Forum Topic

Brentford Regeneration

HiDoes anyone know what is happening to brentford high street and surrounding area. I have moved to the area and reading past data, i thought the high street will be developed. Right now i see empty buildings.Its a shame as Brentford is so close to the riverside and this can be used to advance the local area.Thank you

Nemesh Patel ● 4250d14 Comments

Jim, I think you're overly negative about 'South of the High St'In the Ferry Quays bit - where I live - you can argue about the blocks of flats but they're good to live in, there is some decent landscaping including a butterfly garden (I wonder how many people know about that) and it's mainly traffic free. There are also a number of historic buildings of various shapes and sizes retained within the newer builds and all it really lacks is a bit of life from passing pedestrians etc.With luck when all the development has been done you'll have a continuous riverside path all the way from Watermans Park to the heart of the new river/canalside development in the centre of Brentford and that will attract some of the bar/cafe businesses which are a bit limited at present.The real tragedy to me is that the south of the High ST in the centre has been allowed to degenerate in the way it has, over - I guess - 4 or 5 decades. The sooner we get a redevelopment scheme started, the better.

Guy Lambert ● 4244d

Yes, what is happening south of the high street is so, so sad.

Bob Crongle ● 4244d

No Brentford Gasworks here these days!

Jim Lawes ● 4245d

There are many parts of Brentford that are free of uglification and they should be recognised. In my view the most interesting road of all is Boston Manor Road. It's full of history and interesting structures all the way along.What badly let Brentford down was the Gas Works... skirting along both sides of road from Ealing Road to Kew Bridge and taking over the riverbank.  For dozens of years Brentonians were denied access to the River Thames from Kew Bridge to closeby the London Apprentice pub in Old Isleworth.Can you believe that with Kew Gardens on the opposite bank we were denied access because of industrial units, the Gas Works high wall (and stink), the boat repair yards, Council Depots, the Docks with it's railways..and then the whole of Syon Park... in those days almost exclusively out of bounds!Brentfordians have always been shortchanged...and even when the Gas Works closed..the high wall remained for many many years denying views of the river.So at least Brentford has now got access to some towpaths and parkland by the River. But lousy planning approvals have gradually destroyed so much.  Take Dock Road for example..the cobbled road too. Looking northwards there is a vista towards St Paul's Church and it's steeple. What did Brentford do? Build a Supermarket right across the line of vision.No charm about the Travel Lodge building..and any prospect of there being charm and heritage "south of the High Street" seems to have gone out of the window.

Jim Lawes ● 4245d

I have lived here for 30 years with promises of regeneration. I'm afraid you have to accept that Brentford is a dump on Thames that is a disgrace to any local authority. There are so many excuses for letting the place deteriorate. Don't hold your breath!

Liz Price ● 4245d

Access to the river with attractive boulvards to stroll along, some open areas where the river can be viewed from the High Street and not blocked off by high towers of flats.  Trees and some greenery.  I hope when they develop the dear old Waterman's site they do not build all over that open space to the east.

Trudie Fuller ● 4248d

Having said that Guy it is important to get it right as it will only be done once and we will have to look at the development and use it for the rest of the time we live in Brentford, and for some that will be the rest of their lives. There is also loads of Wonga to be made by developers so the sooner they can get it more right(it will never please everyone) the quicker they can take the money and run.What they are proposing now may be viewed as 'Little Croydon on Thames'.

Keith Iddon ● 4249d

Whilst I'm all for getting the *best* solution available, it's hard to imagine what could be worse than (the vast majority of) what's there already.Brentford clearly is in no danger of becoming Croydon because of scale and the rivers, if nothing else. There's a consensus that there are problems with the scheme as submitted but my view would be to come at the developers from the point of view that we want it to happen, and fast, so let's get to a compromise which everyone can live with.There's a danger that excessive negativity will frighten the developers off, and that's the last thing we need

Guy Lambert ● 4249d

"...gradual uglification of a town eventually leads to it going downmarket..."Very well said! But was the area between Burford Road, High Street and Ealing road not uglification? And the famous Brentford Towers (6 off)? And what Brentford classier buildings are under the threat of demolition now?The issue may be with over-development and lack of infrastructure, but not that much the further uglification.

Alex Shpinkov ● 4249d

Keith is right to be concerned about the appearance of the proposed development. Councillors and developers are inclined to sweep such concerns out of the way in the drive for growth, but forget that the gradual uglification of a town eventually leads to it going downmarket, witness Hounslow after it lost some of its classier buildings such as the Town Hall and Library and Alexandra Road school.

Ian Speed ● 4249d

I think you are way off the mark as to why people are 'blocking the progress' of Brentford. They are trying to stop it becoming the new Croydon.

Keith Iddon ● 4249d

People like you seem to keep blocking the progress of Brentford, which has beennld for the past 15 years. It was an indurtial town but it can't remain that way for ever.We are losing businesses and industries in this country, due to peoples attitudes towards work and lack of responsibilities. Local or even central government has not been able to keep company like Gillete in the area, which went aborad to operate its business. That huge building has been empty for many years now, which is too big for any business.Brentford is suffering because its progress is being blocked by handful of local people, who may have very little to contribute to the area. You got to move on with time by keeping some of the important historical monuments.

Satvir Sidhu ● 4249d

What is proposed won't do much to enhance the river access.The last designs looked like something out of a Orwellian novel.Remember, Brentford was an industrial town, It's not Kew or Ealing.What remains of small industry is very threatened and it adds up to a lot of proper local jobs unlike new job creation which is generally mediocre jobs of little career opportunity or skill.

Anthony Waller ● 4250d

Hi Nemesh, welcome to Brentford!There is a scheme under development and recent details are here. What happens next I'm not surehttp://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/brentford-high-street-plan-under-7061533

Guy Lambert ● 4250d