Forum Topic

Town Centre Manager

Interested to read on one of my 'trade' websites today (haven't seen it reported locally) that LBH have appointed a new Town Centre Manager for Brentford and Chiswick.  Funnily enough when I googled Brentford Town Centre Manager the first result was an interview with the previous postholder from when they took up the role in 2011 (when it was shared between Hounslow Town Centre and Brentford Town Centre) and that article finished with some line about how the postholder would regularly update this website on happenings, but I don't ever recall hearing from her again !.Having had a somewhat 'difficult' experience with a Town Centre Manager in another Borough trying to rewrite/disregard adopted planning policy to suit her objection to one of my scheme (which seemed quite perverse as given 1/2 her salary was paid by the Council, it seemed rather 'wrong' for her to criticise her employers during her  hours of employment !) I'm always a tad skeptical about what positive things such people actually bring to the table...

Adam Beamish ● 4062d13 Comments

Perhaps give her a call Phillipa! Rachel is her name.

Jim Lawes ● 4048d

So what would you like a Town Centre Manager to do?Personally I'd like to see a few heads banged together - in public.  Don't think I'll be that lucky!

Philippa Bond ● 4049d

It is really hard to understand why Brentford needs a "Town Manager" at all. Perhaps she will be able to advise on the best tattoos or on Pizza toppings?Maybe she was responsible for removing the silly "Brentford is Brilliant" sign hung over W&K's gates. In fact that act alone probably got her the job, ho ho.

Bob Crongle ● 4059d

If you look on CW4, there is some support for this from retailers.

Guy Lambert ● 4060d

I wonder if this story would ever have entered the local domain if I hadn't started this thread (don't think LBH have issued a press release or such like) ? - don't think I'm going  to be on this lady's Christmas card list !.

Adam Beamish ● 4060d

Were the local shops asked about this? Is there a desperate need for a town centre manager? Surely there are better things to spend public money on than this?

Vanessa Smith ● 4060d

Poor woman will have her work cut out trying to put a positive spin on anything to do with Brentford town centre.What happened to the last town centre manager?

Liz Price ● 4060d

Oh, joy of joys another 'town centre manager' who will, if the experience of Ealing is anything to go by, be totally ineffective.Brentford high Street is, I am sorry to say coming from an 'old' Brentford family, a 'hole'.As to Chiswick High Road being 'undiscovered' what absolute twaddle.Oh well, one more bureaucrat won't be noticed and certainly won't be empowered to get collective fingers out of collective bottoms which is what Brentford needs.

Nigel Brooks ● 4061d

Perhaps this idiot should read the write up on Chiswick in last Sunday's Times Home section! As for 'town centre managers', I have three cats anyone of which could fulfil this function just as well as any I've experienced, and for a lot less money! Hounslow is a dump and Chiswick isn't the High Rd. it was many years ago, but it is at least a nice place to go, Brentford? Would need a lot of investment how much longer is the regeneration going to take?

Vanessa Smith ● 4061d

"Chiswick ..... great underrated and undiscovered place"Where has this woman been???  She certainly can't have any knowledge of west London.    Well just hope she doesn't intend to cover Chiswick with towering ugly skyscrapers to match Brentford's new developments.  Incidentally, is she any relation to Sue Sampson who is in the LBH Cabinet and on the Isleworth & Brentford Planning committee?

Trudie Fuller ● 4061d

I wonder what salary this important local authority postholder receives?

Gerry Tan ● 4061d

Cyberspace reports:"The London Borough of Hounslow has appointed Rachel Victor-Sampson as its town centre manager for Brentford and Chiswick.Victor-Sampson will be responsible for supporting and promoting the Brentford and Chiswick areas within the borough.Key tasks include promoting, marketing and supporting the development of the town centres and being an advocate to local businesses and stakeholders.She will also support and facilitate the regeneration and development of areas, and enable and deliver key improvement projects.Victor-Sampson said she hoped to help put Chiswick and Brentford on the map for the “great underrated and undiscovered places that they are”.It is also a commendable move on the part of London Borough Hounslow to appoint this role which demonstrates a holistic vision and commitment to the development and regeneration of areas,” she added.Her most recent appointment was at the Science Vale Oxford Enterprise Zone, where she was responsible for coordinating and enabling the delivery of projects.Victor-Sampson began her career in housing development in the 1990s, and moved into urban regeneration in 2005 as the Millennium communities national programme manager with regeneration quango English Partnerships.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000"CHISWICK underrated and undiscovered"  !!!That's twaddle!

Jim Lawes ● 4061d

Another salary for the local tax payer to fund!  Who's auntie, uncle, brother, sister son, daughter is she/he?

Trudie Fuller ● 4061d