Should We Have Entered the Speak Out Anthem for Eurovision?

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Cllr Guy Lambert

May 19, 2023

Gosh, this is one of those weeks where I seem to have been very busy but have little recollection of what I did or whether any of it made any difference to my residents! The diary will provide some clues, I hope.

Ah yes. On Friday Lara and I packed our pack horses and made our way to take an arduous trip to Armenia. Actually, it was the bit of Armenia which is currently located in what used to be the Princess Royal on Ealing Road, but thinking of it as Armenia makes my dull life seems more interesting. We met our old contact Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the primate of the Armenian church in London. They updated us of where they have got to with the space (pretty well done and looking fine) and how they are now willing and eager to engage with the community and can offer their halls for community activities whenever the timetable allows. Very pleased to have them in Brentford – our contact with them is very positive and they are a real asset to the area. I have suggested a couple of community people/groups who could use the facility.

My Eastern European tour continued on Saturday, and I was off to Lampton Park to attend the Polish Heritage Day, a Polish celebration (not connected to our local polish product, Cherry Blossom shoe polish) with lots of fun stalls, community stalls etc and food stalls including the most gross and delicious looking) hog roast I’ve ever seen.

I chatted at length with people from Friends of Feltham Green including the man who lives in the house which was once where Freddie Mercury resided, also some youngsters from the University of the Third Age which looks to run loads of sessions aimed at people who don’t work any more (the third age). All very pleasant.

There was a stall from the Bedfont Lakes Park which gave me the opportunity for a deep conversation about how to care for exotic animals.

So that was Saturday, and Sunday I was off to Chiswick for a celebration ride down the Cycleway 9, now complete from Kew Bridge to Hammersmith Broadway (and a bit further).

There must have been 100 cycle users and it was always a bit congested, not least because the cycleway was busy with ‘normal’ riders. Some people will say that it’s all a big disaster but they are quite wrong on many different grounds. It was great to see a very diverse set of people, children, adults, some possible even older than me, women, minority races etc,

This great trek had clashed with our communal surgery in Brentford but I got back for the last bit. Not a lot had gone on at the surgery, but the market was also on so I had a short session there, buying a few bits as much as a thank you to the stall holders. Some of the stalls are excellent but we need a few more stalls and more customers. It will improve I’m sure when the building across the road is finished.

On Monday, something new came to my attention, and something that made me most unhappy. I heard that a telecom 5G mast was being erected on the playing field behind Boston Gardens. That’s not a terrible problem in itself, but they were erecting this very near the back garden of some of the houses. I knew nothing of this but apparently it was approved back in 2020 and if I knew about it at the time I can find no evidence that I did either in my memory or my emails. I suppose the ground will look better when it’s done. But the tower is not in my opinion (or the neighbours’) in the right place at all. The way planning works, once the council has approved it, we cannot change our mind. It was approved by council officers back in 2020 , without councillors being involved.

Well, that started on Saturday (in my emails) but I had other things to do on Monday, mainly the AGM of the Labour group at the council. Despite what you read in social media, there was a bit of electing and a bit of appointing, but most roles were elected unanimously. The public stuff (like appointment of the Mayor and deputy) will be approved at the council meeting next Tuesday.

The Tuesday just gone, I made it – for the first time in all my years as a councillor – to the AGM of Speak Out in Hounslow. This is a lovely charity that provides support and fun for adults with learning disabilities or autism. I must say it was a very enjoyable event, not last because all the people who were there seemed so happy. Some of them spoke about their life and what they do, many of them put on a play, danced, and sang the anthem. I’m surprised nobody put it up for Eurovision!

After that, I was up in Boston Gardens to look at the site and talk to some disgruntled neighbours. I had to be honest, and tell them it seems it’s nigh impossible to ‘unapprove’ a planning approval.

Then I was off to Hounslow for the cabinet formal meeting. Sometimes these are very short – only two items, one of which was setting school terms for the next few years (apparently we are obliged to do it) and the other a lot of technical planning related matters. One of the cabinet apologised for lateness and actually only just made it as we headed for the lifts.

Wednesday morning I had a catch up on Teams with the chair of Lampton. He is very happy, with every part of the group beating their targets at this early stage in the new financial year and some good opportunities coming forward swiftly.

In the evening, a small session in the Black Dog with one of my favourite local volunteers who does a whole load of things to help Brentford and wider Hounslow. He is involved with the attempt to win a Green Flag for Watermans Park and the man from Ofsted (or whatever it’s called) was there yesterday, perfectly timed when our marina chums have begun digging up the river, other friends from Hounslow Highways are building the cycle lane behind the park (or at least its entrance) and our very good friends Cadent are making special mayhem underneath Kew Bridge Road. Fingers crossed anyway, and if we can get a Green Flag with all that going on…

So round to Thursday, a visit to the dentist (no pain except in the wallet) and then a discussion with the MD of Lampton Homes. Rather tragically, the head of development there died very suddenly a little while ago: a personal tragedy for him and his colleagues and Homes is very tightly run so rapid hiring needed to try and fill the hole. It was good to catch up. We have arranged a tour for me to various buildings they are building and some others that are being refurbished, and some Lampton are thinking of taking on. A lot of interesting sites, down west in the borough and will be a new departure for Lampton Homes.

Councillor Guy Lambert