Chiswick Councillors Get Weeding Claiming Council Inaction

Say area is at the back of the queue for tackling the problem

Cllrs Jack Emsley and Cllr Ron Mushiso kitted out for action

July 5, 2025

Two Chiswick councillors have weeded residential streets in the area saying that they were prompted by council inaction on the issue.

Cllrs Jack Emsley and Ron Mushiso got to work on pavements around Ashbourne Grove after they say there were told by the council that it could take up to five months for officers to respond to their requests to visit the site.

The councillors first reported overgrowth on pavements in ‘The Groves’ area three weeks ago, following concerns from residents that it was becoming unsafe and impassable to wheelchairs and prams. One resident also reported that a woman had recently tripped and fallen badly due to a knot of weeds.

They received an email to say that the council had inspected the area and that details would be passed on to the street cleansing team “to update the current programme”, which had been extended into November.

Cllr Mushiso gets to work

Not satisfied that the pavement would be left potentially dangerous for five months, the councillors visited the site again this week to clear weeds themselves. The councillors worked for two hours to clear the worst of the weed growth, clearing debris and pulling up roots.

Cllr Emsley said: “It’s frustrating that, as council tax looks set to reach its highest level ever, the services we receive from the council in Chiswick seem to be getting poorer. As councillors, we have a choice: speak out about the managed decline of our streets from the sidelines, or roll up our sleeves and actually do something about it.”

Cllr Mushiso added, "We are frustrated by delay after delay by Hounslow Council. Keeping our pavements lean and safe should be a basic function for a local authority, but it's currently not being fulfilled. If this Labour administration won't do the job, your local Conservative councillors will take action and continue to work hard for Chiswick."

Before and after images of the areas tackled by the councillors

At this week’s Chiswick Area Forum, a few days after the councillor’s weeding, Hounslow Council confirmed it would be reintroducing glyphosate, a chemical weed killer, to support their efforts to manage the borough's weeds.

Speaking on behalf of the council at the packed meeting in St Paul’s Church, Tim Hurley, Service Director for Hounslow Highways, said that complaints about weeds on streets had increased dramatically in recent years, with Chiswick cited as one of the areas with the most complaints. Despite this, the Hounslow Highways’ action plan states that Chiswick will be the last area to be treated with the chemical in the borough, beginning in late August.

Councillor Shivraj Grewal, lead member for Infrastructure, Recycling and Transformation at Hounslow Council, said, “We are aware of concerns about weed growth in Chiswick. All areas of the borough, including Chiswick, are included in our treatment programme, with Chiswick scheduled for late August.

“The order of treatment is based purely on logistics and efficient use of crews and equipment – not on prioritising one area over another. Urgent issues are assessed separately, and we thank residents for their patience.

“Weeds are an issue across the borough. As we haven’t used chemicals for over five years, Hounslow Highways has launched a two-month intensive cycle using newly trained crews and equipment. This approach allows us to gather data and adjust the programme for the next round.”