Forum Topic

Where can I get a copy of the Chronicle and Informer?

I have an elderly friend who lives in the Windmill Road area who is isolating and I do an occasional shop for. Last time he asked me to pick up a copy of the local newspaper, the Chronicle and Informer, because he wanted to see if a planning notice that he was interested in had been published in it. He told me that I might be able to get a copy at Tesco Osterley but I couldn't find any there. Is there anywhere in TW8 where I could pick up a copy for him?

Dan Evans ● 1876d7 Comments

When all this is over we are probably set to learn about a whole range of decisions that have been made without our knowledge. The miscalculation made by Robert Jenrick is that he believed because his local paper was out of action nobody would be interested in his dodgy actions concerning a planning application. He was too dim to realise the scale of the scheme meant it would attract national attention.What we can be sure of is that there are less powerful politicians behaving in a similar self-interested way against the public interest with smaller scale developments across the country and we are not getting to hear about it.

Paul Corcoran ● 1873d

Paul, I think we should all be concerned about what might be quietly pushed through where planning is concerned. I don't understand why Hounslow council hasn't held an AGM or elected a new Mayor by having a remote meeting. Certainly government advice is that that is what local authorities should be doing. Also this only having five members of the planning committee sitting remotely, gives so much opportunity for a 'fix'. Certainly in Isleworth a lot of us are extremely concerned about what us going on with the Northumberland estate who are coming back with another planning application to build on nearby allotments, this after they lost their appeal at a public inquiry in late 2018. I think it is fair to say we are not confident that Hounslow (or Cllr. Curran) are going to support those of us who expect the result of the inquiry to be upheld.

Vanessa Smith ● 1875d

While you have correctly deduced my source has a vested interest in bad mouthing Steve Curran, he did make his anger about the issue known on social media so I'm inclined to consider the information credible.As for Ealing, there may be personal reasons there for the council choosing to ignore the government guidelines as well. The housing arrangements of the council leader have been subject to some scrutiny on the Ealing version of this site plus they did a good job of holding the council to account when there was a technical problem with resident permit holders' renewals. Both these stories found their way into Private Eye so we can assume Ealing Council aren't huge fans of their local web site.I guess we live in an age when because senior government advisers can ignore government guidelines without consequences, local authorities feel they can do the same. Sadly this attitude seems to have communicated itself to a significant proportion of the general population with regard to the observance of social distancing.

Paul Corcoran ● 1876d

I'm an Ealing borough resident and there hasn't been a copy of the Ealing Gazette in my neck of the woods for well over a year. Therefore not using these web sites in areas where there is no functioning local newspaper is not something that only Hounslow do and therefore may not actually be down to a personal vendetta on behalf of Steve Curran whatever, a presumably opposition councillor(?), told you.

Dan Evans ● 1876d

The paper hasn't been available at all in the W4 post code area since lockdown and was only intermittantly placed in the lobby of a supermarket prior to that.I've noticed that this site and the Chiswick one have been placing a link to guidance given to local authorities about how publicity for planning notices should be handled at the moment.It states, 'The Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): planning update guidance goes further, suggesting that “if local newspapers are not circulating in their area, authorities should seek to use local online news portals in the first instance'.This seems pretty clear cut so the question is why aren't planning notices being published on these sites. One of the local councillors suggested to me that Steve Curran had a bit of a personal beef with the Chiswick site over coverage of the use of the school expansion budget money for building a new boathouse and Thames walkway. On the face of it it looks like they are being punished for doing their job.

Paul Corcoran ● 1876d

ASDA has The Chronicle and the Rich and Twick Times at the Ivybridge shop. Some newsagents often have freebies outside as well.

Vanessa Smith ● 1876d

Haven't seen them at Tesco for ages.It might be worth calling Reach (who publish the C&I)to see where their drop-off points are:  01483 508 888The problem is that these are few and far between as the circulation falls.

N V Brooks ● 1876d