Forum Topic

Goddard constantly breaching normal road regulations on the Ham

Everyday there is a supposedly broken down large van with its bonnet up, pretty sure the van isn't broken down everyday (apart from weekends)Today there are two skips in the road outside too. access to the offices is still okay, however leaving is not easy, you just cannot see around them creating dangerous situations on a number of occasions! This is a regular thing as well.Not only are they flouting road laws, but are causing a danger.  Local hearsay Is that 'don't mess with Goddard', is that why nothing ever gets done?

Heather Millman ● 2927d25 Comments

Yes as youngster I past the time of day with Mr Stan Goddard while my parents were  looking at furniture in the shop.One of the brothers also had an electrical shop in Albany Parade / High Street

Bernard Allen ● 2923d

Thanks for the agreement with me re: Goddards and being a very important part of the Brentford Community.  I have also quite often heard about the kindness of old Mr Goddard in helping others in need etc.

Emma Renton ● 2923d

I think Goddard's own a premises on the Ham so no doubt use it if parking restrictions are enforced.Seems to me that there is growing opposition to a old Brentford family Company that's be operating for 70 years, because they dont fit in with the newcomers view of what Brentford should look like.

Bernard Allen ● 2923d

Don't they normally park up on the hardstanding area near the Pub and quite close to the railway station.  That would be private property.  Also surely the vans are out and about most of the working day um working.  I don't think we should be too hard on Goddards who are a local employer, and generally a good supporter of the community, and have been for many many years.

Emma Renton ● 2923d

Well they don't own the highway,let's see if they still get away with parking illegally when the cpz come into force in The Ham.

Anne Parish ● 2923d

I hear they own a lot of the land. Good to them, as they took the risk and purchased it a long time. They are doing nothing wrong with leaving then Vans and Cars, because if they own the land, then its up to them.

Raki Smith ● 2923d

Goddards have a storage facility near to Brentford Station, in fact you would be surprised how much of Brentford they own or use.

Bernard Allen ● 2924d

Always see a few of their vans near the train station. Seem to be permanent fixtures, as someone else said maybe just advertising.

David Parsons ● 2924d

I was doing some on line research into the history of Brentford High Street, and was amazed to find out that regeneration plans were being discussed in the middle 1960's, with a very substantial amount of money being put aside for this plan.  It was about £16.5 million then!!!!!!  A long messy stupid ongoing nightmare.  Brentford must have one of the few really undeveloped areas to the Thames in all of London now.  Though the boatyard has a certain charm, and its great to see a living working area, and not buy to let 'apartments' its just such a waste for these ongoing very dated plans.  I feel very sad about it all, especially those wretched Brentford is Brilliant signs!!!

Emma Renton ● 2924d

Emma I have been waiting a lot longer for work that was promised to materialise.I started working on the New Red Lion around 1963 and finished around 1965. while we were building the New Red Lion the Gas works crane and the area that held the coke was being demolished. A new bit of dual carriageway appeared, after the The Bull, The Barge Aground, The Feathers were demolished and the old Red Lion was gutted but left standing.There was a lot of the old high street shops pulled down to make way for the new dual carriageway to be built from Kew Bridge to Hounslow High Street, but like the many schemes drawn up for Brentford it was never built.All the destruction of the area for nothing, the old red Lion stood in it's original position for years until it was demolished and a block of flats built on it's foundations blocking the west bound carriageway of the new bit of road.The destruction of Brentford stated in the fifties, and I can hazard a guess it will still be the same in 2050.The only problem I wont be around to put a bet on about that.

Bernard Allen ● 2925d

Sorry James. I have no information about NatWest's plans.

Guy Lambert ● 2925d

Guy - thanks for the clarification. So is the NarWest closing or are there plans for it to relocate?

James Homer ● 2925d

I was wrong to describe it as a judicial review - a Planning Enquiry - details here. http://www.hwa.uk.com/projects/land-south-of-brentford-high-st-cpo-inquiry/.Ballymore are not vacillating - assembling the land has been complicated (and still not resolved until the CPO enquiry is complete and hopefully the CPO can go ahead).All being well works will start next year. The section next to Catherine Wheel Road (Where Natwest, Post Office etc are) will be developed by the council as social housing. (And I was the one who predicted works would start in 2067: I now actually believe they'll start next year!)

Guy Lambert ● 2925d

Please keep us up to date with developments.  It would be good to have some/any progress.  Meanwhile I am not holding my breath.  I have been living in Brentford for 30 years.  I have heard of many many plans to redevelop the area and nothing around the high street has changed much in that time!!!

Emma Renton ● 2925d

Earlier LBH papers touching on the compulsory purchase scheme and the project detail itself mentioned the need for either Ballymore and or its nominated subsidiary to acquire funding. There is no indication that this has been acquired yet.The continued delay is unacceptable.

John Todd ● 2925d

thanks for that update Guy.  Its very interesting info.  I do hope that something happens in the next few years.  The area so desperately needs some life injected back into it.  And not just another mass tract of huge buy to let blocks of 'apartments'.I got the info about NatWest bank being listed from someone who worked there!!!  I know about the long thin workshop again from people who work there.  Please do continue to keep us up to date with any progress.

Emma Renton ● 2926d

Listed buildings are not a problem - they will be retained (St Lawrence's Church, Magpie and Crown, Beehive, Brewery Tap, former Motorwise now Cathja, long thin workshop building behind approx the Post Office, probably some others I forgot). NatWest is not listed and the current proposals would not retain it.What's holding up development is there are (or were, some may now have been sorted) 19 parcels of land including Dock Road (which will be retained, I believe pretty much as is) 2 Goddards sites, NatWest itself, some leasehold flats, an electricity substation, the electrical shop on the corner of Catherine Wheel Road. All of these are included in Compulsory Purchase Orders put through by the council in approx February. These need to be subjected to judicial review, which I believe is scheduled for October.Ballymore is busily developing elsewhere so I don't think lack of cash is the problem, though I understand it was during the credit crunch.

Guy Lambert ● 2926d

Wouldn't surprise me.  But I understand that Ballymore is a bit strapped for funds at the moment.  Actually I thought it was the boat yard that was possibly holding plans up.  Plus the fact that there are a few listed building ie NatWest in the High Street, and a few buildings behind that.

Emma Renton ● 2926d

Isn't one of their properties holding up the development of the High Street?

Pat Kingham ● 2926d

I think the Removals side of healthy.  Many local people use Goddards for removals, and i certainly would consider using them.  Yup Mr Goddard who must be pretty old (still alive??) used to be someone to be looked up to and respected.  Yup Goddards still own a considerable amount of land and property.  But they are locals, and employ locals, etc.  And that funny furnture shop would only be another nasty block of souless modern 'apartments' if it were to be sold.  Actually i looked at a chair in the window just yesterday, and quite liked it, until i saw the eyewatering price!!!

Emma Renton ● 2926d

We used them a number of years ago to move house.  The men were pretty happy and we had no problems.  We have bought a couple of things in there, must be 25+ years ago, and I have wandered in a handful of times since but it is very old fashioned furniture and very expensive as well.  I did get the impression that they used their vans for advertising by parking them in random spots.  I also got the impression, don't know where from, that they owned most of the middle of Brentford....? ;)

Sarah Felstead ● 2926d

i have lived in Brentford for thirty years and have NEVER been inside the shop.  Never even looked inside to see if anyone else is in there.  Never seen anyone coming in or out, except to put the second hand furniture out!!  Extraordinary

Emma Renton ● 2926d

And I still don't understand how the shop can make any money

James Homer ● 2927d

Same problem when they were asked to remove the sign from the corner saying  'Goddards corner'. Just a law unto themselves really.

David Parsons ● 2927d

There is also a plot of land at the High Street end of The Butts that has hoardings up but no signs of any work and nearly always has a couple of Goddard's vehicles on it - I assume they own the land?

James Homer ● 2927d