Forum Topic

Please sign the Redevelopment Petition

Please see the front page story....... and sign up for the petition!

Iain Muir ● 4648d9 Comments

See the front page story about some amendments to the plans and a further exhibition/meeting on Wed 21st November, 6pm at St Pauls Church.In response to some of the comments above.... Ballymore are not going to do a 'small scheme', they will want to maximise the scheme, and their profit. Although they are only applying for detailed planning for phase 1 (c.40% of the whole) they are also applying for Outline planning for the whole development. Outline is as important as detailed as it sets the parameters, height, density, 'look and feel' etc etc. Hence the importance of this current process as it will determine how Brentford looks like in 5 to 7 years time.I am in favour of the redevelopment but believe further changes are needed....... I plan to be at the meeting on the 21st......

Iain Muir ● 4644d

Yes, ideally Brentford would be as nice as Teddington albeit with less vintage buildings. The new development is likely to make it more like 70s Feltham.

Ian Speed ● 4648d

In agree Adam. All this ' world class centre' is nonsense.'World class' to a developer probably means lego,concrete and glass which is just about what they are proposing.An upgraded high st. that compares favourably with any similar sized town and makes full use of the river frontage will do me.Waterman's,restaurants and cafe's and interesting shops need to be at the centre imo.

Keith Iddon ● 4648d

As I said in my post somewhere there is a middle ground, but as Vanessa says the community needs to have a sense of perspective too.An absurd aspiration in my view is the idea of Brentford having a "world class centre", as though it is a focal point of London in the same vein as Oxford Street or Leicester Square.Brentford deserves better than what it has now, and aspiration is good too, but not unrealistic aspirations, because that reduces credibility - I fear many residents will read the steering group leaflet and references to a "world class centre" will only make them think "oh come on, get real, this is a waste of time".

Adam Beamish ● 4648d

Rather than have huge numbers of tower blocks it might be better to just go for smaller scale residential blocks going down to the river with an archway through from the High Street and the rest of the shops largely unchanged.

Ian Speed ● 4648d

I tend to agree with some of Adam's views, especially in this time of recession and with all High Streets struggling. By all means aspire to improve things but I think in essence what Adam is saying is keep things in proportion. Ask yourself how much you shop online and are you prepared to wander down a fairly small main street instead? We go to Whitton most weeks which is a lovely little High Rd. with a good selection of shops, they seem to have got it about right but I think a lot of the smaller outfits struggle due to rents and rates being astronomical. Shops might have a fighting chance if the government were to bring in some sort of cap to help them get on their feet until the economy turns the corner.

Vanessa Smith ● 4648d

Adam, what exactly do you mean by 'Absurd aspirations' Are you saying that the community should not be arguing for improvements to the scheme? The planning application has lots of language seeking to demonstrate that the developer has followed the key themes that arose from the Steering Groups study, but the actual buildings do not. The language is architectures version of 'greenwash'.There is a crying need for the High street to be improved for the reasons you state but the scheme has to be the right one if we are to avoid the mistakes of the past. It is often said that 'good' architecture' costs no more than bad. Ballymore will have allowed for negotiation on numbers of units, density, mix and height. A robust campaign by the community will ensure that planners and politicians push hard to improve the scheme. Aspiration is good would you not agree?

Iain Muir ● 4648d

Sorry but elements of the front page 'story' is laughable.  Any town deserves a half decent town centre, that I totally agree with, and certainly elements of traditional/local design shoud be retained.  However, let's be realistic, Brentford is never going to have, nor should it nor does it need, a "world class" town centre.  Harping on about Glaxo or Brompton Bicycles shows how 'desperate' such claims about a world class centre are, given that both are at least 1/2 mile from the High Street.  As for the notion of making the whole High Street a Conservation Area, did English Heritage come up with that the morning after their last Christmas party ?!.As always, something in all of this there's a middle ground, but I really wish some people would not have these absurd aspirations for a town that essentially supports a small local population and is always primarily a place which outsiders will drive through.  The sooner that is accepted, the sooner the High Street can be improved and the 'Brentford is Brilliant' slogan might not be as cringeworthy as it currently is. Look at the Island, in my view it is such an excellent regeneration/development, but equally it is such a shame that the commercial units struggle like they do.  The Island isn't seen by most people driving through the town, if the High Street could be redeveloped along the same lines then people might be encouraged to stop and spend their pennies.  But if we force developers to deliver a scheme that simply punches above its weight, the scheme will never get off the ground.

Adam Beamish ● 4648d

Done this - don't forget everyone to post this to your social media sites eg FB & Tw

Ian Speed ● 4648d