Homelessness, Live Music and an Unjustified Pay Rise
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert
July 24, 2026
My comments about Hackney last week were rather misinterpreted. I don't think we have anything like the same problems with rough sleeping that are apparent in Hackney. We do obviously have some rough sleepers but they are tucked away out of the public eye. I hate that they find they have to live that way and will always do what I can to alleviate that, but the motivation for living rough is often complex and some cannot be encouraged towards a 'normal' life whatever the council, charities or the government can do, despite good intentions everywhere.
The distinction in Hackney, which rather shocked me, was that people are building little shanty homes on main shopping streets. I've never seen that in Hounslow or Brentford, and I remember a few years ago the community (and I) engaged with a woman who was an ex-nurse who laid down her sleeping bag outside the undertaker in Brentford. Good people paid for her to spend a couple of nights in the Premier Inn and I volunteered to drive her to meet the homeless team in Hounslow. I met her at the Premier, but she decided she would not go to Hounslow and returned to the street. I believe the homeless team (and importantly the charity Hounslow work with) did eventually persuade her to accept help.
Homeless people are a tragic symptom of how our society fails some people. I am indirectly in contact with another person from Brentford who has and owns a home of their own but is not really equipped to live independently but determined to do so and very resistant to 'interference' by people who look to help. Another sad symptom of how our instinctively caring country cannot deal very well with those who become isolated, sick or alienated.
On Saturday I visited the 'drop in' at the Vacuum Cleaner Stadium (actually the wonderful Brentford FC Community Sports Trust) about plans to host music events at the stadium during the summer. I remember as part of the original planning approval they said there were 'no plans' to hold concerts there. A well-furrowed way of saying they might develop plans later, which they now duly have done.
I omitted to take pictures but they don't really tell us much we don't know. Music events always bring some anxiety: in Chiswick and Brentford East these make sense because if this goes ahead there will be a lot of extra people about, maybe 50-100% more than they even have when Chelsea visits. Music is not music to everybody's ears (including mine for some music!) and inevitably that will not be contained within the stadium and probably noisier even than Liverpool fans. Some people will come by car despite excellent access to public transport and people from Brentford West and even Syon are concerned about parking stress. Fair enough, though my assessment is that this will likely be minimal. For me, I think these concerts should be welcomed but carefully controlled. Brentford should devote some of their income from these to local causes and the council. Police etc should very carefully control and monitor how behaviour, travel etc are managed.
On the way home I dropped into the Clayponds Gardens fun day. Used to be compulsory to attend but it is no longer in my ward but I like to support it. Pleased to hear Max and Marcela - the ward councillors - and Ruth had been there. Ruth must have been going since Neville Chamberlain was the PM because she had 25 years as a Councillor as well as now what must be 11 as an MP. I am not suggesting she is elderly - she is EVEN younger than me.
Talking of concerts, this morning (Thursday) I am up to Boston Manor Park where the first of 2 weekends where 3 day music events will be taking place - the successor concerts to Junction 2 which are now branded as The Bridge. I'll break off from my weekly task of surpassing the erudition of Shakespeare with my blog to see what's going on (and I hope remember to take a pic or 7). Well. I did but the organisers asked me not to publish them, because they are (not unreasonably) concerned about security. It reminded me of when I was in charge of large commercial buildings, EG what is now called Great West House in Brentford (in my day, Honeywell House). I'd go in on Thursday or Friday before a refurbished and redesigned floor. Nothing looked like it was anywhere near ready - half-built false ceilings with no light fittings, no carpet laid, lots of workers milling around in a way that looked like chaos. I went in at 7.00 on Monday morning expecting big trouble, to find all looking perfect and somebody fussing around relocating waste paper bins. Needless to say, it looks like chaos inside the concert area. JCBs buzzing around with annoying beepers going off, part-built stages, hundreds of people in Hi Vis. It will all be perfect tomorrow if I know anything.
I always enjoy our local parks but forgot to go to the laid-back concert in Watermans on Saturday afternoon. Fool. I'll be there this Saturday sometime between 4 and 6. Last one, sadly, for 2026 I believe.
On Monday we had the regular update from Ballymore. I took a mild dose of my polite drug, but whilst I welcome the imminent opening of the new pub and the Pilates place that has opened already there is little in the way of solid progress with the other shops.
Yes, they are building some of what is yet to be constructed, but the first chunk will not begin to be occupied for at least another year. They have not, as far as I can see, agreed any new occupiers and we have lost 2 of the 5 small ones from within the Duke of London Workshop place next to Morrisons. The market of course is difficult but Brentford remains a rather forlorn town centre whilst local businesses who would relish space are priced (or prejudiced) out of both the Ballymore and council blocks. At least 'Block 2' is partly on the way, which might give the Brewery Tap a better chance of surviving. Its situation is near impossible at present for what was a quiet and idyllic waterside pub. Meanwhile, the much more recently-approved Printmakers Yard is clearly near to completion, with the waterside path revived, scaffolding falling down from the last blocks and another 8 new shops on the market whilst the majority of the shops in neighbouring Ferry Quays are on the market or just plain empty.
On Tuesday I was on patrol and came upon this romantic scene on York Parade on the A4 near the Ealing Road roundabout. A few years ago, we stopped the regular industrial flytip on the service road/pavement (I have no real idea why it stopped). We put in grit bins for the flats above shops. As usual there are not enough of them so they often overflow even if used correctly with purple bags. I came upon this chap who I suppose is the remnant of the Special Waste Service we started 6 years ago. Whether they do the research, education and warnings which were part of the original spec which was spectacularly successful I have no idea. I suspect this chap is tasked with hunting humungous fines which seems to be the strategy now.
Anyway, he told me he had found 1 to fine, but I'm afraid we are back to treating the symptoms and ignoring the underlying sickness. Makes for some headlines I suppose such as the claim at the council meeting (in a minute) that flytipping has gone down 2%. In the first year of the previous administration it had already gone down 22% but that plan and the manifesto pledge has been abandoned for something ineffective, unfair and macho.
Ah, the Borough Council. I have had enormous satisfaction out of being a councillor and for the first year or two I looked forward to the Borough Council which happens most months. These days I dread it. Cabinet members are instructed to read out announcements written in many cases by council officers (it always shows). Then we have a couple of bogus debates about something or other which we know the Labour majority will reliably vote through, even though they have lost the audience (residents) and now have a wafer-thin majority, one which I am confident will not last long.
Of course, some of the Cabinet and some of the Labour members remain dedicated to make this borough better, but as this month's episode demonstrated, the majority are more interested in earning a few quid whilst the going is good. I find it truly astonishing that people who claim to be Labour councillors vote as a bloc who will give the bosses a 35% rise, the footsoldiers a 15% rise at the time inflation is about 2.6% Of course the residents have had a good rise of their own - 5% boost to their taxes. I used to believe in Labour. No longer. Even though Andy Burnham is a much more credible leader (yes - I did believe in and voted for Keir Starmer). To be fair to the Labour members it was probably made clear to them vote for this or go the Way of Lambert.
Jasmine and I could not decide whether to vote for the rather muddled amendment proposed by Reform or to abstain. We knew it meant nothing anyway because it wouldn't win. All the Labour hordes voted in favour of their (and all of us councillors') pay rise. Everyone else voted against the rises. 31 to 28 (I think) approved this terrible proposal. All 3 of us Greens have pledged to either refuse our Special Responsibilities Allowances (not a lot in reality) or give the proceeds to local charities. Rick Rowe was on holiday in Dorset and asked me whether he should get the train back to vote. Given the appalling persecution he has recently suffered, which meant him leaving his home for a while on police advice, I told him to stay on his holiday and enjoy a break after this trauma. The bullying of him which led to him having to leave his home for a while was loudly applauded by the Conservatives and Reform.
The Borough Council was really a monumental waste of time, as it usually is. There is never any attempt to genuinely debate the policies, just grandstanding EG boasting about 2% reduction in flytipping.
Anyway it kept us up to about 12.30 in the morning despite a lot of the phoney debate being truncated by the Mayor.
On Wednesday morning I was briefly back at Lambert Lodge for the third week running. The main reason for me going was because I had agreed with my ward partner Craig that we would go that week when previous weeks hadn't worked for him. Good to engage with these locals whom I think appreciate the attention.
After that I was back to Boston Manor Park because I was going to Wind in The Willows in the Walled Garden. I couldn't really refuse it because one of the haters on social media claims I drive around like Toad of Toad Hall so I had to study my role model. It was a ball, as everything I have been to in the Walled Garden has been. What was not a ball, was hearing that (at least) one of our much-loved local charities had had its council grant cut by 50%. Well that decided where my Special Responsibility Allowance should go. It will not of course fill the hole but as Tesco says Every Little Helps. Of course reducing the Cabinet's pay rise to 30% would fill the hole and not starve the cabinet members.
Anyway that was fun.
My fingers need more work.
I was back today at Lambert Lodge to meet a resident, her carer and a senior officer from the council. There have been some difficulties there and I hope this will lead to renewed partnership between officers and residents.
My phone now seems to lose its battery at an alarming pace. I turned it on after it turned off. It said 41%. I took a pic. It turned off. I turned it on again 2 minutes later and it said 4% and wouldn't take another pic. Dastardly effort by Google to get me to buy a new one. I found a new battery on the web for £20 which I will attempt to fit, helped by YouTube. As Capt Oates said, I may be some time.
I love where I live and a friend of mine was very complimentary about these flowers that I have had for several years and failed so far to kill them. Nice to end with something pretty and Toad did not give permission.
Councillor Guy Lambert
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