No Progress For Strand On The Green Rec Upgrade

Local residents are angry that work has stopped

Residents at Strand on the Green in Chiswick have expressed their disappointment with the lack of work being carried out on the planned upgrade of a local recreation ground.

Strand on the Green Residents Association (SoGA) had recently been promised that by LBH that both the Playground and Recreational Ground would be upgraded this summer. This followed an eighteen-month campaign by the residents and was given the go-ahead in June by LBH.

But the chairman of SoGA has said that renovation work and site visits promised from LBH have not materialised despite there being funds agreed and allocated and a schedule of work produced.

In an email to Cllr Sachin Gupta, cabinet member for leisure and public health at the Council (following his remarks in the wake of Dukes Meadows in Chiswick being awarded a Green Flag), Mr Griffiths states:

"I read the comments you have made on the W4 Website regarding the Green Flag awarded to Dukes Meadows. What a pity the same cannot be said for our Recreation Area in Thames Road which - frankly - is a disgrace to both Lbh and Carillion.

"SoGA raised £50,000 towards renovating the play and recreation area and what are we left with? A semi-completed and fenced off play area during the school holidays where no work has been undertaken for the past three weeks and a 15% management fee charged by Carillion. A recreation area where Brentford Football Club sponsored the renewal of turf that Lbh and Carillion failed to water despite the promise to do so and is now dead and scattered about along with the rest of the litter that the parks maintenance team ignore.

"The renovation work and site visits promised from Lbh have not materialised despite there being funds agreed and allocated and a schedule of work produced.

"All in all LBH and Carillion should be ashamed of their disinterest in this one of the few green spaces in the Riverside Ward.

"Your words below ring hollow!

" 'Green Flags are the gold standard, so to win another two shows that our efforts to improve local parks are really making a difference. There has been a lot of work to bring these parks up to this level, not only from our grounds staff, but also the many volunteers and friends groups who volunteer their time to improve the sites for everyone’s enjoyment.'

"The existing Green Flag parks are: WHY IS THE THAMES ROAD RECREATION AREA NOT INCLUDED?"

• Beaversfield Park
• Bedfont Lakes Country Park
• Boston Manor Park
• Crane Park
• Feltham Park
• Hanworth Park
• St John’s Gardens
• Turnham Green

Richard Griffith
Chairman
Strand on the Green Association

We have asked LBH for comment.

July 31, 2014