Well it's good that it's an hour free. That at least matches the loss of the car park at the other end of the high street.But when Morrisons goes ( which will simply crush the local retail commerce with zero likelihood of a recovery, as has happened in so many other towns with an outmoded and top heavy series of developments) there will be a need for a free 2 hour parking at the very least for a much longer period than a year, more like 5 years.But the scant details of what parking there will be and how much it will cost, for the new supermarket, is as ever, a closed secret. That could damage it's viability, that will result in Metro or Local type store pricing which is too costly for many. It's up to 50% higher to shop at a Tesco Metro. I know now as having spent a few months away on a project, have had to rely on one. Apart from the awful and overbearing architecture, much of which proposed, is the most offensive issue in Brentford, a car park and adequate parking is vital for any sort of economic prosperity. Shoppers will never come in droves by foot or bike or bus. The limitations of each will minimise spending. You cannot carry much which means more journeys and smaller purchases. That neither economical nor ecological.And if everyone switched to deliveries, that won't work. Just why are delivery vans not all electric or hybrid? They are all new and stop start is the most pollution form of motor transportI know pollution has been cited as a reason to not have a car park, but I remember well that in some other local towns, prior to multi storey car parks - and when it was largely free, people used to drive around and around unable to find a space and very often sit in side streets idling whilst the other half did the shopping.Vehicles parked, don't pollute. And local traffic is generally slow moving and not producing pollutants to the same degree as through traffic and large commercial traffic. You only have to sit on the top deck of any of 3 main local routes to see that vans and trucks vastly outnumber cars in most congestion spots. Except on weekends when the traffic for Kew Bridge tails back to McDonalds to access Kew Richmond and the South Circular.Whilst everyone seems to be whinnying on about the Car park where the pollution will be minimal and can be contained with a range of simple methods, the real issue of the massive increase to traffic and unacceptable journey time extensions to public transport - deemed acceptable by TfL to accommodate the extended ULEZ coupled with the fact that non-compliant vehicles will make up 75% of the 45% increase is a looming catastrophe for the whole district affecting Isleworth and Osterley, Brentford and Ealing and Hanwell.A a Cycle Highway shoehorned into a route which will be expected to take up to a 40% increase in commercial traffic can be a good thing is quite insane? Who in their right mind wants to cycle or walk or stand at a bus stop with near sort of increase in volume and pollution?This will lead to a massive increase in lighter traffic being forced to use residential streets all over the place Particularly in the streets North of the A4 .This has been apparent with roadworks in South Ealing Northfields and Boston Manor in the last few weeks whilst out on my bike using side streets that are usually deserted being full of vans and cars trying to find a way round the congestion. And that's in the quiet holiday season.The silence on this is really worrying as it will be a mix of high pollution,gridlock and noise. And commercial traffic cannot switch to put bikes or walking.With a recession looming, with or without Brexit this could spawn a huge wave of poverty and local commerce could be wiped out.
Raymond Havelock ● 2191d