Trust calls on Council to ditch scheme for parking and coach turning at The Promenade

The area due to fenced and hard surfaced - image DM Trust

The Dukes Meadows Trust and Hounslow Council have clashed over the council's proposal for car parking in the recreational area known as The Promenade, part of the Council's Masterplan for development of the amenity.

The Trust has set up a petition formally requesting the Council to abandon its proposal to develop car park areas and motor-coach turning circles at the Promenade open space.

They say that if carried out these works will "spoil the unique character and quality of our riverside public open space, riverbank, and associated nature areas."

Kathleen Healy of the Trust said, “Local people have reacted with horror at Hounslow’s plan to spoil our much loved riverside park. We have already received the most tremendous local support for our people’s campaign. There is no reason or need for car park areas at or in sight of the Riverside Promenade, or for coach turning circles – this is so destructive and damaging to a cherished public asset.

"Dukes Meadows Trust is now organising a petition to Hounslow Council formally requesting them to abandon their proposal to develop at and within the immediate vicinity
of The Promenade Riverside P.O.S. car park areas, each with marked car parking spaces,
and to provide two designated motor-coach turning circles. It is intended to have this
petition presented at the next council meeting in September. A digital version can be signed on the Trust's website. At the tim of writing there were 319 supporters.

The leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Steve Curran said that he was 'puzzled 'as to why the Dukes Meadows Trust decided to oppose the parking scheme now, whilst the scheme was shaped after the two rounds of consultations with the wider public. He said the views of the Trust were not those of the wider community using Dukes Meadow who "have broadly welcomed these proposals and plans.”

“The parking scheme is part of the Dukes Meadows masterplan and detailed proposals had planning consent going back to February 2018. Two major consultations took place during a two year period which helped shape the proposal that went to the planning committee. There have been a number of opportunities for all residents and users to be involved and the Dukes Meadows Trust has been engaged from the beginning of the process and participated in additional consultation meetings."

Heritage campaigner, Joseph Mirwitch said, “What has happened here at Dukes Meadows, Chiswick is an unfortunate litany of unworthy actions by the local authority. Worse of all, they have failed to fully assess and have proper regard to the detrimental impact of the car parks provision and coach turning facilities on the amenity, the particular quality, and unique character of this very special riverside public open space, the riverbank, and associated nature areas. We can only hope that Hounslow Councillors will now act in the public interest and intervene to ensure this unneeded and ill- considered scheme is dropped."

It was known that a large amount of new car parking would be created to support the proposed sports development on the upstream side of the Meadows, but the Trust says that there was no suggestion in the consultation that informal areas of the park on the downstream side would also be given over to parking to support sporting events.

They say that the Council has given planning permission 'by stealth' and that in the planning application, the proposed car parking development at the riverside public open space was 'misleadingly described' and tacked onto and hidden within a complex package of building projects on nearby sites. "This concealment effectively denied both local residents and also concerned local organisations any opportunity of objecting at that time."

This has been denied by Hounslow Council who say the scheme was shaped after the two rounds of consultations with the wider public and constantly updated on their website.

What area could look like after parking is introduced - Image: Dukes Meadows Trust

The Masterplan for the 137 acre amenity area involves upgrading a range of sports and leisure facilities on the site including, rugby, hockey, football, rowing, cricket, tennis and golf. The wider plans include improvements to the Dukes Meadows Bandstand and a pedestrian walkway built across the river to Barnes. The Council has secured over £2.2 million for improved sporting facilities and £1m for the development of the pedestrian bridge. Improvements to the public realm, repairs to the bandstand, the Thames path, and fences are underway.

Cllr Steve Curran said in his statement : “The engagement and consultation process determined options for the development of the sports facilities at Dukes Meadows and the public realm across the site, including new parking solutions. In November 2016, a public consultation on the overall masterplan for Dukes Meadows was held at two local sites: the food market on site and Chiswick Pier, to discuss the proposals engaging with over 400 people on the day. About 300 people gave feedback through a questionnaire. The improvement of a secure car parking option was one of the top five comments received.

“The results of this consultation shaped detailed plans that were presented with a further consultation in October 2017. The consultation event was advertised to approximately 10,000 addresses within a half mile radius of Dukes Meadows. Around 300 residents provided feedback through a questionnaire with a strong support for the scheme. Of the 283 respondents who completed a feedback form, 97% said they used the park and 1% said they did not. Car parking comments included better parking facilities and traffic calming measures. The scheme has been always been updated online and on our website:

“It is puzzling to discover why the Dukes Meadows Trust decided to oppose the parking scheme now, whilst the scheme was shaped after the two rounds of consultations with the wider public. There have been plenty of opportunities for feedback, most importantly during the planning process in 2018. It is also questionable how their position can be considered representative after all the feedback we received throughout the thorough consultation process. Nevertheless, the Council has also listened to the recent comments from Dukes Meadow Trust, but it’s very disappointing that they’ve not accepted the views of the wider community that uses Dukes Meadow who have broadly welcomed these proposals and plans”.

August 30, 2019