Weekly Update From Councillor Guy Lambert

Planning and Labour re-selection form the focus of the week

Turns out Thursday is St Andrew’s day and this is apparent when I step out the door and am surrounded by bekilted mobs blowing bagpipes. But when I wake up I realise it’s just another blooming blogday – but you heard about that last week.

A bit of time in the Labour office working out new ways to defeat the dastardly Tories (not sure we have to try too hard with David Davis, Theresa May etc ‘in charge’) then in the evening down to the Civic centre. I briefly attend the Hounslow Cycling meeting (promise not to tell them I drove there) before breaking off for pre-planning presentations.

The first one concerns replacing what must be Chiswick High Road’s ugliest two shops with new shops and the inevitable flats above. We make some suggestions to the architects as to how they might improve the design (and no, my granny was hopeless at sucking eggs) but – whisper it - it seemed pretty good as it was and it’s so refreshing to us ‘umble Planning Committee members to be genuinely consulted upon something before the design is set in concrete, brick, or alternative new building materials (did I mention previously that they have just opened a bridge in Holland which has been printed out of concrete.

I did ask a developer recently whether they were going to print their houses but they looked at me as if I was mad. Understandable, I suppose, on so many levels.

The second one makes us a lot more grumpy because they have already submitted a planning application so the pre-planning session is a touch redundant. This is for new houses on the old Acton Lodge site – perversely in Brentford (Syon Ward) and away in Bedfont. Good that they are getting around to doing something with redundant sites but the planning committee will need some convincing about the scheme when it comes before us next year.

Friday is more Credit Union interviews. On Saturday I swap my normal Clayponds surgery with her ladyship Madam Myra and go off to Chiswick to Ruth Cadbury’s coffee morning instead. I am immediately besieged by Cycle Superhighway 9 opponents who believe Chiswick is henceforth to be held hostage by hundreds of Lycra-clad louts of all known sexes thundering along their pavements at 100 mph. To be fair, they said 20mph. There is no convincing them otherwise and we compromise by agreeing to wait and see what TfL come up with after they have processed the consultation results. In the afternoon I nip down to a freezing Isleworth for a quick look at their winter fair down by the river. Quiet when I arrive but when the rain stops the crowds arrive and the place is heaving, mainly with children waiting for the Ferris wheel, roundabouts etc.

Sunday afternoon  a bit of light door knocking around the Haverfield with my friend Sharidin, who lives in Brent Lea and is looking to become the second Syon resident who is a Brentford councillor – we’ll have a better idea of the runners and riders after Saturday.

Monday is hectic, starting with a brief meeting with leader Steve Curran at the Civic, followed by preparing for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the evening. The chair has been called away so muggins has to step into the breach. I then whizz back to Towersville for a walkabout with the fantastic Brentford Towers Residents Association Chair and Secretary, together with sundry Melvinators, architects, caretakers, housing managers and T.Cobbley himself. This is about improvements to the towers, particularly to provide better storage (including bike storage, which doesn’t really exist at present) but also to chivvy up the general environment which has ample room for improvement.

An hour of this and then I whizz off on a South Western Choo Choo to Vauxhall station, together with Myra and the Air Quality Brentford posse. Local people, with help from the council, GLC – yes, it’s been going awhile – etc, have created two beautiful enclaves in the heart of busy Vauxhall and also done creative greening of the pavements.

This is really worth a look and just a short stroll from Vauxhall Station – . We think about where we might do something similar in Brentford – the library grounds are an interesting suggestion, and I also thought of the disused area between Great West Quarter and the railway which I discovered last week.

Then back to the Civic for Overview and Scrutiny. This was mainly about budget savings (another £7.1M has been found, but we have to find ANOTHER £35M to take out of the annual budget by 2020). Genghis Todd, despite not actually being on the committee, was one of the main questioners (as per) and as chair I condescended to permit him to speak. With his usual courtesy he wrote afterwards to thank me for this – appreciated. Not a lot to report, most of the savings coming from taking services back in house from Carillion etc, but we have asked for further details of some of the savings. 

Tuesday was a free day, other than some more Labour party plotting against the Tories in the evening, but Wednesday started with a visit to the Hounslow Community Foodbox in the morning, where the volunteers were giving thanks to the donors (especially Morrisons, Asda and so many individuals) and all of us were giving thanks to the volunteers who work so hard and with so much empathy for those -from many walks of life, and for all sorts of reasons - who find themselves fallen on hungry times.
Early evening I had the privilege of meeting the Black Wolves – aka the 6th Brentford Air Scouts. Apparently this is the last Scout Group in Brilliance and I was presenting some awards to Beavers. These are little scouts and it was a real delight to spend half an hour with them and with their dedicated leaders – the Akela (I hope I got that right) said she’d been doing it for 35 years and it’s certainly kept her young. Really heart-warming and if you want your little ones to have loads of fun and learn something into the bargain – give them a call.

In the evening, to Isleworth for the first round of selections for Syon council candidates (I live in the ward, so get to vote there). I’ll leave you in suspense as to the outcome…

This morning, Thursday, an early start in the Civic – OK 9 am is nothing extra for you working types but getting the Melvinator out of his pit for an 8.30 am pickup is nearly as much of a challenge as getting me out.

So now, Thursday afternoon, getting ready for Planning which has a monster agenda including revisions to the Brentford FC Community Stadium scheme, a little pocket behind Kew Bridge Station and a couple of things in Isleworth.
Spare a thought for the Melvinator and I on Saturday morning, where our fates as councillor candidates for next year may be decided. The ward will be without Myra whatever happens (which will be an enormous loss) but if you’re a Labour member and think we’ve been doing a reasonable job, get on down and lend us your support!

Councillor Guy Lambert

December 8, 2017