Chiswick Under Assault By Another Huge Development

Turnham Green ward councillor Jo Biddolph on her week


Cllr Jo Biddolph

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There is no doubt that Turnham Green ward bears the brunt of Hounslow Council's and others' decisions (or non-decisions) about Chiswick. It has parcels of land most ripe for over-development – the Chiswick Curve on the Chiswick roundabout, The Fourth Mile at the B&Q site, 250 Gunnersbury Avenue and perhaps other plots nearby. Then there is Power Road and a strip of land next to Gunnersbury station, which have been designated part of the Brentford Mile opportunity area by the Mayor of London. What is meant by an “opportunity area”?

Apparently it means throwing up tall buildings of limited or no aesthetic value that also cut off their residents from our local community. There are yet further plots behind Empire House and near Sainsbury's and others that might become vacant at some point (such as the police station) to tempt developers.

And now we have TfL's Bollo Lane development, a stream of tall blocks of flats on the edge of Chiswick, stretching north from the boundary with Ealing's Southfield ward.

There is supposed to be collaboration between the boroughs on developments that might impact on another's area. When I checked this point with Hounslow's planning department, I was told that there is collaboration on developments on the border but not close to or near, just on. Chiswick is not confined to the three Hounslow wards. Ealing's Southfield ward is just as much a part of Chiswick as anyone who lives there knows (and as I did for 22 years). These tall buildings start at the boundary of Ealing's Southfield ward and Ealing's South Acton ward.

South Acton ward also runs alongside the north-eastern boundary of Turnham Green ward and the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate conservation area, separated only by land servicing Acton Town tube station. What collaboration was there? No one can tell me.

If you would like to comment on the application, please do so here.

Don't be put off by the fact that there are 265 documents associated with this application. Do bear in mind the fact that comments must be on planning grounds; here are some tips.

Remember it's an application in Ealing so where the tips refer to Hounslow's local plan and planning guidance, you'll need to refer to Ealing's local plan and Ealing's planning guidance .

Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace closure

After a week or so of the new traffic and parking schemes it is already clear that the impact is devastating. At one local shop, business is now down by 80 per cent – much lower than it was during the lockdown before access was restricted and parking removed. Another trader has lost 15 per cent a week since the bollards were put in and the signs went up. A third has heard from customers from other boroughs that they won't be coming again because they can't park nearby.

Signs, particularly those at the entrance to Devonshire Road, are misleading – does anyone ever know what “except for access” actually means? – and plants in the planters will soon grow to obscure the words making the signs even more unhelpful (whoever thought to put the tallest growing plants in the front clearly doesn't understand the purpose of signs – or do they want drivers to be fined?).

Apart from the fact that residents of the Glebe Estate will have to go all round the houses to get to theirs, when another ugly planter is installed blocking the way in to Glebe Street, there is the question of who will be stung by a fine if they get the rules wrong?

I came across an example last week. It was a man who had turned in to Devonshire Road and parked having not understood the sign. He'd come from Ealing with his family specifically to find a hairdresser then asked about ice cream shops; he'd been here for well over the maximum 20 minutes. If the ANPR cameras had been in, he'd have breached the rules and been fined. He could appeal but without evidence of circumstances that would persuade the council to cancel the fine (not seeing or not understanding signs has never been a winning argument) he would have to pay up. It's £130 or £65 if paid promptly. Will that entice him back to Chiswick or put him off? Doesn't Hounslow council want to encourage people from other areas to support our retail economy?

As so often with ill-thought out schemes of this kind, what will happen will be that drivers will turn in, find there is nowhere to park and that the loading bays are full and leave immediately to try again or find a space elsewhere. Such a journey will not meet the criteria for using the road and the driver will be fined. So, we'll all end up hovering in the middle of the road, engines running, causing congestion and pollution – exactly the opposite of what is sought.

People drive for a purpose. It isn't a frivolous act, as some would have us believe. We do it to do a big shop; to go to and from appointments; to transport heavy, awkward, bulky, large or fragile objects; to collect or deliver from other locations it's hard to reach; to save time, particularly if the journey by foot or public transport (when we can use it again) is long or complicated; or because of limited mobility or frailty.

Residents of the Glebe Estate, who will no longer be able to reach their homes by car via Devonshire Road, will be forced to travel considerably further through previously quiet residential roads as well as adding to the amount of stop-start traffic on the already congested Annandale Road and Duke Road. Visitors to them, including heavy goods vehicles and delivery vans, will have to do the same. How is that a reduction in traffic, in congestion, in pollution?  

Reaction to the changes was swift. Many of you have emailed local councillors, the cabinet member responsible (Cllr Hanif Khan), and the Hounslow officer supervising its installation and compliance. We were asked to suggest changes using a heavily loaded questionnaire. And now, perhaps to confuse us or in the hope of getting a different outcome, Hounslow has launched a consultation. Please make sure you make your views known.

It's not too late, I hope, to get some changes that will at the very least mitigate the worst effects of these schemes.

Please support what Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace currently have

In the meantime, please support the shops and services along Devonshire Road. You are welcome to arrive by any means and, if it is by car, remember there is free parking between 12.30pm and 16.30pm Monday to Friday; after 12.30pm on Saturdays; and all day Sunday in the Central Chiswick CPZ including in the Glebe Estate.

Devonshire Road and Prince of Wales Terrace

Some are not open yet but come and have a look!

AALondonGallery

Beehive Café

Big Jim's Trims

Capital Motors

Casa Dino

Chiswick Pets

Clean Box Dry Cleaning

The Chiswick Lighting Company

Damsel Boutique

Devonshire Glass

Duci Gelato

Frivoli Art Gallery

Genco Male Grooming

The Italian Job

Lea & Sandeman

London Laser Clinic

Mayfive Hair Salon

May's Chinese

MEM Hair and Beauty

Meraki Nails and Make-up

Napoli on the Road

Optimal Spine

Rich Nails

Rokkon Japanese

Strand Antiques

The Stitching Room

TAMP Coffee

Top Hat Dry Cleaning

Tribe Rugs

La Trompette

Urban Pantry

Vinoteca Wine Bar

Vision Express Cab Hire

W4 Bathrooms

Wild Swans

Turnham Green Terrace, Turnham Green Terrace Mews, Chiswick Common Road and Bedford Park Corner

Some are not open yet but stroll along to see who is!

L'Appetit Fou Belgian Chocolate

Aram Picture Framing

Baron's Dry Cleaner

Bayley & Sage Delicatessen

Bedford Park Pharmacy

Buenos Aires Argentine Steakhouse

Capricorn Travel

Chief Coffee

Chiswick Cobbler

Covent Garden Fishmonger

Creations Haberdashery

Elias

Fortitude Bakery

Foubert's

Good Boy Coffee

Hack & Veldt

LA Menswear

Lemon & Limes

Lara Turkish Restaurant

Lizard Fashion

Macken Brothers Butcher

Makoto Sushi Bar

Marmalade Jewellery

Mr Clean and Mrs Stitch

Natoora

Oxana

Philip Neal Chocolatier

Pizza Treat

Postmark Cards

PR Hair

Puff “N” Stuff

Ruby B Organic Vegan Hair Salon

Snapdragon Toys

Spa & Massage

Studio 17 Exercise and Natural Healthcare

Sweaty Betty

Trinity's Café

Trotters

Turnham Arts and Crafts

Wheelers Flower Stall

Wheelers Garden Centre

Windfall Natural

You Me Sushi


Cllr Joanna Biddolph


joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk

07976 703446

VIRTUAL DATES FOR YOUR VIRTUAL DIARY 

Most council meetings have been cancelled. A few are taking place virtually and residents can attend online. Joining instructions will be on the council website, in the agenda reports pack for each committee, here.

9th July at 5pm: Planning committee
14th July at 5.30pm: Cabinet

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLORS

Unfortunately, surgeries have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. When they are back up and running there will be a Conservative councillor in Chiswick library every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am and on the first Saturday of every month at the Gunnersbury Triangle Club. You can, of course, still contact your local councillors by email or phone:

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Patrick Barr
patrick.barr@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703263

Cllr Gerald McGregor
gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784821

Cllr John Todd
john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Michael Denniss
michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703274

Cllr Gabriella Giles
gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk
07966 270823

Cllr Sam Hearn
sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
07833 376222

Turnham Green ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph
joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703446

Cllr Ranjit Gill
ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso
ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702887

July 5, 2020