Men at Work at Charlton House and Watermans Park Marina

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert

June 20, 2025

Regarding the Charlton House demolition, one of the three I polled have now received a notice (this is The Melvinator who lives 100M away) but I haven't heard from the other two.

The resident who initially complained to me about asbestos had a call from Tom Bruce (or vice-versa) and seemed to be mollified, though I haven't checked yet.

Someone else, who I think is a neighbour of mine in Ferry Quays sent me (and the Regeneration team an alarming picture.

A few likely lads had not unlikely penetrated the demolition site and got up near the top. It's like deja vu all over again like the photos of (possibly the same) likely lads up the top of the police station plus older pictures of some other likely lads inside the Brentford Nylons/Alfa Laval/Hyundai/world largest advert hoarding which graces the Golden Mile. The centenary would be an excellent year to change it from being a derelict eyesore into something handsome and, equally important, useful!

Anyway, the lady who raised this is pleased to have a speedy reaction and I went and had another look myself. They have started putting concrete blocks all over the place and have started a second line of battlements to keep them out (and stop people apart from contractors parking there!).

I'm not sure the Wehrmacht is targeting Brentford but you never know in these difficult times.

A number of asbestos trucks in attendance. No, the trucks are not asbestos. I mean they have it written on them and I think they are experts, so that is reassuring.

On Saturday I was having a 'bit of a do' at Watermans Park. A friend of mine came to stay at my place so we went up to Boston Manor for the Cycling Hub launch on Saturday morning. I forgot my duty to record the day but somebody else took pictures

Then my little picnic down by the river. The Friends of The Park were fabulous (as usual) and it's a pity the section with the sort of 'stage' is not used more because it makes it much more interesting when there is something on. Again, no pics and fortunately my friend who was using his drone a) did not unload any bombs and b) kept his pics/videos to himself, which is a blessed relief.

On Sunday morning I drove my friend up to Ealing Broadway so she could catch a train home to Devon. I was rather shocked by the amount of mess on the pavements where the flats above shops (mainly) had dumped bags having (apparently) alerted the local scavengers. All the pavements were thoroughly strewn with rubbish. One of the things which we have made a lot of progress with in Hounslow has been reducing the problem of flats above shops by providing them with what we call grit bins to contain the rubbish. We did not do enough whilst I was on cabinet and was constantly chiding officers to do more, but by and large it has solved that problem in most areas. I raised that with the excellent lead member in Ealing and he thanked me (probably through gritted teeth, but he is one of the good ones).

I decided to look at the things I used to be responsible for in the quarterly performance review: Flytips (which I was looking to dramatically decrease via investment in enforcement have gone up (worse) about 35% compared with target. The Pavement Pledge is also Red, having not started (though they say they have a plan). Household Waste - ie the stuff not recycled - up 30%. We planned to reduce it because it is a) good for the planet and b) recycling reduces cost considerably: it is either sold on for income (EG metals, plastics, cardboard and paper) or disposed of much more cheaply (food and garden waste). Recycling at least is a bit up, from 37% to 38.2% but bear in mind our pledge was 50% by the end of next May. We will need to accelerate fast! Street litter is a bit worse too though detritus (muck usually in gutters) is a bit better and missed collections, which we were all proud up have also gone up a bit. Good job I resigned �� though I would have been fighting tooth and nail for improvement as I did for 6 years.

On Monday, the work to provide a marina at Watermans Park, where the contractor was given another dead drop date (1st July) a year ago started work on Monday. Well to be fair, they had been playing with it a few days before but a huge crane appeared .

By today they had put some newer poles in the river bed (the thin ones) for whatever reason though as far as I can see they have not begun the difficult work of removing the dolphins. No, not fishy things but concrete or wooden pillars in the river bed.

There were 3 blokes who seemed to be grinding the paint off some beams they put in 4 or 5 years ago. Don't ask me why.

Meanwhile my favourite unlawful (I am told) part time resident in the Ambulant boat has been at the flags again: a week ago it was 2 Japanese Flags. They were replaced by 2 Union Jacks. Then 1 Japanese and 1 French one (last Saturday) and today they are naked of flags though there is (I think) a lot more scarlet paint than there used to be.

Well, all I can say is the contractors have a tall task but obviously I am confident the council management will follow through what they said a year ago and not let this saga extend into a second decade. The developer is not the most popular landowner (riverowner?) on the Thames. He has been in constant legal wrangles with residents, some of them quite famous, in his main mooring at Chelsea. Google Chelsea Yacht and Boat Company for the story. You can also try Companies House: the owner Mr Moffat has dozens of companies, most of which seem not to post their accounts on time. It's a bit of a labyrinth but one of the top holding companies is Thames River Investments Ltd where the accounts will be a year overdue at the end of this month. Apparently, it is a small company but has assets of nearly £100M (or did when they were last published for September 2022. If anyone has a small company and they need someone to look after it, let me know.

It's been quite a quiet week for me, but I did cycle up from Brentford to the top of Richmond Hill last night with a lot of cycling chums.

Doesn't make me any happier about going uphill and I was so knackered I went home shortly after and missed the sunset

Obviously, I pinched photos again but I doubt I will be sued by Getty Images.

I have the usual set of issues running but it is quiet and I have been planning a major summer road trip. I have it all sorted now and you will not get your normal feed of blogs on 10th and 17th July. However I am planning to record my trip in blogs etc and put it out there, probably via my website guylambert.blog. Of course if BrentfordTW8 feel like picking it up that's fine with me.

Other things. Very glad to see Brentford TV is back, I hope permanently. I missed his site as did many others local (or not) even though I don't always agree with what he says.

And Events! Saturday is our wonderful Canal Festival. I want another soubriquet for Brentford, which is most certainly NOT Brentford Riviera, or the Brentford Project, or anything that mentions 'Lanes'. There is a company in Rochester New York called Canaltown Coffee Roasters. How about Canaltown for Brentford? If the sentiment in this picture ever prevails, we could twin Brentford with Rochester.

The canal equivalency is a bit tenuous but apparently their coffee shop is located next to the old Erie Canal bed, currently Interstate 490, Doesn't sound as peaceful as Brentford by the canal but hey. Maybe you have a better idea. Something better than Brentford is Brilliant or Brentford is Well Buggy, an epithet I came across soon after I became a councillor.

I preferred the last one. We really ARE well buggy, not the bleeding Riviera!

OK, this Saturday Canal Fest - the Saturday after is the Brentford Pub Regatta. I’ll be lurking around the Canal Festival as a volunteer for the late shift – 3 to 6 – and will no doubt spend some time on the Brentford Heritage Harbour stand.

And the teams, including a secret team of Councillors

It makes me wonder about my favourite 'Poem' Albert and the Lion.

There's a famous riverside place called Brentford,
That's noted for fresh air and fun,
And Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom
Went there with young Albert, their son.
A grand little lad was young Albert,
All dressed in his best; quite a swell
With a stick with an 'orse's 'ead 'andle,
The finest that Poundland could sell.
They didn't think much of the river:
The waves, were all fiddlin' and small,
There was no wrecks and nobody drownded,
Fact, nothing to laugh at at all.

I will not going on because it may upset people to hear the whole story. If you're brave, you can find it here.

Well, I can't guarantee no wrecks and nobody drownded but who can say? Well, I'll be watching and see how it goes.

Councillor Guy Lambert