Matt Harmer's monthly Update - news from my fellow Brentford Councillor

(Written before the Reynard Mills news.)
Welcome to the July email bulletin from Brentford ward councillor Matt Harmer. You’re getting it because we have communicated on local issues.
Well, the nights are deawing in and the temperature is dropping so the football season can’t be far away.

With that in mind, here is a fixture list for you to cut and paste, print out and stick on the fridge. Start here...

Below are the fixtures for Brentford FC for the 2011-12 season. Bad weather, cup ties and television can change things so call the club first on 08453 456 442 or visit www.brentfordfc.co.uk to make absolutely sure. Saturday games kick off at 3pm and weekday games at 7.45 except where indicated and all games are League 1 unless it says otherwise.

Fri     22nd JULY       STOKE CITY (Friendly)
Tues    26th JULY       WATFORD (Friendly)
Sat     6th AUG         YEOVIL TOWN
Sat     20th AUG        LEYTON ORIENT
Sat     27th AUG        TRANMERE ROVERS
Tue     13th SEP        COLCHESTER UNITED
Sat     17th SEP        PRESTON NORTH END
Sat     1st OCT         HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Sat     15th OCT        SCUNTHORPE UNITED
Tue     25th  OCT       STEVENAGE
Sat     29th OCT        CHESTERFIELD
Sat     12th NOV        FA CUP 1st ROUND – Possible home game
Sat     19th NOV        CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Sat     10th DEC        HARTLEPOOL UNITED
Mon     26th DEC        AFC BOURNEMOUTH (3pm)
Sat     31st DEC        MILTON KEYNES DONS
Sat     28th JAN        WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Sat     11th FEB        OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Sat     18th FEB        CARLISLE UNITED
Tue     6th MAR         EXETER CITY
Sat     10th MAR        SHEFFIELD UNITED
Sat     24th MAR        ROCHDALE
Sat     7th APR         BURY
Sat     14th APR        NOTTS COUNTY

The email format that these bulletins get sent in may have made the list go a bit wobbly - apologies if so. It seems to depend on which browser you use, or something.

* Planning ahead *

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me about the planning application for 315 homes on the Reynards Mill site on Windmill Road. Long term fans of this email will recall that this was the site of the BBC archive. However they have moved and the owners of the site are bringing forward a planning application. Around 80 people and households have contacted me.

One of the frustrations that councillors have is that we are constrained on what we can or cannot say regarding planning applications. If, for example, I was to say here that I thought the application was concerning me on a number of matters including density, design and the respect for the local context then I could be disbarred at a later stage from sitting on the committee that takes the final decision. The same would apply if I felt that the application was a wonderful addition to the street scene.

This is frustrating for us and, I daresay, for you. The process is sometimes given the snappy title quasi-judicial and should be treated in the same way as sitting on a jury – basically, you don’t turn up on the first day convinced that the accused is guilty (or at least you don’t let on).

I have to say that the quality of responses has been very high, nearly all concentrating on solid planning issues. Following a request from Ealing councillors – the site is very close to the boundary with our neighbouring borough – the area being consulted has been expanded and the time extended. And even though there is a ‘closing date’ for responses, this is to fit in with the law and, in effect, our council planning officers will take account of objections pretty much up until the day of the planning committee.

We don’t yet know when that will be but if you have written to the council you will get a letter saying when that committee will be heard. It’s what we call a meeting in public – speaking opportunities are limited but you are absolutely entitled to be there.

* Diary time *

Just a couple of dates to note before I go. On Weds 4th August you are invited to the Picnic in the Park in St Paul’s Rec Ground from midday to 4pm. Bring picnics and playthings and have a great time.

There are two great events to choose from on Sunday 4th September. It’s the traditional date for the Brentford Festival in Boston Manor Park and if you’ve been to this event in the past you’ll know how good it is and if you haven’t, then you are missing something excellent. For one year only it shares a date with the London Mela in Gunnersbury Park. Usually this is in August but with Ramadan taking place in August this year it would plainly be inappropriate to have the Mela during this important festival.

I know that the Mela is not universally popular, particular with residents on streets adjacent to the park, but my personal feeling is that it’s good to see the park used by people across London on this one day. The organisation has improved, I would say, and I hope that you get to try both events.

Other than that, can I wish you a great summer from me and my two Brentford Labour colleagues Mel Collins and Ruth Cadbury. You can spend the summer reading Ruth’s blog at www.ruthcadbury.com and following her twitters @RuthCadbury. Enjoy!

* Can I help? *

As a councillor, my first task is to try and assist residents with problems. Please get in touch if you think I can help, either by replying to this mail or calling 020 8560 7033.
In the meantime, thanks for reading.

Reynard Mills applicants to be told to withdraw their application

On Thursday I met our senior planning officer.  Many residents of north Brentford will be pleased to know that the applicants will be asked to withdraw their application, on the basis that it represents significant overdevelopment on the site.  If they insist on pursuing it they would be refused planning permission by officers under their delegated powers. This means that it won't be coming to the planning committee. 

 

We would expect that if they want to redevelop the site they would return with a much reduced scheme, with much less impact on the local area. 

 

This issue  has given us one of the biggest "post-bags" we have had on a local issue for a very long time, so I hope people can rest assured that whatever happens on that site, we will ensure that it is in scale and keeping with the local area.

Olympics Planning - One year to go

As Hounslow's lead on the Cabinet for the Olympics, on Friday I attended Lampton School's amazing end of term Olympic assembly.  Khulbir Bhaura, GB Hockey team, Seoul and a member of the Indian Gymkana club in Osterley, brought his medals and described the elation of finally winning gold after years of struggle.  On Wednesday I'd met Ade Adepitan, GB Wheelchair Basketball, who had fought bullying at school and 12 years of struggle, to get onto the Olympic bronze medal winning team in 2004.  Both were inspirational speakers, ordinary youngsters who'd been given a chance, saw the end goal, and fought against all odds to get there.   The year 7-10s at Lampton had spent 3 days learning about the Olympics, with workshops and a massive range of taster sessions of different sports (including wheelchair basketball).  It culminated in the assembly and balloon launch before the students were sent off for the summer, hopefully taking a bit of that enthusiam and aspiration with them.

On the Council side, we're getting our heads around the implications of the 2012 Olympics for the borough over the next year.  We set up the Olympics Project Board which I chair in the spring, bringing together the various officers, Council and others, who will have a role to play. We are required to make sure everything we are responsible for runs smoothly, to have contingency plans in case things go wrong, ensure our core services continue to run as normal, as well as the more exciting work of making the place look nice and welcoming, and co-ordinating the many regular and special events that will take place in hte borough over the next year.  It's going to mean taking people off their day job some of the time, even full-time for one or two - very difficult when resource pressures are so tight at the Council now.

The most important theme will be ensuring there is a legacy from the 2012 Olympics in the borough.  We have no Olympic venues in Hounslow, but we hope to use the opportunity of the Olympics to increase participation in sport, physical activity and culture, raise the borough's profile and promote our towns and villages as places to visit and for businesses to invest.  The lesson from the Sydney Olympics is that, the more you plan for this "soft" legacy, the better the long-term impact.  Once the opening ceremony is upon us, it will be too late to invest in anything long-lasting.

We've got a lot to do from a standing start, and it's going to need a lot of co-ordination and planning.  

• On Friday I met Ruth Williams, a maths teacher at Lampton, who has used the national "Get Set"  programme to plan a whole programme of activites from this week through next year.  She is really keen to link up with other schools through Get Set and to set up a schools network - so that's now on the agenda for the first Deputy Heads meeting of next term.
• The torch relay will be going through the borough on or around the 24th July - a massive event that will bring thousands onto the streets and selected local people will get the chance to carry the torch
• The Big Dance - is going to be a massive West London series of events on Hounslow High Street, and culminating in a record breaking Bollywood dance spectacular at Lampton Park on the 7th July.
• Traffic officers have been working for some months now on the Olympic Route Network - our bit is the A4 through Chiswick and there'll be some restrictions on that for most of the summer.
• There's also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee to plan for, and many other events, annual such as the Barrio and the Mela which will be bigger than usual, and one-off cmmunity events.

We'll be developing a Hounslow Olympic web-site so future up-dates will be posted on there at regular intervals.  Meanwhile, do get in touch via Olympics@hounslow.gov.uk and register your interest.

My Letter in Times re Heathrow and some others

 
Sir, You appear to be trying to relaunch the failed campaign to expand Heathrow Airport.
People in Hounslow want the aviation industry to be successful — many work at Heathrow or depend on it economically — but we do not want the airport to consume us.
Aircraft noise already makes Hounslow the noisiest London borough. We will not allow it to be increased even further.
Your reports set out a questionable economic case for more aviation, then systematically eliminated all the potential sources of additional capacity, leaving the impression that only expansion at Heathrow would solve the problem of congestion and avoidable carbon emissions. The case for low-carbon alternatives such as high-speed rail was hardly explored.
We are ready for a rational dialogue with the aviation industry but we will fight vigorously against any renewed attempt to pressurise the Government into abandoning its moratorium on Heathrow expansion.
Councillor Ruth Cadbury 
Deputy Leader, London Borough of Hounslow


John
 
Our correspondents disagree on the best way forward for aviation in the UK, although most concur that it plays a key part in the economy
Sir, Heathrow is so overloaded that airlines are talking about leaving Britain (“Airlines plan flight from Britain”, June 28). No wonder, when the same airlines insist that almost all flights from other UK airports route via Heathrow or another London airport. If the airlines offered more direct flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool there would be fewer passengers transiting London and more space for those who need to.
I. Young 
Edinburgh
 
Sir, You quote Theresa Villiers, the Aviation Minister, saying that “it is untrue to suggest that Government does not have a strategy to help UK aviation grow and prosper”.
The UK’s Air Passenger Duty is the highest in the world, and is to rise in 2012. The Government’s new Aviation Framework won’t be consulted upon and implemented until April 2013, meaning the UK will have gone 35 months without a policy — costing jobs, business growth and international connectivity in the meantime.
Darren Caplan 
Chief Executive, Airport Operators Association
 
Sir, John Stewart of HACAN Clear Skies (“Veto will not harm the economy”, June 28) is wrong to say that a block on expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted will not hurt the economy. Heathrow serves as the UK’s only hub airport and it is full. As a result, it has been losing routes to rivals for the past 20 years — it serves just 171 destinations compared to Amsterdam with 222, Paris with 223 and Frankfurt with 262, all of which have room to grow at our expense. Even more worryingly, our potential to trade with such important economies as Brazil, Russia, India and China is threatened by the UK’s inability to expand its hub airport. China will build 97 airports by 2020. By contrast, no full-length runway has been built in the South East of England since the war.
At a time when the UK economy needs all the help it can get, it seems perverse to signal that London is closed to new business.
Simon J. L. Buck 
Chief Executive, British Air Transport Association
 
Sir, John Stewart is misleading when he argues that our economy is not dependent on airport expansion in the South East. Aviation is a substantial net contributor to the Exchequer — even more than the much-vaunted bank levies. It supports the employment of 1.5 million people. It pays for all its own vehicles, airports, policing, security and terminals — even its regulator, the CAA, makes a 6 per cent return to the economy.
Yet with the decision to abandon plans for a third runway, London Heathrow risks becoming a branch line rather than a major hub.
To make matters worse, the Government’s punitive approach to managing aviation’s emissions means that Air Passenger Duty now acts as a £2.7 billion burden on the industry. That is enough to offset all UK emissions four-fold yet there is no Cruise Liner Passenger Tax.
The aviation industry is committed to improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent per year to 2020, capping net emissions from 2020 through carbon-neutral growth, and cutting net emissions in half by 2050, compared to 2005 levels, but it is still pilloried. The aviation industry can only take so many knocks before the damage is permanent. At that stage, the people who will benefit most will not be the green community but rather our international competitors.
Andrew Brookes 
Director, The Air League
 
Sir, A new hub airport would take decades to be fully operational. Extra capacity is needed now even though it may require unpopular decisions.
We are operating in a competitive market, where talented individuals and institutions are highly mobile. London and the UK cannot afford to stand still while our rivals across the globe are building for the future.
Stuart Fraser 
Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation

Brentford News from my fellow Labour Councillor - Matt Harmer

June news from Cllr Matt Harmer

Welcome to the latest email bulletin from Brentford ward councillor Matt Harmer. I hope that this finds you well. If you would prefer not to get these emails then please use the Unsubscribe link at the foot of the email.

* A4 latest *

It looks as though we have some progress on the A4. It’s some while now since parents of young children contacted me regarding the safety of A4 crossings. They told me that there had been a number of near misses and asked me if it wasn’t possible to do something.

As always, these things cost money and I asked council planners to look for funds that we could spend. They looked and found some money stemming from planning permissions that had been given in the area. Some of the time deadlines had expired and I’m happy to say that they managed to negotiate an extension where deadlines has passed.

Anyway, I spent a couple of mornings walking up and down the A4 with council traffic people and their colleagues at Transport for London (TfL), who manage the major roads in London. They were then charged with making what improvements they could, and last week they came back with some proposals.
What people wanted most of all was longer time to cross. And it looks as though we’ll get some positive changes there. Unfortunately, extending the time dramatically simply isn’t possible – not because of any decisions by the Council but following a decision of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.  However we should be abl to reduce the time that people have to wait to cross.

But there are other things that are on the list. Something that has always bothered me is the state of the crossing points on the A4. The only light is above the traffic lanes. We’re told that lighting will be improved for pedestrians. At present it’s hard to cross Windmill Rd and Clayponds Avenue because there are no controls to stop the traffic and tell pedestrians that it’s safe to cross. One crossing of this kind will be put on each road.

There’ll also be some changes to what is charmingly called the street furniture – the railings, traffic signal push buttons etc. At the moment, people waiting to cross at Windmill Road stand in the middle of the cycle lane, worryingly close to the corner. It’s a bad layout and asking for trouble. There are also proposals to change some of the traffic signals, which have got a bit grimy (understandably, given where they are). I’ve asked that this be funded from TfL’s own budget, as they’d have to do it anyway.

A couple of caveats. The work will happen, and I will be pressing for it to happen quickly, but there is very little political accountability at TfL – it’s hard if not impossible to insist that things happen. The M4 has been deemed a Priority Route for the 2012 Olympics and will probably get first call for maintenance work – very annoying, but a fact of life. However the London Mayor and London Assembly elections are less than a year ago and if this has to be made an election issue then i’m sure we can make it one.

Finally on this, thanks again to everyone who contacted me and has signed petitions to ask for it to happen – it has definitely helped move things up the agenda.

* Cycling changes *

Staying with transport things but getting on our bikes. You may remember that our area was down to become some kind of cycling hub. Last week councillors discussed some changes to roads and payments that should help cyclists. Here are some of the main ones:

•       A cycling lane to allow left turns into Lateward Rd from Boston Manor Road. That’s the road just north of the police station. If you are cycling from the station to, say, St Paul’s School then at present you need to go a very long way round. A small cycle-only lane will make it possible to go directly without messing up traffic flows.

•       Some changes on Green Dragon Lane to make the road safer for cyclists where the slaloms that are there to slow down cars are located.

•       A cycle path through the Haverfield Estate

•       A route through The Butts and lowered kerbs around Tallow Road. You will know where this is if you cycle – parallel to the High Street, just to the north, and a useful link down to the canal area of the High Street.

•       A new cycle lane along the High Street and along from Morrisons to the junction with Ealing Road and beyond.

•       Some dropped kerbs to enable cyclists to get from the canal towpath to the A4 cycle lane (via Transport Avenue).

•       Better cycle storage facilities, stands etc.

I cycle short distances and these changes will make things easier. There’s sometimes a belief, I think, that ‘becoming’ a cyclist involves ridiculous amounts of lycra and knowing about WD40. It doesn’t. Going down to Richmond via the towpath on a nice day beats the 65 anyday.
If any of these changes strike you as poor decisions please let me know, and do let me know if there are any other changes we should try and make.

* St Pauls update *

After all that cycling, we might like to go and sit in St Paul’s Rec Ground. The playground seems to be very popular, and what is supposed to be a cycling track has become an exercise area, which is good. The people charged with maintaining and improving the park will be meeting some local campaigners this Thursday. So if you have any ideas for the park – and many of you have contacted me regarding litter bins and a couple of the rides that need fixing – then please let me know.

One thing that will be discussed is the mural, and plans are in place to repair/replace the parts affected by graffiti. I understand that plans are in place to restart an active Fiends group, and I’m sure volunteers will be welcome.

* Funding available *

Finally for now, a call for applicants for a Council fund for community initiatives and development projects at a local level. The maximum grant is £500 and you get more details at http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=60335 and see a report on things funded previously at http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=60342   If you want to apply, get in touch and I'll let you know who to contact.

* CPZ latest *

I expect to get an update on the situation regarding any potential Controlled Parking Zone on Enfield Road and the surrounding roads. A reminder - rather than go into another consultation following the petition that requested this I asked for some empirical work to be done on the present parking situation - are the cars parked during the day from the local area, is there a particularly beneficial time to have parking controls and other questions. We'll still go through a normal consultation process but the idea is that anything we consult on will be based more in fact than guesswork.

Unfortunately it took rather longer than expected to get three quotes to this work, as required. Anyway, that's now been sorted. As I said, there'll be no CPZ without a majority of support but the new petition scheme requires us to answer the request made by residents of the area.

* Can I help? *

Finally, please get in touch if you think I can help, either by replying to this mail or calling 020 8560 7033.
In the meantime, thanks for reading.


My mailing address is:
Matt Harmer
153 Ealing Rd
Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0LF

My telephone:
020 8560 7033

Hounslow - the Biking Borough

Hounslow's  been granted £324,000 to boost cycling initiatives, which should help towards getting more people cycling.  

The money will a fund a community bike

pool trial with a 'dock' at the Civic Centre, the creation of community cycling

'champions' and the delivery of adult cycling training.  We also had a presentation at Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee of a load of little physical changes to roads and paths that will make cycling away from heavy trafic a lot easier.  Hopefully all this will mean more people will consider riding a bike, more often.

 

My colleague Cllr Corinna Smart, Hounslow's lead member for environment said: "This is the fifth

including improved cycle routes across Isleworth and Brentford; clearer signage;

better cycle parking facilities; and a trial of the innovative 'Brompton Dock' cycle hire

system in partnership with Brompton Bicycles who themselves are based in Brentford,

"This investment will help build on work we've already completed to promote cycling

as the first 'Biking Borough in London - including the hosting of the successful

Skyride in Brentford in 2009 which attracted 11,000 participants.

Hounslow politicians unite for a fairer Heathrow Airport

Today a cross-party delegation of MP (Mary Macleod), myself and Cllr Barbara Reid (Tory lead on Heathrow issues) went to the Transport Department, where we discussed the way forward for an improved climate around Heathrow Airport with the Aviation Minister, Theresa Villiers.  It was the first time we have formally met the her since the Coalition government announced that Runway 3 would not be built and runway alternation maintained.  We've had no doubts as to the pressure she will be under from the aviation industry to revert to the previous Government's policies, so  it was therefore gratifying that she was not only willing to listen, but to offer us hope that she took the needs of residents in Hounslow seriously - sadly (for me) the first Aviation Minister I have met, who is prepared to do this.

We discussed the impact of night flights, asked for  an expanded noise insulation scheme for local people and also proposed a number of measures to improve conditions for the local community including; more protection for schools from noise, a total ban on night flights, maintaining runway alternation schemes to reduce persistent noise, and improvements to getting to and from the airport using more sustainable modes of transport. We have also asked that noise insulation schemes for homes and community buildings are not only more generous than the present schemes, but also more accountable to local people and easier to access.

It was pleasing to hear that the Minister has promised to consider carrying out a full health impact assessment of the effects of planes on local residents. We know for definite that sleep deprivation affects health but we need to know what the costs are to our residents who live in one of the noisiest places in the UK.   

We all felt that she demonstrated that the Government is keen to develop a better night flights’ regime,  and she showed her commitment to understanding fully the impact on all those involved, including local residents, schools and businesses as well as the aviation industry itself.

Watch this space for further developments . . .