“Hounslow Council doesn't seem to have the +£15 million which cost a new art centre, so a different solution is required which also involves building flats with enough profit to build the new arts centre, unless someone comes with the funds to pay for the new centre in its current location...”Hounslow council most certainly does have the funds to build whatever they want on the Watermans site. They’re sitting on a massive cash pile that’s equivalent to a years tax from every council tax payer in the borough. Good to put council tax up by the maximum though, ‘to fund desperately needed services’.However, imagination or doing something for Brentford isn’t part of the Hounslow remit. The whole ethos of development has been focussed on selling land for developers to build flats on. No imagination at all, just ‘how many flats can we fit in there and how much can we get for it if we allow it to be stupidly high and enormously bulky’.The development and regeneration department (not forgetting environmental which it managed to get hold of, presumably so it can ignore all environmental and pollution issues and back Heathrow runway 3) appears to have completely steamrollered the planning department so that anything gets approved. Just look at Morrisons as an example of the pathetic way the planning department rolls over and gives in. Morrisons has a flat density that is double the maximum recommended for the site, a height that is double the maximum allowed in the Local Plan, a target occupancy that meets none of the Local Plan requirements, the most hideous, cheap-as-possible, mass-bulk architecture that has nothing in common with the conservation area that surrounds it on three sides, oh and a promise of a lidl or tesco metro two or three years after they close Morrisons. Another good example of ignoring the rules and Local Plan is the new Brentford Stadium development, which comes with so many high rise tower blocks that I keep forgetting the number. 'Let’s designate these an enabling development so we can forget about any affordable housing component, ignore the rules on density and height and enable us to make a massive profit’. ‘Oh, and thank you Mr Head of Development at Hounslow for getting it through, here's the job we promised you after you get your third of a million pound pay off from the council?’ (for legal reasons, just to confirm that the last sentence is speculation)Not surprising really that Hounslow tops the list of Rotten Boroughs. Enough griping and back to Watermans. It actually has everything needed to be brilliantly successful and far more so than Hammersmith as Watermans overlooks the world heritage site that is Kew Gardens and has underground parking for the more exclusive restaurant and theatre goers. You’d get a top-line chef to open a restaurant at a new site there any day of the week.And back to the who actually owns the site question. ‘Gifted to the people of Brentford’ in my mind doesn’t equate to the council allowing a developer to build a private block of flats on.
Lorne Gifford ● 2649d