All Change for the Conservative Party Locally
Chiswick Riverside councillor Peter Thompson reports back
Cllr Peter Thompson
October 7, 2023
All Change
We had our last meeting of the Brentford & Isleworth Conservative Association recently. As many of you know the part of Chiswick which is in Hounslow Borough has moved from the Brentford and Isleworth seat to a newly created Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency.
This means that political parties have to restructure themselves, so our existing Association is splitting up! Chiswick Gunnersbury, Chiswick Homefields and Chiswick Riverside are joining a constituency that includes Ravenscourt Park, Brook Green, White City, Shepherd’s Bush Green and Hammersmith Broadway. We will shortly become Hammersmith and Chiswick Conservative Association.
Brentford & Isleworth constituency remains without the Chiswick wards and its gains areas of Heston and Whitton. It all means that we will have to work with new people and get to know the issues affecting the eastern part of the new constituency. Also we will have come to terms with seeing a little less of colleagues and friends who we have known for decades!
Having said all this the Council boundaries haven’t changed so we will still be campaigning together for the next local elections - not forgetting our friends in Feltham and Heston. People join political parties for a whole host of reasons and all parties are a board church of views. People are understandably very cynical about politics and political parties. People have many demands on their time and energy. But politics and therefore political parties matter. So, go on. Think about joining one!
Boundaries of new Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency
News from Manchester
Party Conferences are strange events. Wall-to-wall political speeches, debates receptions and fringe events with a few drinks thrown in for good measure aren’t everyone’s ideas of fun. I have been to two – Birmingham and Manchester – many moons ago when we were in opposition and Gordon Brown was running the country. Manchester has a special place in my heart as I spent six years at the university, met my wife there and recently dropped off my daughter to continue the family tradition of studying there.
One part of Mark Harper’s, the Secretary of State for Transport, speech grabbed my attention this week. “The Prime Minister has already tasked me to conduct a review into Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and that’s ongoing – building on my decision to ensure no Government money funds them. It can’t be right that these schemes are imposed without proper local consent, so we will change the guidance to ensure that councils properly listen to what local people say.” I certainly hope our “South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood” scheme is forming part of this review. Over 80% of local residents rejected the scheme but the powers that be in Hounslow House know better.
Weeds Again
I am fully aware that I mention weeds every time I write one of these articles! Recently I had to report the superabundance of weeds in Ernest Gardens, Lorraine Road, Magnolia Road and on Grove Park Bridge. We all know that as part of Hounslow Council’s Cleaner Greener Campaign we are no longer using weed sprays due to the harmful chemical Glyphosate which is found in the sprays. The Council is therefore removing weeds manually. This manual method of weed removal is very time consuming, and Hounslow Highways freely admits that they are running behind schedule. The roads I reported were prioritised weed removal and I will be checking over the weekend if they have been sorted. For most of my council career weeding was one of those basic things that used to get carried out each year by the council with no issues or delays. It is such a great shame to see our streets neglected in this way.
Weeds on Magnolia Road and Ernest Gardens
Constitutional Matters
This week I attended the second meeting of a working party that is reviewing and refreshing the Council’s Constitution. As a new councillor I remember receiving a copy of Hounslow's. It was a weighty tome. Nowadays we are directed to a page on the website. The Constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people. Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the Council to choose. This is not the most glamorous aspect of being a local councillor but it is important work!
Another Plug - Crime and Police Meeting in Chiswick - 16 October - 7pm - Chiswick Town Hall
Councillor Ranjit Gill has arranged for the fourth Chiswick Police Public Meeting to provide us with the opportunity to ask questions about policing and community safety. We look forward to welcoming you there
Cllr Peter Thompson
peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk
07977 395810
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).
Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery).
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS
Chiswick Gunnersbury (was 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
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821
Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
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