Forum Topic

Consultation re Boston Manor Park

See front page of this site.  Anyone who uses the park should try and give some input.  But I do wonder why we haven't had much notice. Any ideas ?

Pat Kingham ● 3628d6 Comments

Yes it's to develop a bid for the Heritage Lottery Fund which has to be in by November, hence the short timescales. I won't comment on why it wasn't kicked off sooner, nor on why ward councillors only found out about it when it appeared on TW8 a few days ago.There will be wider consultation as and when Lottery Money is granted, we're told.I suggested they substitute the expression 'council flats' for 'executive flats' but I agree, worth considering for a school, though maybe not big enough assuming the main house is preserved for other uses.I was also astonished to hear that the flats had been uninhabited since 2000(?) when someone nicked the lead off the roof, causing a leak. 15 years?!?

Guy Lambert ● 3625d

From my brief visit to the drop-in session, it appeared to be an initial event to gather views to develop a bid for Phase I Lottery Funding.Two option sketches for the House were presented to provoke discussion - both had event rooms and a conference suite in the main heritage area. But one proposed "Executive flats" in the north wing while the other suggested business/office units. While I was there people seemed to be muttering that the last thing Brentford needed now was more executive flats. It would be interesting to see what an imaginative architect could do to fit a small primary school into the north wing.The plans for the park did not explicitly mention car parking under the motorway - though it appeared on the flipchart page that was collecting votes for features people liked or did not like.

Tim Henderson ● 3625d

May I ask ...are you the Bett who wrote the book on local history?

Sarah Felstead ● 3627d

Doesn't sound good but I shall go with an open mind.

Pat Kingham ● 3627d

There really does seem to have been a trend over the last 3-4 years to avoid consultations as much as possible with the public by Hounslow CouncilI know Cllr Dennison has worked very hard to try and reverse this and all credit to him but I fear that as this new practice is so common it must be sanctioned at the top of the tree

Paul Fisher ● 3627d

FYI, Jura Consultants is also the group responsible for the "consultation" on Gunnersbury Park a few years ago. Its report appeared to be loosely cobbled together from public-domain material (yes, I did read it), and recommended flogging off 5.6 acres of the park to developers.I fully expect the Boston Manor "report" to have already been drafted, and to recommend financing rebuilding the house by selling half the park to GSK for a new multi-storey car park, or somesuch.

Bryan Betts ● 3627d