Who Can't Wait Until May the Eighth?

Chiswick Riverside councillor Amy Croft reports back

Cllr Amy Croft

May 2, 2026

With less than a week to go until the election, you are likely to be familiar with the regular (and quite possibly by now, bothersome) knocks on your door by smiley and eager election candidates, handing out promises on roads, weeds and litter. In addition to this public facing side of politics things can get somewhat heated on social media, and even in person, between certain candidates and their supporters, but this should play no part in local politics. With the volatile state of international politics and the recent violent attacks on minority communities, we must all play our part in coming together as a community to eliminate hatred in all of its forms. Those of us wishing to represent our communities on this public stage must be leaders at all times in this regard.

Grove Park Group Hustings

On Thursday evening I was honoured to represent the Labour Party at a hustings at St Paul’s Church Grove Park, alongside representatives from the Conservative and Green Parties, organised and expertly chaired by the Grove Park Group residents’ association. This was a shining example of how political debate can be facilitated without the need for inappropriate behaviour, grandstanding or mudslinging, with an interactive audience of close to a hundred residents asking their questions of the candidates.

Polls

It would be remiss of me not to mention the numerous polls circulating on the internet that try and map national sentiment and voting intention onto local election predictions. Having been out on the doorstep at least twice a week since early October with my fellow Labour Party Chiswick Riverside candidates, Trevor MacFarlane and Gurminder Randhawa, and having had hundreds (and probably thousands) of conversations with residents, the true picture still shows a two horse race between Labour and Conservative, with Greens increasing their vote share, but not by enough to make an impact, so I would urge caution in believing everything you read in polls.

Labour Party Chiswick Riverside candidates Gurminder Randhawa, Trevor MacFarlane and Amy Croft

Manifesto

The many conversations we have been having with residents over the past 7 months (and those I have been having with residents for the last 4 years), have helped to shape the Hounslow Labour Party manifesto, with the following providing just a few examples of some of the many exciting manifesto pledges.

• 24 hour response on fly tipping, street cleaning, graffiti and illegal parking,
• Free bulky waste collection and community skip days,
• Town centre and neighbourhood parade improvement fund, ring fenced for every local area,
• Community toilet scheme, encouraging people to spend longer in the High Road supporting local businesses,
• Start up grants for small business,
• £2 million pavement pledge,
• Support and work with other stakeholders to ensure step free access in all of our stations,
• Support for a London wide e-bike strategy,
• £1.4 million playground pledge,
• Greater support for grassroots culture initiatives, and aim to become London Borough of Culture, with Chiswick at the forefront,
• Creation of a new Leisure Centre at Brentford Fountain, and discounted leisure passes for all young people.

These are not hollow promises, they are pledges made as a result of listening to residents about what they want to see in their Borough, coupled with the experience and understanding of operational delivery and financial costings.

Some of the things I have already secured for residents

With leaf clearing not happening fast enough at the end of last year, I worked hard to get the worse roads in Chiswick Riverside brought forward on the schedule, and then worked with my fellow candidates, residents and volunteers to clear some of the worst affected roads ourselves. I then liaised with the relevant cabinet member and the Leader of the Council to highlight the issue, this then fed into the announcement in March of £750,000 invested immediately to double street cleaning in our wards. If elected I will work with my colleagues to ensure we are better prepared for the leaf fall in all of our beautiful tree lined streets, and that they are cleared promptly, before the leaves turn to dangerous mush.

I have also secured funding for the full resurface of Oxford Road South that will happen during the Summer, something that my Conservative colleagues say they have been trying to secure for close to 8 years; in addition to securing an undertaking from Officers that the CPZ parking system will be merged with the Hartington/Staveley Road exemption scheme, making acquiring permits easier for residents. If elected the Chiswick Riverside Labour team will work hard to ensure these schemes are implemented properly and that we find a better solution for visitor parking across the ward.

A recent FOI shows my casework total as the 10th highest in the Borough, having totalled nearly 400 individual pieces of casework in the last 2 years. It is in these interactions that I have worked with the Council to highlight areas where things are not working for residents and help put them right, establishing better relationships between residents and the Council, something that is in everyone’s best interest.

Our promise

Myself and my fellow candidates want to ensure that this approach to positive politics continues to grow, if you would like to read more about what we have been up to and more detail on what the Hounslow Labour manifesto means for Chiswick you can read more here, www.chiswick-labour.co.uk and if you fancy speaking to us about our plans to support residents in Chiswick Riverside further if elected, you will find us at the Steam Packet pub on Strand on the Green from 6pm-9pm on Tuesday 5th May, and you are welcome to pop in for a chat.

Cllr Amy Croft

DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Council Meeting

26 May 2026 7:30 pm  – The Annual Meeting of the Council

Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Most meetings take place on the 6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, TW3 3EB. Hounslow House is fully accessible. The nearest tube is Hounslow Central which does not have step-free access. Parking in local roads is limited.

Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel

Emergencies

You can report emergencies outside office hours by ringing the council on: 020 8583 2222.