we've been meeting residents in and around Boston Manor Road and have had a very good reception.  Key issues that we have been asked to take up are; fly-tipping in the back alleys, overgrown street trees, parking and speed, the potential impact of being under the landing path of a third runway, and the fear of the Reynard Mills development getting the go ahead from Eric Pickles.

None are straightforward - the alleys aren't public highway, but are private paths jointly owned by the freeholders of the houses that have access rights, which means cleaning an maintaining them is technically the responsibility of householders.    However as the alleys are long, and have several access paths, it is very difficult to for residents to agree who would be responsible for what stretch the alley.  I am going to see whether the Council could run an alley-gate scheme, where the Council identified places that gates could go, and then help to set up an agreement between householders for the cost of the gates and access arrangements.  In less financially stretched times, I know that Hounslow and Ealing has contributed to the costs in the past, but this could be difficult with budgets being slashed..

We all love trees, and know what they contribute to the environment, but right outside your door rising above the height of the house, splattering sap on your car and potentially uprooting garden walls or worse?  I've put in several requests for local trees that are causing problems to be pollarded and for the roots to be looked at.

Parking is one of those tricky issues - some people want a residents parking scheme to ensure residents can park outside their homes during the day, but others resent having to pay for a permit they see as having little benefit.  We only support new ResPark Schemes where a majority of people in a road want one following a consultation, and we only initiate that consultation when there is a clearly demonstrated demand, such as from a petition.  As to reducing speed in local roads - we have some funding and will ask officers to look at options for reducing vehicle speeds in Boston Manor Road, Swyncombe Avenue and (surprisingly) Boston Gardens.

If Runway 3 were built then Boston Manor would suffer the fate of much of the rest of the borough, being under the landing path and having flights overhead every minute or so.  We will follow the work of the Davies Commission on Aviation Capacity with interest, and indeed will be submitting evidence!

And finally Reynard Mills - so much for Localism, this development will be determined by Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for the Environment.  Two applications for almost 300 flats on Windmill Road were refused by Hounslow's planners, not on principle, but because of over density and some design concerns.  However , the applicants have appealed and there is a public Inquiry going on now in front of a Government inspector.  Pickles has announced that he will make the final decision - why?  Not because it has any national significance, but because he has announced that he wants to overide local authorities who "drag their feet" on determining applications.  Hounslow has a good record of determining applications, and Brentford is a good illustration of how many new homes have been given planning permission in recent years.  I suspect Pickles is driven more by the opportunity to attack a Labour Council, than any real interest in planning issues round here, and he certainly has no interest in the residents of Manor Vale, Manor Place and Windmill Road whose homes will be towered over by the resulting flats. 

MORE LOCAL JOBS – SKY GETS THE GO-AHEAD

In these times of worldwide recession and rising unemployment it’s good to know that new jobs are coming to the local area.  At the end of April Hounslow gave Sky planning permission to create a media campus on their site at Osterley.  Over a 10 year development period the jobs based there will grow from the current 8350 to around 12,000, and the build work will add 2300.  When all 4 phases are complete there will be 175,000 sq m of offices, studios, production and R&D facilities.  This will add to the studios, the wind turbine and the biomass heat and power plant which are currently in various stages of building.

I proposed that Hounslow grant planning permission at Hounslow’s Planning meeting in April.   The opportunity to provide sustainable jobs locally is a godsend in these difficult times and 3500 more permanent jobs, and 2300 construction jobs over the next ten years, will bring a real boost to the local economy.  We have also agreed with Sky that they will encourage local job applications, and provide an on-site training centre, apprenticeships, and links with local schools. 

Another local benefit is the restaurants and shops on the site which will be open to the public. 

There is no doubt that transport to and from the site will present a challenge, but we have agreed a number of measures with Sky where they will limit on-site parking and fund local Controlled Parking Zones if needed.  They are also funding improvements to Syon Lane station, to local bus services and to the pedestrian and road infrastructure.  Sky are required to sign up to a robust travel plan to ensure as many staff as possible use public transport, walk or cycle to work.  There will be a new road link between Grant Way and Harlequin way which will reduce pressure on Gillette Corner and Syon Lane and allow for a new bus route through to the campus directly from the A4.

Brentford Parking [2]

Well the Area Committee decided on Thursday to re-consult Hamilton, Clifden and Lateward Roads on the details of the scheme, and whether or not they still wanted to be included in a CPZ. Our apologies to all those who turned up on Thursday - we had no idea that an Area Monitoring Committee had been added on at the beginning and that they wouldn't get on to the item for over an hour.

If you are in one of the roads affected we need to know what you think should be in the detail of the next consultation: the spaces, the hours of operation etc etc. Do you live in Brook Road South or New Road? Should you be given another opportunity to be included in the CPZ rather than suffer from the knock-on parking?

Contact me here, or via the Council email - ruth.cadbury@hounslow.gov.uk

Brentford Parking Scheme - next stage decision on Thursday

Following consultation in September the majority of residents in Hamilton, Clifden and Lateward Roads said they wanted to have a controlled parking zone (CPZ). In New Road views were evenly split. A decision about what to do next will go to the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee next Thursday (3rd December at the Free Church, Boston Manor Road, almost opposite the Butts). You can see the full report here- on pages 57-68.

You'll see that officers are only recommending going ahead at this stage with Hamilton and Clifden Roads and Westbury Place (off Hamilton Road), and they plan to work up the details of the for further consultation. We would question their recommendation of not including Lateward Road, given almost 2:1 support there for being included in a CPZ, and would welcome your views.

Matt Harmer and I are unable to participate in the decision on Thursday (as we both live in the area consulted) but we are hoping to speak at the beginning of the item, and relay the views of local residents, so please do contact us via our Council emails: ruth.cadbury@hounslow.gov.uk; matt.harmer@hounslow.gov.uk.

You can also contact other members of the committee, and it is helpful if you can also include the committee clerk - Roger Cave, and the traffic engineer Satnam Sahota, into your correspondence.