Forum Topic

Church Street closure

My journeys from Brentford to Isleworth in the early evenings are now taking at least half an hour, twice as long as the previous 15 minute journey time.Surely this must affect Church Street residents themselves trying to grt home?

Reg Ghosh ● 3702d104 Comments

I quote:"Approximately 100 people, residents and other local people, both for and against, were at the meeting".Well, I was at the public hall meeting which wasn't organised by the council anyway and there were far more than 100 people in attendance, and no vote deciding anything was taken. It was also clear the overwhelming number present were against the proposal. I think there may well have been another meeting which the rest of us "other local people" were not party to, as you say not surprising then that a vote in favour would be the outcome.

Vanessa Smith ● 3641d

Which public meeting was the writer referring to?  The only public meeting that I'm aware of took place at Isleworth Public Hall, after the decision had been taken, and opinion there was overwhelmingly against the closure.  Was there a meeting held prior to this consisting solely of Church Street residents?  And if so, was it not to be expected that a majority might be in favour?It sounds to me like a councillor trying to offload the blame onto residents.  Ironic really when one considers what little import these people usually place upon the views of the community in other situations.

Phil Andrews ● 3641d

Seems like it, and someone who is prone to some exaggeration, who says that Church St. residents have been subjected to 'cars flying through at over 40 m.p.h., verbally abusing residents and eggs thrown at doors', all this whilst driving at speed??? Someone who clearly doesn't know how the system works and thinks a public meeting took a vote and that was the decision making process. This from someone who accuses others of making 'claim that is factually untrue and inflammatory!

Vanessa Smith ● 3641d

So it was an expression of the opinion of nobody in particular?

Phil Andrews ● 3642d

No - this one was name and address supplied.

Vanessa Smith ● 3642d

Was it signed by a resident of Church Street?I haven't had the opportunity to read the letter but certain ward councillors have a long history of writing to local newspapers under the guise of being "concerned residents" (usually giving the game away by including a comment about how wonderful certain ward councillors are).Either this or they get their friends to write in in a similar vein on their behalf.  One of the last people to do this resurfaced a few months later as a local election candidate for UKIP!

Phil Andrews ● 3642d

There is an anonymous letter in this week's Chronic. clearly from a Church St. resident which is such a load of rubbish it hardly stands up to the merest scrutiny. The writer even had the gall to criticise Pat Coles' letter of the other week! This nameless person maintains that councillors didn't make the decision a public vote at a meeting did! As if.The writer then maintains that 'this tiny residential road was hosting I think 2000 cars per hour' - I don't think so.I think we all acknowledge that Church St. had problems but the way trying to ameliorate them has been approached could hardly have been a bigger disaster. There are other traffic measures that could have been given a try, instead the arrogance and stupidity of councillors has got us where we are now, a complete and utter disaster with local people at each other's throats. I cannot think that they can ever come back from this, add in the disgraceful episode with Paul Slattery, Brent Lea and the Pit Park horse saga and it certainly is total disarray to put it mildly. If the council had set out to get up as many noses in as short a time as humanly possible they could hardly have improved on this. God help us.

Vanessa Smith ● 3642d

Politicians of this kidney thrive on division in the community.  Not only does it give them the opportunity to play God, but it also helps them to perpetuate the myth that the community is incapable of resolving its issues without the intervention of higher beings (i.e. them).There is nothing that frightens these people more than a united community.Please remember that these councillors have access to advice and training from experienced colleagues at their fingertips. They don't have to find their own way, as we as community councillors did.  The idea that it did not occur to them either to first seek a compromise solution or to consult the wider community prior to closure is ludicrous.

Phil Andrews ● 3645d

This really is stupid, 'attack'? We're fellow residents in this area, this needs to be kept in proportion. There were a number of ways that the situation in Church St. could have been made safer if only the people living there were prepared to be open to them, but they seem to have set their faces against anything but an absolute closure and now want to fight the rest of us putting up with the consequences. Abysmal situation caused by an abysmal set of local representatives, perhaps they think if we're 'fighting' one another we'll leave them alone - no chance! The council needs to show some leadership and understand that what we have at the moment is the worst of all worlds.

Vanessa Smith ● 3645d

The Church Street Residents Association leaflet says they need to "agree a specific plan of attack" on those of us who dare to oppose this local disaster imposed on us by the local councillors

Paul Fisher ● 3645d

I gather the Church St. residents are getting worried that the anti closure campaign is growing and could have some influence with the council - we wish! They are meeting at the church hall on Monday 15th to discuss their response. How awful is this? That Isleworth is being divided when this could almost certainly have reached a compromise with  some proper leadership and meaningful engagement with residents from the elected councillors.

Vanessa Smith ● 3645d

Well I care if they make the wrong decisions but I live in the area unlike you

Paul Fisher ● 3645d

Who cares? Weren't Guy and other Labour councillors elected to make decisions?

Nicki Drick ● 3645d

His bulging mailbag does, apparently, reveal a slight majority in favour of the closure.  Which only serves to show that denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Phil Andrews ● 3647d

Talks the talk, but does he walk the walk?

Neil Chippendale ● 3647d

From Cllr. Lambert's weekly blurb:"and I remain keen to understand how we can protect and develop local business and employment."Does he know that several local businesses are looking to leave Brentford because of the mayhem caused by the Church St. closure. This is down - in no small part - to the aforesaid Cllr. Lambert and his intransigent mates who simply will not listen to reasoned argument.

Vanessa Smith ● 3648d

In my book any politician worth their salt would do the right thing for the majority of their constituents, regardless of political persuasion.' The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'...(Mr. Spock)

Keith Iddon ● 3649d

I think that's rather harsh, Ruth may well have 'done the math' which our elected councillors clearly haven't, and worked out that the majority of her votes are NOT in Church St. Any politician worth their salt needs to be able to see the political angle in these issues.

Vanessa Smith ● 3649d

I'll go for option one, Ruth Cadbury does not give a stuff about any local residents or their views.

Reg Ghosh ● 3650d

As I see it there are two ways of looking at this, in terms of who is where when it comes to the Church Street issue and possibly, by implication, of wider issues in the area.The first, admittedly slightly cynical view is that Ruth and Councillor Curran have basically conjured up this difference of opinion between them, Ruth taking the popular view in the light of her precarious majority and Curran doing the opposite in the belief that he and his administration are unassailable.  In this scenario Ruth saves face with her electorate whilst Curran remains the boss.The second is that Ruth is enjoying a new sense of freedom having severed the shackles of the Council administration and is now able to be her own person where local issues are concerned. If this is the case then she will rightly see Curran's response as a snub and indicative of a lack of support for her as MP from the local party he leads.There is little political basis for any disagreement between them.  True Curran supported the hard-right candidate Liz Kendall in the leadership election (which may explain the fondness for UKIP amongst certain of his followers) whilst Ruth opted for the slightly softer right option in Yvette Cooper, but that is much of a muchness.  More likely this is about egos, and in particular Steve Curran being a very important person enjoying his life as puppet-in-chief at Planet Lampton surrounded in turn by his own salon of poodles.Whichever is the case Ruth gives the impression that she is taking an interest in the views of local people on some matters at least and should be supported in this.  Who knows, in the light of this latest snub from Curran she may even decide to reconsider her frankly disappointing lack of support for her constituent Paul Slattery?

Phil Andrews ● 3651d

"I wonder whether our Cabinet member for Citizen Engagement has a view on this?"No, it'll be - "Steve what shall I tell them now?"

Vanessa Smith ● 3651d

"Council leader Steve Curran said: "I'm grateful for Ruth Cadbury's interest in the trial closure. She will know only too well of the many requests over decades the council has received for a traffic management programme for Church Street and North Street that reduces the impact of through traffic on residents' quality of life."What a prat! Closing a road completely is not by any stretch of the imagination "traffic management", it is the easy option and just plain lazy. So Church St. residents  "quality of life" is of concern is it? The man really doesn't listen to what he is spouting does he? So sod the rest of us and the "impact of through traffic" on our lives, which number far many more than the privileged few of Church St.  They really and truly are, priceless.

Vanessa Smith ● 3651d

That is an interesting statement, as he is saying that the correct procedure must be followed, and persisted with.What this tells us is that he does not recognise the lack of a proper consultation to have been a flaw in that procedure, and indeed that this was in his opinion the correct way to go about things.I wonder whether our Cabinet member for Citizen Engagement has a view on this?

Phil Andrews ● 3651d

Curran flexing his muscles again and telling the loacl MP to keep her beak out of his businessCouncil leader Steve Curran said: "I'm grateful for Ruth Cadbury's interest in the trial closure. She will know only too well of the many requests over decades the council has received for a traffic management programme for Church Street and North Street that reduces the impact of through traffic on residents' quality of life. "By trialling the closure of the road for this length of time, we believe it will be clear what the impact would be from a permanent arrangement. This will provide final clarity on an issue which has been debated for many years. "A shorter time frame could give rise to the claim that not enough time was allowed for the local network to fully adapt to the closure and so the true impact of the measure would not be known - despite all the disruption and cost incurred. "There will be a report on the impact of the closure of Church Street to the Isleworth & Brentford Area Forum in 2016, around the half way stage of this trial - September/October 2016 - and there will be opportunities for councillors to consider the time frame of the trial at the same time."

Paul Fisher ● 3651d

NickI'm a big advocate of "extra parliamentary" activity, much to the annoyance of some who wrongly think it is my answer to everything.  Possibly as somebody who has always had to operate outside of the self-declared political consensus it has been the only option available to me, nevertheless it does often work.  Think of the publicity the wheelie bin protest has received as a consequence of the incident at Curran's home and how much it would have received if a petition had been handed in a Council meeting instead.All the same in this instance my advice would be to hold fire on anything which might be used by Curran to enhance his phoney victim status.  Once the case against Paul has been dropped, as I'm sure it will be, that will be the time to remind the good people of Brentford what a piece of work they have for a Council Leader.

Phil Andrews ● 3651d

Having been part of the wheelie bin protest in Brentford subsequent to which Paul Slattery was targeted to be arrested I applaud your efforts to protest against this ridiculous road closure. Maybe there is something to be said for Neil's suggestion of a march in Brentford? Big numbers. There has to be some momentum to protest against the current regime's arrogance?

Nick Kilby ● 3651d

Yes, that's about the strength of it, given the perfect opportunity to pluck some much needed chestnuts out of the fire, the great one has spoken! This man is an utter plank, surrounded by fellow numpties, but we can only say 'thanks' to Ruth for trying. So these people won't listen to the M.P., they won't listen to local people, they won't engage with anyone, they are just preparing to go to hell in a handcart, arrogant b****rds.

Vanessa Smith ● 3652d

Looks as though Curran has stuck two fingers up to Ruth Cadbury and basically told her to keep her nose out of Council affairs

Paul Fisher ● 3652d

The full text on Ruth Cadbury's position can be found on  "Isleworth Community to re-open Church Street" facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/notochurchstreetclosure/

Marina Thomas ● 3653d

Well done to Ruth though of course she has no actual power to insist this happens as this is solely down to councillors and they will only agree if they can do so by claiming some sort of upper ground by doing so and save faceI am though impressed by our MP`s involvement and hopefully she will make her views public

Paul Fisher ● 3653d

I just received an email that our MP Ruth Cadbury has met with Council officials and requested to end the trial closure after the initial 6 months period.She is also encouraging constituents to contact her to share their views. If you are affected, please email Ruth Cadbury: ruth@ruthcadbury.org.uk

Marina Thomas ● 3653d

Oh! Neil please don't put temptation in our way! Don't think we've another tame police officers to arrest us all though!

Vanessa Smith ● 3654d

How about marching up and down a certain street in Brentford.

Neil Chippendale ● 3654d

I think the next march going down Church St would be an excellent idea and then perhaps an informal picnic or mass sit down in the road of the privileged few for an hour or so to make them aware of the anger at this decision

Paul Fisher ● 3654d

Watch this space.  We are currently discussing potential routes for further marches and will release details as they are agreed.

Brian McMillan ● 3654d

How about going down Church St.? Several people mentioned that to me.

Vanessa Smith ● 3654d

Many thanks to all who attended the second protest march against the closure on Saturday 30th January.  It was good to see a fine mix of people who attended the first march and lots of new faces too.    A splendid turnout.Watch this space for news of future marches.

Brian McMillan ● 3654d

Looking at the Facebook campaign against the closure I would not be surprised if a new set of residents emerges as potential candidates in the next local elections as many are now realising how important it is to vote in these and who to vote for

Paul Fisher ● 3661d

Church St. campaign leafleting today - March next Saturday 30th 2.00.p.m. at the Old Telephone Exchange near Busch Corner. Down Twickenham Rd. to the green at the top of Worple Estate down Worple Avenue and Road to Shrewsbury Walk.

Vanessa Smith ● 3662d

I gather that a question on Church St. was raised at last night's open forum at IBAF - the comment was that the Dear Leader, Theo Dennision, Madam Sampson, Lin Green and Ed Mayne "sat passively complicit in denying their own electorate its voice".Question  -only one allowed - What is £120K being spent on re Church St.? Answer, 60K on P.R. consultancy fees aimed "at changing our behaviour". This lot are an absolute disgrace and a joke, they are unprofessional and thick. So much for Theo's 'citizen engagement' I wonder the words didn't choke him.

Vanessa Smith ● 3664d

If Hounslow Council has been awarded a large amount of money to spend on monitoring The closure of Church Street why not spend some of this in making the Bush Corner junction and other roads along route safer . Cars are now blocking the bush corner junction daily . School children are having to dodge around cars that are blocking the junctions or doing no right/ left turns. If the council are not going to reopen Church Street then spend some money on safety ... Surely if a risk has been identified they need to assess the risk and take action now not wait till Sept.

Sharon Allen ● 3664d

Well the answer to that is probably - no, these are L.B.H.'s roads, however I would think their bus timetables being ruined would give them the right to complain. We can only hope that Cllr. Dennison's 'citizen engagement' brings forth a new era of actually listening and talking to local people. But judging on what's happened in the past, this will be just another policy document discussed with earnest platitudes and then never heard of again. But hey! They'll say 'we've got a policy'. The fact that the results of meaningful consultation may mean that the plebs don't agree and tell them they're wrong will condemn that policy to the bin immediately. This lot will only want to hear anything that agrees with their actions.

Vanessa Smith ● 3665d

1 hour 12 mins on the 267 From Brentford High st to Chertsey Road.And the delays to the 267 are bad from Brentford to Hammersmith almost every day now.This is a massive cock up even when you don't live near this area.Surely TfL have an input into this?

Raymond Havelock ● 3665d

Traffic towards West Middx Hospital is a nightmare . Traffic solid from Pets at Home in Brentford to south street junction with the twickenham road . I dread to think if I was needing to visit west middx hospital . This is a main route to a hospital and the traffic is not moving.!!! Are we all going to have to dial 999 to visit the hospital in an emergency where before we could go by car.

Sharon Allen ● 3667d

CAMPAIGN 2016 UPDATE PROTEST MARCH2pm on Saturday 30 January from the Old Exchange, Twickenham Road, IsleworthWe will again meet at the Old Exchange opposite the junction of Park Road from 1.30pm and process down the Twickenham Road at 2pm to the green opposite Ivybridge.  We will then turn down Worple Avenue and onto Worple Road finishing up at Shrewsbury Walk (the pedestrian square on South Street).  The closure affects all of the residents of the Twickenham Road area (and beyond) and we need to unite publicly so that our Councillors are in no doubt as to the depth of opposition to this closure.We have Police authorisation for the March and will provide marshals.  Everyone, young and old, are welcome but we do ask that you please have consideration for road users and residents

Brian McMillan ● 3670d

Well Hounslow Council Transport Department & TFL has a very big problem by NOT measuring twice and acting once but measuring once and cocking it up! Just like the M4 Bus Lane waste of Tax Payers money as usual!

Nilesh Shah ● 3670d

However, when you send something to churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk, which is decided should be elsewhere, LBH tell you to send it to the department and NOT the churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk thus "losing" a Church Street complaint.  They seldom ask you to write to individuals.I always send to both the Church Street and Departmental e-mail address so it cannot become "lost".

Brian McMillan ● 3672d

Does this help?Hounslow council e-mail complaints:    churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk The anti closure campaign please copy your complaints to:    dontclosechurchstreet@hotmail.com.Most e-mail addresses at Hounslow Council are like this -  fred.bloggs@hounslow.gov.uk So if you know the name, the department doesn't actually come into it.

Vanessa Smith ● 3672d

Brian can you please tell me where to find the full list of departmental email addresses on the LBH website cheers

Tony Richmond ● 3672d

I think Brian is right - God forbid our betters at the Civic Centre would ever admit to getting anything wrong - so it will be chipping away that might have some impact - this whole matter is a disaster. Do keep the 'don't close' campaign up to speed too.

Vanessa Smith ● 3673d

I wish the campaign every success but I dont think e-mailing the Churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk will really make much of a difference as those of us involved with the long continuing saga with the Mogden stench will testify especially when it it known that officers and councillors often just delete complaint e-mails without even reading themPerhaps it would be worth those e-mailing to use their read receipt option when sending?

Paul Fisher ● 3673d

It is frustrating but the only way to log every issue associated with the Church Street closure is by e-mailing Churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk.  If you copy the e-mail to dontclosechurchstreet@hotmail.com that allows the campaign team to keep track of all complaints (some might get "lost").If you suffer daily, e-mail daily.    We have been asked to give ALL feedback about the closure via this route.By all means post to the facebook page but this is the campaign page and is not going to result in any action from LBH.Many of us log complaints to the churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk address (copied to dontclose etc.) AND copy them to the relevant department.  i.e. if you are concerned about parked vehicles causing an obstruction to what little bit of road we are allowed to use nowadays then parking@hounslow.gov.uk is a good place to report this issue to.    There is a full list of departmental e-mail addresses on the LBH website.  No one is going to deliver a knock out blow in this campaign.  It is a simple matter of chip, chip, chip and waiting for it to topple I am afraid.

Brian McMillan ● 3673d

Every time I message someone about the dangers I am told to email churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk I emailed them before Christmas . My concern is the road is shut for an 18 month  trial . The problems at Bush corner need addressing now . !!! It is a health and safety issue cars are blocking the crossroads were they are stuck in the queue . Cars are turning right or left on the no right turn or no left turn from gillettes while children are crossing . This is dangerous for all the children crossing this junction who attend The Green School , Marlborough or Woodbridge park .Are they waiting for an accident to happen before they do anything.

Sharon Allen ● 3673d

It is a wonder that this waste of space can manage to stand up she has such a lack of a spine.What is the point of doing the job if you haven't the courage of your convictions? It may not be a comfortable position to take - as me and my friend and former colleague know only too well, but there are times when you simply have no choice other than to stick your head over the parapet and sod the consequences.

Vanessa Smith ● 3677d

No, different councillor.

Phil Andrews ● 3678d

I wonder Phil if that's the same councillor  who made sure her name was carved into that small memorial stone on the green, to let everyone know how important she is and take away the focus from the people whom the stone commemorates?

Keith Iddon ● 3678d

If there has been any thought given to the political implications of the closure I would imagine the conclusion drawn would have been that the Tories could never win Isleworth and if the community tries to organise the party on a regional and even national level will throw the kitchen sink at it again.  Thus the calculation will have been that the incumbent councillors are untouchable and can afford to ride this particular storm.One really amusing sideshow has been the councillor who is telling everyone who will listen that she secretly opposes the closure but voted for it because she would "get in trouble" if she did otherwise.  Chocolate teapot anyone?

Phil Andrews ● 3678d

Funnily enough the ICG enjoyed great support in Church St and the area close by and perhaps it was even our most supportive area, but apart from just one or two half hearted suggestions for a closure at the numerous meetings I attended and on occasions chaired to find an amicable solution it was never ever on any agenda during our time as Isleworth Councillors

Paul Fisher ● 3678d

Date/Time: 08/01/16 12:05:00  "Indeed that is something like I mean Vanessa although I can't believe that some people are that naive that they need it spelling out. How is bunging up Twickenham Rd going to endear the Labour council to voters I wonder. If we assume there aren't so many on Church St but there are likely to be many more on Twickenham Rd. What's so special about Church St residents?"This is another angle I really don't get - we are told - wrongly I would venture - that these people are politicians, any politician worth their salt as you point out would consider the political advantage among other things when making decisions. This lot seem so bloody naïve it isn't true, I agree that the likelihood of Church St. being stuffed with Labour votes is well nigh impossible, even after this folly. People who are wealthy, articulate and organised won't give a stuff who gets them what they want, come election time they will revert to type, sod you Jack pull the ladder up. After all they got the rest of us taxpayers to pay for this traffic free Utopia. 

Vanessa Smith ● 3678d

The consultation document states the reason for closure is that " through traffic has a detrimental impact on the ambience of the street forresidents". You couldn't make it up!Since when is the "ambience" of a few has become more important that the need of thousands of people to get to work on time, or children to get to school? Or the buses to run on schedule, or our right not to breathe extra traffic fumes in the already polluted part of London? Or the stress levels of people stuck on buses and cars for up to 45 minutes to go a couple of miles? I doubt they are feeling "the ambience", probably rather incandescent with rage!I thought it could only happen in Victorian England, where peasants didn't matter, and not in one of the most vibrant and muilticultural cities in the 21st century.

Marina Thomas ● 3678d

Indeed that is something like I mean Vanessa although I can't believe that some people are that naive that they need it spelling out. How is bunging up Twickenham Rd going to endear the Labour council to voters I wonder. If we assume there aren't so many on Church St but there are likely to be many more on Twickenham Rd. What's so special about Church St residents?

Keith Iddon ● 3678d

"How does that relate to Hounslow Council's decision? Just askin'!"I think Keith was making the point some of these things are wheels within wheels, it's not what you know - rather who.

Vanessa Smith ● 3679d

Advance notification.We March against this fiasco on the 30th January.Further details to follow.

Brian McMillan ● 3679d

"I just find it funny that a Labour council closes this road to improve the quality of life for a very few residents who I presume are not Labour voters while making the lives of a large majority of others a misery, allowing  increased pollution, noise and disruption to everyone who lives on or near Twickenham Road."Not to forget - disrupting local businesses, that employ ordinary people and pay business rates to the council, interfering with access to major hospital and making our schoolchildren breathe polluted air all day long.This surely can't be the official party policy?

Marina Thomas ● 3679d

I just find it funny that a Labour council closes this road to improve the quality of life for a very few residents who I presume are not Labour voters while making the lives of a large majority of others a misery, allowing  increased pollution, noise and disruption to everyone who lives on or near Twickenham Road.

Neil Chippendale ● 3679d

How does that relate to Hounslow Council's decision? Just askin'!

Anne England ● 3679d

It makes me wonder how many funny handshakers live by the river..

Keith Iddon ● 3679d

"It seems bonkers to me that we would rather let thousands of school children along Twickenham road breathe polluted air all day for the sake of peace and tranquility of the few residents of Church street."As it does to so many of us! Apparently for the rest of us 'quality of life' and the impact of increased through traffic don't matter.

Vanessa Smith ● 3679d

Having just read Church street closure FAQ’s on the Hounslow Council’s website for the first time I am simply amazed!The 2 main reasons for closure are cited as “impact of through traffic on residents’ quality of life” and “approximately 50% of the morning peak traffic and 65% of evening traffic on these roads is through traffic”.This could be said about most of the roads in the borough. If we apply these 2 test, we could potentially close any major road in Hounslow. We could easily close off Busch corner due to impact of traffic on the residents and extremely high (and probably illegal) levels of NO2. I am pretty sure over 65% of journeys do not end at Busch corner, so should it be closed off for a trial and see if improves the quality of life?We could even close M4 or M25? or Heathrow? Heathrow definitely impacts my quality of life by 4 or 5 am landings, but do I demand for it to be shut down? Obviously not, I moved into my current property knowing fully well that it is under the flight path. The residents of Church street knew the road had always been there, for over 100 years.By the council’s own admission, making road one-way would have addressed the issues of reducing the traffic and allowed for more space to be allocated for pedestrians.Having just spent £120,000 on closure, will the council now find a bit more cash to paint over redundant single yellow lines along Church street? Apparently “Yellow lines are designed to help the free flow of traffic and ensure public safety.They are generally found in areas where there is likely to be a lot of free-flowing traffic and so parking in that area would cause disturbances and congestion.”If I can’t drive through, I’d like to be able to park freely and continue the remaining journey on foot.There is no reason to have parking restrictions in what now effectively is a residential cul-de-sac.By the way, a journey that normally took less than 10 minutes, was over 45 minutes this morning.And before anyone from the council suggests I take a bus, I would like to invite them to stand with me at a bus stop on London road in the morning and watch buses drive by without stopping because they are full to capacity!It seems bonkers to me that we would rather let thousands of school children along Twickenham road breathe polluted air all day for the sake of peace and tranquility of the few residents of Church street.

Marina Thomas ● 3679d

This evening will be my first trip down Twickenham Road this year, what's the latest thoughts on the closure and the effect on the surrounding area?

Reg Ghosh ● 3681d

Yes, anyone who gets held up or messed around due to the traffic should complain to Hounslow and copy to the Church St. address too. Hounslow are very big on 'consultation' after the event it seems. Not sure what their 'promise' is worth though?

Vanessa Smith ● 3686d

You may have already done this but if you e-mail churchstreet@hounslow.gov.uk and copy to dontclosechurchstreet@hotmail.com the Council have promised to take notice of any comments as part of their "consultation" process (after the road closed).

Brian McMillan ● 3686d

Shows just how this bonkers decision is getting to people, a quick Christmas chat with a neighbour led to another rant from someone having their life badly affected by this stupid decision. Then blow me, we went to Midnight Communion and - yes you guessed it - someone else was fuming over it! for God's sake Hounslow see sense............

Vanessa Smith ● 3692d

The trouble is they look at drawings and reports provided and instead of getting of their collective rears and seeing for themselves at the busiest times make decisions based on them.

Vanessa Smith ● 3696d

I honestly think the powers who decided to shut Church St need to sit along  the Twickenham Road by west Middx hospital at Bush Corner and also South St junctions and monitor what chaos and dangerous driving this closure is causing before a serious accident happens. !!!

Sharon Allen ● 3696d

Another LBH cock up!

Elizabeth Price ● 3699d

I just can't believe that the council will sanction the proposed Green School for Boys right on the junction of Park Rd. with Twickenham Rd. at Busch Corner, given the current chaotic traffic situation exacerbated by the ridiculous Church St. closure. That doesn't even take into account the Duke of Northumberland's land development a little further down Park Rd. of over a 100 houses. Are these people mad or is it just us?

Vanessa Smith ● 3699d

In that case it is up to the local Labour party to get rid of him as Leader and and start mending fences. Getting Labour voted out is a monumental task in this borough. There are, I know, some decent people in the Labour party including some councillors it is time for them to take matters in hand.Brent Lea, Osterley Green, Wheelie-bins, Church Street closure and probably more low profile fiascos I don't know about. The Dear Leader says he takes responsibility for council decisions well how many more of these does the borough have to put up with?Labour councillors/activists. If you're reading this. You have a responsibility to ensure that Hounslow does not become famous as a 'rotten borough'.

John Bradley ● 3699d

Having bumped into someone - an elected member - yesterday, and spent a considerable time ear bending I was not filled with confidence when the description of the Leader of the council was that he is - and I quote - "a f***wit". Not that that was news to me, but when your colleagues think it you really do have a problem.

Vanessa Smith ● 3699d

That is always what the Church St people have been saying - close off at the Swan. Won't do Twickenham Rd any good though.

Ian Speed ● 3700d

Given the problems being lumbered on to North St and Hartland Rd. I think the tactic was deliberately to let the poor residents around there get swamped so that when the council go back to them in three months to re- consult they'll get the answer they wanted all along. Of course those poor people will say we want to close our roads as well - job done!

Vanessa Smith ● 3700d

Church Street is highlighting the problem with transport in Brentford.  The existing roads and junctions are inadequate and the dramatic increase in housing density from all the new and proposed tower blocks exasperates the problem. There was a report on this website detailing the levels of pollution right through the town and verifying it above legal maximums. I have a poison gas alarm and the damn thing reads higher levels of danger going to Greggs for a sausage roll than it does shutting in an oil well that has gone sour.Closing Church Street has increased stationary traffic and increased emissions. There is a clear safety correlation between these emissions and real damage to peoples health, so from this perspective the experiment should be cancelled on safety grounds. Not cancelling it is negligence.There's a developing issue with pollution, the density of housing in Brentford and the councils plans to pretty much double it over the next few years, plus their support for a third Heathrow runway.  You can't have your cake and eat it, Hounslow Council. The population you represent are telling you to resolve these issues, to do your job, and to do it properly.No doubt some bright young lawyer living in Brentford (perhaps in one of the new million pound apartments) will put together a legal case proving statutory negligence on your behalf and then hopefully going straight for the jugular - professional negligence by the senior management of the council. This I believe can be persecuted as a criminal offence by the individuals rather than a corporate offence by the council.

Lorne Gifford ● 3700d

if the public transport provision around Twickenham road in Isleworth wasn't so woefully inadequate, fewer parents would be driving their children to school, which is possibly the main reason for peak-time congestion.

Marina Thomas ● 3700d

Due mostly to the closure of Church St according to the homepage. Well done LBH.

Keith Iddon ● 3700d

Agree, there are a great variety of control measures that could have worked, it is sheer laziness on the part of the council to just go for the easy option and sod the rest of us.

Vanessa Smith ● 3701d

Other solution would be a 'give way to vehicles coming the other way' sign, which they have in Wood Lane, Osterley. The Northern half of Wood Lane is narrow and very rural in character, and yet residents have never campaigned for it to be shut off at either end.

Ian Speed ● 3701d

The point is we've had two small roads in the last few months closed to through traffic because some up themselves residents decided they didn't like it. Cole Park just before the A316 roundabout closed off and now Church St. which is at the other end of Twickenham Rd. So we've been squeezed from both ends! The consequence being that other residential areas are now subjected to more through traffic with people trying to dodge the tailbacks. The solution isn't rocket science, but I believe that Church St. decided to stick it out for complete closure and would accept nothing less. Pity they weren't asked to pay the cost which has been lumbered on to local taxpayers - in total a cool £126K!

Vanessa Smith ● 3701d

And as for the road being too narrow to support two lanes of traffic and proper pavements, then the solution is not rocket science - traffic lights; just like the thousands of traffic lights installed over old bridges that are too narrow.

Lorne Gifford ● 3701d

Church street has been a through road probably since it was first built.  Along with every road in London the traffic density has increased in line with the increase in car ownership and population density. To label it a 'rat-run' and then close it for this reason is utterly missing the point and shows a level of narrow minded thinking that is bordering on the pathetic.  It's a road in London! It will have traffic and the traffic will be more than the people who live on it would like. The people that live on the road bought their properties knowing it's a through road and no doubt knowing the price of their homes was a bit cheaper because of it. You can't buy a house and then close a road because you don't like the traffic on it, at least not in a democratic society!!

Lorne Gifford ● 3701d

ps..If they want to live somewhere with no traffic and that's quiter, move out somewhere that suits them?

Keith Iddon ● 3701d

Traffic is a reality of city life and unless I'm missing something Church St. does not exist inside a bubble and should be subject to its share of traffic. If residents there don't want me to drive past their house,can I force them to not drive past mine?

Keith Iddon ● 3701d

I don't see a problem with a public highway maintained by taxpayers being used frequently. The unfortunate fact is that public transport round Brentford and Isleworth has not kept up with the relentless increase in population, but that's not a reason to punish all the other locals.

Ian Speed ● 3701d

Looking at this another way, if the closure of Church Street is creating so much extra traffic in Twickenham Road, it's actually revealing the large amount of traffic that was using Church Street as a short cut, which could justify the closure.

Peter Evans ● 3701d

This is the sort of dim-witted and dangerous behaviour you get from very frustrated drivers, and the muppets from Hounslow just can't see it!

Vanessa Smith ● 3701d

After complaining about the dangers and severe impact this is having on The bush corner junction I was told by London borough of Hounslow Twitter page  to email traffic@hounslow.gov.ukAgain today people are jumping the lights at Bush Corner , blocking the junction totally or turning right were it clearly states No Right Turn.

Sharon Allen ● 3701d

I have always found traffic engineers/officers to be people who seemed to have dropped in from a parallel universe, they do come up with some bonkers ideas that locals can immediately tear into shreds. What is most worrying is that councillors who represent us should know the area like the backs of their hands and should also be well aware of the issues, sadly they do not. Whether this is laziness, naivety or just stupidity is open to debate, there is so much more to being a councillor than just swanning around full of your own self-importance and thinking you know it all. This lot don't seem to have any political nous let alone knowledge of their area and its issues. In all the years I have lived here and in the sixteen years served as a councillor I have never, ever known councillors and the council as a whole to be so reviled.

Vanessa Smith ● 3701d

The thing is Alex I don't see these things as political.  More often that not if Officers didn't come up with schemes then Councillors wouldn't ever propose them.  I know numerous highways officers, both professionally and personally, and it never ceases to amaze me how people who seem completely sane and reasonable can devise such crazy schemes which everyone else is immediately able to see the problems with.Whichever way one votes won't change that.

Adam Beamish ● 3701d

When I previously commuted out from Brentford to Teddington, later Chertsey, I eventually 'gave up' ever using Twickenham Road in either direction because the tailbacks gradually got worse and worse and 95% of the time it was much quicker to go via Kew Bridge.  After the 'improvements' the Council carried out at South Street the tailbacks only got worse, and I can only say I am so relieved now that having changed jobs I no longer having to go anywhere near Twickenham Road, because with the Church Street closure it must be absolute murder.Another crazy decision, it should just have been left as it was.

Adam Beamish ● 3701d

"I honestly cannot grasp why they persisted with the closure going ahead unless they never thought about how many people would be affected many of whom will remember when the next elections take place"Nobody will even think about it when next elections take place. People will again vote for same old team... Just because they are Labour. There've been lot's of bad decisions in the past, people complain, but still vote for the same group.

Alex Shpinkov ● 3701d

Must play havoc with the bus schedules, especially the 267.

Reg Ghosh ● 3702d

I honestly cannot grasp why they persisted with the closure going ahead unless they never thought about how many people would be affected many of whom will remember when the next elections take place

Paul Fisher ● 3702d

Depressingly I think that could well be the case, when will they get into their dim brains that controlling the traffic flow with proper traffic management is far better than just closing roads? It took my son 45 minutes to get from Gillette Corner to Busch Corner last week, then a further 26 minutes to make it to St. Johns Rd.

Vanessa Smith ● 3702d

Sadly I fear it will take a serious injury or death to a child for councillors and officers to even consider reversing their decision

Paul Fisher ● 3702d

Since church Street has been closed the traffic  is a nightmare most the day down the Twickenham Road . More worrying  Bush corner Traffic Light junction  is becoming very dangerous cars are coming from Gillette Corner getting to the traffic lights seeing the traffic ahead is not moving and  are attempting  to turn right . This is a no right turn from this direction , they are pulling across moving traffic from west middx hospital side narrowly missing being hit. This urgently needs looking at there are two schools at Bush Corner and this is endangering the children !!! An accident waiting to happen !!If Church St is going to be closed for 18 mths someone needs to address the safety at bush corner and the traffic chaos in the whole area.

Sharon Allen ● 3702d