Forum Topic

BSkyB and Boston Manor Park

Front page story - BSkyB want to use part of Boston Manor Park as a temporary car park for 6 months. I agree with everything the Friends of the Park have said and don't think it should be given permission.  They already rent 200 spaces in the Tesco Osterley car park.  It's a park for local residents to enjoy but the Council will probably see the revenue.  How do we voice our disagreement ?

Pat Kingham ● 3754d26 Comments

You are either too young or too blinkered.Do you just pontificate and not actually use public transport?I worked on LRT when it had a draft policy it could not implement pre GLA/Mayor.So one wonders where you get your stance? Blinkered by politics perhaps? I use all of the public transport options every day and yes TfL have made massive improvements. That's why I use it.But it won't be for much longer. Journey times have increased significantly over the last 2 years. It is becoming a regular 1hr 45 to 2 hour trek. On a good day it should take 55mins.  And it is busting at the seams. Overcrowding is way beyond acceptable for what one pays.Vehicle use is not down by much. In fact the only time it went down significantly was in the GLC era when Livingstone introduced Fares Fair Policy.That was a 12% reduction is weeks and it consolidated.So currently the local population is deprived of a fast link into London when most other areas have fast links or are getting them.  The irony is we had the fast link and the capacity exist even now to be able to have at least 1 additional semi fast train on the Brentford loop.So the car is going to be the only option for an increasing amount of people. With an increasing population and the improvements mentions are a decade away if not more.

Raymond Havelock ● 3744d

Linda - thanks for that explanation and good luck with getting some of the money sitting in the Council's pot.  You and your fellow committee members do such a good job - the park looks so much better after all your hard work.

Pat Kingham ● 3744d

Linda.  I was under the impression that the rental of spaces for cars is a straight business arrangement and would be best undertaken as a charitable donation direct to the charity who can then claim back income tax on top of the donation.  Isn't an S106 is linked to a planning development?  Any S106 arrangements would be separate to the car park rental?  ...sorry but I get this warm and fuzzy feeling about the Tax man forking out ...... ;) x

Sarah Felstead ● 3744d

To be clear Sarah, the money offered through an S106 agreement are never shared with the Friends (or the community) when the planning application is made.  The amount will be enough for Hounslow Council to be excited but by tradition this is not necessarily shared with the park.  I have been trying to get approval on some funding from the vast sums in the S106 pot since September 2014 when the exorbitant figures held in Hounslow Accounts were announced.  Nobody seems able to commit.  I am hoping that with the elections now out the way (and purdah no longer an excuse)that someone will come back and say hey, Friends of Boston Manor, you have been doing such a great job since 2003 - here is £X towards your next project!!!!

Linda Massey ● 3744d

Yes, thank you Myra for your response and actions.  I also agree with Pat that no amount of money would compensate for the safety problems - and the principle at stake here.

Jan Jones ● 3745d

Thank you Myra and councillors for your speedy response and reaction.  Sarah - I don't believe money has been mentioned but think that safety is more important.

Pat Kingham ● 3745d

How much money are we talking about?  If it is a form of a charitable donation to the park can the park claim the huge chunk of tax back from the tax man?

Sarah Felstead ● 3745d

Just to let you know that Brentford ward councillors, Mel Collins, Ruth Cadbury and myself have sent our objections to the planners regarding the parking proposal at Boston Manor park, and are supporting the Friends of Boston Manor and other residents in this unwelcome proposal.Regards, Cllr Myra Savin

Myra Vivien Savin ● 3745d

So your answer to an increasing population which drives less is to force them to drive more by diverting investment into 1960s-style car-only provision.  Riiight.  You do know why the 1960s mode of relying on cars for urban transport failed, I hope?Sky, which is expanding, clearly needs better public transport to serve it and *less* car parking - the GSK model is correct here, but I'd urgently recommend provision of a new Piccadilly Line station to the north and a light rail corridor along the Brentford branch/A4 connecting to Southall Crossrail station and possibly east on the A4 as a more efficient use of the space than cars.  More segregated cycle lanes (which the council thankfully has already started on) would also help considerably.  More car parking, for anyone anywhere, is completely the wrong approach.

Thomas Barry ● 3749d

"The problem here goes back to Tony Blairs incoming government and John Prescotts anti car policy. His office refused to allow GSK to have adequate parking ( which it had at Beecham House ) incorporated into the new headquarters site.  Section 106 money went to refurbishing Brentford Station which was well overdue for renewal anyway some fancy street lighting and so on.The singlemost improvement was a 15 min twice hourly train service into Waterloo.and a direct link to Reading. By far the only fast way from West London into town.That only lasted until Ken Livingstones policy to serve all stations wiped out the service."There is so much wrong in this it's impossible to know where to start.  Suffice to say it can only have been written by someone completely ignorant of London transport policy over the last 15 years, specifically the massively increased demand for rail services and the reduction in car use even as population and employment increased.

Thomas Barry ● 3749d

Well to solve the long term parking problem as let's face it people come from everywhere and as many predicted vehicle propulsion is rapidly changing and becoming highly fuel and emission efficient in fact humans and animals make more toxic emissions than many cars. So cars will be around for a very long time.Public transport is great but only if you live in the right places and with a burgeoning population as many will not be in the 'right' place and those who are.GSK and SKY and maybe a few other large employers should be able to finance a large underground car park which could include a few amenity facilities that benefit the local community as well as possible parking for Brentford games with a park and ride even an underground bus depot could be feasible.The park returns to being a park.After all this was managed in the early 1960s in Hyde Park a huge part of which is over a vast car park complex. It was built in a short time and there is very little evidence in the park of what lies below.This could be of huge long term benefit not just for GSK and SKY but for other smaller employers and the local community.It will be expensive but not it real terms.The worst aspect is the groundworks which would last a few years but after that and once replanted and landscaped could look better than it does now.

Raymond Havelock ● 3749d

So what can be done ?

Pat Kingham ● 3749d

The problem here goes back to Tony Blairs incoming government and John Prescotts anti car policy. His office refused to allow GSK to have adequate parking ( which it had at Beecham House ) incorporated into the new headquarters site.  Section 106 money went to refurbishing Brentford Station which was well overdue for renewal anyway some fancy street lighting and so on.The singlemost improvement was a 15 min twice hourly train service into Waterloo.and a direct link to Reading. By far the only fast way from West London into town.That only lasted until Ken Livingstones policy to serve all stations wiped out the service.The legacy of Prescotts policy was the relocating of smaller businesses which could not accommodate staff and customers and the decisions by others to steer clear of West London, my own company included to locations where authorities simply ignored Prescotts policies .The CPZs that residents now grudgingly have to accept - at their expense are a direct result of such poor planning and policies which Hounslow's none too bright degeneration officer cannot seem to grasp.This for me is why this election is such a difficult one. Labour in Hounslow and Ealing have shown themselves to be wholly untrustworthy and the Conservatives inneffective and frankly pretty much the same.

Raymond Havelock ● 3749d

Thank you Pat

Jan Jones ● 3750d

I made my objections on the website but will also e-mail the Planning Officer.  I have contacted the local councillors and had replies from Myra Savin & Ruth Cadbury. Myra has requested the relevant information and will look into it. I am surprised they had no knowledge of this application. BSkyB also rent 200 parking spaces from Tesco Osterley. I found this out by asking why the store was so empty but the car park full. The spaces are the numbered ones.

Pat Kingham ● 3750d

Objections to the planning application can be make up to 21 days from 23rd April, I believe, by contacting the planning officer, Natalie.Lynch@hounslow.gov.uk.  Please do so if you would like to support the park and Friends of Boston Manor. As well as the 120 spaces in the application, the site plan shows (in very small writing) an area for future expansion to provide additional spaces, and also mentions that there will be no fencing (to prevent vandalisation!),implying that children and adults may be wandering through the parked cars during the summer holiday. It's  also difficult to see that the park will be granted Green Flag Status, given the change of use to private car parking in a public Conservation area.  I have submitted my objections and will be taking leaflets round to my neighbours in Boston Gardens, most of whom seem to be unaware of what is happening, tomorrow.

Jan Jones ● 3751d

Bear in mind that Sky also rents car parking spaces from Grasshoppers Rugby Club, part of whose playing fields they now have in their sights under the guise of supporting the building of a new free school.

Mary A O'Hanlon ● 3751d

All the more reason to stop BSkyB using the park for car parking - the story on the front page about new play equipment with funds raised by the tireless Linda Massey and her team.  Well done to them.

Pat Kingham ● 3752d

Hoping it covers all our green spaces and is not specific to schools. I tried to make it general to cover all the areas the council are trying to take from the community. From the threads I've read it appears to be a general action and....stronger together?? Stop releasing community green spaces and parks for rent and building purposes, without community agreement or support, keep them maintained for local people and families to use.Why is this important?There are many people living in the local community without gardens who rely on these parks for invaluable outside space throughout the year. Whether it's for family picnics, walking dogs, meeting friends or essential exercise. The green spaces and parks also provide physical and psychological escape in built up areas.These areas have been poorly maintained and are now being sold off for instant financial gratification, we need a longer term view. We pay towards and deserve well maintained green areas for the whole community to enjoy. Once they are built on it's too late, it has to be stopped now and the areas preserved for future generations to enjoy as an escape from hectic London living.

Marie Richardson ● 3753d

I've registered my concerns on the Planning Dept website and also e-mailed the local councillors - let's see.  I'm not expecting much.

Pat Kingham ● 3753d

I didn't see anything about school playing fields. It is small local open spaces that are under threat at this very moment, and these are often overlooked until this shower spy a money-making scheme or want to do their mates a favour. They need to learn they are supposed to represent us ALL, God alone what damage these muppets have done to their parliamentary candidate's chances next week, do they even understand local politics?

Vanessa Smith ● 3753d

Thanks Marie. The petition seemed to relate to school playing fields.  Is there another for parks and open spaces ?

Pat Kingham ● 3753d

Glaxo wanted space for 300 cars. The idea was to channel the money raised into Boston Manor House which at the time needed repairs.

Neil Chippendale ● 3753d

Please sign and share.https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-hounslow-s-green-spaces-and-parks

Marie Richardson ● 3753d

Glaxo were sniffing around this idea a few years ago as well

Paul Fisher ● 3754d

Given Hounslow's recent record where parks are concerned they'll take the money and sod the public. I think they're all under threat.

Vanessa Smith ● 3754d