Green Days, Chiswick Wildlife and Back to the Council Offices
Chiswick Homefields councillor Jack Emsley reports back
Cllr Jack Emsley
June 22, 2026
Looking back at my emails, I realise that a quirk of scheduling (and an intervening election) means it’s been over ten weeks since my last ChiswickW4 Blog - safe to say a lot has happened in that time! If I was to fill this article with everything that has happened since late May, I suspect it would turn into a short novel, so fear not, I’ll be keeping this blog strictly to more recent goings on!
Green Days
I note that my last blog on this website was written in the middle of a mini heatwave - plus ca change! The Costa del Chiswick played host once again to the brilliant Green Days in Bedford Park last weekend. It was fantastic to see thousands enjoying the sun, refreshments and entertainment on Acton Green as the Bedford Park Festival well and truly brought out the best our local community has to offer.
This year, local councillors in Chiswick Homefields and Southfields wards joined forces with our local police team and W4 Youth to man a stall at the festival. A big thanks to the inspirational Sally Chacatte for the idea of a joint councillor/police team stand, and for lending us the W4Youth gazebo to stop me from going too red in the sun!
WildChiswick Survey
Wandering back from the Bedford Park festival, it was amazing to see the Turnham Green Terrace piazza in full bloom - the fruits of a fantastic urban greening project led by Abundance London. Last weekend the area was host to an array of bees and butterflies, which was a useful reminder of WildChiswick’s 2026 Nature Survey Competition.
Until the 31st October, WildChiswick is encouraging us to take a photo and record any fauna species we see in Chiswick, to help create an up to date record of which species are present in our area and how we can best protect their natural habitat. There are prizes for those who record the most species, and for the person or group who manage to spot the rarest species. Full details on how to take part can be found here.
Back to the office
Unfortunately, being a councillor isn’t just about enjoying Chiswick in the sun. On Wednesday I was back in Hounslow House for various council related meetings. Since being elected leader of the 17-strong Conservative Group on Hounslow Council (now one of the largest Conservative opposition groups in London), I’ve been scheduling regular meetings with senior officers in the council.
We have these meetings for two reasons. First, it’s an opportunity to give feedback directly to officers about what residents are telling us, and to make recommendations on what top level policies might need a rethink. On Wednesday, that meant speaking to relevant senior officers about flytipping enforcement (and why giving £1,000 fines to residents for leaving an envelope in the wrong bin is not the right approach), as well as concerns about low MMR vaccine uptake amongst children in our borough. Our group also joined an introductory briefing on the council’s finances, in the run up to a new round of budget preparations beginning in July.
But it’s also important to have these meetings because of the political situation Hounslow Council finds itself in. The election results in May were seismic, and saw Hounslow Labour’s majority cut down to just one. It’s unlikely that this majority will last the full four year term, and that means Conservative Councillors have to be ready to step in. Given our big increase in seats borough-wide, we’re no longer just the opposition on Hounslow Council, we’re an administration in waiting. Building relationships with senior officers now is crucial to prepare our group to step in, if and when the administration collapses.
A busy summer ahead
Back to Chiswick, and it’s already looking like a busy few weeks ahead.
Next week I’ll be attending the opening of the new Emmanuel Hollow site in Dukes Meadows. The site has undergone a huge regeneration over the past few months, with the council working alongside the Dukes Meadows Trust, WildChiswick and Abundance London (among others!) to create a more welcoming site by Barnes Bridge. A particular shoutout should go to Tibor Babic, a brilliant local resident who helped to design the space. I’m excited to see the final result officially opened!
Next weekend is also the Chiswick Horticultural and Allotment Society’s Summer Show, on Sunday 28th June at the Staveley Road trading hut site. I’m looking forward to a sunny afternoon barbecue with the team, followed by an auction of the local produce entered into the show. A quintessential English summer event, not to be missed!
Two new dates for diaries will be our revamped Chiswick Homefields councillor surgeries on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Cllrs Linden Grigg, Mike Denniss and I will be offering a new way for residents to engage with us face to face, with fortnightly surgeries alternating between a venue in Grove Park and a venue on the High Road. Details are being finalised this week, which we’ll then share widely.
Finally, a big thank you to everybody who has been in touch to offer congratulations about me being awarded the British Empire Medal for public service in last week’s King’s Birthday Honours list. It came as a big surprise - I’m delighted to have been recognised for doing a role that I love. Chiswick is the best area in London, and I’m so happy that I get to play a small part in keeping our community special.
Cllr Jack Emsley
07977 396017
DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Hounslow House is fully accessible. Hounslow Central tube station is not step-free. The 237 bus stops nearby. Parking in local roads is limited.
Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel
Planning Committee : 11 July at 7pm
Planning Committee : 25 July at 7pm
Overview and Scrutiny Committee : 2 July at 7pm
Planning Committee : 9 July at 7pm
Cabinet : 14 July
Borough Council : 21 July at 7.30pm
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).
Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery).
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS CONTACT INFO
Chiswick Gunnersbury ward
Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446
Cllr Vickram Grewal vickram.grewal@hounslow.gov.uk 07904 184099
Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Michael Denniss Michael.Denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Linden Grigg Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk 07779 436258
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
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