Forum Topics

Many a Concern is raised by Press Release re Recycling

I was more than a tad concerned about the tone and content of Hounslow's press release about recycling which was posted today on the front page of the TW8 site.The unfortunate tone of the missive is typified by the threat to the person who has been sticking labels onto public bins which are officially labelled in a manner that deceives the public. In a similar vein, without presenting any evidence, Joe and Jane Public are blamed for using street bins for the disposal of domestic waste. Is this another offence and is it also punishable with a Fixed Penalty Notice and/or prosecution? What exactly is this domestic waste and how does the disposal of waste in street bins add to the problem of rubbish in the street? Perhaps many households have inappropriate or insufficient facilities or perhaps we are taking greater care not to throw waste on to our streets? (I very much doubt the latter but Hounslow Highways deserve our great appreciation for the speed with which they respond to incidents of fly-tipping.)I have no idea of the cost of the new waste and recycling depot at Southall Lane but it must have been a very significant investment. The fact that it is "state of the art" does not in itself mean that it represents the best use of resources. Is 16,000 tonnes of recycled waste a significant amount? What would be the implications of the introduction of a successful deposit scheme for plastic and glass bottles? Other statistics in the press release are almost meaningless when they are presented without any context. For example, we are told that the new scheme was rolled out to 75,000 households but from another part of the Hounslow website we learn that in 2017 there were about 95,000 households in Hounslow. This suggests that just over 20% of households have no, or minimal, recycling facilities.The recycling rate apparently increased from 29.8% in 2016/2017 to 33.2% in September 2017. With such a large investment we should jolly well hope for an improvement but statistics for a single month cannot be compared with those for an entire financial year.Statistics on recycling appear to vary from one source to another. For example Letsrecycle.com has Hounslow's rate for 2016/17 as 30.1%. What appears to be clear is that Hounslow's performance in that year was significantly worse than in any of our neighbouring London Boroughs with the single exception of Hammersmith and Fulham (23.2%). In 2016/17 Ealing appears to have achieved a rate of 50.7%, Hillingdon 43.4% and Richmond 42.4%. There are many social and geographical reasons for these variations but it would certainly appear that all is not well in the state of Hounslow. Who now believes that we will achieve the target of 50% by 2020?Our own household has been almost obsessive in its recycling efforts for many years but we have now concluded that a much more logical and effective approach is to reduce consumption and, where this is impossible, to re-use before recycling.            

Jim Storrar ● 2697d6 Comments ● 2689d

Heathrow noise & safety

In case anyone wants to complain about being woken up in the wee small hours by some snot nosed pilot juggling his throttles on approach, the email addresses are noise@heathrow.com and communityschemes@heathrow.com.  And since I was woken up early today and therefore am in a grumpy old combative mood, here’s an email I’ve sent. I added on the safety question as I’ve been meaning to ask it for a while now.Dear SirThere only appears to be these two emails on your website to send an email to.  My noise issue below is clearly going to the correct department, but perhaps you can forward my safety one to the relevant manager.Noise:What exactly was 04:42 hrs flight that passed over Kew/Brentford up to this morning?  It was sufficiently loud that it woke me up, despite double glazing and closed windows.  Was it one of those Russian built planes that don't have proper engines, or just someone playing with the throttles?Once awake of course, I then heard the 04:44, 04:47, 04:54, etc 'heavies' coming in from their overnight transcontinental flights.Within the reports downloadable on your website, you note that noisy aircraft at night are fined £4000 per decibel.  Given that you took 1 hour of my sleep, which has made me a little tired and grumpy at work today, can you please compensate me from this fund.Safety:I couldn't find anything in your documentation that puts a quantitative risk figure on the annual chance that an aircraft doesn't make it to the runway and instead lands through the houses or towns on the approach.  Can you direct me to the risk analysis report, which I am sure you keep regularly up to date, and am equally sure is available under freedom of information.I ask because there appear to have been quite a few instances of 'fuel emergencies', with aircraft coming in on fumes and not being able to line up in the landing pattern. Indeed, I was on one of these a few years back; commenting to my BA pilot neighbour that a long-haul flight I'd been on had come straight in and landed on a Friday evening, he suggested it had probably been about to run out of gas.  We all know about the Concorde that ran out of fuel whilst taxiing to its gate, and the flight that just cleared the perimeter fence before ploughing through the grass verge of the runways, so there's been enough for you to calculate the annual probability that one doesn't make the airport.Similarly, the Russian flight this week that dropped its cargo on take-off, the 747 that took off from Schipol and flew into a block of flats (I was living close to it at the time so remember that one well), the Concorde from Charles De Gaul, and numerous other take off incidents, have allowed quantified risk probabilities to be calculated for all airports for crashes into populated areas on take-off and landing.I'd like to know what the risks at Heathrow are, both for landing and take-off with respect to fatality numbers and property destruction.  Specifically, I'd like to know the calculated return period for third party fatalities.I hope you can help on the above two topics With kind regards

Lorne Gifford ● 2710d1 Comments ● 2704d

Is the Ballymore development past its best before date?

With news today of yet more High Street retailers heading towards collapse including more bastions of British Retail a sign that the Brentford Development is a disaster waiting to happen?The anticipated High rents, rates and expectations of blue chip retailers coming to Brentford must now be nothing more than a rose tinted pipe dream.Developments with limited parking, lack of infrastructure, a lunatic decision to move an arts centre in a unique position with no more than a bunch of trustees with very little idea how to achieve viability, overdensificaction and not a single infrastructure improvement or protection of existing open spaces and facilities for elderly, health or recreation, inability to maintain what exists are hardly going to make this an attractive area.So should the plans for the development not be reviewed with urgency to incorporate facilities and housing for older citizens, better infrastructure and flexibility to counter the massive reduction in retail and catering businesses.?It's been looking dodgy for a while now but the shrinkage in retail is far more sever and rapid.Government needs to sort out the debacle of business rates permanently. As with the Morrisons site, the initial approval for a massively risky and damaging proposal, ( recommended by LBH planning ) is indicative of the recklessness playing into the hands of developers has become and the willingness of LBH elected representatives and officers to cosy up to such types in places like Cannes really ought to be fully investigated.

Raymond Havelock ● 2707d0 Comments ● 2707d

Hounslow's planners make 'Private Eye' yet again.

Just who do Hounslow council pay any attention to?In this latest 'Eye' Nooks and Corners column Hounslow are heavily criticised for approving a development called Albany Riverside on the old Watermans site. These will be'significantly higher' than existing buildings which are 'largely screened from view to anyone standing in Kew Gardens'.'Historic England says the buildings, the tallest of which will be seven storeys, will cause multiple instances of harm to the setting. In a letter to planners they show how the new buildings will clutter the backdrop to the palace. At present, their letter explains "the parkland and historic buildings are framed by trees and sky alone. The whole effect is picturesque, humane and has taken centuries to develop". This goes on to say "This clearly harms the experience of visitors to Kew and obscures the Arcadian qualities that are a defining feature of the environment".The Chiswick Curve turned down by Hounslow is due to go to appeal in June. apprently Historic England 'have warned Hounslow planners that allowing Albany Riverside would set an "uncontrollable precedent for further new buildings within the hinterland of the world heritage site." I just wonder how a member of the planning committee one Cllr. Lambert thinks supporting closing 'picturesque' Church St.  which in the great scheme of things is pretty small beer squares with this decision which will impinge on such an important national and international heritage site?

Vanessa Smith ● 2715d28 Comments ● 2711d

Will local Labour consult its own members?

I see local Labour will be holding a "local manifesto consultation" at the Civic Centre on Monday to thrash out the policy platform on which it will be fighting this year's local elections.According to its Facebook page, Momentum Hounslow is petitioning for the adoption of a radical manifesto which, after all, would only bring it into line with the national party and the manifesto with which it fought the general election last year.We know the attitude this lot take towards consultation with ordinary residents but will they, I wonder, be any more inclined to listen to their own grass roots members?  Or will they treat them will the same contempt as they show to the rest of us?I reproduce below the full wording of the petition, purely in the interests of debate:Commit to an anti-austerity manifesto in line with Labour’s 2017 national manifesto*  For a no-cuts Hounslow Labour budget*  Council houses for Hounslow’s people, not private build for developers’ profits*  State schools, not faith schools or academiesWe call on  Hounslow Labour group councillors to Commit to an anti-austerity manifesto in line with Labour’s 2017 national manifestoTo support Hounslow’s people, with distinct policies from the Tories’ austerity agenda, we call on Labour councillors to support the following pledges for the 2018 Local Government Elections.*  A no-cuts budget *  Stop privatisation of services and bring contracts back in house where possible*  Withdraw pledge not to increase council tax. Consider alternative options, including raising it by up to 6%, or a progressive tax, where those in higher value properties see a larger increaseSpecific policy commitments to include:Housing*  All homes built on council-owned land to be council houses, using Public Works Borrowing Board funds up to the max Housing Revenue limit*  Freeze council rents, stop evictions related to rent arrears.*  Use CPOs or Empty Dwelling Management Orders to acquire properties that have been empty over the long term*  Double council tax on empty properties*  Provide shelters for rough sleepersSocial Care*  Restore carers, meals on wheels and home help*  Re open day care centres that have been closed over the past 8 years*  Bring service contracts back in house, paying London Living WageHeathrow*  Make clear Labour’s opposition to third runway in our public campaigning*  Join the anti-third runway campaign Local Council NetworkEducation*  Build new state schools as annexes to existing schools, as an alternative to faith and academy schools *  Restore Youth Centre funding and re-open those which have been closed over the past 8 years

Phil Andrews ● 2716d21 Comments ● 2712d

Duke of Northumberland appealing planning committee decision

HELP STOP DEVELOPMENT OF PARK ROAD ISLEWORTH ALLOTMENTS.The Northumberland Estate has appealed against LBofH’s refusal of the planning applications to build on Park Road allotment site and relocate allotments within Grade 1 Syon Park.  It is important local views expressed previously are demonstrated to the Inspector who will head the Public Enquiry that will take place in a few months’ time as a result of these appeals. If you have not already commented on one or both planning applications or wish to add to previous comments made, these must be received by 5th March 2018 at the latest.   They should be sent by letter in triplicate to:The Planning Inspectorate, 310(K) Eagle, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol,BS1 6PN quoting the relevant reference number. Comments should be planning related.  Details of the application/appeal can be found on LBofH’s website under the planning ref. numbers.   Suggestions of the kind of objections you may wish to include for one or both applications are given below.  Please encourage others also to comment. Appeal Ref: APP/F5540/W/3192092 (planning ref. 00707/E/P110)Erection of 127 flats/houses in eight 3-4 storey blocks on Park Road Allotment GardensReasons for objecting to the proposed build:-Loss of designed Local Open Space, contrary to Hounslow’s Local Plan stating “there is little room for new development and this is reflected in the planning approach which focuses on safeguarding and promoting the established character”.The site is unsuited to the size, density, and massing of what is proposed which constitutes an over-development.The development is inappropriate and will erode the diversity and unique characteristics of the Conservation Area.Development will destroy a wildlife haven and biodiverse habitat.Asset of Community Value has not been taken into account.The proposed re-location of the allotments will not provide equivalent provision.Projected additional vehicle trips are an under-estimate and take no account of existing traffic congestion on Twickenham Road and the Park Road/London Road/Twickenham Road junction.The development will increase the flood risk of the area.None of the properties proposed meet with planning guidance definitions for affordable housing. Appeal Ref: APP/F5540/W/17/3192086 (planning ref: 0707/E/P111)Formation of new allotments within the Grade 1 Syon Estate landscapeReasons for objecting to the proposed allotment re-location:-Inappropriate position failing to preserve or enhance the historic character of the Grade 1 listed estate, Capability Brown designed landscape and Robert Adam designed Lion Gates.Inappropriate design, size and scale providing a net loss of allotment space and facilities.Unacceptable to permit the proposal because of the large extent of existing developments already permitted within the Estate which contribute to its restoration.The allotment structure would harm the openness and visual amenity of the landscape which is designated as Metropolitan Open Land.It will destroy the grassland habitat and any new arising will take years to develop.  Some species will be lost forever

Vanessa Smith ● 2732d0 Comments ● 2732d

Is deferring CS9 till after the election a bit of an avoidance?

As a cyclist of decades, I've yearned for cycleways since being a kid.Somehow, I've cycled for decades with very few skirmishes. Took the Cycling proficiency test at 12, a more recent urban update course in Camden. Now we have cycleways, I find my self rather strangely, going out of my way to avoid them.They have become racetracks and dominated by cyclists who seem to lose all sense of sensibility when on their machine.  No mudguards so they soak the rider behind, no bell or horn, no hand signals, no acknowledging other traffic, no courtesy shown even to other cyclists on 'inferior' machines. In all, no discipline.Yet these riders, devoid of road safety basics manage to have cameras, but can't afford a bell?We cycle more abroad in flat countries. The mentality is completely different and it is still a pleasure, especially as we get a bit slower with joints and muscles beginning to show the inevitable signs of getting older.So why is this?  Well I have not been impressed by the CS9 plan. So wanted to get involved in getting a better set of options.I found out pretty soon that open debate is not on the cards. Having visited a meeting of the Hounslow Cycling Campaign I was truly disheartened. First few were really nice people. But it became very apparent that they are not welcoming at all to anyone who dares to not agree with them. They have a very closed mindset. And do not seem very open to anything other than their own views and attitudes. Far too anti anything other than cycling.So now we hear it's not going anywhere until after the election.So are the council running away from this? Or the Hounslow Cycling Campaign? Or the electorate?  Or are they hoping to push this through in the usual clandestine way post election?As for the Hounslow Cycling Campaign, Just who are they?  I now know they certainly don't fit the bill to represent me as a local cyclist. I doubt I am alone on this.But a look at their website shows no names, no organisers, no details of who funds them nor if anyone funds them at all. No membership specifics and an assumption that to join them, that you therefore fully support CS9 in all it's glory.They have an opportunity, to stand for election fielding a candidate or two which might indicate the level of support, or to ensure that they are clearly on parties manifestos for the coming election.There is clearly a debate for CS9 and a need for better solutions that suit All cyclists and All other road users, pedestrians as well.So should it not be an election debate with a clear stance?  And names to those who claim to represent ?

Raymond Havelock ● 2768d17 Comments ● 2762d

Mogden Expansion ?

Browsing through the latest Heathrow consultation stuff, I was surprised to come across"As shown in Figure 227, the majority of Heathrow’s wastewater, fromthe T5, CTA, east side and Northern Apron Zone (NAZ) catchments, isdischarged to the Bath Road Sewer to the north of the existing airportcampus. The remainder, from the cargo and T4 catchments, is discharged toa sewer south of the airport. Both sewers convey flows to Mogden WWTW.Thames Water have advised that that the Bath Road Sewer is currentlyoperating at its full capacity, and consequently no additional flows can bedirected to it unless measures are taken to reduce the current demand orincrease the capacity. Mogden WWTW is also at its maximum capacity andis unable to treat additional wastewater flows without an upgrade to theexisting treatment facilities."and"Any increase in capacity will involve investment in new treatment and network infrastructure and the upgrade of existing facilities. Following engagement with Thames Water and development of other components, three options for providing the additional wastewater treatment capacity required for the expanded airport were identified:• Option 1: Upgrade the existing treatment facilities at Mogden WWTW in west London;• Option 2: Upgrade the existing treatment facilities local to the airport and divert some or all flows to this treatment location;• Option 3: Construct a new WWTW local to the airport to treat some, or all the flows from the expanded airport and surrounding communities.The final solution could also involve a combination of these options. Options 1 & 2 are reliant on feasibility study and evaluation by Thames Water. Heathrow will continue to work closely with Thames Water to develop these options."They have a couple of sites in mind for the new Option 3 sewage works - one near Harmondsworth or another on Mayfield Farm close to Bedfont Lakes (though that site has also been suggested as a possibility for the replacement Immigration Removal Centre)

Tim Henderson ● 2765d0 Comments ● 2765d

Friends' Groups Say Future of Borough Parks 'Uncertain'

From Chiswickw4.comParks Friends’ groups in the borough have made the Council aware of their disappointment with the lack of consultation over a major change in policy in a recent meeting.Following the surprise decision by Hounslow Council and Carillion to terminate the contract for parks’ maintenance seven months early representatives from seventeen of Hounslow’s Friends of Parks groups met on 15 November with Head of Parks Stefania Horne and lead cabinet member for Green Policy and Leisure Samia Chaudhary. The Friends’ groups were told how Hounslow’s Cabinet will meet to approve the future strategy for parks next Tuesday 21 November. They pointed out that, although they were pleased that the councillor in charge had met them collectively for the first time it gave them little time to work out the full ramifications of the move.Stefania Horne, following on the work of Consultants V4S, is recommending that Lampton 360, a wholly council-owned company currently responsible for waste collection and property development, take over maintenance contracts once Carillion finishes on 9 April 2018. This, explained Ms Horne, will help to meet the ambitious savings targets imposed on the parks service, and will also provide a more satisfactory solution than using a contractor. Lampton 360, she said, should be considered as an internal department, although with some advantages for Hounslow. Pension liabilities will be reduced using Lampton 360, and Lampton is permitted to trade, so it would be able to seek alternative sources of income generation. Quality supervision should be much improved.In the interim, there will be a working group comprising Carillion and parks’ staff to try to ensure that maintenance continues with ‘business as usual’. Groups expressed concerns about this ‘end of contract’ hiatus, especially with regard to events and Green Flag certification. The Parks Friends’ groups were not unhappy at the departure of Carillion, saying there had been much frustration with their work over the years. Ms Horne emphasised that this should be a new beginning and was a very good opportunity to improve the service. Lampton 360 would be ‘in-house’ but a separate company. Groups were invited to share in the process and Cllr Chaudhary invited groups to participate in the process. The Friends’ groups, however, felt that there were serious issues to consider, and not enough time to do it in. They said it remained unclear who would be responsible for work on a day-to-day basis and how it would be monitored. Concern was expressed that the new company would have to lease or buy all its new equipment, and that this would be subject to VAT, and more expensive than anticipated, causing further strain on the parks’ already restricted budgets. Also they requested that ecologists and horticulturalists to form part of the new teams.More wide-reaching concerns included the lack of experience of current Lampton directors who have no parks’ experience, but come from real estate, property development and waste industry backgrounds. The documents which formed the basis for Lampton’s incorporation specify the presence of councillors and the Chief Executive on the Board, but these have all resigned raising questions as to how directors are selected. The Friends requested a representative director on the Board. Cllr Chaudhary said she would take back this request.The issue of potential conflicts of interest was raised. Given that Lampton 360 is in the business of land development it was thought this may present a threat to Hounslow’s open space. The Lampton business plan of July 2016 says: “This will mean that at some point in the near future Development 360 will either need to be acquiring sites from the open market, or working with a Joint Venture partner to bring these sites forward or releasing and identifying more assets by way of release of Green Belt, or Metropolitan Open Land.” Ms Horne pointed out that planning permission would still be needed, but Friends remained anxious, especially given last week’s publication of the draft Local Plans, which state, “It is now necessary to consider the potential for release of green belt sites” and identifies sites in Bedfont, Hatton and Cranford for de-designation. On the question of whether the parks’ revenue would be ring-fenced and reinvested in the parks the Friends were told that it wouldn’t be but that at least this revenue would not become commercial profit, but would be retained by the council. This also raised the question of financial risk with any potential profits from external contracting work going to Lampton but losses having to be underwritten by the Council. Remuneration of directors was also raised and concerns were expressed about the unrealistic optimism of the budget. The Friends’ Groups say Lampton’s track record was not encouraging, with its new waste management scheme (budgeted £11.5m, actual now estimated £28.15m and climbing), and Facilities Management Lampton overspend potentially nearly £4million.Overall the Friends’ groups, while pleased about the opportunities for improvement following the departure of Carillion, were uncertain about the future of their parks under Lampton 360. They feared that the Council were rushing into a decision without due consideration, and that there were very serious structural questions about the Lampton 360 group of companies. Lampton’s aim to be “of the Council but different” left many questions unanswered: and no time to do so before next Tuesday.Councillor Samia Chaudhary said; “We believe there is an opportunity by doing this to maintain our parks to the same high standards, but also enable investment in new vehicles and equipment, and make savings of over £1 million per year.”“It is important to note that there will be no change to the ownership of the parks which will all continue to be owned, as now, by the Council. Lampton 360 will be contracted to undertake the operational services required in our parks on behalf of the Council.“This will help the council to deliver its promise to make Hounslow a cleaner, greener borough, encourage active and healthy communities, and provide quality services and value for money.”To contact the Park Friends Forum email; hounslowfriendsforum@gmail.com.November 17, 2017

Bernard Allen ● 2826d18 Comments ● 2771d

Hostile Streets

I see that Brentford gets some mention in the new GLA report :https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/hostile_streets_-_final_report_for_print.pdf"The most striking example of a hostile street we saw was near Brentford, where primary schools are straddled by the A4 and M4 flyover. We walked the route with parents and children, who showed us how difficult it was for them to get to school. They were worried about fast-moving traffic, high levels of pollution, and getting stuck in the middle of the busy road waiting for ages for a green light to cross.""2.25 In just three locations – Gallows Corner in Havering, Croydon Fiveways and a stretch of the A4 near Brentford – we came across:• A signed cycle route which was not completed and ran out midway down a 50mph road• A pedestrian crossing with a dropped kerb for wheelchairs and buggies, and tactile paving for people with visual impairments, on only one side of the road• A cycle lane which directs bikes onto oncoming traffic• Pavements and traffic islands which are too narrow or have street clutter that makes it difficult for wheelchairs and buggies• Busy, signalised junctions with no pedestrian phase in the lights• Traffic islands where pedestrians wait to cross surrounded by high volumes of fast-moving traffic• A pavement and crossing which were closed following a collision, when the issue "and page 20 has the Brentford photo titled "A cycle lane on the A4 directs bikes into three lanes of oncoming traffic"

Tim Henderson ● 2810d5 Comments ● 2807d

Get ready to start fighting to save your local park.

At a council cabinet meeting on 11th July there was an agenda item 14, REG 525 Parks Transformation https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/g9860/Public%20reports%20pack%20Tuesday%2011-Jul-2017%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10If you scroll down to the pages relating to this item it says "Document is Restricted" In the decisions paper https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/g9860/Decisions%20Tuesday%2011-Jul-2017%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=2 it says that the recommendations in the report were approved.What recommendations? Clearly the public isn't supposed to know. The explanation for the exemption is;By Virtue of Paragraph 3 Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)There have been rumours that parks management is to be handed over to Lampton 360 a set of companies set up by the council whose main aim is to develop property, they are also now running the waste contract. The suggestion being made is that is that maintenance is "coming back in house". Lampton 360 is a series of private companies and if the "business affairs" justification can be used to hide what it is doing, there are serious concerns about transparency and accountability.Where are our local councillors? What have they been doing to ensure there is proper consultation, scrutiny and debate before our parks are handed over to Lampton 360?Can any of our councillors throw any light on this mysterious agenda item?

Vanessa Smith ● 2949d14 Comments ● 2812d

J.M.W. Turner - Blue Plaque at The White Horse

I have sometimes wondered what happened to the blue plaque that used to be on the wall outside The White Horse in Market Place, Brentford.  I contacted English Heritage about the Turner plaque and this is their reply:"I’ve looked out our file on Turner, he does have a blue plaque at 40 Sandycoombe Road (Sandycombe Lodge), Twickenham, installed under our scheme in 1977.  The one you mention in Brentford was not an official one, the Weir put it up privately – and were asked to take it down as they should not have used our name and logo on the inscription.    Nothing to stop them from replacing it with a new one, as long as it did not use the English Heritage name and logo and they were advised to contact the Turner Society for advice, and possible support.  The file note in 2006 confirms that it had indeed been taken down – however presumably the Weir decided not to replace."English Heritage's rules dictate that any individual can only have one official blue plaque.This pub, for some reason, is now called The Weir. Why do so many owners find it necessary to change the historical names of pubs? The White Horse is probably the oldest surviving pub in Brentford and it is mentioned in a burial register of 1603. I agree with this statement from a spokesman for The Brewers' and Licensed Retailers' Association:"You don't change a pub name lightly unless you're an idiot - and there are some idiots who have done silly things,"

Jim Storrar ● 2824d3 Comments ● 2824d

Sajid Javid; Who is out of touch?

If the quotes from Mr Javid MP in todays papers are correct then here's another minister who ought to resign.It simply underlines how completely out of touch all Politicians are with the Housing issue.Giving Housing Associations blank cheques and writing off debts as they metamorphosise from charities into big money property developers and landlordsGreen lighting over densification without factoring in infrastructure and means for quality of life.Ignoring concerns from people with the experience to know when something is not right.and blaming the older generation for the housing crisis simply because they have paid off mortgages?Er this will be the same generation that had mortgage interest at up to 15% and barely ever below 6% over their 25 years.  Parents who went without food every few days to pay the mortgage.It has never been cheap or easy. For more than a few generations.The only real benefits were those council house tenants who bought at bargain prices. There would not be a housing crisis if this insane grip by developers and twisted up planning laws did not allow a glut of luxury developments and massaging of land values to dominate in a country of limited space.If theres one area that state control should have serious teeth it should be land.Does he not realise that this 'Nimby generation' have children now grown up who cannot even live nearby?  That's because the wrong kind of housing is being thrown up left right and centre and most is wholly unsuitable for family life and the amenities to support that quality of life are being eroded.His Nimby attack is unfounded and exposes the complete lack of understanding causing through all of government from the top to the bottom.It is a population crisis. I hate to agree with the bit in the Sun today but it is a cold hard fact.Way too many people, no means to accommodate. And yet there are thousands of empty and  part occupied properties completely unaffordable being permitted.Affordable should mean affordable. Overseas investment and Buy to Let of new properties should be banned entirely and yes. New Towns built with affordable commuter links. Proper homes with proper space for people. Places desirable enough to want to live there.We seem completely incapable as a nation of managing that.Has nothing been learned in 150 years of overdensely populated districts?   The divisions, The squalor, the dirt, the crime, the mental and health issues.Clearly the 'Nimbie' understand that.  Many of them will have been part of that.A shame Mr Javid and his young Latte sipping advisors do not.

Raymond Havelock ● 2829d18 Comments ● 2826d

Inverness Lodge

Some years ago there were at least two threads on this forum which discussed the history of Inverness Lodge (between Brentford Library and Brentford School for Girls). I recently came across this item, from The Middlesex Chronicle dated 12 May 1917, which offers the property for sale by auction. The sale was occasioned by the death of Stephen Woodbridge (83) who had lived at Inverness Lodge for about 40 years. Stephen Woodbridge had for many years been Clerk to Brentford Local Board and then, from 1894, to Brentford Urban District Council. He resigned his post at the age of 82.This gives some idea of what a grand old house it was:"...the charming and commodious Georgian family residence known as Inverness Lodge, Boston Road, Brentford. The residence stands in its own grounds of about 3.25 acres and is approached by a carriage sweep, enclosed by high railings and contains 3 reception rooms, 11 bedrooms, and usual domestic offices, outbuildings comprise stable and coach house with rooms over, laundry, greenhouse, small farmery. The grounds consist of tennis lawn, 3 abundantly stocked kitchen gardens with standard and other fruit trees and large paddock."The sale of household furniture and effects included:"Brussels, Wilton pile, Axminster and other carpets, antique and other chests of drawers, valuable grandfather, old English bracket and other clocks ... mahogany dining room suites covered in Morocco leather ... valuable paintings by Stone, Howard and other well-known artists ... Chippendale and other chairs ... grand piano by Kirkman, church harmonium."I won't repeat the information contained in the earlier TW8 threads or that in the excellent and always reliable BHS Project website, but in summary,- Inverness Lodge appears to have been built in the late 18th century and the exterior was stucco-finished in the late 19th century.- There may be connections with freemasonry. There is a mention that one of the Dukes of Cumberland owned the house and the names "Cumberland" and "Inverness Lodge" are closely associated with freemasonry. In the 19th century there were at least three other building in London which were called Inverness Lodge - in Twickenham, Roehampton, and Bayswater.- Between about 1856 and 1859 Inverness Lodge was home to Robert Gardiner Hill, a surgeon who specialised in the treatment of lunacy. He jointly ran two asylums at Wyke House and at Earls Court House. It seems that he welcomed "ladies suffering the milder forms of insanity" to be received into his family at Inverness Lodge. Gardiner Hill was an early champion of the use of "non-restraint" methods for the treatment of mental illness.- The house became nationally infamous in 1858 when Rosina Bulwer Lytton was sent there (a very interesting story which can be found in the usually unreliable Wikipedia).- In the 1920s Inverness Lodge harboured the local women's branch of the National Unionist Association before it became the local haunt of the British Legion who stayed there until at least the latter half of the 1960s. I'm not sure when the Inverness Social Club was established.- In 2016 a planning application was approved for the conversion of the first and second floors to five flats.I would be most grateful if anyone could add any more information about Inverness Lodge including the current price of their best ale.

Jim Storrar ● 2838d0 Comments ● 2838d

More Hounslow Labour shenanigans

An interesting item came up at the Heston and Cranford Area Forum last Thursday.Apparently last year a former Labour councillor was accused of sending pornographic images from his mobile telephone to the Imam of Heathrow Jamia Masjid who reported the matter to the police, the Leader of the Council and the borough's two MPs Seema Malhotra and Ruth Cadbury.The ex-councillor denied the allegation but was suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.  His hearing took place last week and he presented in his defence a long letter from Councillor Colin Ellar, former Leader of the Council, who I'm told pointed out the Imam's links to and active support for the local Conservative Party.What was particularly interesting about Councillor Ellar's letter though was that it contained a very personal attack upon a current fellow Labour councillor, Nisar Malik, whom he accused of having manipulated events and whom he described as "devious" and "corrupt".  Not very comradely behaviour towards a fellow elected representative and party colleague, to put it mildly!The outcome, apparently, was that the Labour Party found in favour of the ex-councillor and lifted his suspension, which will enable him to stand at next year's local council elections as I understand he intends to do.  This infuriated the Imam, who as a consequence robustly lobbied last week's meeting of the Area Forum on the matter, despite the best efforts of Labour members there to deny him a hearing.The police have now reopened their investigation.

Phil Andrews ● 2883d12 Comments ● 2841d

Chiswick Village

This is a slight departure from the thread which is discussing the deplorable habit of those who make the scurrilous claim that parts of Brentford are actually in Kew. Please bear with me, I'll eventually get to the punch line. The real Chiswick Village is a discrete area of flats on a site which is sandwiched between Oxford Road South and the railway line between Kew Bridge and Chiswick. Between about 1935 and 1937 Chiswick Village was built as a single development of about 280 flats in blocks of 4-6 storeys. These flats were described at the time as "luxurious" with "central heating and constant hot water", lifts, and a shared swimming pool, bowling green and tennis courts. Some or all of the flats even had a refrigerator in the kitchen.The village was built on land which was originally a short length of railway line which was called the Chiswick Curve (not to be confused with the tallish twin towers that have been proposed at Chiswick Roundabout). The Chiswick Curve connected the line between Kew Bridge and Chiswick to what is now known as Gunnersbury Station which was then a stop for trains running all the way from Hounslow, via Brentford, to Turnham Green and beyond. The Chiswick Curve was closed in 1932 and the tracks were taken up.Gunnersbury railway station was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1869 when it was called Brentford Road. Perhaps for parochial and now familiar reasons that name didn't last long and the station was renamed Gunnersbury in 1871.

Jim Storrar ● 2846d5 Comments ● 2845d

London Waterways Forum

For those interested, CaRT are reviving their east and west London Forums [as newly described; they used to be waterways user groups].London Waterway Forum goes west (and east)!The London Waterway team holds an open forum twice a year to share information about our work and hear feedback from the wide range of people who use and love the waterways. Over recent years we’ve held one forum in the autumn and one in the spring, both in central London. After feedback at recent forums, this season we’re heading out to the west and the east so that communities who haven’t had a chance to meet us can attend more easily. To help us manage these sessions we’d appreciate it if you could confirm your attendance and book for the forum of your choice (below links within the forum name); East ForumWednesday 18 October 2017Herts Young Mariners’ Base, 231 Windmill Lane, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 9AJ (directions) West Forum Thursday 02 November 2017Hillingdon Canal Club, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, London, UB8 2QX (directions) The event beginning at 4pm will be a mixture of a drop-in session to meet the team and view the exhibition about the draft London Mooring Strategy, followed by the forum at 7pm with presentations about our work and discussions. The timings for each event will be:4 – 7pm draft Mooring Strategy exhibition6 – 7pm Meet the London Waterways team7 – 8.30pm Forum (presentations and discussions)8.30 – 9pm Mooring Strategy exhibition Forum agenda; 7 – 8.30pmPresentations and sharingLondon Waterway and Trust plans (Jon Guest)Green Flag (Sam Thomas)‘Better towpaths for everyone’ (Dick Vincent)Mooring strategy (Sorwar Ahmed)Forum discussions and feedbackForum  discussion themesBreakout groups on;Local ideasSafety and anti-social behaviourEnvironment, events and visitor welcomeNavigation and enforcementFeedback from the floor Refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you!The London Waterway team London WaterwayDocklands Office420 Manchester RoadLondon, E14 9ST

Nigel Moore ● 2868d1 Comments ● 2862d

Albany Arms & Area

Hi there,If possible I’d like to open up constructive discussion on the area surrounding and including the currently closed pub, The Albany Arms.My other half and I are currently in the process, amongst other interested parties,of applying for the lease on The  Albany Arms……some of you may ask why?!......some may say about time!We have spent many months scouring the internet for info on the general area and have had many visits to Brentford to visit the pub and its surrounds. From our research we are aware of the pubs history and some problems associated with the area that surround it. This forum has also been useful to get some current info from locals.It does sound like there may be some issues involving crime in the area, but it’s very hard and also unfair to judge from an outsider’s point of view, rather than from a current resident’s daily experience.We would love to hear from some lovely Brentford locals and those further afield who have experience of the area, what you think about the pub itself and it reopening in the near future, and what it would mean to the local area?  Good or badOur vision, if we are successful in gaining a lease, is to transform this pub into something Brentford can be proud of.This pub has been vacant too long,been mismanaged repeatedly, and finally needs some love put into it.I am sure you will all agree on this!Any thoughts, feelings, or questions?*Please note: As we are still in the very early stages of the application process and due to confidentiality reasons, there are certain to be some questions that I will be unable to answer on this forum,so apologies in advance.Regards, PetePs. I will update this post in regards to the outcome of our application whether its successful or not.I am sure there are many of you interested in the fate of the pub and who will eventually obtain the lease.

Peter Brew ● 2878d23 Comments ● 2862d

WATERMAN'S ON THE RIVER - what a venue!

I have been very concerned for several years now about the plans to move Waterman’s and destroying a large section of the sunken gardens.   I see that at last some people living in Brentford are becoming a bit more vocal on the subjectAs has been pointed out - Waterman's present location was gifted to the people of this Town. Not to the borough to hawk off.    We could have a unique Waterman's on the River Arts Centre with a vibrant small theatre, state of the art cinema,  riverside restaurant/cafe/bar and gardens with stunning views across to Kew Gardens.Brentford must keep the existing Watermans site and redevelop it.   It’s a wonderful position right on the river looking across to Kew Gardens and has the long sunken gardens at river level as well.     It seems such a waste to let this asset be gobbled up by developers of yet more expensive flats blocking out the light and river views,  consigning Waterman’s to a faceless concrete residential tower in a side street with no parking.  Developed properly Waterman’s on the River could be a sensational must visit venue – what a waste to let it go.  I’ve emailed various Councillors – Cllr Lambert (Labour Brentford) posts regularly on this Brentford site but so far hasn’t shown many if any teeth!  I’ve also emailed my local Conservative Councillors and both Mary McLeod and our current MP Ruth Cadbury.Our Councillors and local MP need to help the people of Brentford to whom this beautiful riverside site was gifted, keep Waterman's on its riversite site.   It could be the jewel in the Crown.   Along with the Steam Museum, the Musical Museum, the lovely river and its canal, dreary new build Brentford could be transformed to a unique, must visit venue for locals, Londoners and foreign tourists, thus bringng much needed revenue to the entire Brentford area.   Come on Councillors, get some imagination - help develop a new Waterman's on the River - the people already have the site so go for it Hounslow!     

Jennifer Selig ● 2886d28 Comments ● 2882d

Comedy award of the year?

From Hounslow council's website:Closing Church Street recognised for "prioritising safety and quality of life for residents"Hounslow Council’s decision to make the closure of Church Street, Isleworth to motorised traffic, permanent, has been highly commended with an Urban Transport Design award.Published: Tuesday, 12th September 2017Church streetThe closure followed a 16-month trial in which the Council took on board opposition, including issues raised by local businesses on the impact it had on trade. With overwhelming support for the closure from residents in the road, plus strong support from several environmental charities wanting to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians using this route, the decision was taken to implement a permanent closure.Now the Council’s transport and traffic team have been presented with the award, by the Transport Practitioners.Judges for the award found that while the decision was “simple” it was not “easy.”There were strong arguments amongst the local community both for and against, but judges found that on balance, the Council had made the right resolution as it “prioritised pedestrians and cyclists and the safety and quality of life for residents who live on what was described widely as a “notorious rat-run.” The award also highlights the way the Council managed to efficiently implement a scheme that has a far greater impact then many projects in terms of achieving national, regional and local policy targets to reduce motorised traffic, encourage walking and cycling and assist in delivering ‘healthy streets’.It was also found that the Council’s approach to resolving the issue in the best interests of both those who were for the closure and ensuring those who were against it, had their views taken into full consideration, was the right way to proceed with such an “emotive” issue.Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said: “This was always a difficult and contentious decision. On balance, though, I believe the one we have made is right going forward in terms of improving safety and encouraging more people to walk and cycle.  It is great to have this now formally recognised by experts in the field with this prestigious commendation.“As I said at the time I would like to thank everyone, from residents and local businesses to all those in the community for or against the closure, who gave us their feedback and were involved in the trial and consultation period. “Those against the closure can be assured that the concerns that did come up will still be looked at. The success of the scheme shows how important the role of London boroughs will be if the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan’s vision for a low car capital set out in his draft transport strategy is to be achieved.”   The decision to close Church Street has also been shortlisted for the Healthy Streets Proposal of the Year award 2017 which will be awarded at the end of September.

Vanessa Smith ● 2892d15 Comments ● 2884d

Royal Horse Guardsman - breach of planning control hearing

One of our neighbours has heard from Marilyn Smith, Interim Chief Planning Officer to her letter of 21 March about the masts erected on top of the Royal Horseguards. The body of the letter is below. You'll see she suggests contacting your ward councillors if you wish to comment. Immediate action needed if you want your views heard.Pending Decision List Week 38: 22nd September – 29th September 2017Address: The Royal Horse Guardsman 23 Ealing Road Brentford TW8 0JUBreach of planning control: The installation of telecommunications apparatus on the roof of the propertyThe Council is now considering issuing a planning enforcement notice relating to the above land, which relates to the installation of telecommunications apparatus on the roof of the property.An enforcement notice is served on all freeholders, lessees, mortgagees and other persons having a material interest in the property. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice is an offence that may result in a fine of up to £20,000 upon conviction in the Magistrate’s Court, and an unlimited fine if convicted by the Crown Court. An enforcement notice is also entered on the Local Land Charges records, which could make the future sale or financing of the  conviction in the Magistrate’s Court, and an unlimited fine if convicted by the Crown Court.   Please note that the above planning enforcement case has been added to the weekly pending decisions list which is sent to all Councillors and other relevant parties (see: http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/environment_and_planning/planning/pending_decisions.htm). This list provides an opportunity for Councillors to consider, call in and comment on in respect of cases where it is expected that authority will be sought to serve enforcement notices in the near future.If you wish to comment on this case whilst it is on this list please send your comments to your ward Councillors.

Catherine Jones ● 2888d1 Comments ● 2888d

Sarah Trimmer  and Private Eye

Wonderful piece in Nooks and Corners column of the new edition of 'Private Eye' regarding the destruction of Sarah Trimmer's school founded in 1786.The narrative is that Hounslow council refused repeated applications to demolish the adjoining chapel and also an application to convert the school into flats was way back in 2001. In February last year an application for partial demolition to turn the school into 3 residential units was again turned down.Then in May 2016 IDM - the developers - without warning or authorisation or listed building consent, removed the roof and demolished the chimneys, claiming that the former was overloaded and the latter unsafe. Enforcement demanded that what was left of the school be covered and protected, which was done. IDM then started sand blasting the now cracked walls, until a temporary stop order was imposed. "In February, incomprehensibly, Hounslow granted listed building consent for rebuilding the roof and rear and side walls, although in May it refused permission for conversion into 3 bungalow flats. The council's own report on this confirms that the school 'is an important 18th century building, considered to be of national importance, and its special appearance and interest must be retained. So 'it is considered that this proposal does not adequately value the architectural integrity of the listed building, and that the proposed works would fail to preserve its special interest and setting'.But what is the council going to do to enforce the law and make IDM behave?"The article then mentions the Westminster case of the pub that was demolished, and Westminster insisting that the developer rebuild it before the site could be sold."Surely feeble Hounslow could and should do the same, for all that remains today of Mrs. Trimmer's charitable legacy are the remains of the west and south walls."The article then poses the question that as with Westminster when the Eye highlighted it, "would the council use its powers to punish offenders and make sure they make no money from the cleared site. A hefty fine? Why not a prison sentence? Why not indeed? By its actions IDM West London has scarcely shown itself to be a deserving members of society".Don't hold your breath if you expect Hounslow to find their backbone.

Vanessa Smith ● 2942d39 Comments ● 2926d

Guy Lambert's blog

GuyCongratulations on lasting for one year. I've dabbled with the odd blog and realise how hard it can be.I'm still not convinced that getting youngsters to invest into a credit union that makes no contractual promise as to its rate of interest payable is prudent advice. Returning to your blog this week you say'Tuesday morning our occasional meeting of the working group on the transfer of planned maintenance (of council housing) to Lampton 360 Facilities Management. This took place in April as planned and is going OK operationally, however the person who was leading for Lampton has left which means that our poor old director of Housing, who is not exactly underworked what with the aftermath of Grenfell Tower as well as everything else, now has to help Lampton go find a new director whilst overseeing the day-to-day running.'As you know it's quite remarkable that the existence of the groups you mention and their membership is unknown to me a fellow councillor and the public at large.I have no idea that a director of Lampton FM has left the reasons why or even his salary. Perhaps you'll update us?Can we also see the minutes of these meetings. Given the current uncontrolled costs of our Lampton waste operation, its inability to provide KPIs a new £22m recycling centre and now an as yet unfunded obligation of circa £6-7m to reinstate the Spaceway Waste Centre  its time to come clean on what's happening.Cosy little labour groups  with big egos and little experience are wrecking LBH finances.Cabinet members consistently show in my view how little they know about their brief. You must surely agreeJohn

John Todd ● 2940d18 Comments ● 2930d

Tower blocks in Brentford - 'Davids' posting

Topic: Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Proposals to Refurbish Brentford Towers Posted by: DavidDate/Time: 15/06/17 12:27:00You can see the letter here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2pkHFqX8vbLQm1MVmlBSjFmLTg/viewI am a resident of one of the towers, and that is a scan of the letter as received.I'd also note:1. That during the consultation I spoke to a representative of the architects involved and was told plainly that an important factor in the the cladding was that Kew Gardens had been denied their World Heritage status due tot he appearance of the Brentford Towers... i.e. that appearance is one of the most (if not the most) important factors.2. The consultation feedback form had questions about "visual improvements and remodelling" having a positive difference to the environment and estate. Note, there was not a single question about whether it would make residents sleep more soundly knowing that the chances they would wake in the morning were much improved.3. In a Twitter exchange with the councillor https://twitter.com/buro9/status/875100051609145344 the existing concrete is referred to as "cladding", but no definition of "cladding" as I understand it would imply that the removal of it exposes the reinforced steel structure, but yet that is what you see in the Brentford TW8 sharing of the letter I received: http://www.brentfordtw8.com/default.asp?section=info&page=towers001.htm&cn=cmVwbHk%3D4. Whilst we do have fire alarms and I test them every month, I doubt others do5. The internal services riser in each quarter of the building, that supplies services to the kitchens and bathrooms, is insufficiently shielded from the kitchen (definitely the case in the 1 bedroom flats, may also be the case in the 2 bedroom flats). It is essentially a thin piece of plywood/plasterboard and not a fire resistant thick piece of MDF or equivalent, and it is not adequately sealed around the piping (in the case of my flat).6. The sealing of the fire doors on communal landings seems insufficient... the doors now close (as a result of a review a couple of years ago), but they do not seal adequately.Even beyond real and present risk, I think people massively underestimate the anxiety this all causes.Every time we hear a siren (and we're next to the A4 and M4, we hear sirens frequently) we wake up terrified that something is happening.This has been the case since the fire in Fraser House in Oct/Nov last year.Residents, and I am one, literally cannot sleep in peace.When I attended a tenants meeting, it was plain to me that the majority of residents have long lost hope, and feel detached and isolated from the decisions that affect them. The constant beating of threats in communications, i.e. letters that say you must do this "and we'd like to remind you non-compliance is a breach of the tenancy agreement and can result in eviction procedures" or the sign in the lift that appeared a few days ago "if you get stuck in a lift do not call emergency services as you may be liable to an almost £300 fine"... this stuff all demoralises, weakens will, kills community spirit.People are frightened, to stay, to sleep, to say anything. And through a process of little communication and it's all been harsh or spin, weakened disenfranchised.Grenfell is horrific, but people are trapped. No-one lives in the Brentford Towers by choice. And every person who lives here has a story of how they got here, and every person carries the marks of those experiences. All these communications, all these processes, should recognise that the people here need help and support, not to be told things. And the people here are scared for the future, they need real reassurance that translates into real action.Give us a sprinkler system at the very least.

Sarah Felstead ● 2984d23 Comments ● 2966d

Duke of Northumberland's planning application

See the front page - if you live in Isleworth and try to negotiate the horrendous traffic you will be horrified to see that the Duke has a planning application in to build on the allotments in Park Rd. - a development of over 100 homes. At the same time another application wants to move the allotments in a vastly different form and plonk them in a Grade 1 listed landscape designed by Capability Brown. These applications go to planning cttee. this Thursday 22 June. The Duke claims he needs the dosh for the upkeep of Syon House the same tale he has been telling for everything, the hotel development, the sale of art works from Syon - the Aphrodite statue auctioned at Sotheby's for a cool £9M a couple of years ago, he has yet to spend any of this. It is outrageous that Hounslow seem to be looking with some favour at this application and local organisations are doing all they can to make the case for refusal. Please do go to the planning cttee. and make you feelings known if you can - 7.30.p.m. Hounslow Civic Centre. You can only imagine how many extra traffic movements this will put on our overburdened roads, plus we have another school due to open this year just up the road from this application, right at the junction of Park and Twickenham Rds. virtually at the junction with Busch Corner. It is appalling that rich members of the aristocracy think they can ride roughshod over local people who do actually care for the local heritage and environment.

Vanessa Smith ● 2980d12 Comments ● 2969d

Would you object to the Brentford Towers being demolished & replaced with more appropriate housing?

I was fascinated and stunned to discover that the resident's association of Grenfell Tower helped the surrounding towers to smother any talk by the council to demolish the towers and replace them with something more appropriate. K&C council has a regeneration drive to demolish former estates and replace them with more appropriate housing. A simple example is the estate at the end of Portobello Road (just after Goldborne Road). The residents agreed for their estate to be demolished and replaced with more suitable housing. They have now completed the first few phases of this massive project and all previous tenants and home owners are still on the same site but in more appropriate housing.I have also noticed not many - but a few very loud and strong voices of local Brentfordians doing what they can to make sure the Brentford Towers are not demolished. IDS and Rees-Mogg both called today for these poor build tower blocks to be demolished and replaced with more appropriate housing - however everyone else was concentrating their efforts on refitting these shoddy blocks ad infinitum. What are your thoughts? How far would you go to make sure the Brentford Towers are never demolished?For your information - here is a resident of an adjacent block to Grenfell talking about how they blocked K&C regeneration attempts on the area.https://twitter.com/EL4JC/status/874936178776170496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fvoxpoliticalonline.com%2F2017%2F06%2F14%2Fgrenfell-tower-blaze-no-accident-say-residents-highlighting-gentrification-plans-strong-language%2F

Jacob James ● 2977d30 Comments ● 2976d

£300,000 Community Chest

Hounslow in £300,000 Giveaway to CommunityCome to the launch to learn how to bid for the money6pm Thursday, 13 July at the Holiday Inn, Brentford "Councillor Theo Dennison, London Borough of Hounslow’s Cabinet Member for Finance & Citizen Engagement invites you to the CIL launch event to learn how you can bid for a big new pot of cash to support projects recommended by local residents and community organisations. "The Community Infrastructure Levy ('CIL') will provide hundreds of local charities, voluntary and community groups and residents with the resources they need to make a positive difference in their local area for local community projects like skills and training; transport, public spaces, art and leisure; and improvements to educational, health, community, leisure, cultural and faith facilities. "Councillor Dennison, explains: 'We are really impressed by the tremendous work done by the voluntary and community sector and the fantastic results they achieve, so we are determined to do more to help support their wonderful efforts by ensuring people get a chance to direct where money is spent to improve and benefit their area.' "The event will start at 6 pm on Thursday, 13 July 2017 at the Holiday Inn, Commerce Road, Brentford TW8 8GA, where information and advice will be available on how community organisations can bid for a share of the money. "For further information, please contact the council’s Infrastructure Team at CIL_S106@hounslow.gov.uk"

Phil Andrews ● 2979d7 Comments ● 2978d

Illegal Parking in CPZ on Haverfield.

Coates Walk on the Haverfield has 2 car parks on the Ealing Rd side of the block that are accessed from turning in from Burford Rd.In the evening and overnight these car parks are often overcrowded. Vehicles park up after the CPZ from around 9pm onwards. Often parking in the yellow diagonal striped boxed area at the top of the car park that clearly says no parking. In bays reserved for disabled permits and worst of all straight down the middle of the car park as there are no spaces left.      My main concern here is how would the fire brigade get access to this side of the block in the night?Forget the whole other issue of most of these late night/ overnight vehicles not having CPZ permits as they know they will be gone before the morning zone comes into effect and likely not return till after the evening zone - so park for free whilst other residents have to pay and then strugggle to find a space late evening.     The top end of Coates Walk actually on Burford Rd itself has a very small car park - no bays are marked out and cars often block the pedestrian access down the side of Coates Walk.    The recent shocking events at Grenfell Tower ( where i grew up) have only highlighted the whole issue for me.Is it the same all over the estate?I know the CPZ has had a positive effect in many areas, especially during the day. But it appears to do little or nothing overnight.     Is there not a fire brigade inspection that should highlight this situation?

Martin Webb ● 2985d13 Comments ● 2981d

Code Club at Acton & Ealing Central Library

https://www.codeclub.org.uk/Code Club is a nationwide network of free volunteer-led after-school coding clubs for children aged 9-11.I am currently volunteering for 2 code clubs, one at Acton Library and other at Ealing Central Library.Currently we have few seats available for the children so if you're interested for your child to learn about coding, then please get in touch with the hosts below:Acton Library:Everyone Active Acton Centre, High St, London W3 6NEAwatif El-Martaoui elmartaouia@hotmail.comTime: Saturday 11-12 pmEaling Central Library:103 Ealing Broadway Centre, London W5 5JYMartha LambertMartha.Lambert@carillionservices.co.ukTime: Thursday 4-5 pmCode club projects help children learn to code in Scratch, HTML & CSS and Python by using step by step guides to make games, animations or websites. The projects gradually introduce coding concepts to allow children to build their knowledge incrementally.We also support active clubs with a range of extra resources like certificates and posters, as well as competitions and offers.To join the code club, we will need from a parents/ carers,1) A small permission form signed on the first day2) An email address which will be used by the children to create accounts for online resources.Please feel free to get in touch with me in case you have any questions. And do check website https://www.codeclub.org.uk/ if you want more information.Many Thanks,Sandeepsanmestry@gmail.com

Sandeep Mestry ● 2984d0 Comments ● 2984d

Why don't Labour want to discuss their own manifesto?

This is just one issue that I have sent questions about and not had a reply.With apologies and thanks to the poster who I have pasted this from ( for speed) but it is checked & accurate.It's bad enough with Tories being less than clear about how and who will lose out but it seems Labour are being just as shifty. And yet it's there clearly printed in the manifesto.So why won't anyone discuss it/ It will affect almost every home owner in Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth.On page 86 of its manifesto Labour raises the prospect of a Land Value Tax (LVT):"A Labour government will give local government extra funding next year. We will initiate a review into reforming council tax and business rates and consider new options such as a land value tax, to ensure local government has sustainable funding for the long term."I did the calculation for my house.  My current council tax is £2,270.  Under Labour's LVT proposals this would go up to £5,890, a rise of £3,620 or 160%.  It would be excruciating for my family.  Finding £3,620 out of an already reduced after tax income would effectively mean the end of holidays or a move to a smaller property.  It is quite easy to do this calculation for yourself.  Get your property value off Zoopla.  Multiply by 0.55 to get an estimate of the value of the undeveloped land.  Multiply 0.0085 to get the tax you would pay.  The rate of 0.85% comes from proposers of the tax themselves.  It is no good Labour claiming that this is scaremongering.  They have raised the proposal and stated the rate.  We know it has to be a large amount because they themselves are presenting it as a get out of free jail card for local government finance. Here is a mechanism that will allow Labour to pump vast funds into its local government clients without affecting headline tax rates for regular people.  The 1%ers will pay!  Unfortunately that means anyone who has struggled to buy a property in London.

Raymond Havelock ● 2993d3 Comments ● 2992d

Church Street - Judicial review

The campaign against the closure of Church St. which has led to the congestion and increased pollution for so many of us, are going to a judicial review, to do this they need finances and to this end have opened a crowd-funding page. So let's all get behind this and contribute what we can, let's show Hounslow we are prepared to put our money where our mouths are. Dear SupporterWe are writing to you as you have over the months copied us into your complaints to Hounslow Council concerning the Closure of Church Street Isleworth.The crowdfunding page concerning the Judicial Review of the Closure is now live on CrowdJustice on https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/church-street/.Our community has throughout the trial been subjected to 18 months of congestion and pollution and the consequent effects of that on our health and daily lives. Even the Councillors themselves acknowledge that the data that Hounslow has presented in favour of the closure is inconclusive.The creation of a cycling quietway on Church Street does not justify the impact that this measure is having on the local community and particularly the children in the five most affected schools. Traffic will shortly increase yet further as a result of the new riverside developments and Green School for Boys.The Church Street closure is only one of a number of such failed experiments and our efforts could have an impact across the country.Here are two ways you can help right now:1. Pledge any amount you can on https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/church-street/.2. Share the campaign on your social media networks and email two friends asking them to pledge and share.We can't do any of this without you. So please donate and share to continue being part of this movement.Thank you very much for your continued support.

Vanessa Smith ● 3016d12 Comments ● 3004d

The Brentford Library building..what a gem.

Driving down Boston Manor Road its easy to miss the splendours of the Brentford Library. "THE GIFT OF ANDREW CARNEGIE Esq 1903" says the inscription.So, as an apres Farmers Market activity, thought I'd pop in to have a look.....with my newly acquired Borough library ticket/card.The spacious hallway area tempts one to stop..and survey the interior scene and adjoining staircase.  Lots of bundles of leaflets and Magazines on display for visitors..and available to take. HM magazines,Hounslow Homes newsletters, "Freedom of Information" leaflets..etc etc. Then cabinets filled with a large selection of Local History books and brochures available for purchase. Postcards of Chiswick Empire, Brentford walks, 19th Century Ordnance Survey maps, and some older ones too.There were over 20 people in the Library at 2pm in the childrens section, active at the line of computors, reading the newspaper, and browsing the bookshelves. Great sight.Outside again..and examining the scene from the roadway..I felt that this gem needed a little extra loving care to the vegetation.. to make the building  a prime attraction on that corner of Clifton Road.  Whilst there are many lovely trees there..two fir trees could do with chopping down as they obscure the building. The laural bushes at the pavements edge look untidy..and don't show off Andrew Carnegie's gift that well.   An ugly blue coloured wheeley bin couldn't be more inappropriate..parked as it is on full display.The Brentford War Memorial there is in a fine setting. The area just needs that finishing touch!  (Who runs the Dept of Finishing Touches in Brentford?) Then have a word with the Inverness Club..that ought to look majestic too!!

Jim Lawes ● 7469d14 Comments ● 3007d

Brentford Station: Forecourt and Footpath

I would be very interested to know if others are concerned about the state of the southern forecourt at Brentford station and the footpath from there to Windmill Road. Below is the text of an email that I have sent to the councillors for Syon Ward.Apologies for the length of my missive. I hope that it doesn't send you to sleep!______________________________________________________________________I, and others, have repeatedly voiced great concern about the poor state of the footpath from Brentford Station which runs behind Sidney Gardens to Windmill Road. I first raised this issue at least nine months ago. A similar concern relates to the state of the southern forecourt at Brentford Station. I have written on these subjects on numerous occasions to LB Hounslow, Network Rail and South West Trains. On the few occasions when I have received a reply it seems that each authority lays responsibility upon one of the others and my most recent email to LB Hounslow, sent on 2nd March, remains unacknowledged.I understand that some of the land in question may be not be registered with the Land Registry. However until this particular issue is resolved there is an urgent need for one or all of the parties to take the initiative and to carry out the necessary work. Until this is done there is a real risk to public safety and, at the very least, the area will remain as a shoddy gateway to Brilliant Brentford.I implore you to take effective and practical remedial action at the earliest date. If LB Hounslow's commitment to public engagement is to mean anything then these are exactly the kind of issues that have to be tackled with some real determination.Please note that I have copied this email to both Network Rail and South West Trains.The two main issues are as follows:1] LightingFor at least 9 months the lights along the footpath have been out of action and this is now a very threatening and dangerous route to use, particularly during the hours of darkness. When I used the footpath during darkness yesterday evening there was absolutely no lighting and the route was almost pitch black throughout its length. The surface of the footpath, including the steps at its eastern end, is uneven and poorly maintained. More recently, perhaps because of strong winds, parts of the fencing at the northern end of the back gardens in Sidney Gardens have obstructed part of the footpath.The lighting around the southern forecourt of the station has also been out of action for many months. The forecourt is an area where vehicles and pedestrians share the same space and there are clear dangers arising from the absence of lighting. It should not be difficult to identify the owners of this land if only because someone is paying for the enforcement of parking on the forecourt. (I would suggest that they are getting very poor value for money because parking restrictions are rarely, if ever, enforced).2] LitterThe footpath is almost always full of litter (paper, beer cans etc. etc.). I am told that this is a popular spot for dealing in drugs. There is a recent report on FixMyStreet from someone else (dated 11th March 2017) of human faeces and litter all the way along the path.In early September 2016 I reported my concerns to officers at LB Hounslow who responded promptly to say that they are not responsible for cleaning this footpath and that they do not know who owns it. They suggested that I should contact the Land Registry. I have not followed this advice because I do not believe that it is my responsibility to do so. The southern forecourt at Brentford Station is usually strewn with litter. The areas around the large waste bins in and around the forecourt are popular spots for fly-tipping and today I noticed an abandoned shopping trolley and a black bin bag which has been torn apart and the contents strewn over the adjacent area. On Friday I found a dead dog which I had to lift with a plastic bag  before sadly disposing of it in an appropriate manner. I expressed my concerns regarding the forecourt to officers at LB Hounslow on 1st October 2016 but I have received no reply.

Jim Storrar ● 3064d18 Comments ● 3037d

Isleworth stabbed in the back once again, the night democracy died.

Well didn't our councillors do us proud tonight over the Church Street decision? After a lot of speakers for and against the closure, councillors had their say. Theo Dennison concluded the data from the consultant and traffic department was 'inconclusive', but, the majority in favour of re-opening were 'guilty' of ruining Church St. by driving through it. Katherine Dunne almost sent the assembled locals to sleep with her ramble about how she likes cycling and on and on. Peter Carey was the only person who mentioned the fact that the vast majority (over 70%) of those who responded to the consultation wanted the road opened, and he had heard nothing to persuade him that that should not be upheld. The Dear Leader told the - by now weary - audience that in spite of what we may think they do have make hard decisions and they are not based on whether or not the electorate were in favour. (It had been pointed out earlier that the 700 odd people who wanted the road re-opened were half of some of the councillor's votes at the last election). According to him they are not swayed by their popularity (or not), if he really thinks that he's in the wrong game, politics is all about winning if you don't win you can't put your policies into play. There is always a political dimension, which clearly has passed this bunch by.Chief backstabber was Cllr. Mayne who moved the recommendation of officers, he rides a bike, he walks, he drives a train, and he obviously doesn't give a stuff for anyone who hasn't the physical wherewithal to do as he does. Thanks should go to Tony Louki who at least brought to officer's attention that there are three new schools going to be built locally two of which have no public transport links for children from this end of Isleworth, so will be transported by - car! And one another free school which will have children from all over, again probably coming in cars, thus adding to the horrendous conditions on Twickenham Rd. Sheila O'Reilly and Peter Carey also voted against the motion. Cllr. Sampson voted for and Cllr. Green abstained.  For sheer pomposity it would be hard to beat Cllr. Collins, enough to make you scream, what no-one mentioned at all was that in a democracy the will of the majority must prevail. Roll on May 2018.

Vanessa Smith ● 3068d44 Comments ● 3043d

New Secondary School for Brentford/Isleworth/Osterley

The submission for a new non-denominational, mixed, secondary school for 1150 children serving Brentford and Isleworth has been received by the Council.The school would be called the Bolder Academy and the proposed site is along MacFarlane Lane in Osterley (near the Tesco supermarket just off Gillette Corner).The proposed school is part of a larger plan for two schools and site swapping involving the Grasshoppers Rugby Club the site of which is to be vacated for the Bolder Academy. The proposal is that the Rugby Club will move to the northern half of the old White Lodge sports site along Syon Lane. The southern half of the old sports field is now taken up by the Nishkam all-through school (primary and secondary) for 1400 children which is currently under construction.To facilitate the Rugby Club move the Council is raising over £9 million to develop the northern half of the site and has also agreed to waive two years of rent arrears owed to the Council. £6 million will be in the form of a direct grant and the remaining money will be raised by selling SKY some of the council-owned Metropolitan Open Land adjacent to the proposed school site.A residents' campaign in Osterley fought a hard battle against building the Nishkam school on Metropolitan Open Land which had long been used for sports purposes. Despite overwhelming local opposition the Council's Planning Committee approved the submission at its meeting on 3rd December 2015.The main concern of the Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association (OWGRA) about the Bolder submission is that, even though problems of access to the school have been raised repeatedly, no satisfactory solution has been offered. Syon Lane is already highly congested and is in an area of very poor public transport (PTAL 0). As matters stand almost 3000 children and staff for both Nishkam and Bolder would all have to access the schools through Syon Lane. OWGRA has warned that this is both dangerous, unhealthy and will worsen already very congested traffic conditions and considerably increase levels of pollution.All the current information on the application is available through the OWGRA website: https://owgra.org.uk/the-bolder-academy/

David Pavett ● 3044d1 Comments ● 3044d

Passing the buck

Dealing with Hounslow Council is a pretty soul destroying experience most of the time and I think it's getting worse. It seems whoever you contact for whatever reason spends more time trying to duck out of dealing with you and your complaint than trying to resolve it. It is high time that people were reminded that the council is there to serve the needs of local people not to create an obstruction at every turn.I contacted the housing department regarding a rear access road that runs at the rear of the road where we live, this road  and it's upkeep is, and always has been, the council housing department's responsibility. However, we always have to start a mini campaign to get them to come and do a bit of a clear-up and tidy once or twice a year. The rest of the time most people who use the road to access their garages do their bit and keep it in a reasonable state.The road does get a bit overgrown at this time of year and the end nearest the entrance does attract some small scale rubbish dumping, an old for sale sign, plastic bags of various unwanted items and so on. First of all I get a reply from the 'area manager'  - who knew there was one? Can we talk about this - after I'd already sent a detailed e-mail - what's to chat about? I replied to say that there wasn't any issue apart from the fact that housing fail to maintain this area inline with the agreement we got when we purchased our house, so could they please just have a shufty and get it tidied? Now I get a reply saying they do do this three times a year!! Not in the forty years we've lived here they haven't and - sending me photos of the road I've told them about! Are these people for real? Now they claim they don't touch overgrowth  - which they have in the past - and the householders whose responsibility it is will have to cut it - not unreasonable. I have asked if they now intend to write to these households to tell them to get weaving in accordance with their 'management' of the area.I think most people are happy to keep the area where they live clean and tidy but what are we supposed to do with old for sale signs etc.? In the time that taking photos and e-mailing has taken the clear up could have been done. A couple of years ago this department suddenly took in into their heads to foist on us a gallows gate at the entrance to this access at a cost of several thousand pounds, no-one wanted this or asked for it, and there it has been- locked back and never used - but an occasional clear-up? God forbid. Let's tell the punters a hundred and one reasons why we shouldn't do something rather than remember why we are here - it's called providing a service that we agreed to.

Vanessa Smith ● 3052d0 Comments ● 3052d

Hounslow's Labour Group in Private Eye - yet again

What a bunch of pathetic, nasty people make up the majority Labour group of Hounslow Council. It appears that some of them have got the hump about reports on their individual performance, apparently "telling the truth about Labour councillors performance is an 'uncomradely' act". These figures appeared in the Chronicle in August 2016, so of course not wanting the electorate to know what they were, or weren't doing, there had to be a scapegoat. They have decided that Cllr. Gurpal Viridi is the guilty party on the basis of no evidence whatsoever, the chief whip - Shantanu Rajawat (who he?) who completed 13 cases in 2015-16 as opposed to Cllr. Virdi's 233, organised what the 'Eye' calls a 'kangaroo court'.This is the bit that is breathtaking in its gall, Cllr. Virdi was found guilty of "leaking potentially damaging documents to the media" and "having brought [the] Labour Group into disrepute".What? The appalling saga of Cllr. Curran's utterly reprehensible behaviour over the wheelie bin saga last year didn't do that? Cllr. Virdi it is noted has been a thorn in the side of the leadership for exposing attempts to corrupt the planning system among other things.How spiteful can you be? Cllr. Virdi cannot now stand in future elections for the party Labour and has been suspended from the party.They don't deserve him, God forbid anyone should try and shine a light in some murky council corners.

Vanessa Smith ● 3110d52 Comments ● 3091d

Corporate governance LBH

Dealing with the LBH budget meeting on Tuesday night Cllr Lambert says in his blog'Genghis Todd had his set-piece rant about Lampton 360 and Steve Curran had his set-piece retort. It reminded me of my misspent youth in interminable church services where the vicar reads out something from his book (to be fair, he probably knows it by heart) and the congregation respond in unison, saying the same words that they have been saying since 1549. I doubt even Genghis will last for another 500 years, but who knows.'Cllr Lambert knows full well as do his cabinet colleagues  that it's unacceptable to have a LBH senior officer reporting to himself on the performance of our recycling/ waste company or other Lampton company. Huge sums of public money are involved.Guy knows too that there has been no recent performance data on the Lampton empire and despite an item in the forward plan showing this data will be published in February it wasn't. It's easy for the leader to have fun at my expense at Council on this subject without addressing the underlying issue.I sent the following email to the chair of the LBH Audit Committee earlier this week which met on Thursday night. Cllr Lambert is a member of this committee. I understand he didn't  rebut my view provided at this meeting by my colleague Cllr Hearn 'Lampton  360 Ltd and its subsidiariesCorporate Governance concerns You will have heard me raise this at council twice and on both occasions received a derisory and unacceptable response from Cllr Curran.Mr B Walsh remains the managing director of Lampton entities despite being Head of REDE. This is a clear conflict, breaches advice from our corporate governance consultants, recommended good practice and indeed common sense. Please pursue and seek prompt remedial action.'John

John Todd ● 3095d4 Comments ● 3094d

Affordable Homes

Affordable HomesVanessa often asks on posts on this forum what are affordable homes.After going through the process with 3 or 4 Developers/Builders using the government schemes and their own, which work out roughly the same .From a developers website as an example    Am I eligible for shared ownership?Because Shared Ownership schemes receive some government funding, there are a few general restrictions on who can buy through Shared Ownership:– Maximum household income levels are in place to ensure that properties are accessible to applicants who are unable to purchase on the open market:If the property you are applying for is within a London borough the maximum household income is set at £90,000. If the property you are applying for is outside of London the maximum household income is set at £80,000. There are no minimum income thresholds however we will need to check that you’ll be able to afford to purchase your home and that this will remain the case in the longterm. This is done by completing an affordability assessment with one of the independent financial advisors on our panel.This is one of the first step in applying for a shared ownership property. You will need to call them once you have seen a property that you are interested in, they will review your incomings and outgoings with you to ensure that you are financially eligible for the property.After going through the affordability assessment with the Government schemes and the developers own schemes the minimum works out to be Between 45K and 47K per household. This is for paying off your own mortgage for whatever share you have of the property and the rent and maintenance costs of the Company's share. Which can be between £600 to £850 monthly.So what chance does a single person around 25 to 30 earning 18 to 20k a year  get on the property ladder? Even if there are two of them they still don't meet the minimum requirement     

Bernard Allen ● 3107d5 Comments ● 3100d

Reasons the proposed Morrisons development fails planning requirements

Can I suggest we all email planningcomments@hounslow.gov.uk, as requested in the article about this development, with a list of reasons why the Essential Living proposal fails the planning requirements and should be rejected.  I’ve noticed the tendency for a numbers game to be employed by LBH when pushing through inappropriate developments, so a large number of objections that cite valid reasons for rejection will be very helpful.  It doesn’t matter if your reasons are repeats of someone else’s and in fact is probably useful in reinforcing the point.The list I have so far, and have sent to planningcomments@hounslow.gov.uk is:Subject: Essential Living Morrisons developmentThis proposal should be rejected on the following grounds:The Local Plan requires proposals to respect and enhance the established character, be of an appropriate scale and type, work with and respect the wishes of local residents, contribute to the townscape character, have high quality design and appearance and contain 40% affordable housing.  This proposal fails on all these counts.The height, bulk and design of the proposal does not fit the established and historic character of the area. The height in particular fails to meet the requirement of the Local Plan, which states, 'there is some limited scope for 4 to 6 storey (up to 20m) buildings along main streets'.  This proposal is 42.27m high, more than double the maximum. For an urban setting with a PTAL of 4 (as applicable here), the London Plan density matrix notes a residential density of 70-260 units per hectare.  This proposal has 225 flats and 2 floors of retail and parking on a 0.6 hectare site, giving a density four times the mean appropriate level and double the absolute maximum.No sunlight and shadowing assessment is included in the planning application documents (http://notices.allofhounslow.co.uk/#notice/P/2016/5573).  Given the considerable concern voiced by local residents about shadowing of an adjacent school, this is an unacceptable omission.The standard of design proposed is not outstanding or of the highest quality, appearing instead to maximize bulk and use of space to the detriment of its surroundings.  The site is directly faced on 3 sides by a conservation area, and proposes to build onto the conservation area on one side.  The Local Plan requires that, ‘Any development within or affecting a Conservation Area must conserve and take opportunities to enhance the character of the area, and respect the grain, scale, form, proportions and materials of the surrounding area and existing architecture’. The proposed development fails to do this.Well over 50% of the proposed flats are studio and 1 bed, which is more than double the Local Plan’s stated proportion of single or couple occupancy dwellings necessary to ensure balanced new housing.  This fails to meet the requirement for balanced new housing and equally fails to promote a mixed and balanced community.All flats are to be rented on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy basis, which will ensure transient occupation and fails to meet the Local Plan requirement to promote a mixed and balanced community where people will settle and stay.The Local Plan is available at http://www.hwa.uk.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Appendix-1-Hounslow-Local-Plan-Version-for-Adoption-September-2015.pdf andhttps://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20062/local_plan/1108/local_plan I’m sure I’ve missed a dozen other valid reasons for objection so it would be good for people to read it and add any things in response to this post.  This way we’ll end up with a cast iron set of rejection reasons that cannot be disputed.

Lorne Gifford ● 3109d5 Comments ● 3107d

It's time to close the A4

The A4/M4 corridor is officially one of the worst polluted areas not just in London, but in the whole world; an illegal toxic sewer of lethal pollution that is quite literally killing hundreds of Hounslow residents every year.The above statement is not conjecture or playing up the issue, but a simple statement of fact: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/research/divisions/aes/research/ERG/research-projects/HIAinLondonKingsReport14072015final.pdfCommissioned by the Greater London Authority and Transport for London, this report puts the air pollution death toll in Hounslow at 275 people per year.Pollution is highest where the A4 and M4 merge together into ten lanes of dense traffic and where we have a concentration of high rise flats and apartments.  The building spree is actively encouraged by Hounslow Council and as we all know, tall and densely packed large buildings inhibit wind flow and further concentrate pollution.  It's a building trend that is being forced through the whole of Brentford and is causing a significant reduction in air quality.The pollution in Brentford is so bad that I read somewhere it’s directly equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  That’s a pack a day, children included, and 275 deaths a year.There are three possible courses of action; 1 ignore the problem, 2 move everyone away, 3 reduce the pollution.It appears Hounslow council is firmly following 1, even to the point that Environmental issues are tacked onto the department that is responsible for Regeneration and Economic Development, presumably so they can be swept under the carpet.  The department that supports Heathrow expansion, goes to property development fairs and encourages as much building in Brentford as possible is also the department we’re supposed to trust with protecting our health and the health of our children.Option 1 is killing hundreds of residents each year, Option 2 is unfeasible, so Option 3 is now the only way forward.The M4 is a major motorway so closing it would take umpteen years of public enquiries and probably be overruled by politicians, but the A4 below it is just an A-road and Hounslow has a good track record in closing A-roads, making them one-way or doing other things that prevent their use as through roads.It’s time to close the A4.

Lorne Gifford ● 3117d6 Comments ● 3116d

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/no-one/

Age UK is a brilliant organisation for helping you to find out how you can help your elderly relatives and friends get some of the help that they need.  Remember many are not computer literate and it is becoming harder and harder to find people who will give their time.  There may even be a class at Age UK in computer literacy or learning how to use your i-pad.Please teach your Granny/Grandad to text so that it is easier to keep in touch with them.  Fast moving technology is a challenge for just about everyone and most of all for those who have never used the internet and cannot access the shopping and information that is readily accessible to those who can.  Big button phones and phones where the volume can be increased are also useful.Also remember that memory is multi-sensory and so those eye appointments and hearing appointments are very important - and some are initiated by the hospital and some aren't.  You may need the help of someone else to help a parent get used to using a hearing aid. Action on Hearing Loss may help if they have any volunteers... Search out those long lost friends so that they can talk about their childhood memories... when they used to wave at the cars there were so few and don't forget to phone and send Christmas cards that say more than "love from xxx" that elicit the response "oh - so you're still alive then" so that if necessary your news can be read and read again! Try to stay in touch - it's easier when you communicate.

Philippa Bond ● 3179d2 Comments ● 3159d

Revenue and Benefit - consultation on service withdrawal

I received this email this morning ... wonder if this is also set up to divert the replies into the spam box, as my neighbour was told his comments about a local CPZ had gone?"The Revenue and Benefit services in Feltham, Brentford and Isleworth is closing.With the closure, we want to know how we can support you in accessing these services in the future.In 2015 the Council started an online service for residents to manage their Council Tax and housing benefit online.  This took away the need for customers to travel to one of our offices, to pick up a phone or fill in paper forms.  The new service has worked really well with over 7000 people accessing their account online each month.With the online service making it easier for customers to manage their accounts, the council has decided to end the face to face revenue and benefit service from its local housing offices in Feltham, Brentford and Isleworth.Instead, an improved online service is being made available, with a more dedicated face-to-face service provided on an appointments-only basis at the Civic Centre in Hounslow. This means less waiting for customers.While the decision has been made, we are very keen to support residents with this change and to understand how they currently use the benefits service at their local office before we move over to the new system.As part of the change we are also putting in safeguards to ensure our vulnerable customers or those of you without internet access receive support to access our online services.  On Monday 5 December we launched an online questionnaire which will be open until 27 January 2017.We hope you take a few minutes and complete consultation survey to give us the opportunity of providing a service that best suits you in the future. If you would like more information, please visit our website at Revenue and Benefit Service changes.The face to face service for revenue and benefit enquiries will end in Isleworth (Langdale) on Friday 10 February, at Brentford on Friday 3 March and at Feltham on Friday 24 March 2017.Forward this email"

Sarah Felstead ● 3176d5 Comments ● 3171d

Footpath from Brentford Station to Windmill Road

I wonder if any readers of this forum make use of the short, but very useful, length of footpath which runs east-west along a line south of the railway and north of Sidney Gardens. I would welcome any observations on the state of this footpath. When I raised this issue with councillors in Syon Ward I received a very prompt and helpful reply and the matter is being actively pursued by them.Over many years the state of the footpath has deteriorated. The problems were apparent long before work started on the new housing development at Gibson's Yard. The surface of the footpath is uneven, the steps at the Windmill Road end are poorly maintained, and the route is usually choked with litter. I am told that the path is a popular spot for drug dealing. A particular concern is the poor lighting and when I walked the route on Monday evening there was no lighting at all. In other words this is a dangerous and threatening footpath to use.The responsibility for the maintenance of this path is unclear but it does not lie with LB Hounslow. Likely candidates are Transport of London and Network Rail with the latter being the current odds-on favourite for failing to fulfil its responsibilities.A related concern is the poor state of the southern forecourt at Brentford Station. It is often badly littered, the steep grass verges are not maintained, and there appears to be little or no attempt to enforce parking controls. The old Station House (about 175 years old) is a locally listed building although you wouldn't guess this from its very tatty external appearance. This is certainly not an attractive gateway to Brilliant Brentford despite the fact that the entire area lies within St. Paul's Conservation Area.

Jim Storrar ● 3181d2 Comments ● 3177d

Widening of the M4

Apparently the documents issued in connection with the Heathrow decision included a Highways England report on Surface Access Works :https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/562063/airports-commission-surface-access-works-strategic-road-network-proposals-validation-of-costs-and-delivery-assumptions.pdfWithin this is mention of widening the M4 between Junction 2 and 3 :Scope Definition of Proposed “M4 J2-3 Widening” and “M4 J4B Replacement”The scope of works proposed for widening of M4 J2-3 requires particular attention because of the elevated sections of the M4 immediately west of J2 and the high concentration of properties immediately adjacent to the highway boundaries over this section. Widening the M4 over this location is very challenging and it is highly probable that tunnelling would be required in the built-up areas to the west of M4 J2. There is a high level of inherent uncertainty in the scope of works required for widening of the M4 between junctions 2 and 3. Our assumed scope for the basis of our estimate is summarised below:M4 J2 to J3 - Road widening in both directionsoProvide one additional lane in each directionoWiden M4 Junction 3 eastbound merge and westbound off-slipoAdjust Motorway Service Area entry and exitsoRemove existing portal and cantilever gantriesoProvision of replacement sign and signal gantries complete with electronic and staticsignageoDemolish and replace three overbridgesoProvision of increased drainage capacityoRemove and replace lighting as requiredoReplace road restraint systemsoDemolish and replace one footbridgeoWidening of the M4 Junction 3 underbridge, three overbridges, one waterwaycrossing, one pedestrian underpass and one rail crossingoConvert the elevated viaduct/carriageway from junction 2 to westbound only travelfor approximately 3km to immediately west of the existing rail overbridgeoConstruct a driven 3 lane tunnel for eastbound traffic with the entry slot to the eastof the rail noted above and exiting in parkland to the north of Junction 2, ramping upto merge with the existing viaduct

Tim Henderson ● 3215d13 Comments ● 3193d

New Watermans Arts Centre Exhibition

Appalling, absolutely appalling.  Open developer profiteering in the extreme.Would have thought someone would have posted something on this site before now.  Was advised that 208 people went to the exhibition on Wednesday (from another source) and it was crowded today with people asking questions.  When I was approached if I had any questions, I said, "It's disgraceful, you need your heads looking at. I'm leaving and I have only been here 2 minutes", and promptly left. How the heck are they going to get the two, however many storey buildings, side by side onto the tiny width space here at the old Police Station! A space in between these 2 towers rising to 1/2 storeys is indicated which I assume will also encompass the ground floor/s of the 2 towers for the 500 seat theatre.  Unsure at the moment how many seats are currently at Watermans to make a comparison.On the existing Watermans site they want to put up an eight-storey block - the ground floor at a lower level than is existing at present alongside the river will house a café, etc., (I think - I didn't stay long enough to find out) with flats above.  A gigantic carbuncle on the riverside.  If anything should happen to this site afterwards it should become an extension of Watermans Park (a park) for the enjoyment of residents.  Don't forget also that a little outdoor café is planned for the marina development so why have another one in this new building?????Maybe I am wrong on this café! bit but just looking at the height of these buildings has put my hackles up.Its about time this Council and its Officers started thinking about its existing residents rather than cashing in on new.

Eileen Henderson ● 3206d29 Comments ● 3199d

Double Standards or Double Dopey?

Last week on Sky News, The leader of Hounslow Council was pontificating on about how Councils like Hounslow need government funding to house the 'Child' refugees from CalaisFair point. Why should Hounslow council be footing the costs.But surely Mr Curran ought to ask why on earth Hounslow is even taking these children?This is a Borough like many others in London with an extreme crisis.The very same borough that just a few months ago showed the dire situation on a National TV channel, of it's Housing department barely and badly coping with existing inhabitants.Having watched the way in which a 19 year old Girl, born and reared in Hounslow, and in a homeless situation was offered housing in ...Birmingham. Away from all her friends and family.We heard how subsequently she remained here but on the sofa of a friend.She is of course barely more than a child, younger than most of the male children arriving and female. But in the policy of LBH. An adult.Similarly we have able bodied teenagers being housed in a flat for disabled amongst older people and being well, unchecked teenagers.  Not so nice for the rest in the block.And this right under the Leaders nose.Why were those teenagers not placed in a flat on a higher level when there are so many with disabilities and infirmities desperate to be located on the ground floor ?How much waste when a flat is already adapted for wheelchair use? Even more spent when no doubt another flat will be specially converted.Surely Cllr Curran needs to get HH in order before extending the offer of housing refugees when so many towns up and down the UK take none at all.Then he could at least have a degree of credibility when raising a decent point. Instead, he was simply derided.

Raymond Havelock ● 3212d0 Comments ● 3212d

Local theatre groups

Are there any in Isleworth or Brentford?  Just interested.I receive the St Michaels players emails and they are now selling tickets to their Christmas panto Beauty and the Beast.  I seem to recognise a few names ...BEAUTY and the BEAST7-10 Dec4pm Matinee on SaturdayIt's Panto time again Time for our last show of 2016 and, as usual, it is our world-famous, can't be beaten, cardboard cut-out pantomime which this year is "Beauty and the Beast".  Written by Ben Crocker, who also wrote our last two pantomimes; "Puss in Boots" and "Ali Baba"  in case you were wondering, and starring some new faces amongst the usual bunch of reprobates.Anyway; Onto this year's mayhem and it's another rompin', stompin' panto. The ultimate tale of true love brought to life with all the panto trimmings that we know and love plus a bit more besides.  Where's the Prince gone? Will Ma sacrifice herself to save Beauty? Will Beauty ever love the Beast? Who is the Beast? Will the myriad dogs, ghosts, blacksmiths, bears, etc save the day?  Our wonderful, beautiful, amazing cast, band and production team are already hard at it and they are: Fenton - Paul SmithBasil - Utku ErJasmine - Stella HenneyBeauty - Helen DoylePrince - Emily RuddMalabelle - Michelle TomlinsonMa - Mark HemmingsPrince - Mervyn JupeTalking Clock - Max EnhorningHot - Pihu DubeBothered - Alastair DewarChorus - Sue Darrieulat, Elizabeth Ollier, Zenith Milner, Jane Atkinson, Christine Lee, Cecilia Coleshaw, Jo Harry Musical Director - Nick LawrenceGuitar - Andy MurrayBass - Ian TrowbridgeDrums - Martin Scott Stage Management - Bryony Wilman, Chris Pease, Allie MilledgeCostumes - Jane AtkinsonLighting and Sound - Marc Pearce, Andy RooneyOf course we'd love to see you all again this year for merriment and good old singalong type fun.  Tickets available now on our website.Chris (director)

Sarah Felstead ● 3214d4 Comments ● 3213d

Yew Trees at Brentford Library

I like trees despite the fact that I have never hugged one.There were two beautiful yew trees to the right and left of the entrance to Brentford Library. I see that these have recently been pruned (butchered would be a more appropriate term). I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if these yews were planted at about the time of the opening of the library in 1904. As such they deserve much better care than this.  It will take several years for the trees to recover from this thoughtless treatment.I fully appreciate the need to maintain our trees to address issues such as public safety and damage to buildings/hard surfaces. However the roots of the yew are very fine. Yews are often found in churchyards because it was believed that the roots would grow through the eyes of the dead to prevent them seeing their way back to the world of the living.At Brentford Library the pruning has been far too drastic and has been carried out at the wrong time of year. An annual haircut and the occasional removal of larger boughs would ensure that the trees do not grow too large.   The best time to prune yew trees is in late winter when they are dormant or in spring when replacement growth can flourish and harden during the summer. Pruning in autumn will promote tender young growth which will become damaged and unsightly as the result of cold winter temperatures.I'm stumped by who could have carried out this work. Perhaps it was yew know who (Carillion).

Jim Storrar ● 3243d3 Comments ● 3236d

Are Single Member Decisions Open to corruption?

There are an increasing amount of Single Member Cabinet decisions in Councils of late and many of them have ramifications that really go beyond the sensibility of one individual making a decision.The connections between Cllr Sampson and Parking operators and the fact that clearly the wool has been pulled over the eyes of compatriots who dare not question or even get the opportunity to ask questions in Council seems to defeat the integrity of having an elected council.Likewise the dealings with Cllr's Mann and Ealing's Mahfouz with the WLWA and Waste companies.Clearly there are not being any pertinent or probing questions asked by fellow councillors irrespective of political leaning.Ealing Councillors are starting to report back to residents that they too are frozen out of the dealings within an inner cabinet.Is the same going on in Hounslow?  Should it? But more so the risk of an individual being corrupted.It is well known that Cllr Curran has had cosy chats with Ballymore representatives. As Council Leader it's bound to be an encounter both officially and unofficially.But does that make it fit and proper and morally right for him ( or any one else) to be making a single decision in which huge amounts of money and resources not to mention the livelihoods and well being of residents and employees?Especially with contracts or compulsory purchase orders. These are not supposed to be for the benefit of private developers or external interests.People seem to forget that Brentford Football Club, dear to many a heart, is a hard nosed business and now entwined with property developing. For the benefit of whom?Does that not leave Mr Curran or anyone in his position vulnerable to corruption or manipulation?Is this a good thing for democracy in an era where lobbying and manipulation is so embedded.?Surely this is something that needs to be unanimous and openly discussed and recorded in council and every councillor ought to be involved. Where is the morality and wisdom?

Raymond Havelock ● 3275d23 Comments ● 3262d

High street, Layton road, Morrison’s tower block and the Francis Crick Institute

Brentford as we all know is an anything goes dumping ground which the council appears more than happy to accommodate. I could go into specifics about only for rent tower blocks failing every local requirement, the historical and traditional height of Brentford being 4 stories, ‘enabling’ developments only enabling high profit margins, but such things fall on apparently deaf ears.So, no matter how much we point out the council is not fulfilling its fundamental requirement to act in the best interest of the residents, or its legal requirement to bring pollution under control, we are likely to end up in a few years time with a hopelessly overdeveloped town. Abu Dhabi Workers City number 2 keeps coming to mind.With this thought, perhaps then we should look at the architecture and style of town we’re going to end up with.  A problem with massed building over a short time is that it all tends to a similar design. Looks very ‘now’ when first built, a bit crap a few years later and desperately in need of knocking down shortly thereafter. Examples that spring to mind are any town center built in the 1960’s (concrete), the 70’s (concrete with patterns), 80’s (bright red window frames). More recently it’s been full glass frontings or trendy creams and greys. Cream is not good for any building in a polluted environment, Grey is well its grey, and the all glass effect is immediately ruined by the chap on the seventh floor who hanging his pants out the window to dry. The Layton Road images show all brick buildings, and incidentally if you divide the number of flats into the number of buildings they're giving a false impression of the height. The Western side of the canal and the island is also predominantly brick, as are many other proposals. The brick type is always sand based, which tends to brown and yellow in colour. London brick of course is clay based, more expensive, but traditional red and oranges. Brentford’s history revolves around the rivers and the canal so the wood facing of historical warehouses and clap board houses seen in our Victorian town photographs really should feature at least somewhere.  Actually, on the other side of the Brent to me on the Island there is one single row of houses with black wood facing, and in a mass of nothingness architecture it looks incredibly different and very nice. Building material to one side, the actual designs we’re presented with are monotonously as cheap as possible and maximizing size and height to the absolute limit. Marketing then includes any reference to green or eco that can tenuously be made, use of landmark or iconic to excuse something absurdly big or high, plenty of photographs of Kew and equally many photographs of the Butts. One even has a picture of my front door and bay trees to show how leafy the area is, which I thought a bit much as if I’d known I’d have put a sign on the door saying the flight path for a thousand planes a day onto a third Heathrow runway is 300m above this and every door in Brentford - and our council appears very keen on it.Good building design, along with appropriate and historically contextual development is completely achievable and would be welcome, but just not for Brentford as we’re in the ‘cheap as possible at maximum profit’ category and have a council that strangely appears to have an agenda at odds with the wishes of the local population.  Good to see the recent evolutions of accountability within our legal system though, so perhaps things might yet be bought under control.Room for one small joke which I’m sure someone would have said before, but I hope it wasn’t standing room only at the support Jeremy Corbyn curry night.

Lorne Gifford ● 3264d0 Comments ● 3264d

Brentford Bridge

The wheels have been set in motion and a team is now exploring funding options. Here is the summary:''Connecting Brentford with Kew, the bridge is located in London’s longest stretch between Thames bridges, benefitting connections to neighbouring areas.Timber construction and landscaping minimise ecological impact and enhance the unique riverside landscape. The bridge should become a destination in its own right with its amazing views of the unspoilt Thames shoreline. Public facilities are proposed at both landings with a shop and pier in Brentford and a new entrance to Kew Gardens.Located on the site of an old ferry crossing, the bridge will create connectivity to the new western cycle superhighway and the Capital Ring walking route, benefitting north-south and east-west links. It would invigorate the junction with the Grand Union Canal and create a physical link between Kew and Syon Park green spaces.The bridge intervention and pier help to reinstate Brentford’s historic relationship with the river and relates to the urban grain of the riverside. It will be a catalyst in the dramatic Brentford regeneration where 5000 dwellings and hotels are being constructed. It provides a connection to the Great West Road hub where 15,000 people are employed. The improved connection would benefit Brentford’s cultural attractions and raise the profile of this historic yet isolated town centre.''Please visit and like our official facebook page which will have all the latest information concerning the project. https://www.facebook.com/BrentfordBridge

Pamela Puig ● 3278d36 Comments ● 3265d

Labour constituency nomination meeting - tonight's the night

Tonight the Labour Party in Brentford & Isleworth will be meeting to decide whether to endorse the party leader Jeremy Corbyn or his challenger Owen Smith in the forthcoming party leadership contest.  Although Brentford & Isleworth's decision is unlikely to have much bearing upon the contest one way or the other, it will make for some interesting scenarios.  Not least it will give the many residents of Church Street who have recently been signed up as party members, obviously as a result of deep (if rather recent) ideological conviction and not with any more ignoble motive in mind, their first opportunity to have a say in the direction in which their newly-adopted party is headed.More importantly though, it will send a message as to how far the new politics being mooted by Jeremy Corbyn, and in particular his stated desire to bring more power to communities, has resonated with the wider membership.  We all know the attitude of those in positions of power locally towards any notion of sharing power with the great unwashed - or the "common people" as one of the new Church Street recruits has labelled us on this forum - but will the much-swelled and newly-engaged grass roots membership take a different view and start to reach out in a way that the local party has shunned hitherto?The outcome of this will be genuinely interesting, and should give those of us on the outside some indication of where Labour is heading in this little corner of the world and of where, if anywhere, as local people, we fit into it all.

Phil Andrews ● 3293d10 Comments ● 3290d

The Morrisons Site

Anyone in Hounslow Council read the press release from Essential Living, the developer that has bought the Morrisons site.  It only talks about building homes.  It’s here if you’ve missed it:http://www.essentialliving.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Essential-Living-acquires-west-London-site-to-deliver-vital-rental-homes-in-Hounslow.pdfAnyone in Hounslow Council listen to Radio 4 this morning?:‘The government is bringing in legislation that says new developments must have a designated proportion that are to be sold as affordable homes.’ Not rented, but sold.  That’s the end of Essential Livings business mode then.  Anyone in Hounslow Council read the Local Plan that they have just published:‘The Morrisons site is an important town centre location that can only be developed with a maximum 25% housing. At least 75% of floor area must be retail space, and it must maintain appropriate town centre parking.’ The words in the plan might differ, but the implication is perfectly clear and therefore accountable.So the company that bought the Morrisons site appears to have a problem; it’s business model of high rise, high density flats solely for rental is (a) about to become illegal, and (b) will not meet the requirement of the Hounslow Council Local Plan.Can we trust our local councillors and Council will make this abundantly clear to the developer?And in making it clear to the developer, please, Hounslow Council, bear in mind that the freedom of information act of 2000 means all discussions have to be made freely available if requested.  I will be requesting this if you don’t follow the local plan to the letter and to the implied spirit, so I’d like you to keep it all safe and sound. None of that ‘we’ve mislaid it’ nonsense.  You spend enough each month on IT and computer services that I expect all correspondence to be fully categorised, backed-up and securely stored at off site servers.Can I also ask that the investhounslow web site, a web site run by the council, remove the phrase ‘we’re up for being brave’ as the tag line for attracting developers. The phrase gives the impression the council does not pay due regard to the wishes of the people that live here, or to its stated requirements as detailed in the Local Plan.

Lorne Gifford ● 3601d26 Comments ● 3297d

So should Curran resign?

Paul Slattery, the anti-wheelie bin campaigner, has made a strongly worded criticism of Hounslow Council's leader after harassment charges against him were dropped.Brentford based Mr Slattery is unhappy with the statement to the police made by Steve Curran and has demanded his resignation as Council Leader. He has also made as complaint to the Police Complaints Authority about the manner of his arrest which he describes as appalling claiming that he was prevented from taking his blood pressure medication.He was joined by over 20 supporters at The Griffin on Friday night as he celebrated his court case being dropped, having been charged with harassment of a person in their own home after a wheelie bin protest outside the home of Steve Curran.The CPS dropped the case after seven months the day before it was due to be heard because "there is not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction".Paul SlatteryMr Slattery said “There was never any evidence in the first place – all the police had was Curran’s uncorroborated statement. I should never have been arrested, let alone charged. The whole thing has caused me untold stress and has cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds."It has resulted in 8 months of hell for me and coincided with the slow demise this spring of my elderly mother who finally passed away on April 3rd. I had to take care of all the post death formalities and arrange her funeral, at the same time having to deal with this spurious criminal charge hanging over me. I was at her funeral on April 21st and at Uxbridge Court on April 25th to plead not guilty to this disgusting trumped up charge“We were having a peaceful, humorous, and legal protest. Curran could have dealt with this in a diplomatic way but chose anger which was what caused any bad feeling.“All the allegations made against me by Curran have been refuted by at least six witnesses who were there on the night. Curran claims that  'Paul came right up into my personal space'.  This is not the case. Curran arrived in his car just as everyone was about to leave, wound his window down and swore at us. He then parked his car near the football ground entrance and came down the road towards me shouting and swearing. It was he that came up to me, everyone saw him."Curran then says in his statement 'Paul walked in front of me...stopping me from getting into my house'. Curran is a big man; it's hard to walk in front of him. I am heard to say in the video seen by the police 'your choice, If you want to go into your house you can go into your house Steve'. I even have a photograph of Steve Curran between me and his front gate."Further on in his statement Curran says 'I told Paul to remove the bins but he did not'. Again all the witnesses utterly refute this - they all saw myself, John Bradley and others remove the bins."At the end of the statement Curran says 'This incident has frightened my family and caused distress to my wife and son'. The house was completely empty until Curran entered the house."Whilst relieved that the case has been dropped I don't feel it's over. Steve Curran must resign not only as leader of the council but also from his council seat and I shall seek a Labour Party enquiry into his behaviour."I made a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority a matter of days after my arrest: my treatment by them was appalling."When the police officers came to arrest me they refused even to let me urinate, then handcuffed me despite me offering no resistance."In the cell I felt my blood pressure increasing and then realised that I did not have my blood pressure medication. When I saw the doctor he told me that at 180 it was extremely high and he said that my medication would be brought for me."Even though my blood-pressure medication had arrived I was still unable to take it before my interview, and it was only after I had left the police station that I was finally able to take it – a good EIGHT hours after I normally take it AND at a time of very high stress."My treatment by the Hounslow Met both during my arrest and time in police cells was humiliating and degrading and almost certainly contravenes Section 5 of the European Human Rights Convention. I am presently taking legal advice about this.”Nick Kilby who was also there on the night and took video evidence says “the treatment of Paul has been a disgrace and the case should never have been initiated. This shows the contempt Steve Curran has for his fellow neighbours and the citizens of the Borough of Hounslow who he purports to 'lead', as the situation could so easily have been diffused. The continuance of the legal process for 8 months with no evidence to convict is shameful. A waste of public money, police time but worse a nightmare for Paul to live through.”All quotes from Steve Curran are taken from his witness statement which was made the day after the protest, after the article about wheelie bins was published on BrentfordTW8.com on 20th November. Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said: “I would like to reiterate again, that I firmly believe in the right to protest. I know people felt and still feel, very strongly both for and against the introduction of wheelie bins.“There is however, an appropriate way to make your feelings known. The protest which took place outside my home of which I share with my family, I felt was not appropriate. It prevented access in and out of my home and was also not fair on my neighbours.“As Leader of Hounslow Council, I take full responsibility for the decisions we make as a council. Once again, if residents feel strongly about anything, we would welcome them to attend any of these meetings and also contact us as their councillors through the appropriate channels and we would always be more than happy to discuss any concerns they have about the services we provide.”Mr Slattery's solicitor from Bindmans LLP has written a case summary looking at the limits to protesting, finishing off with "Paul Slattery’s case reminds us that all reasonable lines of inquiry should be investigated, charging decisions should be carefully considered, and the CPS must be prepared to review its decisions to prosecute – in accordance with its duty – at an early stage. Otherwise, unnecessary costs are incurred, disproportionate damage is caused to lives, and the freedom of speech is curtailed."

Paul Fisher ● 3319d62 Comments ● 3314d

Public meeting plus Curry for Corbyn

In response to the start of the Labour leadership campaign - Momentum - Hounslow is holding a public meeting followed by a fundraising curry social at Kingway Banqueting Restaurant, 270 - 272 Bath Rd, Hounslow TW4 7DF. The venue is opposite Hounslow West tube station and parking is free in the station car park on Sundays.Public meeting (5pm - 7pm)Momentum Hounslow follows the principles of straightforward, honest politics put forward by Jeremy Corbyn. We aim to engage more people in local decision-making and are holding a public meeting to discuss alternative approaches to running our council. We will be holding discussions on: -How councils can campaign effectively against government cuts-Ensuring our community is listened to with effective engagement and proper public consultations-Alternatives to academy and faith schools, including Co-operative schools-Addressing the housing crisis and pushing for more genuinely affordable housing-Supporting NHS campaigns in west London, across boroughs-Supporting opposition to the third runway at HeathrowGuest speakers include Sam Tarry, Labour councillor in Barking and Dagenham, and Emine Ibrahim, Labour councillor in Haringey.Curry (7pm-9:30pm)StartersOnion bhajisChicken tikkaSaladMain CourseMatter Paneer (vegetarian option)Chicken jalfraziPlus rice, naan bread, raitaDessertKheerSoft drinks are provided free of charge.The venue also sells alcoholic drinks (not included in the ticket price).Money raised from the curry will go towards the hire of a large venue that can hold a rally for Jeremy Corbyn later in the Labour leadership campaign. Tickets can be bought at https://hounslowmomentum.eventbrite.co.uk

Crispin Flintoff ● 3316d0 Comments ● 3316d

Statement by Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, following the EU Referendum 2016 result

“Last Thursday, I and the majority of people in the borough voted to remain in the European Union. However, in Hounslow the margin between the votes to ‘Remain’ and ‘Leave’ was slim; reflecting the country’s split view.  "My view is that we must respect the country’s decision to leave the EU but that in Hounslow we must learn more about why people voted the way they did. It’s crucial that we work together and talk with and listen to all our communities to ensure that everyone feels that they belong in Hounslow. “We all have a responsibility to stand shoulder to shoulder with our neighbours and respect each other regardless of our ethnicity or background. Hounslow is one of the most diverse boroughs in London, where 120 languages are spoken and a place where people from all over the world come together to live, work and do business.“I’m proud of Hounslow’s strong, vibrant and inclusive communities. It’s one of our key strengths. Over the past 50 years, we’ve celebrated and welcomed the borough’s diversity, and encouraged people from different communities to come together to discuss issues that matter to them.“We will work to continue to ensure all residents irrespective of their background; living and working in Hounslow have a voice that’s heard and that’s listened to by everyone. I’m quite clear as a borough, that at every opportunity we will unite against the politics of fear and division that was pervasive throughout much of the referendum campaign.“We will not tolerate hate crime in any form and neither should you. I recently met with our Borough Commander, Raj Kholi, and he is as committed, as I am, in ensuring that all our residents feel safe and secure. “As your council, we are committed to getting on with the job as laid out in our manifesto. That is to ensure that we have enough school places for the borough’s children; that we continue on with our ambitious house building programme; and that we continue to work with major employers in Hounslow to provide jobs and training opportunities for our young people. “If you have any concerns that you would like to raise, please contact your local ward councillor.”

Hounslow Council ● 3335d17 Comments ● 3330d

Watermans Park Community Design vs Council Marina Proposal IN A NUTSHELL

The Community DesignDoes not:1. Steal Park Land to give to Private boat Owners for their Carpark2. Stop Bikes and Wheelchairs cycling from one end of the park to the other3. Fill the riverbed with in excess of 17,000 Tons of Concrete4. Drive 938 pilings into a very toxic Riverbed threatening the local ecosystem  ( The toxicity is from the former Gasworks which occupied this site for decades)5. Backfill in a significant part to the Park, almost to the road level, destroying one of the park’s best features of being much lower than one of the busiest roads in Brentfod.6. Evict a long standing community, many of which will need rehousing in a borough which has one of the worst homeless problems costing the Council yet more money7. Reduce the Children’s Play Area by 40%8. Make the Park a Building Site for Years 9. Remove Attractive mature trees in the Park10. Cost £5.4 million for the benefit of a few Private boat OwnersBut Rather:1. Extends the Boardwalk to provide a better viewing experience for the public.2. Provides a Public Pontoon where families can get down to the river and enjoy the proposed floating gardens3. Install a minimal number of Pilings (70 vs 938 ) so as to minimise ecological damage from the toxicity in the Riverbed4. Allow the existing boating community to remain as well as providing additional affordable commercial moorings to mitigate the development cost5. Carryout the entire development in 6 -  9 months during which time the public can continue to use the park with minimal disruption. This is a massive point - Before the first of the Court Cases the Council are wasting taxpayers money on even gets to Court, the Community Design would be finished !!!6. Deliver the Project for a massively lower cost saving the people of Brentford Millions whilst delivering a nicer Park7. Renovate an eclectic group of boats to make the Park attractive and interesting and above all a Community Space..www.watermansparkmoorings.co.uk UNLEARN THE COUNCIL LINE ON THIS DREADFUL PROPOSAL !

Nick Day ● 3397d70 Comments ● 3350d

“Without Lawful Authority” - Canal & River Trust Cannot Evict Our Boats

Following from the TW8 article of Feb 12 [Challenge in Royal Courts of Justice], some may be aware that judgment was handed down last Thursday by Lord Justice Mummery of the Court of Appeal, declaring that the “eviction notices” served on my boats by the then British Waterways Board were invalid. The authority has been ordered to pay 75% of my costs at Appeal and in the Court below.The significance of the ruling goes way beyond waterways legislation, because the victory was based – not on waterways legislation per se, but – on the true interpretation of the phrase “without lawful authority”.I claimed that the High Court judgment last year, regardless of any findings on common law riparian rights or mooring rights from whatever source, was constitutionally unsound, because it violated a central foundation principle of the free, libertarian society that our constitution purports to provide for.My argument was that the phrase “without lawful authority” could only apply with reference to some law that was being breached; the High Court judge disagreed. The Appellate Court has now agreed with me that his finding on this was wrong. Lord Justice Mummery quoted from Sir Robert Megarry V.-C in a 1979 case saying: “England, it may be said, is not a country where everything is forbidden except what is expressly permitted: it is a country where everything is permitted except what is expressly forbidden.”  As some legal websites have commented, the affirmation of this constitutional principle affects the understanding of the thousands of Parliamentary Acts that  incorporate the same, common phrase. Hopefully the decision will assist in preventing continuing abuse of authority perpetrated by those in power who forget that they, also, are constrained by the Rule of Law, quite as much as we the governed. They will no longer be able to pretend that their whim has the status of law.A certain ruefulness creeps into consideration of the fact that it has taken 6 years for the court system to acknowledge and confirm so basic a right of the citizen. It is also sobering to reflect on all those prior cases where the authority succeeded in unlawfully evicting private boats in furtherance of their own financial schemes – it is contrary to natural justice that such abuse should have succeeded against anyone less “stubborn & relentless”, as I was described by the judge below!

Nigel Moore ● 4561d18 Comments ● 3362d

Sarah Trimmer Hall planning application

Last Chance to Save Sarah Trimmer Hall Deadline for planning application is this Monday   Comment on the Plans for Sarah Trimmer Hall Comment on this story on the forum There are only a few days left to comment upon plans for redeveloping what is currently being called "Sarah Trimmer Hall". Revised proposals were placed on Hounslow Council's planning website on 29 January with a deadline for comment of 8 February. The school room where Sarah Trimmer ran her industrial school for girls (teaching useful skills like spinning and needlework) as well as Sunday School classes would be partially demolished and converted in a destructive and inappropriate scheme creating 3 small "duplex apartments". Inserted partition walls and floors, changes to windows and new doorways would make it impossible to understand its original function. The building retains its original character and should therefore be conserved both as a fabric and as a record of Sarah Trimmer herself.Sarah Trimmer HallSt George's church and Trimmer HallSarah Trimmer was an important figure in the history of national educational reform.  Sarah was active in the Sunday School movement and in founding schools for the poor. She also gave birth to 12 children.Local historian Val Bott contacted the Director of Regeneration, Economic Development and Environment, Brendon Walsh, at the beginning of January to ask what was happening and to emphasise how important the building is, but received no response until she also contacted the Leader of the Council. "At a time when Brentford is changing rapidly it really matters that we preserve those things which remind us that it is a town with a proud history", said Val Bott, "and I hope local people will object most strongly now. The building could be profitably converted into an elegant single home, retaining its lofty central hall with upper rooms at each end of the building if only the developers took advice from an experienced conservation architect".The Brentford Community Council wrote in their objection "The three separate units proposed once again by IDM will effectively destroy the building leaving little more than a façade from the original building. "The Trimmer School has an unusual and fascinating history and is thought by historians to be the last - or one of the last - industrial schools in England of its time. Please do not let it go the way of the rest of Brentford High Street whose destruction was approved by the Council in the 1950’s!"Comments on 00607/367/P13 & 00607/367/L1 can be made by clicking on the reference number.

Vanessa Smith ● 3480d8 Comments ● 3362d

Open letter to the Queen for Citizens of the United Kngdom

I have for several weeks been pondering on the coming Referendum vote. I eventually decided that I should WRITE to our Queen requesting her assistance to put to all the UK Citizens the reasons for us to leave the EU, with particular reference to our sovereignty and Immigration. It is the Immigration part that worries me most but what is even more perplexing is the possible treason and sedition to which, if you read the paper at, http://www.englishconstitutiongroup.org/damning-letter-from-lord-kilmuir-the-lord-chancellor-to-edward-heath-2/It seems to paint an untenable position for the government.There is little point in opening a debate here on this forum, but after reading, and you believe in the principle, then please, copy and paste this to ALL the United Kingdom Citizens in your email address book, with your own comments added if you wish. BUT most important if you agree as I hope many of our readers must do, please MAIL the queen, (address provided) with a letter giving your own feelings. An email goes into a file on a computer’s hard drive where it will remain for ever? If you still prefer an email then, when sent, print it out and then MAIL it to Buck House.A sack full of direct mail to our Queen will make a much bigger impression than an individual email.  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++OPEN LETTER TO THE QUEEN                                                  14th May 2016HRH Queen Elizabeth II Buckingham PalaceLondon SW1A 1AAYour Majesty,Our Independent United KingdomAs a British Subject and loyal Member of the British Empire, I am writing to ask for your consideration to enter into, what has become a Pandora ’s Box of project fear and smoke and mirrors.Enclosed is a document pertaining to the possible acts of sedition and treason, involved in becoming a party to the Treaty of Rome. (Read article at URL above)As a loyal subject I am worried that if at the coming referendum we have a majority of in “IN” vote we may once more enter into this murky realm, problems with the countries security and Immigration. This will be the only opportunity to redress this historical mistake and resume our position in the world as an Independent Kingdom.As my Queen and Monarch of the United Kingdom, I am requesting that this matter Transcends Politics and Business and is directly related to the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom and as our Monarch, you should be prepared to stand up upon our behalf to clearly state that the United Kingdom, is such, and should not become any party to a Federalized Europe. I would suggest that this is the time when the mistakes of the past can be rectified by us once and for all, by remaining as an Independent UNITED KINGDOM, having control over all matters concerning the Union. To do so by making a speech to the nation on Sunday the 19th June at 1800 hrs. endorsing said position, ( entitled “For the Citizens of the United Kingdom”) and indicating to us that we should remain as we have always been, a United Kingdom, which has over many hundreds of years given to the countries now known as the Commonwealth, their laws, Justice and Parliamentary system, and resume our trading with them as we used to do so before the idea of joining Europe.I have the Honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant.Captain Philip J Weaver MBE

Philip Weaver ● 3381d18 Comments ● 3379d

Decision will be made on 31 May 2016

Decision will be made on 31 May 2016 .Re: corner commercial premises on Whitestile Road. Formerly shops and now Dental workshop. A lot of interest has been shown by buyers keen to continue with the property being used as a shop. It was used  as a shop for over 50 years but the dental workshop re-located from the shop premises a couple of doors down to his existing corner position some 12 + years ago. Meanwhile the vacated premises were turned into another flat.  We have now lost all but 2 of our little parade of shops.  Now he wants to turn the dental workshop into yet another flat, If he succeeds then we will lose forever our little corner shop.  This property has wide appeal and potential to continue its use as a commercial enterprise and once it's turned into yet another flat we will have lost it and won't ever get it back!   Such a shame!  Property detailsCase Reference   P/2016/0931 Planning Reference  01201/114/P5 Location:  114 Whitestile Road Brentford TW8 9NW Proposal detailsChange from Commercial use to residential maisonette.Applicant detailsMartin Bulley  Council Contact: Gemma Bassett Planning officer  Tel: 0208 583 4967(It isn't as if Mr Bulley needs to live there himself no (Mr Bulley also owns the property directly behind this which he rents out  in (Junction Road) and he lives in a lovely huge detached house in Chorley Wood) he just plans to let it out. Meanwhile slowly, slowly We lose our little parade of shops, our sense of community and built yet another flat!

Mari Austin ● 3384d3 Comments ● 3383d

Why is it always when we have bad weather

Everytime we have freezing cold weather the heating on Ivybridge goes down. This year we are constantly seeing the heating going down leaving some off us with no hot water or Heating or both for days. Some off us again have had no heating for 4 days and our flats are freezing. When you call T Brown they say we are dealing with it and hopefully it be up and running latter today. I have had a engineer at my flat 3 times and i get told its not an issue at the boiler house but within the block. We have elderly, sick and residents with children who are cold (inc a 91yr old). Also even though we get no heating we still have to pay for it we never get a refund for the days we did not get it due to the failure of the system. I was told by the council back in February that they were going to renew everything in the boiler room, and replace pipes etc in each flat in the tower blocks costing £200K and that this would start this year. T Brown Engineers have told me the system is over 40yrs old and parts are hard to find and all they can do is a Temporary fix. With the money the council take from residents why have they not replaced the boiler room equipment. Why are residents having to suffer and still pay? I understand yesterday that 2 estate in Feltham and Brentford Towers lost heating too. Can i ask our local Councillors what they are doing about this issue and if residents who have had no heating for days will be reimbursed the money they have paid for heating they did not get please?

Simon Anderson ● 3394d5 Comments ● 3392d

Expecting, and interested in child development?

Hi all,I'm currently studying for an MSc in Psychodynamics of Human Development with the British Psychotherapy Foundation. As part of this course, I'm required to conduct an infant observation for a period of up to 2 years. What stage of birth?Ideally, I'd met you while you are pregnant, discuss times and what would be suitable for you, and go through your expectations and any concerns you may have.If you're willing to take part, we'll set a time as close as you feel comfortable after birth. I'd come at a similar time each week for just an hour. There is no need to do anything for me, you would just carry on with your day and I would simply observe the baby.How long will it go on for?Infant observations typically cover up to 2 years of a child's life, and the course requires at least 15 months of observations. So I'll need you to be sure you'd be happy and able to commit to this. i.e. that you have no immediate plans to move country during this period etc. Of course holidays are expected, and we would arrange observations around this or simply take breaks during this time.What area(s) are you interested?I'm looking for is a family in London, preferably West London, or commutable from the Waterloo to Addlestone /Weybridge line or South Ealing tube station, but I'm very flexible and willing to commute further.When do you need to start observations?I'm ready to begin once I've found a suitable and stable family, who are interested in taking part and understand the commitment involved.A bit about me:I am 32 years old female, living in London with my partner. I am extremely approachable, friendly and considerate individual. I have been an aunt since I was 15, and am very comfortable with young children, having 2 nieces and 4 nephews. I currently work for a national charity in London but am planning to train as an adult psychotherapist after the course. I've just graduated from the Open University last year and hold a cleared enhanced DBS certificate (specifically undertaken for this infant observation).If you're interested, or have any questions, please get in touch or message me via Mumsnet: http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/2625140-Help-needed-for-infant-observation?msgid=60739787 Best,Tophuong

TP Tran ● 3393d0 Comments ● 3393d

A BETTER DESIGB FOR EVERYONE - Watermans Park Moorings

'The Community Design for 'Watermans Park Moorings' re Planning application http://watermansparkboats.co.uk/a-better-design-for-everyone/Does not:1. Steal Park Land to give to Private boat Owners for their Carpark2. Stop Bikes and Wheelchairs cycling from one end of the park to the other3. Fill the riverbed with in excess of 17,000 Tons of Concrete4. Drive 938 pilings into a very toxic Riverbed threatening the local ecosystem  ( The toxicity is from the former Gasworks which occupied this site for decades)5. Backfill in a significant part to the Park, almost to the road level, destroying one of the park’s best features of being much lower than one of the busiest roads in Brentfod.6. Evict a long standing community, many of which will need rehousing in a borough which has one of the worst homeless problems costing the Council yet more money7. Reduce the Children’s Play Area by 40%8. Make the Park a Building Site for Years 9. Remove Attractive mature trees in the Park10. Cost £5.4 million for the benefit of a few Private boat OwnersBut Rather:1. Renews and Extends the Boardwalk to provide a better viewing experience for the public.2. Provides a Public Pontoon where families can get down to the river and enjoy the proposed floating gardens3. Install a minimal number of Pilings (70 vs 938 ) so as to minimise ecological damage from the toxicity in the Riverbed4. Allow the existing boating community to remain as well as providing additional affordable commercial moorings to mitigate the development cost5. Carryout the entire development in 6 -  9 months during which time the public can continue to use the park with minimal disruption. This is a massive point - Before the first of the Court Cases the Council are wasting taxpayers money on even gets to Court, the Community Design would be finished !!!6. Deliver the Project for a massively lower cost saving the people of Brentford Millions whilst delivering a nicer Park7. Renovate an eclectic group of boats to make the Park attractive and interesting and above all a Community Space.8. Cost estimate at about £1.8 million

Stephen Alexander ● 3396d25 Comments ● 3394d

A BETTER DESIGN FOR EVERYONE - Watermans Park Moorings

'The Community Design for 'Watermans Park Moorings' re Planning applicationhttp://watermansparkboats.co.uk/a-better-design-for-everyone/Does not:1. Steal Park Land to give to Private boat Owners for their Carpark2. Stop Bikes and Wheelchairs cycling from one end of the park to the other3. Fill the riverbed with in excess of 17,000 Tons of Concrete4. Drive 938 pilings into a very toxic Riverbed threatening the local ecosystem  ( The toxicity is from the former Gasworks which occupied this site for decades)5. Backfill in a significant part to the Park, almost to the road level, destroying one of the park’s best features of being much lower than one of the busiest roads in Brentfod.6. Evict a long standing community, many of which will need rehousing in a borough which has one of the worst homeless problems costing the Council yet more money7. Reduce the Children’s Play Area by 40%8. Make the Park a Building Site for Years9. Remove Attractive mature trees in the Park10. Cost £5.4 million for the benefit of a few Private boat OwnersBut Rather:1. Renews and Extends the Boardwalk to provide a better viewing experience for the public.2. Provides a Public Pontoon where families can get down to the river and enjoy the proposed floating gardens3. Install a minimal number of Pilings (70 vs 938 ) so as to minimise ecological damage from the toxicity in the Riverbed4. Allow the existing boating community to remain as well as providing additional affordable commercial moorings to mitigate the development cost5. Carryout the entire development in 6 -  9 months during which time the public can continue to use the park with minimal disruption. This is a massive point - Before the first of the Court Cases the Council are wasting taxpayers money on even gets to Court, the Community Design would be finished !!!6. Deliver the Project for a massively lower cost saving the people of Brentford Millions whilst delivering a nicer Park7. Renovate an eclectic group of boats to make the Park attractive and interesting and above all a Community Space.8. Cost estimate at about £1.8 million

Stephen Alexander ● 3396d0 Comments ● 3396d

Watermans Park Houseboats, A Boat Owners point of view

Greetings to the Brentford TW8 Community   This is my first post to TW8  I thought it might be good to put my perspective up as a boat owner and try and explain what the Watermans Park Boating Community are trying to achieve.My boat the Alvracht has been moored in the park for over 10 years, we have a registered postcode, pay council tax and were even written to by the Council in the past to be informed that our address was not “Victoria Steps Quay” but rather Watermans Park ! :-))When the Council put forward their plans for the new marina we decided to try and engage positively with the Council and had a meeting with Steve Curran & Heather Cheesborough to explain why we thought a more ecologically sound, improved design could make the Park much better for the public, allow the boating community, some of which have lived here for over 30 years to remain, pay affordable mooring fees and Council tax and improve the appearance of their boats.Whilst being told during that meeting by Steve Curran, that above all he was a pragmatist and simply wanted to improve Watermans Park, we got the impression if we came up with a better alternative we would be given a chance to present it, to this end we invested a lot of time and effort to create a detailed alternative design that....DOES NOT:1.Steal Park Land to give to Private boat Owners for their Carpark2.Stop Bikes and Wheelchairs cycling/travelling from one end of the park to the other3.Fill the riverbed with in excess of 17,000 Tons of Concrete4.Drive 938 pilings into a very toxic Riverbed threatening the local ecosystem  ( The toxicity is from the former Gasworks which occupied this site for decades)5.Backfill in a significant part to the Park, almost to the road level, destroying one of the park’s best features which is that its well below the level of one of the busiest roads in Brentford6.Evict a long standing community, many of which will need rehousing in a borough which has one of the worst homeless problems costing the Council yet more money7.Reduce the Children’s Play Area by 40%8.Make the Park a Building Site for Years closing it to the pubic 9.Remove Attractive mature trees in the Park10.Cost £5.4 million for the benefit of a few Private boat OwnersBUT RATHER1.Extends the Boardwalk to provide a better viewing experience for the public.2.Provides a Public Pontoon where families can get down to the river and enjoy the proposed floating gardens3.Install a minimal number of Pilings (70 vs 938 ) so as to minimise ecological damage4.Allow the existing boating community to remain as well as providing additional affordable commercial moorings to mitigate the development cost5.Carryout the entire development in 6 -  9 months during which time the public can continue to use the park with minimal disruption.6.Deliver the Project for fraction of the cost of the Council Proposal saving the Council Millions.7.Renovate an eclectic group of boats to make the Park attractive and interesting and above all a Community Space..Unfortunately all attempts to present our design have been rejected….. Ruth Cadbury, our local MP even offered to try and arrange a chance to present our designs to Steve Curran and the council but still our offers were rejected.......Please have a look at www.watermansparkmoorings.co.uk to find out more about both designs, I hope you feel that our design benefits the people of Brentford more than the awful Marina design, if you do please support us and email your objection to the Council Plan to the members of the planning committee. Their email addresses can be found herehttp://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=595 and also Councillor Steve Curran Steve.Curran@hounslow.gov.ukPlease copy in wesupportyou@watermansparkmoorings.co.uk so we can read a few messages of support at the planning meetingAny aspect of our ideas you feel we have not answered just email Questions@watermansparkmoorings.co.uk and we’ll do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible with an answer.The Planning Meeting is on the 12th May at 7.30pm I feel the Council will try and rush yet another insensitive Brentford Gentrification Project through and destroy the last Public space on the Thames in Brentford. How bad is that, given the Thames runs through the middle of Brentford and should be a feature to be enjoyed by the people of Brentford, and this is the last bit left ?Thanks for taking the time to read our point of view.    ( BTW we would love to improve the look of the website but we are pretty rubbish at Wordpress, if anyone could give us a hand or point us in the right direction you’ll be invited to the first BBQ of the season and plied with your favourite tipple  ! )

Nick Day ● 3398d0 Comments ● 3398d

South West Train weekend services constantly maintenece works

Good Start of the week everybodyI have the impression that during the weekend South West Train Service from Hounslow to Clapham Junction is too often under maintenance workWhich seems acceptable to have maintenance work during the weekend sometimes I don't understand how it is possible after this big amount of scheduled maintenance works yet last Saturday there was an incident which affected Brentford trains There were not  update on the display board at the Brentford station. People had to wait without knowing before realizing that was not service. Luckily most of us know use internet and I found out about the service disruption.Since I had to go to Clapham Junction to catch my train to Gatwick Airport I went to Richmond like other people who lives around our areas that needed to go to Gatwick and it was comical.At Platform 2, the train was scheduled at 11:58 and on the display board saying Waterloo only. on the national rail application there was not even scheduled this train and then 2 minutes before the train was approaching the platform the speaker saying that this train was calling also a Clapham JunctionSunday "obviously" bus replacement from Clapham Junction to Barnes Bridge, wait 30 minutes at Barnes Bridge before to get the train to Brentfordmy questions are: Do South West Train actually invest their profit to update the rail track or it just maintenance of an old track which looking at the ticket price we pay seems not at the standard of other traits?Does the local council have a plan for improve the transportation from Hounslow to Waterloo? A sort of overground service? Brentford, Isleworth, Syon lane and Hounslow are under massive gentrification and in future years will be more people who relocate here and need better transportation in my opinion plus don't forget the new Brentford new Stadium with double capacity of Griffin ParkExample At Nine Elms they are building 2 new tube station.  I don’t say I need a tube but at least a regular decent service in the area l liveThank you for your attention

Domenico Urzi ● 3414d2 Comments ● 3414d

Shocking plans for Moore's Cycles in Isleworth Village

I am quite shocked by the development proposed for the Moore's Cycles site which I only found out about yesterday. I find the thought of a huge block like this going in on a relatively small site like this appalling in planning terms, never mind parking. I have submitted an objection which I have copied over below. Iobject, otherwise it may set a precedent for other eyesores in SJR. It is one thing for an industrial estate like the Skoda Centre and the plumbing place behind it to be redeveloped but these are human size buildings in Isleworth Village. Unfortunately the application already seems to be two weeks old, and there may be only a week or so to object before the time limit.A - 5 ST JOHNS ROAD ISLEWORTH LONDON TW7 6NA     Click here for a location mapApplication Date Recd DecisionP/2016/1314 00981/AI/P1Major Full Applications 21-Mar-2016 In ProgressDemolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the land to provide up to six storey building to accommodate 34 residential units with associated car parking, cycle parking and landscaping Click here to comment on this application I've submitted the following objection.''I object to this application on the grounds that the proposed building is of a much larger size than the current buildings and would set a precedent in terms of the permitted height of residential buildings in this part of St John's Road, and furthermore that the number of parking spaces supplied are massively short of the likely demand, and would thus impact on parking in surrounding roads.''

Ian Speed ● 3422d9 Comments ● 3416d

The Weir

I know there have been postings in the past about The Weir but feel this warrants a new topic.   I've been in a few times recently and the food has been pretty good, with average to poor service.  However, today, having arrived at around 1:55pm for Sunday luncheon, The Weir excelled itself.   It took 10 minutes to get a drink, in a virtually empty establishment.  There were already 8 ladies dining and maybe half a dozen others.   We ordered our drinks and food.  The starter was okay and arrived within 25 minutes.   The main course (we both ordered the roast lamb) arrived after a half hour wait.   My lamb was a plate of fat.  No exaggeration I would estimate at least 60% of the plate was fat. My friends plate was equally as bad.  When I expressed my shock, the waiter just waltzed off with the plates without comment.  We immediately asked for the bill and when questioned about what the problem was one of the waiting staff dismissed me with a turn of the heel and a flick of the wrist.  Absolutely atrocious.   We subsequently headed to O'Briens where we had a lovely roast lamb meal, that arrived within 10 minutes at a fraction of the price of The Weir. It's a shame - I like the establishment but the staff are rude and seem to operate on a "when I can be bothered" basis.  It's frustrating in this day and age to receive poor service.  It is also extraordinary that a chef can serve up a plate that is half fat and think that is okay.  Worse that the serving staff even took it to the table. 

Jan Riley ● 5543d27 Comments ● 3418d

PLEASE HELP DEFEND HOUNSLOW'S GREEN SPACES

Residents in Osterley are fighting developmental encroachment on long established sports grounds. This is part of an onslaught on green spaces around Hounslow and across London.The residents' group Keep Osterley Green (KOG) mounted a vigorous and well-informed campaign against the proposal to build a Free School on the White Lodge and Conquest Clubs sports grounds. This is Metropolitan Open Land and no good case was ever made for the special circumstances that would have justified this development. KOG won the arguments but lost the vote at the Planning Committee where the majority of councillors were persuaded by spurious arguments about school places and ignored the planning issues.A member of KOG has started a Judicial Review process against the Council for the flawed process by which it reached its decision. The papers have been lodged with the High Court and the process is well under way. The process does not come cheap and money is needed to finance the Judicial review (£40,000 is needed and currently £23,000 has been collected).You can send a clear signal to the Council against using green spaces as an easy development resource by donating to the campaign funds.Donations can be made through the Crowd Justice website:https://www.crowdjustice.co.uk/case/keep-osterley-green/Further details on donating and also full details of the case can be found at http://keeposterleygreen.org/Similar problems are being faced around the borough. There have been both successes and setbacks in opposing this trend. It was good that the Planning Committee (10th March) turned down the application for a development on Hounslow Heath. The councillors argued that the proposed development would degrade the environment and produce increased traffic. Despite the officer's recommendation to approve the application they voted overwhelmingly against it.An earlier victory was the overturning of the decision to place a school on the Brent Lea recreation ground where the Council approved a temporary development but then gave it a 125-year lease. Again, some councillors were active in having the decision reviewed and overturned.Hounslow Council's recent “consultation” documents about developing the west of the Borough and Brentford's "Golden Mile" show a strong desire both to build many more very tall buildings and to build on Metropolitan Open Land and Green Belt.We have to act now to stop these plans from firming up. The way to do this right now is to campaign against developments that build on open land without special circumstances being met. That is the case that Osterley residents are fighting. Please consider donating to their campaign and passing on this message to others.

David Pavett ● 3422d9 Comments ● 3419d

Double Standards

Thought our local Labour Group were spearheading decent homes for all from developers but would appear it does not apply to them when submitting their own application for four "studio flats"in their HQThe Labour Party has had its application to convert its constituency offices on Chiswick High Road into flats turned down. The party had applied for planning permission to convert the ground floor from office space to four self-contained studio flats. According to the pending decisions list issued by Hounslow Council's planning department the application is to be refused even though there were no objections from local residents. This was becuase the studio flats would not have private amenity space, there was unacceptable access to one of the flats, there was a failure to demonstrate access to the retained offices at ground floor level and a failure to provide marketing evidence to support the loss of office space. This is necessary to show that there was insufficient demand at that location to support the site's continued use as offices. However, it was noted that if marketing evidence was provided and amended plans were received with appropriate private amenity space for the proposed flats with adequate access the proposal would be recommended for approval under delegated powers.Should approval be given then a source within the local Labour party has told us that they have agreed to investigate relocating their headquarters to a more central place in the constituency. Membership has doubled in the local party in the run-up to the last General Election and during the leadership contest and total membership in Chiswick is estimated at around 400 at present.

Paul Fisher ● 3449d9 Comments ● 3448d

'Laughable' affordable housing term should be banned, say Labour members

REPORT IN THE HOUNSLOW CHRONICLE"Affordable housing" should be scrubbed from Labour lingo, according to party members in Hounslow , because the term is so misleading.Homes available for rent at up to 80% of market rates qualify as "affordable", under the official government definition. But Brentford & Isleworth Labour Party says a typical family wishing to buy such a home would need an annual wage of £44,000 - £17,000 more than the national average wage of £27,000.It passed a motion on Wednesday, January 27, calling for the Labour Party nationally and locally to stop using the term without qualification.Crispin Flintoff, who proposed the motion, said: "The idea that these houses are 'affordable' is laughable. This government is trying to bamboozle people with word games."It's time the Labour Party stopped going along with this charade and I'm really pleased that we have made a commitment not to talk building 'affordable' homes in our literature or any manifestos unless they are 'based on average incomes not average rents or sales values'."The approved motion calls on Hounslow Council not to "do the government's work" by celebration the construction of luxury developments simply because they include "affordable housing".It also states that future manifestos should not include pledges to build "affordable housing".The Labour administration in Hounslow pledged in 2014 to secure a further 3,000 affordable homes, including 400 new council homes, by 2018.http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/laughable-affordable-housing-term-should-10822836

Crispin Flintoff ● 3481d32 Comments ● 3467d

Transport issues  - Guy Lambert

Hi Guy Lambert,You said you were keen to discuss the transport in the area, so here is my view, and I am sure others will contribute.The good, the bad and the uglyThe good: Many may disagree with me here,  but I think rail link for those of us who want to commute to Central London is , if not good, but adequate. Of course, longer trains are needed because  the service is overcrowded, and we'd  all like trains to move faster, but in comparison to everything else we have in Brentford / Syon / Isleworth, rail is probably the better one of the lot. I read that there are plans for additional rail links (15-year plan), so this could work well for those who live or commute for work into the area.Bus services towards Hounslow (237 and 235) are quite good too.The bad: We don't have a tube station, and probably won't have in the future,  but a frequent bus service from Brentford High Street to Osterley tube would help a lot (H91 service is less than adequate and doesn't connect town centre). There is a bus service to Hounslow East station, but it takes too long due to road congestion. The ugly: Now, the "ugly" is so ugly, that I want to scream at the computer while I am typing it. I am taking about the bus services towards West Mid hospital and Twickenham.If you look at the stretch of the road between Morrisons in Brentford and Isleworth War memorial, there are 6 primary, 3 secondary schools and a major teaching hospital with A&E and maternity units that just doubled in size. There is just ONE bus route that takes you from Brentford to Twickenham, and frequency of service is frankly appalling.I spent countless mornings at a bus stop on London road with my 2 young kids just to watch buses whizz by without stopping because they are FULL. I am talking about 8 o'clock in the morning, well before the start of the school day. We then had to walk 1.5 miles, often in cold rain, and by the time we reached school gates kids were cold, wet and not set for learning. It is pretty much the same on the way back at 3.30 pm. On those occasions we did manage to get on a bus, my kids were pushed about, smacked in the head with rucksacks and I was verbally assaulted by the feral girls from Gumley school. This happens pretty  much every weekday. And just to mention - those buses are now stuck in a car park called Twickenham road, adding up to 40 minutes to a journey that used to take less than 15.This is now. Let's remember that you are about to open a new secondary school at Busch corner, adding 1000+ journeys every weekday to the public transport network that is already bursting at the seams. Someone mentioned 2 more schools at or near Gillette's - true? How about 18,000 jobs planned for Golden Mile? How are those people meant to get to and from work?There is a big push from your colleagues at Hounslow council to get people out of cars and onto bikes and public transport. May I ask, what did they do to improve public transport first? They are about to spend £60,000 of our money on leaflets advertising how we should all start cycling. Don't you think it's a bit disingenuous, when your party's mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan told the press only today that he won't let his OWN two daughters cycle in London because it isn't safe?For the record, I walk whenever I can, but sometimes it is too far for the little kids, or too cold, or they are too tired after a full day at school. You leave us with no options. I can see a big trouble coming your way.In the spirit of "citizen engagement" may I suggest that you and your colleagues start talking to the real people and listen to the problems we face day in and day out.I am not saying that council is solely responsible for this mess, but you need to talk with TFL and try and sort out transport infrastructure problems before approving thousands of new developments in the area.And then there is a death trap called Busch corner junction. People have been complaining about safety for months, but no one had a decency even to acknowledge the issue. Councillors, including yourself, seem to be spending a lot of their time talking about dog mess, potholes and other non-issues, but nobody wants to see the elephant in the room.Please let me know if you wish to discuss this personally.

Marina Thomas ● 3476d15 Comments ● 3474d

Aversion to being straight and honest

Why is it that Hounslow Council have an aversion to being straight and honest and rely of deception and half truths?They did it with the wheelie bins, the CPZs, local developments and now with the latest leaflet on garden waste.To quote:"Presently. All residents pay for a free garden waste collection service regardless of whether they use it or not.Asking residents to pay for the service means only those who want it receive it.Charging also helps prevent abuse of the collection service by gardening contractors and helps towards the cost."This is both a breach of trading standards and the ASA code of practice.'Free' and 'Pay' in the same sentence? Somewhat contradictory.'Abuse by Gardening Contractors' Where? How? and under what circumstances.If you get someone in to sort your garden, it's still your residential garden waste, irrespective of who actually puts it in the bags.If it is such a problem then why is it not being observed reported and dealt with in the same way as fly tipping?Garden waste is a profitable industry. About the most profitable area of the entire recycling industry.So why lie? They want to make extra money out of you and me, on top of the council tax we pay.However, as it clearly states we are Currently Paying for a free garden waste service, then where is the refund if one decides to not take up the invented charges?That clearly implies that residents should get a fifty pound rebate.

Raymond Havelock ● 3477d4 Comments ● 3477d

Council Leader Complains To Planning Inspectorate Over Lucozade Sign

http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=info&page=conlucozade002.htmCouncillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, has penned an open letter to the Planning Inspectorate to complain about the removal of the iconic Lucozade advertisement at York House, Brentford.He says he is concerned that there is "a lack of consistency with decisions for advertisements on the Great West Road" and wants to see an independent review of the training and decision-making process of the Planning Inspectorate, regarding advertisement appeals across the borough of Hounslow.Over the Christmas holidays, JC Decaux installed an internally illuminated LED screen at York House, Brentford, to screen advertisements, removing the iconic copy of the 1920’s 'dripping bottle' Lucozade advertisement that many people associated with the area.Hounslow Council planners had previously turned down permission for the LED advertisement screen, but it was given consent on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, a situation that the Lead member described as "depressing".Cllr Curran says in his letter, that removing the iconic sign has caused great upset in the local community and attracted considerable attention from the media."Overall, I am concerned there is a lack of consistency with decisions for advertisements on the Great West Road. I appreciate there is a real pressure from advertisers to locate here, as one of the most valuable stretches of land for advertisements in the country. But it is mainly a residential area and local people are not happy about the brightness of the LED screens, which is completely different to the old style illuminated advert hoardings.""The Planning Inspectorate overriding the decisions of my planning officers, based on the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Act 2007 and Local Plan policy, is depressing."However, there are inconsistencies as the Planning Inspectorate dismiss about eight applications for every one approved."I would like to see an independent review carried out of the training and decision making of the Planning Inspectors involved in decision making on advertisement appeals in LB Hounslow since the 2007 Act came in to force.he replacement advertising hoarding (Picture: Brentford Heritage)The Lucozade advert (or a similar version) has been situated on the building on the Great West Road since the fifties. It's much loved and seen by many returning from a long trip outside London giving the first indication that they are close to home.The digital display ad that has replaced it is advertising Mercedes vans rather than energy drinks. A petition has been set up with change.org calling on the Prime Minister to: 'Bring back Brentford's iconic Lucozade sign. Remove the hideous digital advertising.'JC Decaux has declined to comment on the removal of the sign.Nina Meusberger, head of marketing at Lucozade Energy, said: "We're grateful for the public’s appreciation for the iconic Lucozade Energy sign which was displayed alongside the M4 in Brentford. We have preserved and stored the sign since the decision, which was beyond our control, was made to turn the space into a digital advertising board."We are considering various options of where to place it next."January 20, 2016

Reg Ghosh ● 3495d1 Comments ● 3495d

Front gardens will have to be changed to accommodate bins

Meanwhile in Ealing ....Conservative Councillors in Northfields are warning residents that they may have to alter their properties to accommodate wheelie bins which are to be introduced borough wide next year.In their local leaflet 'intouch' they say council officers told them that it was the responsibility of residents to ensure they can store the bins - even if that means knocking down walls or removing shrubs and trees. The information came after Councillors Millican, Mullins and Conti went on a walkabout with the officers and visited various roads including Belsize Ave, near Northfields Station. There they saw houses that would not be able to accommodate the wheelie bins without adapting their front gardens, unless the wheelie bins were left directly in front of the front doors.Officers also apparently confirmed that legal action could be taken if the bins were left on the pavement.The news will cause anger - this year 7,000 people signed a petition against the changes.In Brentford the recent introduction of the new collection service has led to protests outside the Council Leader's house.Ealing Council plan to introduce the alternate collections and wheelie bins in late Spring and are currently assessing properties which are not suitable for a wheelie bin and say they will provide the same service offered to homes on red routes.They say if any waste (contained or otherwise) is left unauthorised on the pavement, action can be taken. However they claim that they want to ' work closely with residents before, during and after service roll out to prevent any need for this'. Residents can store wheelie bins in their front gardens if they wish to.An Ealing Council spokesperson added:''Wheelie bin collections have been successfully introduced in many parts of London, making it easier to recycle. We have carried out a survey of all homes in the borough and the majority of homes will be able to store wheelie bins. We will be writing to people early next year to let them know what their collection service will be and help will be at hand for people who need further advice.''

Reg Ghosh ● 3545d31 Comments ● 3503d

No Christmas Excess Rubbish Allowed Say Council

From the Chiswick site http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=info&link=http://neighbournet.com/server/common/hounspol194.htmDon't put out extra bins over festive period or they won't be collectedChristmas may be regarded as a time of excess but not where Hounslow Council's rubbish collection is concerned. This year they have warned that anyone putting out extra rubbish beside their wheelie bin will have to deal with it themselves.The Council says 70% of the extra waste generated over Christmas can be recycled. Real Christmas trees will be collected for recycling during January 2016.All excess waste is recorded by collection crews. Anyone caught dumping excess waste on the streets will face a fine of £80, warn the Council.Any bags placed beside or on top of wheelie bins will not be collected. Bins where the lid is open or not firmly closed will not be collected."Hounslow residents receiving wheelie bin rubbish collections are reminded not to leave additional bags out for collection during Christmas and the New Year to avoid having to get rid of them themselves."Only waste in wheelie bins is collected to limit the amount of rubbish households can throw away, which encourages residents to recycle more."Staff will not return to collect any excess rubbish and residents will need to take any uncollected waste to Space Waye Reuse and Recycling Centre, Pier Rod, Feltham, or a civic amenity in neighbouring boroughs of Richmond, Hillingdon or Ealing.More than 40,000 households across the borough now use wheelie bins to contain their waste- despite their unpopularity in some areas. A further 24,000 households will receive a new bin in the New Year.You can recycle:• all wrapping paper• cardboard packaging from presents or food• food packaging like plastic pop bottles, plastic pots and tubs from chocolate boxes• glass drinks bottles and jars• drink tins and mince pie wrappers • all leftover food that cannot be eaten or frozen.Revised waste and recycling collections will be made during Christmas and the New Year.You need to place your Christmas tree out for collection on your normal garden waste collection day (this can be found through the collection day finder). Only real Christmas trees will be collected, all decorations, pots and stands need to be removed before they are placed out for collection.Residents living in flats can also arrange to have their real Christmas tree to be collected.Contact the Council to arrange a collection, by emailing recycling@hounslow.gov.uk or by calling 020 8583 2000.

Reg Ghosh ● 3523d6 Comments ● 3512d

1960's Movie

Hi everyone,I haven't posted for a very long time because I've had nothing to say of interest, plus being 16000 odd kilometres away in Australia. However, I do look through the forum at least once a week.I have been looking for many, many years for a 1960's movie, where quite a few scenes were shot in Brentford. I had been told it may be a movie called "The Concrete Jungle" starring Stanley Baker,  but I hunted that down and didn't find what I was looking for.Last night I goggled "Brentford 1960's" and up came a site called "reelstreets". This brought up a lot of stills from a movie called "The Challenge" and lo and behold I had found what I was looking for. It came out in America as "It takes a thief"so I then went on You Tube to see if it was there. Type it in as "It takes a thief" and you are able to watch the whole movie.At the 23 minute mark is the scene I had been looking for, as it shows kids running out of school at the end of the day. This is in fact myself and other kids running out of St Paul's gate and continue running towards the Rec. Unfortunately, it is a short scene, and we run pretty fast, that I can't really 100% say which one I am.My best shot is that I maybe the girl towards the end who seems to almost take a tumble, as her arm comes up in order to keep her balance. The reason I am sharing this with you is that you may be one of the other kids, or much to my dismay, you may lay claim to being that little girl. Anyhow, tell me what you think of the whole thing as there are more scenes from the streets of Brentford i.e. New Rd, Brook Rd North and a few others. In fact you may end up seeing your own house on there.Enjoy!

Sue Gowty ● 3534d5 Comments ● 3517d

The Battle of Brentford

10 London ‘battlefields’ – 7. Battle of Brentfordhttp://exploring-london.com/2015/12/09/10-london-battlefields-7-battle-of-brentford/Having taken Banbury and Oxford in the aftermath of the Battle of Edgehill, the Royalist army marched along the Thames Valley toward London where a Parliamentarian army under the Earl of Essex waited.Having arrived at Reading to the west of London, King Charles I, apparently unconvinced peace talks were heading in the right direction, ordered Prince Rupert to take Brentford in order to put pressure on the Parliamentarians in London.On 12th November, 1642, up to 4,600 Royalists under the command of the prince engaged with two Parliamentarian infantry regiments at Brentford, one of the key approaches the City of London. The Parliamentarians were under the command of Denzil Hollis (who wasn’t present) and Lord Brooke – various estimates put their number at between 1,300 and 2,000 men.Prince Rupert’s men – consisting of cavalry and dragoons – attacked at dawn under the cover of a mist. An initial venture to take a Parliamentarian outpost at the house of Royalist Sir Richard Wynne was repulsed by cannon fire but Sir Rupert ordered a Welsh foot regiment to join the fight and the outpost was quickly taken.The Cavaliers then pushed forward across the bridge over the River Brent (which divided the town) and eventually drove the Parliamentarians from the town and into the surrounding fields (part of the battle was apparently fought on the grounds of Syon House – pictured at top).Fighting continued into the late afternoon before the arrival of a Parliamentarian infantry brigade under the command of John Hampden allowed the Roundheads to withdraw.About 170 are believed to have died in the battle (including a number who drowned fleeing the fighting). Followed by the sack of the town, the battle was a success for the Royalists who apparently captured some 15 guns and about 400 prisoners. The captured apparently included Leveller John Lilburne, a captain in Brooke’s regiment.The Royalists and Parliamentarians met again only a few days later – this time at Turnham Green (for more on that, see last week’s post).Incidentally, this wasn’t the first battle to be fought at Brentford. Some time over the summer of 1016, English led by Edmund Ironside clashed with the Danes under the soon-to-be-English king Canute. Edmund was victorious on the day, one of a series of battles he fought with Canute.Meanwhile, more than 1000 years earlier, it was apparently at Brentford that the British under the King Cassivellaunus fought with Julius Caesar’s men in 54 BC on their approach to St Albans (Verulamium).A pillar stands High Street in Brentford commemorating all three battles while there is an explanatory plaque about the battle in the grounds of Syon Park.For more the Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green, see www.battlefieldstrust.com/brentfordandturnhamgreen.

Reg Ghosh ● 3537d10 Comments ● 3533d

Council leader felt 'harassed and threatened'

What a complete idiot this man is, people feel so strongly about an issue so they try to talk to a reluctant local representative who throws a wobbly and says he felt 'harassed and threatened', well now he knows how the rest of us feel at our treatment by Hounslow Council. It's like being in a permanent state of war with these twerps.If the Dear Leader and his colleagues had an ounce of political nous they'd have stopped to consider the sizeable backlash the decision on wheelie bins has caused. There are some of us for whom they work well, but you really do have to consider that some areas are not suitable for these, and try listening to people's real concerns. Just brushing criticism to one side and refusing to engage is hardly the action of a councillor in tune with his constituents.I have just had a letter through my door also on a subject that people in Isleworth are up in arms over, the closure of Church St. something else where a sizeable public meeting showed its disagreement with this barmy decision, but which they are going to blunder on with anyway. Then they insult us all by having the absolute gall to say that 243 people responded to their 'informal consultation' and 60% of those supported the closure! That works out to 145 people, are they kidding? When by their own calculations this will push nearly 2,500 extra vehicles on to the Twickenham Rd. and down other residential streets! 'Harassed and threatened?' Well, you have your answer - try listening to people and not being so bloody arrogant!

Vanessa Smith ● 3556d90 Comments ● 3538d

Latest developments on Isleworth Pit Park saga

As this is a major ongoing local issue in its own right I thought I'd take the liberty of detaching it from the Brent Lea thread so as not to blur the two, linked though they are as they both throw a revealing light on our local authority's approach to resident engagement:Vanessa Smith wrote:  "It seems in our fight to wrest our local park back from individual usage and ensure pubic access for local residents, that Isleworth councillors are taking lessons from their Leader. Apparently a meeting has been arranged for this Thursday at Isleworth Library to set up a 'working party' to look into the issues surrounding the use of the park, it has become clear that only selected people have been notified of this meeting, it looks like it's people who back on to the park only, which is not a lot of homes when you consider the local area. In the best traditions of repressive states across the world Labour councillors are manipulating the process instead of opening this up to the wider public locally. I have asked for an explanation of just who decided to do this and why the people who have been notified don't include the people who took the trouble to respond to the so-called 'consultation' (which was done after the park was given away). After all if people took the trouble to respond then doesn't that tell  you that they have an interest in what happens?"As anybody who has been a councillor knows, there are sometimes extraordinary demands on an elected member's time.  This is even more so in the case of a councillor who serves on the Cabinet, as two of Isleworth's three elected members do.Under the circumstances it seems bizarre to say the least that Isleworth's councillors would want to set up a working party involving some of the residents affected by a Council decision but not others, with a view to then repeating the exercise before a wider group at some unstipulated later stage.  Much easier, one would have thought, to include everybody concerned from the off.It is difficult therefore to conclude that this is anything other than a particularly crude attempt at community divide and rule, which seems an extraordinarily insensitive and frankly arrogant approach to take in the wake of the original blunders to which the councillors freely admit (although some believe, not without good reason, that there was more to things than mere incompetence).  Surely some contrition, rather than further manipulation of events, is what is called for here?Some words of explanation either from them or from their Leader, whose backing they continue to enjoy, would be helpful to us all.

Phil Andrews ● 3715d16 Comments ● 3539d

Stupid beyond Comprehension

If anyone is in the slightest doubt about how Hounslow wastes money in a time of financial angst. Take a walk to Alexandra road on the corner of Albany Road and The Court.They have installed a one way cycle route, downhill with hugely expensive speed bumps.It is a route to nowhere and is unbelievable unsafe for cyclists and simply won't ever get used.The junction at the High street is at one of the worst black spots on that section of road.It is blind to turn right and for traffic heading west on the high street also blind to cyclists.Far easier and safer routes exist.It does not connect with the cycle route that runs through St Paul's Park which is also a safer and easier flat route from Grand Junction to Kew Pumping station.Now terminating buses at the Alexandra Road stop block up the former one way road causing other buses and traffic bound for Morrisons to back up into the high street causing delays right back into Brentford and the Half Acre.It's only been there 2 days and already it is a total mess.Officers were warned that this would not work and that it is a completely pointless route for us cyclists.Even with these mini speed bumps, no safe cyclist in their right mind would cycle downhill towards a main road with a contraflow of traffic in particular buses.They have made a safe area dangerous. Utterly stupid and a huge waste of taxpayers money.On top of that they have blocked of Albany road with non removable bollards. Albany road is the pick up point for the air ambulance crews which land in the dogs corner of the park.It is now only accessible from one end which can block up with a light van.  How could something so stupid which could cost lives get passed through let alone proposed?Money massively wasted. If they really want to make cycling easier and safer, sort out the Great West road cycle track with visible repeater traffic lights and sweep the often puncture blighted surface regularly.

Raymond Havelock ● 3545d7 Comments ● 3540d

Pollution nearly twice legal limit in Twickenham Road

Get West London: http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/pollution-nearly-twice-legal-limit-10544910 Pollution nearly twice legal limit in Isleworth's Twickenham RoadProtesters say shocking levels of nitrogen dioxide along Twickenham Road back up their calls to overturn Church Street closure.  Protesters fighting a controversial road closure in Isleworth have unearthed alarming data about pollution which they say supports their case.Levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2), produced by vehicles, in Twickenham Road are nearly twice the legal limit, according to Hounslow Council's own figures.  Campaigners say closing nearby Church Street will add to congestion in Twickenham Road, which is home to West Middlesex Hospital and a number of schools, making the air there even filthier.A report published by Hounslow Council in October shows NO2 levels at Busch Corner, at the junction of Twickenham Road and London Road, were 74.9 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) in 2014.Dr Nichola Keay, who unearthed the statistics, is among those opposed to the 18-month trial closure of Church Street, which is due to begin on Monday (December 7)."Given the council's own predictions that closing Church Street will increase delays in the area by 142%, it's inevitable pollution in Twickenham Road will become even worse," she said."I have asked the council's head of transport what the pollution threshold is at which Church Street would be re-opened but I have not received a reply."The council has said it took the decision to close Church Street following complaints from residents about drivers using the narrow residential road as a "rat run" .In a survey earlier this year about 60% of those responding supported the move, but critics say a wider area should have been consulted .Campaigners are planning to march along Twickenham Road next weekend in protest at the closure.On the same day, residents of Church Street are holding a Christmas party to celebrate their road being closed to through traffic.

Reg Ghosh ● 3543d2 Comments ● 3543d

Wheelies and Fire Safety Regs from the Watch Manager

To those who have been posting wondering about the fire safety aspect of wheelie bins being placed next to buildings (something which I am not particularly concerned by) I today emailed the northwestareasupportteam@london-fire.gov.uk and asked whether there was any advice/regulation. I was very impressed to get the following answer back within a few hours. It is not what people may be wanting to hear but hopefully it clarifies the situation somewhat.Dear Sir / Madam, Many thanks for your enquiry regarding the refuse collection system and your fire safety concerns. Unfortunately, as far as our regulatory / enforcement powers are, I am unable to offer any professional assistance in regard to the refuse bins you have been provided with. Sadly, the fire safety legislation does not extend to single private dwellings or their surrounding land. I can understand your frustrations and concerns, particularly if the bins provided make it difficult to use your property the way you would wish to. When having encountered this in the past, I’m afraid I have only been able to refer people to the local councillor / MP and / or environmental health officer.   My sincere apologies that I can’t assist you further, I trust the matter will be amicably resolved in the near future .    Yours sincerely,    Watch Manager Daniel Burrage Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, Fire Safety Regulation, SE Area London Fire Brigade 90 Old Town, Croydon, CR0 1AR Tel      0208 555 1200  x 37618 Mob    07825 996 369

Anne England ● 3552d4 Comments ● 3546d

Wheelie Bins: Fire safety hazard & insurance risk

This is the official Fire safety advice for residential wheelie bins.Sent to me from a colleague in Cheshire Fire service but most others also offer the advice. This has come about because of the huge increase in fires in rubbish bins in the North of England.Another fact ignored by Hounslow Council.Should a wheelie bin fire damage your property, your insurance may well not cover the damage as if too close to your home and not following fire safety recommendations could void it.The council and Councillor cabinet member ( in this case Cllr. Mann - who elects to ignore the advice and as a multiple landlord should be fully aware) may well be liable as the bin is council property.If they ignore appeals on safety grounds and the worst happens, then they will be fully liable.In the case of Wheelie bins being in terrace houses with frons lest than 3m deep this places the vast majority of bins within 1 metre of a door or window and within arms lenght of a passer by.This makes the fire risk extreme.So courtesy of Cheshire Fire service. Wheelie bin - fire safety tipsHelp to prevent bin fires by following these tips:Do not place hot items in the bin, for example:  smoking materials, hot embers from coal/wood, hot ash, etcDo not store rubbish or wheelie bins/refuse containers by windows or doors - any fire in the bin could easily spread to your property.Do not store your wheelie bin/refuse containers in close proximity to a building.Do not overfill your wheelie bin/refuse containers or leave loose rubbish around them.Whenever possible, wheelie bins/refuse containers should be stored securely behind locked gates.Only place your wheelie bin out on collection day. Return it to your property as soon as possible after collection. Do not leave your wheelie bin out at night.Do not allow bins or rubbish to block escape routesDon't let your bin become a target for arsonistsWe would like to urge residents and businesses to store all bins away to avoid them becoming a target for arsonists.This includes wheelie bins and refuse containers.Please store them away, especially at night. Please take extra care to make sure that rubbish does not pile up close to buildings

Raymond Havelock ● 3562d9 Comments ● 3549d

Possibilitiy of three wheeled bins per household

Not content with imposing one bin on us, Hounslow Council want to issue a second bin for co-mingled recycling and a third for garden waste.Possibilitiy of three wheeled bins per householdHounslow Council have announced the introduction of wheelie bins borough wide with great publicity but haven't mentioned their intentions to bring in a fortnightly waste collection for non-recyclables.At September's Cabinet meeting it was agreed that:-The Cabinet agreed the introduction of a fortnightly collection frequency for residual waste.The Cabinet agreed the introduction of a charge for the collection of garden waste from April 2016 based on the collection of 240 litre wheeled bins on alternate weeks (with the residual waste service).The Cabinet approved the policies at Appendix A and B of the report. These contain the full details of the wheelie bin policy and garden waste collection.The Cabinet agreed to bring the service back under local authority control upon the termination of the current contract (which ends on 31 October 2016).In addition the Council will look further at:The introduction of a co-mingled recycling service based on the collection of 240 litre wheeled bins on alternate weeks (with the residual waste service). This would mean a second wheeled bin instead of the current green box and bags.The retention of a weekly kerbside sorted service based as currently provided.The possible redevelopment of the council’s civic amenity site at Space Waye to improve service provision and allow the council to handle collected recycled materials for onward processing.The options for the sale/processing of collected recyclables;To agree the financial implications set out in the report with final costings being reported to Cabinet in December.All councils have been asked to achieve a 50% recycling target by 2020 and Hounslow has been at around 35% in recent years, the worst recycling level in West London.SITA staff are employed on the minimum wage rather than the London Living Wage which Hounslow requires.Garden waste will be via a(nother) 240l wheeled bin with the option of two sacks instead at a charge of £50 per year for fortnightly collection. This is expected to be brought in next April.The report also states that there is no requirement to consult service users.  http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=88338#mgDocuments

Reg Ghosh ● 3558d7 Comments ● 3552d

Proposed closure of Church St.

From Cllr. Guy Lambert's weekly TW8 Newsletter."Saturday was monthly surgery in the Mission Hall. A lady looking for a venue to run an after-school group (must get back to her) and another lady who wanted to protest about the imminent trial closure of Church Street in Isleworth to cars, which she believes will make her late for work each day after depositing her child at the Blue School. I’m sympathetic to her personal difficulties but we did hear the arguments for and against this closure at the last Isleworth and Brentford Area Forum and councillors unanimously (I think) agreed to the trial."Clearly Cllr. Lambert didn't pay any heed to the public meeting held at the Isleworth Public Hall recently, where it was quite clear the arguments for and against this decision seemed to consist of offering residents several options all of which contained a closure! He along with others needs to understand that where traffic is concerned you CANNOT look at things in isolation, this stupid and misguided plan will cause gridlock on the Twickenham Rd. The whole area from Busch Corner right up to the A316 roundabout has to be considered. Is Cllr. Lambert familiar with the area? If he is then he's talking balderdash, if he isn't then he should try driving around here in the rush hour. Listening to officers referring to their reports is not enough, councillors should familiarise themselves with the issues they are being asked to take decisions on, then he might understand the dreadful implications this decision so easily taken will have for all local residents.

Vanessa Smith ● 3564d1 Comments ● 3564d

The white poppy - time for a rethink all round?

Following on from discussions elsewhere on this forum about yesterday's Remembrance Day events, one couldn't help but notice that Syon councillor Katherine Dunne was sporting a white poppy at the Isleworth parade alongside the traditional red one, emblazoned with the word "Peace".Personally I thought this was a nice touch.  So often I have found myself nonplussed by the abuse I have received from a very small minority of people when selling poppies, usually accompanied by allegations that I am a warmonger and an apologist for murder.  Yet I have opposed UK and Western military aggression in North Africa and the Middle East as outspokenly and as consistently as any anti-war campaigner from the so-called "left".Similarly there is undoubtedly a feeling amongst some to whom the Remembrance season is held dear that those who choose to wear the white poppy are unpatriotic, even traitors, whose act betrays those who have given their lives.  This despite the fact that they call only for peace and an end to war - a sentiment which, in my opinion and experience, is shared by the overwhelming majority of ex-servicemen and women as well as right-thinking people everywhere.  The former ICG councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs was a pacifist who, when she became Mayor of Hounslow, struggled with her conscience in the knowledge that she would be expected to attend the annual ceremony of Remembrance and to play a prominent part in proceedings.  I remember having a long conversation with her in which I managed to persuade her that Remembrance was not a celebration of war but an act of respect for those who had lost their lives as a result of the failure of politics and of national leaders worldwide to reconcile their differences peacefully.  Indeed some may even see it is an act of defiance to those people, a reaffirmation of the gratitude and debt that we feel to those brave men and women who put their lives on the line in contrast to the contempt that we may hold for those who casually send them out to fight from their comfort and safety of their own pampered offices.  I am pleased to say she attended the event and did Isleworth proud.There needs in my view to be a rethink on the part of all concerned.  The moral snobbery contained in the notion held by a few that people who wear the red poppy are all monsters who celebrate in blood and death is as insulting and obscene as it is patently ridiculous.  There need be no contradiction between remembering with fondness and gratitude those who gave their lives, and aspiring for a peaceful future in which war is made a thing of the past.

Phil Andrews ● 3568d0 Comments ● 3568d

Progress promised following claims Brentford High Street 'left to rot'

Apparently something is moving.......http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/progress-promised-following-claims-brentford-10372085s frustration grows over wait for huge new development, council leader says legal agreements should be signed within next few weeksrogress has been promised on the long-awaited redevelopment of Brentford High Street, following claims the area has been 'left to rot'.It is nearly a year since Ballymore was granted permission last November to build nearly 900 homes, plus shops and offices on the mostly dilapidated land between the southern side of the High Street and the River Brent.The plans were controversial at the time but frustration is now growing among local business people at the lack of action since then. TrendingCrimeBonfire NightChristmas    Uxbridge    Hounslow    Ealing    Harrow    FulhamProgress promised following claims Brentford High Street 'left to rot'    10:52, 4 Nov 2015    By Robert CumberAs frustration grows over wait for huge new development, council leader says legal agreements should be signed within next few weeks    Shares Comments Artist's impression of phase one of the planned regeneration project for the south side of Brentford High Street by developer BallymoreProgress has been promised on the long-awaited redevelopment of Brentford High Street, following claims the area has been 'left to rot'.It is nearly a year since Ballymore was granted permission last November to build nearly 900 homes, plus shops and offices on the mostly dilapidated land between the southern side of the High Street and the River Brent.The plans were controversial at the time but frustration is now growing among local business people at the lack of action since then.Brentford High Street developmentVideo loadingPlay0:00/0:00FullscreenMuteShareA small amount of demolition is all the action people have seen so far on the ground, and one shopkeeper, John Russell, of the cobblers Russell's claims the area has been "left to rot".Council leader Steve Curran had admitted the development was "not going along as quickly as we would like" and has since met representatives from Ballymore, to pose alongside a digger, marking the start of demolition work.He described the meeting as "positive" and said he was hoping legal agreements between the council and the developer would be signed in the next four weeks.However, he said it was not possible to give an indication at this stage of when building work would start, or how long it might take."The legal agreements should be signed in the next four weeks. Once that has been done we're hoping they can give us a clearer work pattern," he said.Ballymore said it was unable to comment at this stage.

Domenico Urzi ● 3573d0 Comments ● 3573d

Do they get irony?

Consultation on the future of parks and librariesHounslow Council is calling on residents to have their say on plans to redesign and rationalise leisure and culture services in the borough.At the heart of the consultation exercise is a draft strategy that sets out four objectives: to modernise the borough’s library service; to enhance local parks and open spaces; to support residents to be more active; and to celebrate Hounslow’s cultural make-up and rich heritage.  A poster and postcard campaign launched on 5th October 2015 invites residents to comment on the objectives and the steps suggested to achieve them.Though the new approach is driven in part by the council’s need to cut its budget, the strategy is deliberately ambitious.  For example, it sets a target for Hounslow residents to become the most active in London by 2022 – when at present they lag behind the London and England average for people participating in exercise for at least 30 minutes a week. The strategy proposes a shift towards online and digital services. And, for libraries, it also refers to the need to reach out to more residents since, while the Chiswick, Feltham and Hounslow branches remain busy, overall use of libraries has dropped by 20 per cent in the past five years.The draft also explores the possibility of making better use of the borough’s 1,365 hectares of green space, with the cash being ploughed back into improved facilities.Councillor Ed Mayne, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Leisure, explains: “Over the next four years the council must make at least £70million in savings and the leisure services budget is expected to be reduced by at least £2.3m. Our draft strategy aims to make sure we maintain the highest possible standards in our leisure services while adapting to the budget cuts and changes in the services residents want.  So, residents’ views are essential if we are to rise to this daunting challenge successfully.”The draft Leisure and Culture Strategy was published on Monday 5 October and consultation closes on Monday 16 November 2015. Residents can view the draft strategy and comment on the council’s website at www.hounslow.gov.uk/leisureconsultationOctober 14, 2015 I'm not sure if this is someone's idea of a joke or a p*sstake, if residents do decide to give their views which are apparently 'essential' I can only wish them the best of British! Judging by the determination to keep on ignoring residents and not even being willing to ask for their views around here! Yet again the promised 'through the door consultation' is being delayed, yet another excuse dredged up - this time the fact that a group of local residents from both Richmond and Hounslow have joined together put in an application to have our small local park designated as a Village Green. This as far as I can tell has absolutely nothing to do with consulting on the future use of the park and is just another delaying tactic. An FOI request as to the possible overrun of the budget for the recent 'Inspiring Isleworth' festival in Redlees Park had met witha convoluted explanation and then a 'we don't actually have that information yet'! So much for caring what residents think!

Vanessa Smith ● 3594d2 Comments ● 3593d

Do you live in Syon Lane north of A4?

You may know that the London Borough of Ealing owns playing fields known as Warren Farm on the east side of Windmill Lane north of the M4 bridge. Ealing has neglected these facilities for many years and is now entering a deal with Queens Park Rangers F C to develop the site as a training facility for the Club. Understandably the Club wants a 'level playing field' and originally proposed grading the site into a series of terraces to provide a number of level football pitches. But QPR then got demoted from the Premier League and could no longer afford the costs of this development. Somebody then came up with the bright idea of raising and levelling the whole site to the highest current level by importing tons of landfill for which the Club will be paid. This then makes the development affordable. There are many issues surrounding this development about the loss of community facilities, the loss of public access and the impact of development on Metropolitan Open Land but the Labour Group on Ealing Council, in the face of massive public opposition, recently rubberstamped the planning application. This may be OK for Ealing but of course, the width restriction at Three Bridges means that the waste material to level the site will have to be brought along Syon Lane from the A4 to the site. QPR state that importing the waste material to level the site will require 150 Heavy Goods Vehicle movements for 10 hours per day for 8 months! This is really not acceptable!

David Mercer ● 3599d2 Comments ● 3599d

Microchipping for your pets

Metropolitan Police Free microchipping and tag engraving Monday 5 October -Friday 9 October 2015 Attention all residents!London Borough of Hounslow & Battersea Dogs & Cats Home are offering:  Free microchipping and tag engraving Monday 5 October -Friday 9 October 2015 Microchipping makes it easier to return your special friend to you if they get lost.We are offering a FREE tag engraving and microchipping service. Just bring your dog and we’ll do the rest.  You’ll find us: Monday 5 October - 11am - 4pmSt Johns Gardens, St Johns Road, Isleworth TW7 Tuesday 6 October - 11am - 4pmBedfont Lakes Country Park(near information Centre),Clockhouse Lane, Bedfont TW14 8QA Wednesday 7 October - 11am - 4pmBrent Lea Recreation Ground,London Road, Brentford TW8 8JQ Thursday 8 October -11am - 4pmSaxon Ave/Nene Gardens, Hanworth TW13 5PQ Friday 9 October - 11am - 4pmWorple Avenue/Northcote Avenue,Isleworth TW7 7JG battersea.org.ukFor more information please call 0208 583 5085or email animalwarden@hounslow.gov.uk*All dogs must be on leads.Only six months before microchipping becomes law. Get your dog chipped today To get more information from the police about the borough and the ward you live in, please visit the Hounslow section of the Metropolitan Police website.This is not a crime reporting system. Contact 101 or visit the Metropolitan Police website to report a crime.Dial 999 if you need police in an emergency. Metropolitan Police Service, New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG 020 7230 1212 | http://content.met.police.uk/Home

Vanessa Smith ● 3611d5 Comments ● 3600d

The Clifden Road White Elephant

Around 4 or 5 years ago 23 Clifden Road was bought by a developer who, after starting work, put in a planning application for a single-storey rear extension, two-storey side extension and roof extension, and a “bed-in-shed” annex.  The application turned the property into a 7 bedroom, 6 bathroom house.Despite the plans being clearly designed for multi-occupancy bed-sits the Hounslow Planning Officer inexplicably believed the developer’s story that he intended the house only for his daughter and grandchild.   Following vehement objections from local residents the Hounslow Planning Officer tried to backtrack and deny the application so it then went to the Planning Inspector who went on to approve the plans.  The application was granted with one of the clauses stating that multi-occupancy is not permitted.The building work was completed I think sometime in 2013, the daughter and grandchild never moved in, and the house was put on the market at £2.3million.  Not surprisingly the house has not sold.  In my view no family will be interested in such a large house with tiny bedrooms, miniscule kitchen and “convenient” toilet/shower located off the main reception room.  Since the work was completed the property has remained largely empty thought reportedly has had a couple of short-term tenants.  Such a waste that a prime property in a sought after location, and with off-street parking, was ruined by the developer’s plans and the Planning Officers who approved them.The price has reduced a few times and is now down to offers in Excess of £1,250,000.I’d be interested in other’s views on the property and its likely future.

Reg Ghosh ● 3606d1 Comments ● 3606d

Don't Deport Wadih Chourey

People who live near or use South Street in Isleworth will probably know Wadih Chourey, whose brothers Joseph and Camil run the long-estabished Joseph's Patisserie opposite Isleworth Public Hall.Wadih, aged 44, who has Down's Syndrome, has lived in the UK since 1997 when he came from the Lebanon with his parents as his life was in danger from gangs who were victimising him and encouraging him to commit crime on their behalf.  Since then he has been a popular local figure, undertaking simple tasks in support of the family business and enjoying the trust and sense of responsibility that this brings.  He is happy, helpful and always pleasant.His parents have both since passed away and as a result of this he faces deportation by the Home Office back to his native Lebanon.  His brothers, and his many friends in the community, fear that he would be in danger if he were to be forced to return. He is not capable of living independently, needing help to wash and dress himself.Local people believe that Chourey has been an asset to the local community, he is integrated and is a popular local figure.  His removal would appear to serve no useful purpose to anybody.  A campaign is underway to prevent the deportation and this campaign is fully community-led, having been initiated by the Old Isleworth Four Roads Residents' Association.The decision is currently at the appeal stage and I would invite users of this forum to sign the petition at the address below to say Don't Deport Wadih Chourey.https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/do-not-deport-wadih-chourey-vack-to-the-lebanon-just-because-his-parents-have-died?bucket=38blast

Phil Andrews ● 4000d34 Comments ● 3616d

Albany Road Closure and St Paul's School

I was walking to Morrisons around lunchtime today when I came across a major health and safety exercise involving the pupils of St Paul's School - they were learning how to cross Albany Road to the new school wing at Alexandra House. They were all lined up regimental from the park and proceeded to cross single file at the traffic calming hump on the junction of Albany/Alexandra Road and Back Lane. It looked like most of the teachers were there supervising. Unfortunately as I approached (wondering whether to wait or just dodge through a gap) one of the first pupils fell over in the middle of the road and subsequently lay there crying and distressed, thus causing a knock on effect with those behind, and the whole train came to a sudden halt. Panic ensued with the adults in a dizzy fit shouting orders to remain calm because at that moment a car driving a snails pace was approaching them on Albany Road. Horror of horrors! For all the preparation they hadn't planned for someone tripping up which threw the whole exercise into chaos. (I say exercise, but they could have just been on a short trip to acquaint themselves with their new premises). Whilst I understand that primary school children should be afforded every possible safety when crossing a road, I consider it excessive that this reasonably quite road should be closed off permanently to allow it. Indeed, cars must approach the junction with Alexandra Road with caution in any event due to buses and other vehicles going up it. The only entrance to Morrisons car park is via Alexandra Road past the County Court so presumably everyone from an easterly direction will have to go to the Ealing Road/High Street Junction and turn right and then right again into Alexandra Road, or take a short cut from Albany Road down the already congested and narrow Wilkes Road. Surely a better solution can be implemented - such as a zebra/pelican crossing, or a large "CAUTION SLOW - CHILDREN CROSSING" or other such sign. The council should exercise some common sense here - assuming they have any left. Call me an old fuddy duddy (and bring back the Green Cross Code blah blah) but really - there's far too much bubble wrap these days and it's bad for the environment.

Paul Brownlee ● 3635d4 Comments ● 3631d

Council takes action against Thames Water

Not Hounslow of course who are utterly useless in dealing with Thames Water at Mogden but Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing Councils who have threatened immediate legal action and I only wish we had councillors in our Borough who actually give a tossFrom the Chiswick W4 WebsiteSouthfield Councillor Gary Malcolm has welcomed news that Hammersmith Council is threatening to take Thames Water to court because of the noise and smell caused by the pumping station in East Acton. The action is backed by Ealing Council and Thames Water has been given until this weekend (September 6th) to deal with the problem. Local Liberal Democrats have accused Thames Water of trying to delay things too long. "Thames Water should get on and fix the problem they have caused. Until they cover the tanks I cannot see the problem being solved," commented Cllr Malcolm. The pumping station Local people say between 400 to 500 people are affected and more than 50 complaints have been received by the council from people living near the Acton Pumping Station in Warple Way, East Acton. The tank holds storm water after heavy rain once sewers have reached maximum capacity. The smell of sewage building up at the bottom of the tanks and the noise of pumps sending water back into the sewers after heavy rain has been leaving residents unable to open their windows for several months. Councillor Wesley Harcourt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents’ Services, says: "The noise and smell from Acton Pumping Station is stopping residents enjoying their homes and that is simply unacceptable."Thames Water has had plenty of warning about this problem and residents have had enough. The company has until September 6 to take effective action or face the consequences."Mark Danks of Warple Way works from home and lives opposite the tanks. He estimates about 1,000 local people are affected. He says: "Our building is very energy efficient; it feels like summer ten months a year. It’s horrible living in a place where you can't open your windows or doors, it's like being in a sweat box. If I had known I never would have moved here."I can’t have people over, it’s embarrassing. If you open your windows or doors, you feel nauseous. Many neighbours with weaker stomachs than me can’t eat in their own homes."After earlier intervention from H&F Council, which is leading the action backed by Ealing Council, Thames Water installed an automated cleaning system and a bigger, more powerful pump. But these still failed to drain the tanks properly, leaving a foul-smelling sludge at the bottom of the tanks.H&F Council has now served the company with a legal notice giving Thames Water until September 6 to solve the problem or potentially face court action. Anyone concerned about the smell or noise coming from Acton Pumping Station should contact the H&F Noise and Nuisance Service on 020 8753 1081 during office hours and 020 8748 8588 outside office hours.Last summer locals were told that it was a short term issue affecting tanks near Canham Road due to problems with the emptying of sewage. Locals claimed they had been told it would improve when the tanks were cleaned but the foul smell has remained. Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Steed, organised a meeting with Thames Water last year , along with the local residents association A letter from the headteacher at Southfield Primary School, to Thames Water last year said that teachers had to keep children in from the playground when the odour was bad. The school, which has over 500 children from Chiswick, Acton, and Shepherds Bush, said it was having an impact on the childrens' learning.A petition was also set up on Ealing Council's website which gathered hundreds of signatures.Thames Water has identified Acton Storm Tanks as part of its proposed Thames Tideway Tunnel or 'Super Sewer' which has been recently given the go-ahead. You can read more about that here .

Paul Fisher ● 3635d1 Comments ● 3635d

Brent Lea Rec saved!

Steve Curran called me on Friday with this news and asked me to wait until this was released today. All our hard work has paid off. Thank you to everyone who sent objections and put their name on the Statement of Objection.Come to the rec on Weds evening where we will be celebrating. Bring a bottle and a picnic from 7.00pm.The council has received a clear message from Brentford people that their decisions will be challenged. PR 310910 August 2015For Immediate ReleaseAppropriation of Brent Lea for Floreat no longer going aheadHounslow Council is no longer considering whether or not to appropriate Brent Lea for a temporary site for Floreat Free SchoolAn alternative site for Floreat has been agreed, meaning the decision on the appropriation – which was due to be made by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council – will no longer need to be made.  While the consultation process for the appropriation was ongoing, the EFA in conjunction with Floreat continued to look for alternative sites for the school. On 30 July it was confirmed that an alternative site had been identified at Trico House, in the Great West Quarter development, and that heads of terms for the lease had been agreed between the EFA and Trico Developments.  Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said:“The appropriation for the temporary school will no longer be going ahead but I am grateful to the public for spending time submitting their responses to the consultation.“Hounslow Council will continue to cooperate with the EFA to identify a suitable permanent site and await the sequential testing results which will inform the next steps – which we will be sure to keep residents informed of.“We need a permanent school in the Brentford area, as providing good quality school places is a top priority for us, but we also need to take into account the importance of preserving our green space.”

Joanna Russell ● 3659d24 Comments ● 3658d

How thick can LB. Hounslow get?

Latest missive from LBH came through the door.To The Residents. From Cllr Amrit Mann, but no doubt written by someone else.Another letter teaching us how to suck eggs on waste disposal and confirm weekly collection detailsThat's fine, from time to time the complexities do need to be explained. Something most neighbours usually do for other neighbours in doubt.Presumably the rather poorly written letter is also supposed to point out changes in refuse collection days..or is it?Missing from the missive are the most important elements. The days of collection and if these are changes, the dates of commencement.According to this, our current collection day in Brentford is Wednesday it now appears as Mondays and Thursdays until you read it a few timesIt appears these days this apply only to flats above shops?  If that is the case, why send this missive everywhere?What is the point of sending out letters and then leaving the key information only via an internet address.?Surely someone at LBH is capable of writing in clear simple english and at least proof reading and checking for practical clarity?The Keep it Posted campaign has revealed that some 40% of Greater London residents have no access to secure online computers or are capable of using the web.At least LBH do have a phone contact but in all honesty, this letter should and could have contained everything we need to know and save a lot of messing about.It's just created confusion this wasting time, money and resources.

Raymond Havelock ● 3674d6 Comments ● 3674d

Local defect list

I wonder if it is worth starting a local defect list of items that remain unresolved even after reporting them to LBH or indeed other organisations responsible for our parks and streets.It might make it easier too for Guy when he seeks out all these defects.For reasons unknown my entry last week with a short list of locations was deleted, so primarily for Guy as he is making an effort and hope it might just succeed where ordinary mortals have failed, here goes again:Column 15 Footpath between Albany Road and Lateward road out now for 2 years reported countless timesVarious new lights in Lateward road and Clifden Road either inoperative or spasmodic in operationPotholes in Lateward and Albany road. Part of Albany road slowly subsiding near jcn with Brook roadTrees damaged by overlength recycling trucks not replaced at Brook Road and Mafeking Ave.New streetname signs fitted to bent and leaning signposts New Road / Ealing RoadSelf closing gate in Childrens playground, St Paul's Rec, Half Acre corner. now faulty for over 3 years. A 10 min fix yet contractors removed a spare pair of gates with same fittings which were no longer in use last spring. This is a dangerous location and has been reported many times even by a local doctor.The solution? A chain and padlock around it. Not satisfactory. Now removed but still not repaired. A bit of cord and a clear sign to remind careless or oblivious parents to "Please Close the Gate' would suffice.Missing items from Kid playground refurbished just a few years ago,  Surface debris never removed, Adult gym apparatus shown in the posters and publicity for the refurbishment still not installed.

Raymond Havelock ● 3762d44 Comments ● 3681d

For information - more open land going!

On open green land formerly used by the Conquest Club Nishkam School Trust Brentford Community CouncilSign up for our free newsletter Comment on this story on the forum Nishkam School has been temporarily situated in an office block on the corner of London Road and Wood Lane. The school has now submitted a planning application for its full size permanent site. EFA, the Education Funding Agency has already bought the site of 21.74 acres with the school being 'restricted' to 10.30 acres. The land is Metropolitan Open Land, designated in Hounslow's Unitary Development Plan, formerly used by Conquest Sports Club and Wycombe House Cricket and Tennis Club. Proposed buildings The school, which is a multi-faith school run on a Sikh based ethos is for around 1400 pupils from ages 4-19. They are considering a Nursery School on the site in the future as well. Up to 50% of places are offered as faith based places with the rest being open. Hounslow Education Officers expect Nishkam School to make a significant contribution to managing the shortfall in central Hounslow and to a slightly lesser extent in Heston & Cranford, and Brentford. The main vehicular access is to be via Syon Lane, slightly north of the current point. Additional pedestrian and cycle access will be at the junction of Braybourne Drive and Wood Lane, with a servicing access directly onto Wood Lane. 85 car parking spaces are proposed. The remaining Metropolitan Open Land to the north of the application site is retained for future community sports use and discussions with the Grasshoppers Rugby club is ongoing. Any development on this remaining land will need to be subject to a future planning application. Site Layout The Council say Brentford is in need of extra primary and secondary places, and existing schools have had extra classes added where possible. Find the planning application by visiting planning search (agreeing T&Cs, and then selecting "search planning applications") and then entering 01106/152/P3 in the box marked Planning number. Comments on the planning application should be sent to Stephen Hissett at Stephen.hissett@hounslow.gov.uk  July 7, 2015

Vanessa Smith ● 3693d11 Comments ● 3689d

Brentford Great West Quarter - Where does the air come from?

The Highways Agency recently announced that it was investigating proposals to make M4 Junctions 3 to 12 into a "smart motorway" by using the hard shoulder.I asked for the Preliminary Environmental Report that covers the scheme and browsing through it I came across the paragraph :"Local operational effects (Opening Year, 2022)6.14.22 The magnitude of change in NO2 concentrations at sensitive receptors atjunctions 3 to 1 of the M4 is predicted to be small at one receptor (X617)which is predicted to be above the annual mean objective value with theScheme in place. However, this location is unlikely to have Openablewindows, as an apartment block and may therefore already be mitigatedagainst poor air quality. This increase is due to the proximity of this receptor to the A4 and M4 at junction 2 and an anticipated increase of approximately 4,900 vehicles on the M4. The predictions at X617 have been considered as part of the overall evaluation of significance for operational air quality. However, further work will be undertaken to consider how this location is assessed and whether this location is included in the evaluation of significance for the final ES. The magnitude of change in NO2 concentrations at all other receptors is predicted to be imperceptible resulting in a negligible change in air quality. 203 receptors are predicted to be above (160) or just below (43) the annual mean objective value with the Scheme in place. It is also anticipated that exceedances of the 1-hour mean objective are unlikely in this part of the study area as annual mean concentrations at all receptors are less than 60 μg/m3."The maps showed that X617 was a single point ("receptor") representing the whole of the Great West Quarter while on the other side of the road each terraced house was an individual receptor!Do windows open in the Great West Quarter ? If not, where does the air come from ?

Tim Henderson ● 3907d11 Comments ● 3710d

Closing off Albany road

As usual no mention of this when proposing the extension of the school to a second site which is a good idea.But as usual, done on the cheap and will lead to constant and costly upheaval every time children need to move sites.A simple solution would be a subway linking the sites as it is a relatively short distance.The problem closing the road is it does not achieve much.For cyclists it is not a logical route as Grosvenor road and the park to the half acre has already  been opened up as a cycle route avoiding buses and most other traffic. But Lateward road is the more logical west -east route - apart from the potholes.But this will force almost all local traffic into Lateward road . It will also cut Morrisons off from all shopping traffic from the east side of the area, adding to the congestion at Half Acre and small roads like Wilkes road and Albany road itself will also be subject to blockages and increased diversionary traffic.It will also lead to Lateward road being blocked by the 50% increase in school run drop offs and collections which currently affect three roads so water down the problem.This will concentrate the problem to one road which potentially traps a whole neighbourhood.The same applies to the severe reduction is access to the whole area for emergency vehicles.Cyclists wont and don't use the road up the side of the court as it is mainly used by buses and Morrisons traffic and HGVs and is a short steep incline.  It will also be hazardous for cyclists then turning right across channelled traffic and then into a blind corner occupied possibly by school children.Would be better to make Albany Road  one way for the last 50m and leave the cycling route as it is.But a footbridge or a tunnel keeping the children away from all traffic and keeping them within the secure confines of school premises would be a far better solution long term.

Raymond Havelock ● 3742d5 Comments ● 3736d

Parachute 'party' cross community think tank ideas for you to get you 'mass debating' or not?

(all ideas are a summarised, fine detail on options as to how each idea could work in practice can already be expanded on, and can be discussed at a later date) 1. Identify brownfield sites in easy access of multicultural residential/retail high street areas and make available on long term lease for development into open air sports, recreational, media and performing arts areas. In return for organising and managing refurbishment, using local trades people to area (part funded by local council), music and dance license will be a prerequisite, subject to sound controls.2. Police surveillance of all care homes and mental health professionals’ meetings prior to a Section order being granted. Public access to these surveillance recordings after decision.3. Councils to publish monthly detailed spending commitments and have a dedicated officer team to deal with individual concerns regarding spend. Additional powers given to MP’s in that borough to formally question local authority/NHS trusts on spend and processes.4. Proactive Lobbying of central government to introduce a new act of Parliament called ‘The Compassion Act’.5. High Street parties twice a year as a London-wide holiday, all to pay a contribution, minus those who are disabled or on income related benefit or pensioners. Surplus to be used for increased funding for the performing arts.6. The wearing of a suit and tie is no longer obligatory for any specific profession or job of work.7. Monthly ‘Question time’ style panel debates with local MP, local police commissioner, health trust chief executive, local council leader as well as spokespersons for community action and arts groups across all ethnicities. All attendees to be able to vote on specific key issues raised. An 80% majority vote to be taken forward by the respective public official, with responsibility for that area. Progress updates at subsequent meetings.8. The legal right for councils to identify and use unoccupied properties as part of the housing stock with affordable rents, with the rent held in trust for the legal owner of the property.9. A minimum £10 per hour living wage for all employees working in the constituency.10. A cap on private landlord rents.11. Enforcement team with greater powers to bring those employers guilty of paying less than minimum wage including sequestration of assets.12. Enforcement team with greater powers to bring ‘scum’ landlords and major environmental health contraveners to the criminal courts as well as sequestration of assets.13. A redrafting of all ‘Vexatious complaint policy documents’ issued by Public Authorities to ensure greater inclusivity and accessibility to formal complaints procedures.14. Maximum £1000 on the spot fine for all those in big, posh cars (£500 for 'ickle, bitty cars) that use a disabled parking bay in hospitals when they are clearly able-bodied and selfish-minded. 15. Schools to adopt a ratcheted keep the kid in school policy for all persistently disruptive students. A more proactive, effective crackdown on bullying, targeting serial offenders in schools.16. All convicted serial offenders of grievous abuse/harm to others to be named and tagged in the constituency. 17. Free council funded Business and Financial advice to all self-employed adults and consideration of awarding of works contracts to micro-businesses (1-5 personnel) in the West London area especially for arts, construction, maintenance and environmental works including ex-offenders subject to restrictions on certain serial offences of actual/grievous abuse/harm to others.18. Vocational students in schools to be given more work related experience during secondary school. Where students prove competency in certain key trades then an hourly rate is to be paid by Lea/school education budgets to be held in trust on behalf of student and made available for business related activities when they are no longer at school and administered by an accredited Business adviser linked to a national business charity ie. Princes Youth Business Trust, Businesslink, Threshold etc.19. Development of ‘Sure start’ style + crèche care centres free or discounted dependent on income and family status of applicant. 20. Development of ‘Darby and Joan’ style meeting and communal event halls with extra funding given to those that are multicultural, equality and diversity friendly spanning all age groups with an arts, social and nutrition focus. Cross community, class, age and equality/disability friendly. 21. Legalise brothels and license sex workers.22. Legalise Cannabis and Marijuana (‘erb) subject to a tax/duty no greater than the lower of that on wine or tobacco.23. All public enforcement/ face to face council workers and police people that have documented accusations of bullying and / or racism alledged against them by several members of the public in which the 'serve' are to be reassigned back office duties (for their own protection, bless 'em).Associated Music:  Suffering City – Johnny Copeland (Atlantic, 1968)

Alex Thomas ● 3751d1 Comments ● 3751d

Thames Water Propaganda

In their continuing efforts to bamboozle the public, Thames Water's unattributed scare propaganda article about coliform in the Thames Tideway is a nonsense and contains material errors. Without coliform in the environment, humans would not be able to develop healthy immune systems. We live with them all the time. Thames Water's Mr Stride is talking crap. Does he suggest removal of ducks and swans on the river or banning dog walking along the tow path to reduce coliform? No. Furthermore, as Mr Stride knows, swimming is banned in the Tideway by the Port of London Authority. The main group who make contact with Tideway water are rowers. They have been found to be many times more resistant to infections than the general population. An assessment of health cost (QUALY) results in a figure of £150 million if infections were eliminated. Hardly a case for spending £4.2Bn (excluding finance costs and inflation) on the Thames Water promoted Thames Tideway Tunnel to prevent a few tummy upsets.Mr Stride quotes a figure of 39 Million cubic metres of Thames Water’s discharges to the Tideway. What he fails to say is that later this year, when the Lee Tunnel is commissioned, that figure will reduce to 18 Million cubic metres. He also fails to say that the vast majority of that discharge is rain water and not foul sewage. Thames Water discharges only happen after rain. By design of  point source control, rain can be stopped or delayed from entering the combined sewers at a far lower cost. What Mr Stride also omits to mention is that following the £1.2Bn spent including Mogden, Beckton and Crossness Sewage Treatment works upgrades, the Thames Tideway already meets the quality standards set by the Environment Agency in response to the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Once the Lee Tunnel is operational, the ecological conditions can only improve further.This means that you do not have to pay the £6 extra on your water bill this year, rising to £34 over the next 5 years then up to £70-80 extra (excluding inflation). Thames Water’s confidence trick has been exposed for what it is. The incoming Treasury ministers need to call a halt to this Thames Water scam and hold an independent review of current information urgently. There are far more urgent environmental issues to deal with not least, the cost of dealing with air pollution in London that results in thousands of premature deaths each year and is damaging our children’s health. NB Thames 21 is funded by Thames Water and therefore cannot be considered objective or independent.

Roland Willis Gilmore ● 3752d1 Comments ● 3752d

'mansion tax/ property tax' question for Ruth Cadbury

I'm moving this question out of the other thread as that is a little crowded.  Ruth / GuyPlease explain to us how mansion tax will make any money for the NHS.The Economist, FT, OBR and various other publications & independent bodies detail how £1.2bn might well be raised from this tax, but that £2.0bn will also be lost due to reduced stamp duty and inheritance tax revenue. Mansion tax devalues 'mansions' by imposing an everlasting tax liability on them. With the average 'mansion' tax bill expected to be £25,000 per year it is hardly surprising that the devaluation is going to significantly affect stamp duty and inheritance tax revenues.£1.2bn take away £2.0bn is a negative result, so there doesn't appear to be any money left over for the NHS.Why then are Labour pushing this mansion tax thing so hard?  Is it perhaps a tax that you can say 'someone else will pay' when canvassing for votes?  Or is it a tax that will be extended down to a starting rate of £500k or less, so that it can actually raise some money?My first example for this is Greece, where mansion tax was introduced in 2008 and by 2013 the government deemed anything worth more that £250k was a mansion and had to pay 1% of its value as additional property tax every year.My second example is ATED, the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings.  This is a tax paid by foreign property owners here in the UK (yes, it does already exist). Introduced at a starting level of £2m, next year the level will be bought down to £500k.  The tax payable has also almost doubled in just 2 years.  You can't dispute this reduction in kick-in level or amount paid as their are official government figures.I'm genuinely interested in this and I'd like an answer please.

Lorne Gifford ● 3763d18 Comments ● 3755d

Brentford & Isleworth a marginal seat

Oh what a delight, officially a marginal seat and according to various newspapers a seat in which the topic of mansion tax may decide the vote.So, in order to influence the vote, here are the mathematics of mansion tax (ie the stuff Ed Miliband doesn't mention and Ed Balls can't work out)£1.2bn revenue but £2.0bn loss of other revenue equals not a penny raised.Mansion tax in its proposed form won't make a penny for the NHS and is the thin end of the wedge known as 'home ownership tax' that will have us all paying 1% of the value of our homes each year as additional tax.Various non-party independent reports say the tax has to average £12,000 per home to raise £1.2bn a year. They say this level of tax burden not surprisingly devalues 'mansions', with the result that stamp duty revenue falls. They even put a figure on it, 20% fall in value and £2.0bn per year less revenue than at the moment.1.6% of homes pay the majority of stamp duty revenue and stamp duty revenue is currently over £13bn a year, so the reports make perfect sense. So what is £1.2bn a year take away £2.0bn and how many nurses does that buy?Mansion tax only works when extended to the general housing population just like has been done in Greece.  Mansion tax introduced in 2008 and by 2013 anything worth more than £250k was an official mansion.  Tax rate is 1% of value per year.The tax everyone thinks is great because it's tax 'someone else will pay' is in reality a whole new area of taxation that we will all pay.  Taxing the prudent, once again, taking those that decided to buy a home instead of a new car or a fancy holiday.

Lorne Gifford ● 3767d13 Comments ● 3759d

Is this to allow building on parkland?

Had a copy of this forwarded to me. Not managed to get to the website links for details but is this a start of wriggling around to build on park and recreation ground?The whole thing seems far too complex and tech speak for ordinary folk to have a clear idea what is going on. Deliberate?  Who knows.  But care we should.Dear Sir or Madam, Consultation on Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan Proposed Submission (March 2014) Incorporating the Minor Changes (October 2014)Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 I am writing to inform you that Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan will be published on Friday 24 April 2015. The London Borough of Hounslow invites you to make representations on the "soundness" and "legal compliance" of the Proposed Modifications to the Plan during a six week consultation period running from Friday 24 April 2015 to 5pm Monday 8 June 2015. The Local Plan The Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State on 20 August 2014 who then appointed Planning Inspector Mr Robert Mellor BSc DipTRP DipDesBEnv DMS MRICS MRTPI to examine the Plan for its soundness and legality. Between 10 February and 16 April 2015, the Inspector held hearings on aspects of the Local Plan as part of its Public Examination.  During the hearings, the Inspector indicated that in order for the Plan to be sound the Borough should modify the Plan in a number of areas. Before issuing his report on the Plan’s soundness and legality, the Inspector will consider representations made on the Proposed Modifications. Consultation The Borough is now inviting representations on the: ·         Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan Proposed Submission (March 2014) Incorporating the minor Changes (October 2014). The above document, along with an update to the Sustainability Appraisal and other documents associated with the public examination, are available for viewing on the council’s consultations page (www.hounslow.gov.uk/consultations). The document will also be available to view at libraries and the council’s Civic Centre. Making a representation Information on how these documents can be viewed and how representations can be made is set out in the "Statement of Representations Procedure", which is available on the on the council’s consultations page (www.hounslow.gov.uk/consultations), and further information on the examination is available on the Local Plan website (www.hounslow.gov.uk/localplan). The consultation will run for a six-week period from Friday 24 April 2015 to 5pm on Monday 8 June 2015. All comments should be made on a representation form which is available as follows: -       By downloading from the council’s consultations website (www.hounslow.gov.uk/consultations);-       By e-mailing LDF@hounslow.gov.uk-       From the Hounslow Civic Centre or libraries; or-       By phoning 020 8583 5202. Next steps Following the period for representations, the Borough will submit the representations received to the Inspector, together with a report setting out the Borough’s response to them. Before issuing his report on the Plan’s soundness and legality, the Inspector will consider comments made on the Proposed Modifications and the Borough’s response. The Inspector will decide whether there is any need to reopen the public hearings. Should you have any further queries please visit the website above, phone: 020 8583 5202 or send an email to LDF@hounslow.gov.uk. Yours sincerelyIan RaeHead of Regeneration, Spatial Planning & Economic Development

Raymond Havelock ● 3767d1 Comments ● 3766d

Worthy of consideration?

Several times on this forum the way Hounslow Council now conducts its business has been questioned. In the past few months we have seen several examples of very unhappy residents banging their collective heads against an intransigent wall of officers with elected members seemingly incapable or unwilling to intervene.Hounslow now has the 'cabinet' model where a few members with portfolios for specific areas have the power invested in them, and officers have had more and more power delegated to them, even though none of them were elected to represent us. The previous committee set-up might have been slightly more bureaucratic but it seems to me that it at least had the merit of giving each and every councillor a role and a purpose. It also gave all councillors an opportunity to have an overview of what the issues were in other wards apart from their own and to give them some consideration at budget setting time, it also afforded members the chance to ask about and probe officers reports and recommendations, something that appears to have gone the way of the Dodo. Now it seems from recent experience that officers call the tune and members just quietly acquiesce, never mind the locals they said they wanted to represent. This cabinet system seems to have disenfranchised not only the public but a lot of elected councillors as well.It now seems the tail wags the dog. From a conversation I had today I gather some authorities have had a change of heart and reverted back to the 'old' way of doing things, from where I am I'd say it's way past time Hounslow took a good, hard look at what the hell they are doing, because looking at this forum and W4 I'd say there are a lot of very unhappy bunnies out there. None of what goes on fills many of us with much confidence in the political system, time for a change?  

Vanessa Smith ● 3778d4 Comments ● 3777d

Horse Play in Isleworth?

There has been much comment on various threads about the leasing of a public amenity in Northcote Avenue, Isleworth, to a private individual for the grazing of horses without, it would appear, any kind of prior consultation with erstwhile users or local residents.Following on from said comment I decided to take a look for myself at what little documented evidence there is available around this decision.The document which refers can be viewed at http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/s109338/CO%20Grazing%20licence%20Northcote%20Ave.pdfAccording to this "Chief Officer Delegated Approval" - signed by Hounslow's Director of Regeneration, Economic Development and Environment - the grazing licence was agreed "with the permission from Leisure Services, who manage the land and Lead Ward Member Cllr Sampson".I have a few questions arising from this:1. Unless the rules have changed since I was a Hounslow councillor (up until May 2010), only the relevant Cabinet (former Executive) portfolio holder may take a Single Member Decision.  Such a decision cannot be taken by a simple ward member, only members of the Cabinet have the right and such decisions must only be taken by each respective councillor within the orbit of his/her area of Cabinet responsibility.  Councillor Sampson's portfolio, as listed on the Council's website, is "Communities and Economic Development".  The relevant portfolio area for this issue would presumably be "Public Health and Leisure", which is held by Councillor Sachin Gupta.  Why then has this decision been signed off by Cllr Sampson as opposed to Cllr Gupta?2. Again when I was a councillor, there was no such thing as a "Lead Ward Member".  All three ward members had equal status.  When and by what means was the office of "Lead Ward Member" created and where has this decision been publicised?  Who appoints/elects a "Lead Ward Member"?3. Lead Ward Member or no, we have established that the appropriate portfolio holder was Cllr Gupta and not Cllr Sampson.  Why then did the Director of Regeneration, Economic Development and Environment solicit, or at least accept, the signature of the wrong Lead Member on the document?  Was Cllr Gupta consulted about this process and if so why was he not asked to sign the document?4. Why has the Leader of the Council not intervened to correct any of the errors above?  Should we assume from his silence that he is happy with the handling of this matter, including the apparent undermining by a senior officer of Cllr Gupta?5. Ditto Councillor Ruth Cadbury, the prospective parliamentary candidate.  Has she taken an interest in this development and the ever increasing concern that it is provoking amongst the surrounding community, from which she presumably aspires to attract votes?5. Why was there no public consultation prior to the decision when it impacts upon the residents of an entire estate and a few more people besides?  Bearing in mind that the Council is presently employing Community Engagement Officers on substantial salaries, is it reasonable that very highly paid senior officers could "forget" to consult dwellers on an entire estate before removing from them a much used amenity?  Was this omission not spotted by ward members, lead or lesser, at the time?6. In her early posts Vanessa Smith, who has been following this matter throughout, seems to be of the view that senior officers have been running this show over the heads of elected members, and implies that this is the impression given to her by elected members themselves.  And yet one of the ward councillors is named on the document as having authorised the approval given to a private resident to use the site for grazing.  This would appear contradictory, so what is the truth on this please?7. Was the applicant to whom the grazing licence has been granted known to any of the councillors or officers prior to this decision?  Does he/she have any connection to the estate?  If so, would it be reasonable to me to assume that this fact was declared prior to the decision having been signed off?That's enough to be getting on with, hopefully somebody in authority on this Council may be able to shed some light on this for me.  Many thanks.

Phil Andrews ● 3845d332 Comments ● 3779d

ICG's comments on Hounslow Homes Tucker Report

Millions lost as ‘Hopeless Homes’ fades into the mists of time  Hounslow officers and Councillors seem to have washed their hands of the appalling scandal that has enveloped the council’s old Housing company Hounslow Homes, dubbed ‘Hopeless Homes’ by a former Labour Councillor.  A report by consultant Steven Tucker has said that a catalogue of mismanagement by the HH bosses have led to massive financial losses, poor services to tenants and a culture of bullying, sexual harassment and corruption which utterly shames the council,  the former board members and the senior bosses. Examples of things that went wrong include : • Incompetent usage and theft of materials – the ICG estimates that this has led to a loss of £2.3m, something which the council was unable to disprove. • Bad running of the call centre• Turning a blind eye to wrong doing• Sacking of anyone who ‘rocked the boat’• Hiding financial figures or bending them to fit what the bosses wanted• Staff having stock delivered to their home for their own use• Mistakes in handling corruption allegations which meant that at least one member of staff got away scot-free• Family and friends taken on regardless of their ability to do the job• Top bosses leaving with golden handshakes instead of being sackedIf you think you can hold your local Councillors responsible, think again. ‘Nothing to do with us, guv’, says Hounslow Council itself, despite the fact that it wholly owned Hounslow Homes and still holds all its financial records. Even Councillors who were actually on the HH board don’t answer our emails. And what’s more, at least some of the time the Board and Finance Committee were led by so-called ‘experts’ who were never elected by anyone.  It seems likely that ‘Hopeless Homes ‘can waste or steal over £2 million of tenants’ money ( that’s about £175 per family/tenant) and then fade away like a dodgy double glazing company shutting down and nicking everyone’s deposits. If you’re concerned about this, please ask for more information from your local Councillor from the list of questions on this site on the next thread.

Ian Speed ● 3798d3 Comments ● 3795d

Hounslow Homes Tucker Report - detailed queries

Tucker Report of Independent Investigation into Hounslow Homes DLOQueries regarding published version of report The Tucker Report into Hounslow Homes covers a range of misdeeds and incompetence by staff stretching back several years from 2013. The council has been unable to bring any criminal charges against anyone despite substantial reports of fraud being provided to Mr Tucker. In one case a fraudster was allowed to resign and thus could not be disciplined and sacked, in what Tucker reveals was clearly a bad mistake by Hounslow Homes HR. But it wasn’t just criminal behaviour by staff that was going wrong. The whole organisation was clearly very badly run and yet CE Bernadette O’Shea was allowed to depart with what we estimate was over £300k in redundancy and extra pension benefits rather than facing any kind of disciplinary action. This is on top of what we estimate to be the £2.3m losses from mismanagement and fraud. The ICG has prepared a list of questions below about how Hounslow Homes was run which you can copy and paste and send to your local councillor. You’ll need to refer to the report, a copy of which I can send you if you privately message me or email the icg on icg@community.org. The report was on the council’s website at one point but is not easily found. 1. Section 1 Introduction Para 1.4 –• Why was a measure of productivity not introduced regarding the increased number of agency operatives? • Why did managers not anticipate the requirement of resources necessary to do this and create resources accordingly? 2. Section 2 Executive Summary Para 2.3• How did managers try to establish proper oversight in the running of the DLO? Why was this so unsuccessful that the organisation was ‘reluctant to identify and repudiate wrongdoing’?• Why did managers ignore the issue of high earnings not being justified via a productivity scheme and why did they not challenge or reform the defunct scheme? • Did finance managers try to establish why members of staff who ‘rocked’ the boat found themselves former employees? Was this not obvious through payroll and salary cost records? Para 2.7• Why did finance managers overlook the principle that the DLO was supposed to operate in a commercially viable manner and cover its costs through income generated? • Why were the usual checks and balances associated with trading account reconciliation of cost, income and productivity not in place? 3. Section 3 Summary of Investigation Findings. Para 3.4• What procedure is there to ensure proper write-offs of materials? Was this followed in the instance referred to in the paragraph? Para 3.5• Given the extremely sensitive nature of this issue ( expected disciplinary action for fraud) , what action was  taken to ensure that the correct procedure was followed in the case of the serious HR error regarding the suspect member of staff’s disciplinary?  When the employee was allowed to quit instead of being sacked, was any disciplinary action taken against the member of staff who made the error? 4. Strategic Direction Para 4.1 • Why did managers allow a situation to develop whereby the organisation expanded into other areas of work ‘without effective controls in place to ensure accountability’? • Why did they allow a situation whereby there was no testing as to whether the new work could be undertaken at a profit? • Why did they not ensure labour and material costs were actively managed and productivity measured (section 4.9) to avoid the situation of spiralling costs? Para 4.2 • Why did managers allow a situation to develop whereby decisions were made autocratically and without openness and effective scrutiny? • Why did managers allow a situation to develop whereby ‘critical analysis and evaluation of performance had been compromised and subordinated to a question of loyalty to the party line’? • Why did managers allow a situation to develop whereby ‘the management arrangements within the DLO had been consciously dismantled?’ • Why did managers allow a situation to develop whereby ‘there was a hectoring and threatening approach’ to management, and ‘unrealistic demands and targets’ were set? • Why did the managers  allow a situation to occur where Performance  figures were manipulated so that they showed a positive trend? Why did the managers not introduce something akin to the new suite of performance indicators now being recommended? • Why did managers allow a situation to occur where disclosure or speaking to officers outside of the DLO was condemned as disloyalty? • Why did the managers  allow a situation to occur whereby budgets were only made available to a certain officer(s) and thus inconvenient matters and issues possibly subject to challenge could be concealed? • Why did managers not encourage ‘an atmosphere of openness, honesty and transparency’, as is now believed necessary under the new management team? Para 4.3• Why did the managers not prevent the employment of staff with extended family connections within the DLO? • Were managers aware of this happening? What efforts did they make to ensure core public service values of equality of opportunity and modern management standards were being adhered to? • Did managers carry out their responsibility to challenge and eliminate such favouritism? • Why did managers not ensure the Code of Conduct was promoted and supported? • Why did managers not ensure that management meetings and contract meetings were minuted? • Why did the managers not ensure that one to ones and appraisals were properly documented? Section 4.4• What action did managers take to ensure the Systems Thinking project was selected and implemented properly and that the problems outlined by the para 4.4.1 did not occur? Section 4.5 • What action did managers take to review the high cost of materials and prevent the misappropriation of stock? • The difference between the 39% of turnover that the £6.5m cost of materials in the report represents, and the industry average of 25% implies that £2.3m worth of materials has been used inefficiently or misappropriated. Is this analysis correct and how many financial years are represented by these figures? Does this figure not represent over £175 per council dwelling household in the borough? Section 4.6• Why did managers not arrange for checks and audits to be performed on the performance monitoring data for the contracts? Has any estimate been done as to the loss to the council from this? • What action did managers take to ensure that procurement practice should be undertaken to ensure it matched and supported strategic objectives and is in accordance with procurement law? Section 4.7• Why did managers not arrange for the DLO to meet ‘important business process’ requirements across a wide range of the DLO’s activities? • Why was the repairs contact centre not ‘fit for purpose’? • Why did the managers allow incidents like the huge changes in job prices and materials costs occur? • Why did managers not ensure that the ‘inexperienced administrator’ referred to in section 4.7 was fully trained up and imbued with skills equivalent to their predecessor? • Why did managers preside over a situation where the trading account was largely hidden in the Hounslow Homes DLO? Why did the council’s own Director of Finance not take charge of this situation? Section 4.8• Why did managers allow a situation to occur whereby operative pay levels were very high in comparison with other London DLOs, and the productivity scheme be suspended? Why were these pay levels not benchmarked? • Why did managers allow a situation to occur whereby staff were appointed outside the agency framework and the DLO was paying £790 per week for inexperienced staff? Section 4.9• Why did senior management allow the service to expand without ensuring the service was delivering effectively on its core business? • Why did managers neglect the issues that the report suggests the review of agency labour addresses? Section 4.11• Why did managers not devise a clear strategy for the commissioning of an approved subcontractor supply chain? Section 5.3• Why did managers not ensure the security of stocks? Section 5.5• Whose responsibility was it to ensure any discount due from Right-to-buy sell-ons was repaid? • Was this done in the case referred to in Section 5.5? Section 6• Which manager, referred to as ’ineffectual’ and ‘powerless’, was primarily responsible for the ‘managerial failings’ referred to? • Why did managers allow a siege mentality to develop such that information and budgets were concentrated in the wrong hands? • Why did the Director of Finance not properly ‘protect public resources’? General • Given the mismanagement evident from the report, why was Bernadette O’Shea allowed to depart on early retirement (costing upward of an estimated £300k) and not subject to disciplinary proceedings for negligence/gross misconduct? 

Ian Speed ● 3798d0 Comments ● 3798d

Measles outbreak in Hounslow

From Hounslow Council WebsiteFri, 13 February 2015Public Health England (PHE) has been notified of an outbreak of measles in children of mainly school-going age in Hounslow, West London. A number of cases have been identified at Feltham Community College, Oriel Academy, and in younger children in the community.Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that sometimes leads to serious complications and is easily spread in unimmunised children and adults. Cases are infectious from four days before until four days after their rash develops. Women who are pregnant, babies under six months old and people who are immunocompromised for any reason are at increased risk of serious complications.Two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine offers full protection against the three illnesses. In the UK the first dose of MMR is given at 12 months of age, and the second dose from 3 years 4 months (pre-school). There is no upper age limit for receiving MMR.Dr Deborah Turbitt, deputy director for health protection for PHE London, said:This outbreak of measles is affecting children and teenagers who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated with MMR. We could potentially see further measles cases in Hounslow and wider areas of West London as a result of this outbreak so we are asking parents to ensure their children are fully vaccinated with two doses of MMR.We are working with the schools involved and the London Borough of Hounslow and NHS England to urgently inform parents of the situation. We have sent letters to parents and carers of all children attending Hounslow schools, early years centres and children’s centres with information on the symptoms of measles and asking them to ensure that their children are fully immunised with two doses of the MMR vaccine. Local GPs have also been alerted to the outbreak.Dr Khadidja Bichbiche, Consultant in Public Health for Hounslow Council, said:‘It is never too late for children and young people to get vaccinated against measles. Parents of unvaccinated children, teenagers and young adults who have not received two doses of MMR should arrange for them to be vaccinated by their GP. If you are unsure whether your child has had two doses of the vaccine, please speak to your GP who will have a record.”

Paul Allen ● 3836d3 Comments ● 3835d

Under siege

I am really beginning to feel that Isleworth must have upset someone given some of the things going on here.First we have the ongoing saga of the shortened median strip at the junction of Dawes Ave. and the Twickenham Rd. which has allowed illegal right hand turns into Dawes Ave. thereby creating extremely dangerous manoeuvres into the oncoming traffic, and putting more vehicles onto local roads which are also the way to three local primary schools. Since I met with councillors and the Head of Traffic last August it seems nothing has been done! A CCTV camera is monitoring illegal turns and now the council are to issue warnings to offenders and then PCNs! Never mind the serious implications this has for road safety, what a nice little earner this could turn out to be.Secondly the saga of the horses on the local park rumbles on, with the council in their (doubtful) wisdom attaching an A4 piece of paper to a nearby gate with an e-mail address and calling it a 'consultation'. Several of us residents have impressed upon Cllr. Mayne the importance of a full and proper consultation, meaning letters through the doors of everyone who lives in this area. The fact that our councillors were sucked into this by officers is pretty appalling but their reluctance to sort it out is even more so. One only has to look at legislation regarding public open space which this park is to see what a real clanger has been dropped. Has no-one ever heard of 'sorry we got it wrong'? It seems someone's horses grazing are more important than having an amenity for local residents, talk of costs for the upkeep of this fairly small area are a complete red herring to try and justify what is a very murky issue.  

Vanessa Smith ● 3874d12 Comments ● 3868d

What a nerve!

Having spotted two horses being grazed on a small underused and neglected local park and today someone having tried to block the entrance I contacted our local councillors. I had previously complained about the state of the park and asked if some consideration be given to following the example of the old allotments at Whitton Dene and turning the park into a dog exercise area. A lot of people take their dogs there but the area was filthy and needed a couple of bins and the grass kept short, needless to say the contractors said a bin would be too expensive and would have to be a bid in the council's capital programme, which I found extraordinary. However, the contractors, who are in Sheffield, went very quiet, and today thinking someone was really taking the mickey I alerted the local members. I am now informed that not only did they know about this - the person has been given a lease to graze their animals! No-one around here has been consulted about how they'd like to see the area used, God forbid any attempt at democracy - no, we are going to now get a letter TELLING us what's happened, isn't that mighty big of them? Apparently £3k has been saved by not having to cut the grass and clear the park, isn't that just dandy? Apparently this is not an issue for Hounslow in Whitton Dene, what next? No grass cutting - we'll get goats instead for a few days? I am appalled at the high handed arrogance of local councillors and wonder if we'd ever have found out what was going on had I not raised this. What a bloody cheek, Vladimir Putin would be proud of them.

Vanessa Smith ● 3927d6 Comments ● 3921d

Recycling revisited.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&vpsrc=6&ctz=0&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=216134571813262028800.0004b161383c1d5bc2759&t=m&ll=51.468766,-0.33783&spn=0.074854,0.192261&z=12&source=embed&dg=featureIf we as a country are one of the worst for recycling targets, and if Hounslow Council fails too... perhaps we should not be surprised. Personally I think it's all a shambles..and so poorly managed.Announcing the arrival of Wheelie Bins, it had been stated that Hounslow Council is to reduce the number of it's Recycling DEPOTS from 40 to 27.  Really? What is a DEPOT? One location apparently is the Inverness Club in Boston Manor Road where we can take glass (clear, green and brown). Is there a notice at the Club to say we can do that? Would you drive into the Club and be seen to unload stuff into their skips?One Depot is the Civic Centre! There you can deposit textiles, shoes and SMALL electrical items!  Is that what they call a Depot!In Heston is another DEPOT for recycling. It's at the British Legion.You can only deposit CLEAR GLASS and BROWN GLASS.  What about GREEN. Surely most wine bottles are GREEN.  It's just a joke!I recall that when the big recycling lorry arrived at Morrisons (in the good old days) the driver clearly mixed up all the bottles whatever their colour..even though Hounslow Council's residents, who used the facility, were instructed by the Council Notice there to keep colours separate!  What a clueless joke. The TW8.com front page clearly states "However it is planned to cut by one-third the number of public recycling depots in the borough from 40 to 27."   What 40 I ask!Remember they only want glass at Osterley Park House. (that's one DEPOT!)I noticed on the BRAG WEBSITE (Brentford Recycling Group etc) that they had a recent stand at Morrisons. You would have thought that with all the time some of us have spent on this Forum complaining about the problem at Morrisons ..that they might have at least posted a note on this Forum to let us know.  Shame... it's all so clueless..and you my have more examples. Maybe not! Bedfont Lakes Country ParkGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans and paper Budgens, Staines Road, BedfontGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, textiles and shoes, paper and books----------------------------------------------------------- HOUNSLOW COUNCILS RECYCLING DEPOTS as stated:Bedfont Football and Social ClubGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass Corner of Hampton Road West / Sunningdale AvenueTextiles & Shoes, Paper Royal British Legion, Cross Road, HanworthGreen glass, clear glass and brown glass Royal Navy Club, Park Road HanworthGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, textiles & shoes and cardboard Swan Road, Hanworth TW13 6SA - near shopsTextiles & shoes, paper, books and small electrical items Feltham ex serviceman's Club, off Bedfont Lane, FelthamGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, textiles & shoes St Giles hotel, Hounslow Road, Felthampaper Constitutional Club, Hanworth Road, FelthamGreen glass, clear glass and brown glass Sparrow Farm Club, Sparrow Farm Drive, FelthamGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, textiles & shoes and paper Elmwood Ave/Feltham High Street, FelthamGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, textiles & shoes, paper and small electrical items Tescos Supermarket car park, High Street, FelthamGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, cardboard, plastics, textiles & shoes, paper, beverage cartons, books and small electrical items Space Waye reuse and recycling Centre, North Feltham Trading Estate, Pier Road, FelthamSpace Waye is Hounslow’s re-use and recycling centre for the disposal of the borough’s public and trade waste click here to find out more. Green glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, cardboard, plas... Tescos Supermarket, Bulls Bridge Estate, SouthallGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, plastics, textiles & shoes, paper and beverage cartons Royal British Legion, 79 New Heston RoadClear glass and brown glass The Cross Lances Pub. 236 Hanworth RoadGreen glass, clear glass and brown glass Hounslow West, Bath Road, HounslowGreen glass, clear glass, brown, cans, textiles & shoes, paper and books Hounslow Heath car park, Staines Road, HounslowGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, textiles & shoes, books and small electrical items Civic Centre, Lampton Road, HounslowTextiles & shoes and small electrical items Osterley Park House, off Jersey Road, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass and brown glass, Tescos Supermarket car park, Syon Lane, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, plastics, textiles & shoes, paper and beverage cartons Osterley Library Car Park, St Mary's Crescent, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, textiles & shoes, paper, books and small electrical items Royal British Legion, 5-6 North Street, IsleworthClear glass and brown glass Working Man's Club, St John's RoadClear glass Gymnkhana Club, Thornbury Road, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass and brown glass Tescos Supermarket car park, Mogden Lane, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, cardboard, plastics, textiles & shoes, paper and beverage cartons Inverness Club, Boston Manor Road, IsleworthGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass Brentford Fountains Leisure Centre, Kew Bridge Road BrentfordGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans and paper Chiswick Village, ChiswickShoes Sainsbury's Supermarket Car Park, Acton Lane ChiswickGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, plastic, textiles & shoes, paper and beverage cartons Chiswick High Rd Car Park/Police StationGreen glass, clear glass, brown glass, cans, textiles & shoes, paper and books Bethany Waye Feltham TW14 8BTShoes & Textiles ----------------------------------------------

Jim Lawes ● 3944d8 Comments ● 3933d

Wheelie bins

So the Brains of Hounslow suggest the imposition of Wheelie Bins will save ££££££sQuite how is quite beyond me.How a saving can be made when these things cost to purchase, have a durability life of just a few years before they go brittle and look hideous1. Cost of the units and short life per cost per year.2.Black bags are paid for by residents not the council.3. Where do you store one in small terraced streets for example, when it is is impossible to keep even a bicycle.?4. If plonked outside like in Fulham the stench from just one unkempt bin lingers along the whole street and leave the view out of the front window obcured and darkens the front room.5. Cannot be moved easily in tightly parked streets meaning longer collection times and thus increases in fuel and operating costs.6. Streets will still need to be cleaned afterwards as spillages remain the same.7. Those with more extreme anti social habits seem to delight in depositing in these.8. Hugely unsightly especially in areas where multiple dwellings negate any form of stowage space or rented accommodation and lack of civic pride prevails.9. These things litter some streets for a full 24 hours making pavements hazardous to visually challenge and wheelchair users10. Vehicles are damaged regularly by them being mishandled or misused.11. Cost of conversion and extra depreciation on vehicles plus increase in CO2 footprint by plant.The cost of insurance claims, capital expenditure, time lost, fuel wasted, make this quite bonkers.Fine for streets with Driveways and side access or rear access but what about the smaller streets and those with none of those features?

Raymond Havelock ● 3949d57 Comments ● 3937d

cure for ebola discovered in brenford.

apparently the brewing process involves "a number of proprietary chemical food additives belonging to the group of proteins known as "asbestotic hemipersiflagic trimethylhypoglycerides" which although uncommon in European lagers, are abundant in Fuller's London Pride beer." - writes Professor Eustace Kerastase of The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in The Lancet on Saturday. - "and kebabs", he added, "for everything else there's garlic and electroconvulsive therapy", which (when used in tandem -and- in sufficient doseages, (sic)) "can convince even the most reluctant of patients to pull themselves together pronto wot wot".In 2006 Prof. Kerastase was struck off the Medical Register for gross malpractice after prescribing cocoa to several members of the Hounslow Insomniac's Support Group - headquartered at O'Brien's Tavern, Brentford. Local pharamacists later admitted initial surprise when challenged to process prescription slips of 200mg cocaine sulphate B.I.D / ad lib; not least because according to NICE guidelines registered pharmacies are obligated to retain under a gram of the medicine absent fulfillment of 'personal-use-prerequisite disclosure' licensing.Commenting after the sentencing hearing, Prof. Kerastase was quoted as saying "wot ya spect blud? me gotsk me papers at da TVU innit!"Some of the plaintiffs were awake for a fortnight; more than double the median day/night cycle of locals surveyed as part of the 2011 Census.Mr. Kerastase was unable to comment today, as he was preoccupied cling-filming the exterior of his 3 bedroom maisonette in Isleworth and organising a helicopter-borne dispersal of aerosolised Dettol over the property and surrounding area. "take Pride dho" - he said before slamming the door of the HUEY gunship rented from a local vendor - "sheets abaht 2 get reel man".Pride. This reporter is considering swallowing his; sack the Carling, we've got bigger things to worry about.- from the Brentford Informer.

Carol Mackay ● 3961d0 Comments ● 3961d

Is this a police issue??

Can someone tell me if this is a police issue.My daughters ex got his daughter to call my daughters car insurers pretending to be my daughtet and told them she had sold her car and to cancel the policy due to this my daughter had to get rid of her car as she could not afford to renew it.Then 2wks ago the police came to see my daughter they had a certificate of ownership of my daughters dog from petlog kennel club and it was in her ex name.  We were shocked as my daughter got her dog when he was a pup in 2012 and his chip wss done in 2012 in her name so we called petlog and we were told they had recieved a change of ownership form signed by my daughter (in her old surname as her surname was changed in April)They also have a tel recording from a female pretending to be my daughter to confirm change of ownership. My daughter did not sign any form or make that call and the dog is still with her. Petlog was happy that my daughter was telling the truth and placed it all Back in my daughters name with a new chip and id number and are going to write to her ex.Then my daughter received court papers stating he was taking her to court to get his dog back,  the dog was bought by him in 2012 for £400 he bought it for her.All vet bills since then was paid for by my daugter and all paperwork inc insurance for him has always been in her name. She also has emails from him admitting hitting the dog, and emails from his daughter telling her back in april to come down to exeter service station to get him which she drove down with my wife to get him. Then because she told him she didnt want anything to do with him no more she got emails from his daughter's partner saying her ex wanted £400 or the dog when my daughter thretened with the police they emailed her saying keep the dog and dont ever contact us again. She also was sent a letter from her ex saying he had enclosed the dogs paperwork. But now he is trying to take her to court over custody of the dog.  Over the petlog and insurance stuff should she report it to the police?

Simon Anderson ● 3974d9 Comments ● 3963d

Virgin Media

My broadband has been down since yesterday morning. I suppose I should be pleased that their support website actually acknowledges there's a problem, which is a first. [Usually you have to spend half an hour on the phone before they say, "oh, yes, there's a fault in your area - check our website for progress" when their website says all is sunny]Leaving aside that they say that the problem started at 01.36 pm on Thursday [there is no such time as 01.36 pm - do they mean 0136 hours or 1.36 pm?] by yesterday morning they were saying:There is a fault disruption.Some videos via You Tube.com may be degradedFault Reported on :01:36PM Thursday 11 SeptemberThe problem is almost fixed - our engineers are carrying out their final checks.Fault reference:F003288630and suggesting a fix yesterday lunchtime. By the afternoon it was saying the same except that fix would be 10 am today.11.42, and it still says the same.This is an idiotic message: "Some videos via You Tube.com may be degraded" No, not degraded (though I'm sure some YouTube videos are indeed degraded :p) but totally unavailable, along with any other internet content and there's no 'may' about it.Their engineers have been carrying out their final checks for 22 hours and counting.Because I'm feeling grumpy, I want to complain about this nonsense. I can phone them (but I don't want to and it's probably out of hours) or do live text (recommended). So I click on live text... AHA, gotcha, sorry our hours are 9 to 5 Mon-Fri. So WHY ARE YOU RECOMMENDING IT AT 11.30 on a SATURDAY? OK I'll email a grumpigram. No, this hi-tech internet age company does not provide an email address, but you can write them a letter.I've been on the brink of kicking them out for what must be 15 years....

Guy Lambert ● 3990d4 Comments ● 3988d

Mansion tax? No it’s a maisonette tax

I could be ranting here, but the Liberal, and now Labour, proposals for a mansion tax simply don't add up.We’re told that property worth more than £2 million should be subject to an additional wealth charge to claw back some of the tax the rich are avoiding. It’s pointed out that half those property owners are the bankers and non-domiciles who created our financial problems in the first place and are compounding it now by actively avoiding their fair share of tax.  Sounds fair enough, but what about the other half.  Presumably these are people who worked hard and saved, didn't buy new cars or expensive holidays and invested prudently so they could afford their dream homes.  Just the sort of people the Conservatives say we all should emulate. Why then are we going to introduce a tax that will penalize the prudent as well as the reckless with such a blunt weapon?  Surely if the government wanted the to raise more from the rich they’d just increase the top tax rate, and if it’s only bankers and the like that are to be targeted then why not add a box on the tax return that asks if you’re a banker or non-domicile?  A tick in this box means an automatic 10% increase in tax, and if the person didn't tick but works for Bank of Scotland on a million a year then there’s an automatic 20% fine.  It really would be that easy.No, mansion tax is not a tax for the rich, history shows us instead it’s opening a new area of taxation we’ll all end up paying.I read an interesting article a week ago about how property prices increased 11% last year and will multiply many fold in the next decade.  The supporters of mansion tax counter by saying the price at which it kick in will increase with inflation, but they said the same for stamp duty and 40% income tax rates, and of course no such thing happened.  In fact on the basis of every single new tax ever introduced in the UK, history tells us mansion tax will lag inflation until it has moved from the minority to encompasses the majority.  Call it a mansion tax to get it introduced, then creep it until we all pay.It’s actually quite interesting to think about why property will increase so much in the near future.  Surely, you’d reason, there isn't enough cash around for normal houses to become so expensive?  Where does all the extra money come from?  Well it comes from the government.  Since we dropped off the gold standard then every year they've printed a few billion extra pounds to help pay the salaries and pensions of the half million civil servants we have.  It’s called a FIAT monetary system and is, of course, simply creating cash out of thin air.  Don’t confused this with the car maker though as Fiat cars are a lot more reliable than FIAT money; another lesson from history. This newly printed money quickly makes its way through the civil servants pockets and into the general economy where it causes the inflation we all live with.  More pounds in circulation without any more apples simply means each apple costs more.  Quantitative Easing, where the government prints hundreds of billions to bail out the banks in turn leads to much quicker and higher inflation.  The banks are neatly focusing and multiplying this QE money into property through their Fraction Reserve system and a tendency to only lend on solid investments.  This is why we've had, and will continue to see, massive house price inflation.  It’s annoying that official inflation figures don’t include house prices, because if they did we’d all feel a lot more worried about the creeping inflation rate.We’re led to believe that house inflation is a good thing.  We must all be getting richer because our houses are worth more and more. I don’t want to call this a bubble, but the reality is that when all property prices are increasing and none are going down, then the market is inflating just like a bubble.  And why should it be so good that something costs more this year than it did last year?  With increased manufacturing, farming and building efficiency, products should actually cost us less and less each year?   The whole purpose of an industrial society is to raise everyone's standard of living by creating more purchasing power year on year.Imagine we lived in a world where the government didn't print billion of extra pounds a year, a world without inflation, or better still a world with deflation.  In this type of world my pension could simply be money I put away today that I know will buy better things in the future.  I wouldn't need to invest it, and in so doing pay fee’s and management charges and take risks.  Instead I could just put it in a tin box under my bed safe in the knowledge that a pound tomorrow would buy more than a pound today.  We’d all be far better off in a world without FIAT money, Quantitative Easing and Fractional Reserve banking.  Instead though we live in a world where the government, banking and finance sectors are no longer working for the good of the people.  They weigh ever heavily on our shoulders, have eaten their pound of flesh and now want a direct feed of the blood from our bodies.‘Mansion’ tax?, no it’s not a mansion tax.  We’ll all be paying as it transitions into a ‘maisonette’ tax.And for those with real mansions then avoiding this tax is simplicity in itself.  Convert the top floor of your average London town house into a self contained and separate flat for the nanny, and rename the basement cinema  as a storage cellar.  Try doing that with a family of 5 in a two bedroom maisonette.

Lorne Gifford ● 4001d8 Comments ● 4000d

Local MP comments about GAZA

An open letter to Mary MacLeod.Dear Ms MacLeod,Your comments about the conflict in Gaza have only my qualified support, because you omit one extremely glaring fact. In defense of it's citizens, the Israel government has instructed it's military to target those locations from where rockets are being launched. Tragically, Hamas has chosen either to launch from locations where innocent citizens are already residing or worse, to place innocent men, women and children in those same locations, in either case, with the intent to cynically seek sympathy, claiming that the Israel government doesn't care about the resulting tragedy of innocent lives being lost. They do care but are doing no less than you would do if your neighbor was shooting at you and your family and to protect your loved one's, your only option was to fire back. Beginning with the wrong headed partition of Palestine by the then English and French governments, finding a solution presently that allows Israel to live in peace alongside a Palestinian homeland is so complex a process. Clearly Israel must stop building settlements on Palestinian land; that would be a good start. What would also be a good start would be for Hamas and it's supporters denouncing any adherence to the destruction of Israel and death to all Jews. Your comment about the crises in Gaza is one sided. I call upon you to acknowledge that Israel is not at fault when it does what it has to do too protect it's people, especially when it has to do so against an enemy so cynical and evil.

Jeff Birnberg ● 4026d5 Comments ● 4022d

British Values

British Values There is no such thing as British values. There is, however, a British way of doing things. It follows that Michael Gove erred when he said schools should promote British values. To expect schools to uphold British institutions would make much more sense. What matters, in Britain, is loyalty to the institutions which in this country enable us to enjoy in our own constantly evolving fashion the blessings of democracy, freedom, fairness and the rest. Teenage pregnancy, promiscuity, binge drinking, rape culture, victim blaming, casual racism, escalating homophobia and sexism are basic British valuesA secular school being turned into a faith school is not "extremism" or a "swamp" of full of infant terrorist "alligators". It's an unauthorised Muslim faith school. Nothing Ofsted have found seems to amount to anything more than that. The media seem to have got this completely out of proportion. Allowing pupils to pray at lunchtime if they wish to and wear the hijab if they choose to, or shortening the school day during the Ramadan fast – is an attempt to meet their spiritual needs as one tool to raise their achievement. Islam and Muslims are being criticised virtually every day by large sections of the media. There was a hysteria a few weeks ago over halal meat and now we have this. This is a witch hunt plain and simple. Why should not religious taxpayers have a right to send their children to schools that accord with their beliefs? Is this not, after all, supposed to be a tolerant society? If people receive a religious education, they are not rendered incapable of thinking. That is a thoughtless idea of people who advocate 'secularism' --it may not be a religion, but it certainly believes it has a monopoly on truth. Today's 'secularists' are extremists, who want to impose their views on the rest of society. Sir Michael says children (in the criticised Muslim) schools in Birmingham are not being encouraged to "develop tolerant attitudes towards other faiths". What about state and church schools?  Schools should be run by head teachers who are answerable to boards of governors who are elected by parents. The role of the state should be minimised - concerned only with acceptable standards of education being delivered and economic efficiency. Most problems in education and in society in general have been instigated by politicians who are the real scourge in modern society, not religion or faith schools. when Brits colonised the sub-continent and beyond they enforced their system on to the locals, side lining their religious practices and tribal systems. In India and Africa the Brits behaved like dictators and enforced a White Christian, UK bigotry on the locals, often by second rate Britishers who has failed at home. You could say we are now getting a taste of our own medicine ? Gove's plan to promote British values in schools will do absolutely nothing to aid societal cohesion. Many young Muslims go to schools which are almost or entirely Muslim. Their friends are Muslim, their family is Muslim, their Mosque and, naturally, their values are Muslim. They have little meaningful experience or connection with our native peoples and culture. We have enabled a people of some 4 million souls to create their own culture and nation within our nation. Don't blame Muslims. This is perfectly natural and what people of very different cultures do when establishing a life in a different country. It is what we Brits did in Africa and India and other countries. If it causes problems in wider society, the people to blame are politicians who allowed mass immigration from very different cultures without a suitable programme of integration like other countries have like the States. A core British value is to be ashamed of being British. Is respect for international law a British value, Mr Gove? Is thinking that Michael Gove is a bell-end officially a British value yet?  What is a British value? Does the European Convention on Human Rights express British values? Who decides? Gove: all schools must promote 'British values' The British sense of fair play? The rules of cricket? A couple of Shakespeare quotes? Help me out - I'm really struggling with this and I have only lived here for 50 years... Gove's idea of British values won't include multiculturalism and political correctness? A "culture of fear and intimidation"= British values. Ofsted were assessing a nursery school's ability to prevent extremism. My guess is that schools in Birmingham are the new favourite battle ground for Tory politicians. British values. Hamm, these days that seems to be...Massive, obscene inequality, hammer the poor and disabled. Kowtow to a wealthy elite and let corporate corruption go unpunished whilst attacking the most vulnerable? Cater to the whims of Banksters and business and punish the poor? Rank hypocrisy from a moral minority on high? These may well be Etonian values I suppose, but do we really want them in all our schools? A 'value' has no meaning without practicing what you preach. This government wants a superficial veneer of those values only, like fascism. ... promoting British values" I honestly have no idea what that means. Neither does Gove, but it's a great sound bite isn't it? British Values! Let the rich get richer and sod the poor. Invade foreign countries, displace the local population, allow them to emigrate to the UK, then cry wolf when they set up 'free schools'.According to the Holy  Quran, all children are born Muslims but their parents grow them up as Christian, Jews, Hindus and atheist. Muslim schools are not only faith schools but more or less bilingual schools. Muslim children need to learn and be well versed standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. At the same time they must learn and be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural heritage and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village, he/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit. when Brits colonised the sub-continent and beyond they enforced their system on to the locals, side lining their religious practices and tribal systems. In India and Africa the Brits behaved like dictators and enforced a White Christian, UK bigotry on the locals, often by second rate Britishers who has failed at home. You could say we are now getting a taste of our own medicine ? This Trojan Horse is a stir up to put up an attitude amongst the British community upon Muslims AGAIN, this hysteria has all been blown up because they do not want non-Muslim youngsters falling to the idea of Islam. Jewish schools have a more strict approach to religion than the majority of Islamic schools or schools that are heavily influenced by Muslim governors, yet they are not gonna be investigated because any hysteria brought up would be labelled anti-Semitism to become increasingly anti-establishment and belligerent. And they would have every reason to if this garbage continues. Park view is not multi cultural. It is mono cultural. It is to all purposes an Islamic school posing as a British secular state school. This "Trojan horse" thing worries me...I do not think that Greek classical mythology necessarily falls within the frame of reference of Muslims.. This affair was started by a hoax letter , driven by Islamophobia , which achieved its end , courtesy of a Government paranoid about ' extremism ' without any definition of what it means , and a ' anti-terrorism industry ' trying to justify itself and its funding to the Home Office . Meanwhile Ofsted have become a political tool , a new thought police , with little relevance to the standards of education , and an agenda driven by paranoia in a society which constantly changes its moral goalposts , itself in moral flux and confusion . And let not forget where did this all started, with Al Qaeda, which was created and nurtured and armed by the West. Now everyone is complaining where do all these extremism come from. If you are serious about fighting Muslim extremism start by going to the source, in allied countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and so on. But that would never happen because you also want your cheap oil. Hypocrite.IALondon School of Islamics Trust

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4082d29 Comments ● 4032d

Immigration

Europe is dying it natural death by aging population and low birth rate. Now the population would be replaced by Muslims. Did you forget how your white asses came on boats, robbed people of their wealth from colonies in East? And killed and tortured them? Did you ´integrate´ then? You Brits are-were nothing but thieves. Majority British population does not know its own history of crimes against humanity because your government there wants to regiment you with false propaganda and tell you bed time stories about your ´royalty´... who were, as I said, nothing but thieves. Whilst I agree that you have an immigration problem in this country, I don't think that this is your main problem. Your main problem is the disintegration of the family unit and the loveless binge drinking environment that your children are growing up in! NEVER in my life have I seen another country where people so seldom give their children a hug and a kiss like in this country and NEVER in my life have I seen another country where there are so many children from different fathers growing up in single parent households! Before you tackle the immigration problem (at least the immigrants LOVE their kids) you should first look at yourselves! Why complain when it’s the British who first migrated into other lands enslaving those people? When it is a question on immigration, the feelings are so strong. I wonder why. Serves you right! Britain! When the British colonised the world, it was ok. But now when people from the former colonies and from other countries come to Britain, its not ok? Look into history and then you can cry because what goes around comes around. Don't see why people have such a problem with mass immigration? It enriches our culture and boosts the economy! We have to stop looking at these people as immigrants and think of them as human beings. The immigrants are not to blame because they were invited and welcomed here by our successive government. We have quite large Spanish , French and Italian communities in Brighton and I believe it really enhances the place and adds to diversity of the City. Globalisation is here to stay. Britain colonised & some would say civilised half the world. It's called Karma. Not so long ago British people colonized Asia, living like kings while locals suffering to no end. At least, these migrants do not enslave the  Britons, so stop whining please. Without immigration, British society and economy would bleed to death. Immigration is a good thing. My main left artery was repaired by two Profs, one from Holland and one from Italy. The road is being repaired by lads from Armenia. The strawberries and fruit and veg counter are picked by summer migrants and as they pile up in the loading bay get driven away by British hauliers to British shops to be bought by British people. The immigrants plugging these little holes more than pay for themselves in multiplier effects on economic activity. Skills they learn here they take back to their homelands, who, if keen to keep skilled folk, would crack down on corruption and stop harassing small traders and people trying to make a living. The UK should be prouder, fearless and more welcoming. the Conservatives must lose their "perceived" hostility to immigration. They are the Party of the "Free Market". to oppose the free movement of people is hypocritical. Multiculturalism has been around in these islands at least since the Anles, Jutes and Saxons came over and displaced the Celts. That was about 2000 years ago. Between then and 1950 immigration was slow. Since then it has become massive. Multiculturalism means different cultures living side by side, separately. We live in a multicultural world of mono-cultural countries. If only England becomes multicultural and other countries don't, then the result will be a less multicultural world. Right next to the Over ground Station, a peek inside the Railway Tavern pub will reveal white locals in the front, black locals in the back room. This segregation is self-enforced; both parties seem to prefer it that way. The sight of such retailed segregation is uncomfortable, and off-putting. It inevitably reminded me of the ”separate but equal” facilities of late-Jim Crow 60s America. Many comments claim that the immigrants don't integrate. Aside from the little interactions mentioned, how can integration occur? Doesn't it need to be 2-way? How many of us are pleased to accept hospitality and gifts of exotic dishes offered by the 'immigrants' and yet don't reciprocate? Difficult to have a truly 'multicultural' society when the core belief of many of those who inhabit one of those cultures is that all the others should be eradicated. Speaking English does not promote integration into British, American and Australian societies, and broaden opportunities. English speaking Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist, thanks to state schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers and English language. English language is not only a lingua franca but also lingua frankensteinia. Human right are also covers linguistic right. Cultural and linguistic genocide are very common. British schooling is murdering community languages like Arabic, Urdu and others. English is today the world killer language. Linguistic genocide is a crime against humanity and British schooling is guilty of committing this crime. Language is not just a language. It defines one's culture, identity and consciousness. It defines how we think, communicate and express ourselves. The fact is the most South Asian Muslims have come to know Islam by way of Urdu, the children's alienation from the language that connects them the heritage of their parents and grandparents is disturbing. As a matter of fact, one has to get to know his mother tongue well if one is to master any other language.IALondon School of Islamics Trusthttp://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4040d0 Comments ● 4040d

Trojan Horse

Trojan Horse Tahir Alam is allegedly the man behind a blueprint for the ‘Trojan Horse’ plot for the radical ‘Islamisation’ of secular state schools. An alleged plot to takeover some of Britain’s schools by Islamist extremists has been reportedly masterminded by a ringleader who had drafted a guide document on the process, a media report has said. Tahir Alam, chairman of governors at Park View school in Birmingham, is allegedly the man behind a blueprint for the so-called “Trojan Horse” plot for the radical “Islamisation” of secular state schools. He called for “girls [to] be covered except for their hands and faces”, advocated gender segregation in some school activities, and attacked a “multicultural approach” to collective worship, the Sunday Telegraph' reported. In his 72-page document, published by the Muslim Council of Britain in 2007, Tahir Alam and co-author Muhammad Abdul Bari categorically attacked many state schools for not being “receptive of legitimate and reasonable requests made by some Muslim parents and pupils in relation to their faith-based aspirations and concerns”. They described how Muslim governors could be activated to press the “views and aspirations of Muslim parents and the local community” on reluctant schools. Birmingham has a large Muslim population, nearly 22 per cent, according to the 2011 census. The “Trojan Horse” plot had come to light recently and involves the alleged takeover of secular state schools and the removal of secular head teachers in Birmingham by radical Muslim staff and governors. There are more Methodist schools than Muslim schools in England and 33% of English state schools are Christian. There’s been a big kerfuffle over a supposed Muslim influence on six schools in Birmingham, with outlets like the BBC and Telegraph alleging a “Trojan horse” takeover by Muslim parents. But whether you agree with religion in schools or not, the faith that is most clearly represented in Britain’s education system is Christianity. There are more Methodist schools (26 or 0.13%) than Muslim schools in England. Out of the total number of state-funded schools (primary and secondary) in England this is what percentage were Muslim in 2012. Some 0.06% or 12 schools are Muslim faith schools.  Out of all UK state-funded schools, 33.61% or 6751 schools are Christian. School segregation: 12% of state schools are split into boys and girls. Charges against the six schools in Birmingham include not teaching the curriculum, inviting radical speakers to talk to the children and gender segregating classrooms – to the detriment of girls. A small, but significant number of traditional British schools are split by gender too. The man accused of being at the centre of the plot, Faisal Khan, has denied the allegations, saying his sole motive was to improve the standards at schools and that he had no wish to “Islamize” British schools. British authorities are now investigating the alleged plot. UK Education Secretary Michael Gove appointed Peter Clarke, former head of Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command, to lead the probe. The appointment of Clarke has faced criticism, with critics saying the move has resulted in rising fears over a possible government crackdown on Muslim communities in the UK. There are concerns that the plan could prevent ordinary Muslims from getting involved in their children’s schooling affairs for fear of being branded extremist. “The idea that MCB document was a Communist or Trotskyite-type plot to takeover all Birmingham/UK schools is laughable. This feeds into a wider 'counter-jihadist' (Breivik, EDL, etc) narrative that Muslims want to "take over". To describe the handbook as 'a document on manipulating teachers and curriculum' or 'a detailed blueprint for the radical "Islamisation" of secular state schools', as Sunday Telegraph says, is an insult to the many thousands of professionals and lay people who have been involved over the last ten years in the massive improvements in the educational achievement of young Muslim people. There is a level of hysteria building which is not justified, we need to take the temperature down and politicians must not play with these issues or else face a potential backlash, possibly in community cohesion." Abdul BariThe whole saga is outrageous, beyond belief and frankly if it was not so serious, it would be comical. The documents on which this whole action is perused is false and as there is no proof of extremism in schools, Mr Gove has made it illegal for Muslims to have conservative views (coming from a minister of conservative government, its comical really). Feel like we are back in the fifties in the USA again. Michael Gove is an avowed Zionist which is not the best way to approach issues like this! Because it can lead greater attacks on Islam. It amazes me that on the basis of an anonymous letter the whole country has been lead to believe that there is an organised plot to somehow take over schools, now allegedly across the length and breadth of Britain! Furthermore the amount of coverage that this has received from the media as being a credible story, to me, suggests the level of Islamophobia in our society has reached alarming and dangerous heights. I would suggest that for the sake of fairness, equality and justice all schools are subject to the same level of scrutiny. For example Christian, C-of-E, Jewish and Hindu, Sikh schools. I believe that this not only a witch hunt but a move to tarnish and undermine the credibility of Muslims in general and the noble teachings of a widely practiced and rapidly growing religion which a people devotedly choose to follow. Islamophobia should be stopped - especially when the racist is a government minister or department. you must share this island with many people, why does it belong to one people? Grammar schools regularly carry out gender segregation, shall we remove those Head teachers too.  The horse in question, it is alleged, contained Muslim extremism – brought to state schools by stealth, by governor bodies launching subtle pincer movements, to remove the kind of pesky teachers who might object to the segregation of pupils by sex, or a refusal to stick to the syllabus. How incredibly extremist. Schools where segregation of pupils by sex occur. How different from boy's only Grammar schools and High schools for Girls that exist in predominately Conservative areas. And that exist predominately in the private school sector. It does though surely produce better exam results, as pupils are less influenced by the idea of 'girl's subjects' and 'boy's subjects', and are less likely to be distracted by sex. Allegations of an Islamic takeover plot of Birmingham schools are just the latest in a string of slurs against Muslims. It is not clear what is meant by an "Islamic plot takeover", and whether that is the same thing as saying or hinting that some Muslims might want to get some schools to adopt their particular version of Islamic religious values, behaviours and life-styles. If it is the latter, that would not necessarily be an indication of "terrorism", so I struggle to see the need for 'counter-terrorism' input. It is not terrorism in any way shape or form. It is important to remember this is not about Islam as such but yet another chance to bash people perceived as foreigners. To many Muslim is another word for immigrant and coloured person, two terrible bugbears. Why should an unnamed, undated, unspecific source has effected students, teachers, governors, parents in one swoop. It has serious implications on unfounded accusations for hundreds of people. In no way shape or form is this right, nor should have it EVER happened. Just by a anonymous letter how can you judge the schools and it is bringing such bad vibe to Birmingham schools and local Muslim community we feel like we're targets no matter how hard we try we will never please and move forward from the terrorist labelling. I am disgusted at the way these particular schools and governors were targeted for no reason other than being Muslim. No solid evidence wa available to substantiate these accusations which arose and yet such great weight and focus was attached to them. Morally unjust and utterly unacceptable. The Trojan Horse document was clearly written by someone who knows little about Birmingham and even less about Islam. It has chimed, however, with widespread Islamophobic fantasies and fears amongst non-Muslims, and as a result of unethical reporting in the media has done much damage. On the one hand we get told we are not integrating enough and we should engage more in civic society. On the other, when we do, we get accused of having sinister agendas. Since when do concerns by religiously conservative parents about teaching on homosexuality, girls and boys mixing, and the reciting of prayers, require anti-terrorist experts to get involved? Allegations of an Islamic takeover plot in Birmingham schools aren't justified by the evidence – and the government response is way out of proportion. Perhaps its best to let the Muslim community sort these issues out. These are in effect Muslim schools now. It is up to the Muslim community to see off hard liners (if there are any) otherwise it is their own children's' education that will suffer. I think it would be very difficult for non Muslims to get involved either as governors or management so perhaps that it is one of the reasons for the conflicts that have arisen. It may be best for the Government to but out providing the record of the school is O.K. from an exam point of view. I am so disgusted that even after it was proved there is no factual evidence or basis for that racist and hate filled document, schools in Birmingham are being subjected to this horrific ordeal and the name of many good reputable teachers is being tarnished... Why? Clearly viewable that this accusation has been purposely placed on these schools which surprisingly consists of majority Muslim children. Clearly the school policies are being contradicted by Mr Gove as they clearly state that it is the schools priority and job to meet the needs of the local community and of the students within the school. So if a school is doing that then what is the issue? What is happening feels like the persecution of a religious group. This is important because the wit hunt feeds Islamophobia. As we can see from the bombings and arson attacks on mosques in the UK, Islamophobia is a very dangerous and divisive form of racism. I'm sick of this hatred of Islam and Muslims. Haters, ignorant scum, look for any means to target Muslims, now even in our schools. It's a joke and this has to stop. How hypocritical does a country have to be to illegally invade Muslim countries and then accuse Muslims of terrorism? I am a Muslim. I am an anti-terrorist.   I never realised how racist and anti-Islamic this country is until I moved here. These people are here legally and have the right to live how they want to. Just because there are terrorists who use Islam as a doctrine to justify their hateful acts, does NOT mean that every Islam wants to change Britain to Sharia Law, kill the gays and put all women in burkas! These people are being judged and punished for the actions of others that have nothing to do with them, simply because they are of the same religion. Do you judge Germans in the same way because their country committed genocide? Or the Irish if they are from an area where religious conflict was particularly violent? No. Seems like thinly veiled racism to me, not the 'staunch upholding of British rights against religious extremists' as you all seem to espouse. What do people mean when they talk about 'multiculturalism'? If a lot of people come from a foreign country and settle in a particular area they will bring the culture of that country with them. Of course they will want their schools to promote their values. Gender segregation is everywhere in the Muslim world including in EU applicant, Turkey, so either we believe in Britain as multicultural or we don't. You don't get to pick and choose the bits you want. Why not sit down with parents and listen to their concerns, instead of ordering an investigation? Shocked at this terrifying witch hunt against Muslims who are simply trying to raise standards. Its totally unacceptable to create a furore in the country over anonymous accusations with no proof. Because it is a divisive move and will affect community relations. This is the very reason why society does not function properly, this is a deliberate attempt to spread fear amongst communities, as the best way to control a nation is through fear itself. because this is NOT ,,I repeat is NOT an Islamic plot to take over Birmingham, so DO NOT put false information in the media to put Muslims down!!!!! What next.....Muslims taking over hospitals, banks, pubs....come on... Tomorrow, a Pakistani MP would become the PM of GB and this does not mean that the country has become a colony of Pakistan.  What's taking place is an absolute disgrace. This whole witch hunt is putting Muslims off from becoming governors at a time when it is need the most. Why should Muslim parents be targeted when all they want at the end of the day is a good all round education for their children. Before Muslims governors came on to the scene all the inner city schools were doing poorly and failing all the children of the school. Muslim parents were criticised for their lack of involvement in their children's schools. Now they are being vilified. It is an absolute disgrace that an ex anti terrorist police office has been brought in to investigate the situation. It stinks of racism and the desire to label all Muslims into the category of extremist and jihadist. What a disgrace by the national and the local government. It's wrong for Gove to be deliberately politicising our Education system. All our children deserve respect and not to be scapegoated. What a total waste of tax payers money and tactical manoeuvre by Michael Gove to divert attention away from the real issues. Gove’s war is designed to destabilise governing bodies where Muslims form a majority. Don't want us to be part of 'big society'?  We totally reject the idea that there is Muslim plot to take over Birmingham schools. We abhor the scapegoating of the Muslim community being whipped up by the media. We call for the removal of Peter Clarke as we believe this is a provocative appointment, designed to divide our community. I don't believe that there is an Islamic Plot to take over Birmingham schools. It's a set-up. Anonymous complaints have been used in the past to hound good head teachers of community schools out of their jobs in order to facilitate the creation of academies. This whole story smells of falsification and corruption. I suspect that the people wishing to take over schools are not Islamic extremists, but Academy Chains with business interests. A shamefully irresponsible and sensationalised inquiry whose adverse impact on community relations locally and nationally will sadly be lingering long and far. If British authorities are so concerned about their education institutions being infiltrated by ``extremists'' then I suggest they stop Tony Blair, architect in chief of the illegal and violent 2003 Iraq invasion from speaking at colleges and universities across the UK and the world. His lies and fabrications caused the deaths, directly and indirectly, of thousands of Iraqis, British and Americans. While the survivors of his wars suffer in silence, this former British Prime Minister makes millions through his speaking engagements at educational institutions across the world with little or no sign of remorse for the suffering he caused. Nothing I see in the above articles suggests the British Muslim educators in question did anything illegal, let alone anywhere as remotely destructive as the twice elected British Prime Minister. Britain's interests would be served better if they questioned their own domestic and overseas policies instead of perennially whining on about ``extremist'' from their (mostly) law abiding immigrant communities. There are a total of 21300 Primary and 3900 Secondary schools in the UK. Finding that 6 out of these 25200 had board members who wanted to push their extremist views over the governance of those school is not a Islamic Plot or Trojan Horse to Islamises UK. This is a massive overreaction and the Islamophobia on display in the comments is more terrifying than the actual case itself. Stop the racist witch hunt in Birmingham schools. We Muslims have a right to our religion. I decry everything which denigrates Muslims in this country. The media and governmental attitudes and actions, inflame prejudice and ignorance. We want the best for our children and such baseless witch hunt of school governors does not help the cause of better education. Stop this hate against Muslims. It is not them who are terrorists , but all those who imply they are with the help of media you try bringing others to your side giving false details - twin towers wasn't Muslim either - that was the Americans - you will not win as Islam Will forever grow and prove it is peaceful through the will of God (Allah SWT)... amen. This is undermining confidence in the Muslim community and increasing Islamophobia. This is another example of the media whipping up hysteria against the UK Muslim community.  The way our Govt treating British Muslims is as if all Muslims are terrorists unless they prove otherwise. Govt should focus on its job. Governors of this school worked hard to help a failing school achieve outstanding rating from Ofsted. Please fix Ofsted and stop demonising Muslims. Nick Clegg on LBC radio indicated that the DFE is full of right wing ideologues and extremist loons. Islamic schools protect Muslim children from the onslaught of Euro centrism, homosexuality, racism, and secular traditions. All education systems appear to be indoctrination systems. I went to a good private school. Guess how we were 'encouraged' to think about politics! Having a Muslim name in UK is a crime. All UK job application forms have sections ask your race and religions. Most UK employers simply reject your applications just by looking at this section. Native Brits must learn to respect and tolerate those who are different. The needs and demands of the Muslim community are different from those of natives. Muslims are in Britain not to give up their cultural heritage. They must integrate in their new home country, learn new languages and apply for political representation -- without forgetting their cultural heritage. It is important to learn Standard English, but their  languages should not be neglected. They need Masajid and grave yards. Muslim children not only need halal meat or Eid Holidays but they need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their development period also. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit. The whole world belongs to Muslims. He/she must learn and be well versed in Standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. At the same time, he/she must learn and be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural heritage and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. For a Muslim English is an economic language and Arabic is a religious while Urdu and other community languages are their social and emotional languages.Muslim children not only need halal meat or Eid Holidays but they need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their development period also. There are hundreds of state primary and secondary schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion all such schools may be opted out to become Muslim Academies. This means the Muslim children will get a decent education. Muslim schools turned out balanced citizens, more tolerant of others and less likely to succumb to criminality or extremism. Muslim schools give young people confidence in who they are and an understanding of Islamic teaching of tolerance and respect which prepares them for a positive and fulfilling role in society. Muslim schools are attractive to Muslim parents because they have better discipline and teaching Islamic values. Children like discipline, structure and boundaries. Bilingual Muslim children need Bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods, who understand their needs and demands. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school. Legally, the state has an obligation to respect the rights of parents to ensure that 'education and teaching(of their children) is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.' The schools must satisfy the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural needs of Muslim pupils. State schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers are not in a position to satisfy their needs. A good school is not just a knowledge factory or a conveyor belt for churning out exam passes - it is a community, a family. A community is held together by common values and principles.IALondon School of Islamics Trust

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4103d2 Comments ● 4040d

Isleworth Public Hall (well well well)

Who would have guessed it eh that the latest Labour leaflet is again telling porkies and Theo Dennison even accused the ICG of scaremongering at the Hustings the other eveningA group bidding to run a popular public hall say they are still awaiting crucial information from Hounslow Council, despite an election leaflet suggesting it is a done deal.The council agreed in principle earlier this year to hand over management of Isleworth Public Hall to a consortium of not-for-profit groups.The plan was to hand them a five-year lease beginning in April this year, which the council estimated would save £425,000 over the course of the contract.An 'Isleworth Matters' leaflet recently published by the ruling Labour group proclaimed the consortium had won a contract.But members of the consortium say no deal has been signed and they are still awaiting information from the council, including details of running costs, which they claim they need before putting together a final bid.Christine Diwell, of the Friends of Isleworth Public Hall, one of four groups in the consortium, said: "We haven't won any contract and according to the council the procurement process is still ongoing."We're setting up a social enterprise which could run the hall we've asked the council for a lot of information which it has so far been unable to provide."The hall, in South Street, Isleworth, is currently run by the council's leisure contractor Fusion Lifestyle.Should the consortium win the contract, it could pave the way for similar voluntary groups to take control of other public halls across the borough.A council spokesman said: "The council has been working very closely with the Isleworth Public Hall Consortium to help them through the whole process. We are hoping to enable them to finalise their application very shortly."http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/public-hall-takeover-still-not-6992973

Paul Fisher ● 4139d49 Comments ● 4046d

An Open Letter to the New Secretary of State for Education

An Open Letter to the New Secretary of State for Education I congratulate You on your new appointment. Education may well be a critical tool of socialisation; But it's only a tool.. that's why it's debatable whether education does, should, or can imbue us as citizens with a sense of our national identity and priorities. It all depends on how education gets used, and by whom. So from my own critical perspective I certainly don't think education does or should act like a gang of construction workers, cementing a shared but distinctly concrete narrative of common purpose. Rather I suppose education should kindly facilitate whatever individuals want to learn, whenever or wherever we want to learn it.. but maybe this might seem too radical.. If you had a non-Muslim school that encouraged teenage girls to dress modestly, successfully persuaded pupils not to drink alcohol, railed against gambling, engaged in lengthy study of ancient scriptures and languages and achieved good exam results, the Conservatives would be lining up to lavish it with praise. More so if it were Christian. This is as good a book review for the bible and the koran as could ever be written:“The [Trojan Horse story in Birmingham] bible/koran is one in which carelessness, incompetence, coincidence, opportunism, self-interest and sheer wickedness all play significant parts.Michael Gove's disastrous tenure as Secretary of State for Education has united the vast majority of Academics, Educationalists, Head Teachers and Teachers against hi...m like never before in the UK. 'At its May 2013 conference, Gove was criticised by the National Association of Head Teachers, whose members condemned the climate of bullying, fear and intimidation they claimed he had created during his time as Education Secretary. The conference passed a vote of no confidence in his policies. Votes of no confidence were also passed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers at conference in March 2013, the National Union of Teachers at its conference in April 2013 (unanimously), and the NASUWT.' I hope the new secretary of state for education will do something positive to improve the educational standard of the Muslim children. Muslim children not only need halal meat or Eid Holidays but they need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their development period also. There are hundreds of state primary and secondary schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion all such schools may be opted out to become Muslim Academies. This means the Muslim children will get a decent education. Muslim schools turned out balanced citizens, more tolerant of others and less likely to succumb to criminality or extremism. Muslim schools give young people confidence in who they are and an understanding of Islamic teaching of tolerance and respect which prepares them for a positive and fulfilling role in society. Children like discipline, structure and boundaries. Bilingual Muslim children need Bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods, who understand their needs and demands. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school. Muslim schools should be inspected by Muslim members of the Ofsted. They understand the needs and demands of the Muslim children as well as their parents. Twenty leading educationalists and Muslim leaders have questioned Ofsted's impartiality in the Birmingham 'Trojan Horse' affair, education consultant Robin Richardson reflects on the factors behind its controversial recent inspections. What gives OFSTED the right, or indeed any Brits, to preach to minority groups about how they should live their lives. This is a cosmopolitan country, the Muslim community have the right to educate their children how they choose. What has being British got to do with your religious belief? In Britain there are Hindus Sikhs pagans Jewish Buddhists atheist Zoroastrians Rasta's and many more should they all change there religious beliefs because they are British? Studying the Qur'an will certainly help towards these children becoming fully integrated citizens of the UK. Like many Ofsted stories this is no news. There are lots of schools up and down the land without male teachers. Teaching is so female dominated you wonder why pupils are so poorly behaved. After all feminism blames men for everything and here are the results of female dominance...IALondon School of Islamics Trusthttp://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4047d6 Comments ● 4046d

And they wonder why?

Today thousands and thousands of public sector workers are out on strike over wages and pensions. I watch Daily Politics (God alone knows why, it does the blood pressure no good at all!) I am furious that government ministers and other feel that TU's should be subject to getting at least 50% of their membership to agree to a strike before it can go ahead, when they are quite content for pathetic numbers of electors get them into Parliament. I have seen several members of the government this morning trying to slag off the unions and banging on about how we have to sort out the financial deficit, so therefore no-one in the public sector can expect a rise. The bankers and politicos who got us into this mess don't seem to be doing to badly- how many of them are cutting back? In the past couple of days the papers have been full of how the higher echelons are trousering ever larger rises, bonuses and pension pots, and today comes the news that more of the great and the good have fiddled tax to the value of £5bn. And they wonder why people are on strike? Only a few are paying the price it seems, at the same time rather than face the fact that to finance our NHS we have to understand tax must rise, there is talk of people having to pay for certain services. So rather than do what is best for the country's health a political decision will guide what happens to the health service, no we can't possibly put up tax. It's not about running anything it's all about keeping power for the select few who don't have the intelligence or the guts to do what is right and fair for the majority.

Vanessa Smith ● 4055d5 Comments ● 4046d

South Street roundabout/Twickenham Road - response from LBH

Copied and pasted below is the response I've received from LBH (following my complaint to Cllr. Mayne) regarding the South Street junction.Hopefully we'll see an improvement - although I've got even less faith in Road Safety Audits now than before !!!.Adam------------------------------Dear Mr Beamish, Councillor Mayne has asked that I respond to you directly regarding the ongoing works on Twickenham Road. I’m sorry that you’ve considered it necessary to write to express concern over the incomplete work and the delays in implementation. The past and on-going situation is far from satisfactory, but I can assure you that lessons have already been learnt and we will be reviewing our work practices ahead of the implementation of any future major schemes. In terms of completing the current Twickenham Road scheme we’ve been working with Hounslow Highways to have the works completed as soon as possible. It has been confirmed to me in the last few days that work to remove, rather than ‘black-out’, the old and existing road markings will commence on the evening of 20 January 2014 this will take 5 or 6 nights to complete as these works stretch along the complete length of Twickenham Road. The application of the new road markings will start on 21 January 2014 and this will take around 7 to 10 days, depending on the weather; again these works stretch along the complete length of Twickenham Road. The removal of the redundant traffic signs will be completed by the end of this week. I note that you’ve suggested that a ‘roundabout ahead‘ warning sign should be considered for the approaches to the South Street roundabout. One of the aims of the Twickenham Road scheme is to improve the streetscape environment by reducing street clutter and this would include the provision of extra traffic signs. There is no requirement to have ‘roundabout ahead‘ warning signs and our view is that these signs are unnecessary. The mini-roundabout signs (white on blue), whilst positioned close to roundabout as per standard practise, have sufficient forward visibility. An independent Road Safety Audit was carried out on the design prior to implementation and no concerns were raised regarding inadequate signing of the junction. I accept that the northbound approach to the South Street roundabout has been an issue. It is hoped that once the road markings are permanently removed and the new markings applied that drivers will form only one lane on this approach. We will review this just as soon as the markings at this location have been completed. You may like to know that a further independent Stage 3 Road Safety Audit will be carried on completion of the road marking and traffic sign element of the scheme. I hope that this information helpful. Should you require any further information regarding this scheme then do not hesitate to contact me directly. Yours sincerely__________________________________________________Christopher DeakinsTeam Leader - Network Management

Adam Beamish ● 4231d90 Comments ● 4053d

FGM Vs Chastity Belts

Subject: FGM Vs Chastity Belts Chastity belts were very common during the middle ages in the UK. The key of the belt was always in the pocket of the fathers. At the time of marriage, the key was given the husband. It is just possible that FGM has the same purpose of chastity. FGM has no connection with any religion, it is as prevalent in African Christian communities as those practicing other faiths including tradition African religions. It is primarily a tribal/cultural element, much like ritual scarring etc. FGM is an ancient practice that originates across a plurality of cultures, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian peninsula, whether these are Christian, Islamic or animist. It in fact affects only a tiny  minority of British Muslims. FGM is nothing to do with Islamic teaching. 'FGM is violence against women and girls. Over 99.9% of British Muslims are not concerned with it. British Establishment should concentrate on the education of Muslim children who have been mis-educated and de-educated by the state schools with non-Muslim teachers. Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school. Muslim children attending state secular schools were subjected to an educational environment that pressured them to adopt values that contradicted Islamic values, such as evolution theory, sexual relations outside marriage and drinking alcohol.' " According to UNICEF, the top rates are in Somalia (with 98 percent of women affected), Guinea (96 percent), Djibouti (93 percent), Egypt (91 percent), Eritrea (89 percent), Mali (89 percent), Sierra Leone (88 percent), Sudan (88 percent), Gambia (76 percent), Burkina Faso (76 percent), Ethiopia (74 percent), Mauritania (69 percent), Liberia (66 percent), and Guinea-Bissau (50 percent). Outside Africa FGM  occurs in Yemen (23 percent prevalence), among the Kurds in Iraq (giving the country an overall prevalence rate of eight percent), Indonesia and Malaysia. These are the facts and we shouldn't ignore them. For that reason there is probably not too much point in warning all the children in Truro about it, but attack it at the likely sources, which is where there are immigrants from the listed countries.The white man complex is a term that is not discussed much but can be seen nearly in all cultural discussions. This term basically describes the superiority complex that many in this community possess which has deluded them to believe that their culture is superior or that their OPINIONS matter which is far from the truth. Instead of looking at problems within in their own community; Mass exploitation of the poor, mass corruption, paedophilia that is prevalent in schools and churches, entertainment business and even politics they instead focus on other communities and cultures. I suggest seeing as this practice of female circumcision is not so prevalent in the UK that you focus on you own issues and stop talking down on others. I can guarantee that the communities in question care not for your words and for you to stop dictating to everyone how they should live and what they should do.Yeah like your people ever followed the rules of the country which you entered illegally in the past. To this day you still do not follow the rules and customs of nations which you migrate to (Emirates,Qatar, India etc). How about you learn the languages of the nations which you migrate to, follows their rules and customs and then complain when the same is not done in the UK. Like i said before, this talk of female circumcisions has been going on for a very long time, but nothing has changed because the communities which practice it do not listen to a bunch of bigoted people who talk down on Also, as it seems it needs to be pointed out, from a few comments here, I'd like to add that it's quite wrong to see FGM and the circumcision of boys as equivalent. A circumcised boy can, as an adult, enjoy a normal (or even not so normal) sex life. A girl or woman who has been exposed to FGM cannot do that, in the sense that she can never have an orgasm. There is a tremendous difference, and it's a pity that the term "circumcision" is often used where both sexes are concerned -- it's highly misleading.every other culture and custom. Once you realise this you can do more worthwhile things such as stopping your priests from molesting your children.I suggest seeing as this practice of female circumcision is not so prevalent in the UK that you focus on you own issues and stop talking down on others. I can guarantee that the communities in question care not for your words and for you to stop dictating to everyone how they should live and what they should do. Yeah like your people ever followed the rules of the country which you entered illegally in the past. To this day you still do not follow the rules and customs of nations which you migrate to (Emirates,Qatar, India etc). How about you learn the languages of the nations which you migrate to, follows their rules and customs and then complain when the same is not done in the UK. IALondon School of Islamics Trust

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4054d9 Comments ● 4053d

And they wonder why?

Today thousands and thousands of public sector workers are out on strike over wages and pensions. I watch Daily Politics (God alone knows why, it does the blood pressure no good at all!) I am furious that government ministers and other feel that TU's should be subject to getting at least 50% of their membership to agree to a strike before it can go ahead, when they are quite content for pathetic numbers of electors get them into Parliament. I have seen several members of the government this morning trying to slag off the unions and banging on about how we have to sort out the financial deficit, so therefore no-one in the public sector can expect a rise. The bankers and politicos who got us into this mess don't seem to be doing too badly- how many of them are cutting back? In the past couple of days the papers have been full of how the higher echelons are trousering ever larger rises, bonuses and pension pots, and today comes the news that more of the great and the good have fiddled tax to the value of £5bn. And they wonder why people are on strike? Only a few are paying the price it seems, at the same time rather than face the fact that to finance our NHS we have to understand tax must rise, there is talk of people having to pay for certain services. So rather than do what is best for the country's health a political decision will guide what happens to the health service, no we can't possibly put up tax. It's not about running anything it's all about keeping power for the select few who don't have the intelligence or the guts to do what is right and fair for the majority.

Vanessa Smith ● 4055d1 Comments ● 4055d

Thames Water Strike Again ! - Mogden Footpath Shut ?

Emily sent the following email. I don't understand why the Mogden footpath should be closed. If the path through the works has to be closed because of pollution in the Duke of Northumberland's River, shouldn't access be prevented to the rest of the river and the River Crane ?Dear ResidentsA two-metre valve (penstock) in a major sewer serving Heathrow Airportjammed shut on Saturday afternoon at Cranford Bridge on the A4 Bath Roadwhile engineers carried out routine maintenance.All attempts to re-open the valve were initially unsuccessful.  It is nowbeing forced open using specialised lifting equipment fitted overnight.While we are able to take a lot of backed-up sewage away in tanker lorriesfor treatment, the volume of sewage was such that we were not able totanker all of it.Faced with the unpalatable choice of letting the remaining sewage back upinto the airport or spill to the River Crane, we were forced to opt for thelatter, resulting in sewage entering the river and damaging wildlife, whichwe deeply regret.We are working with all those affected by this problem and with theEnvironment Agency, who are aware of our plan to tackle this problem assoon as possible.Once normal flows resume, probably later this morning, some stronger thannormal effluent will arrive at Mogden and this may cause elevated odourlevels for a few hours, for which we wish to apologise in advance.Some of the pollution from the River Crane has passed into the Duke ofNorthumberland river, and this has required a temporary closure of thefootpath through the Mogden works, for which we would also like toapologise.Kind regardsEmilyEmily GorenCommunications AdvisorThames WaterMogden STWMogden LaneMiddlesex TW7 7LWt: 07747 644345

Tim Henderson ● 5038d17 Comments ● 4058d

Multiculturalism

During colonial days, British did not follow local customs or culture. They didn't exactly "go native". They even forced the native Americans and native Australian to adopt all the evils of their culture and customs. They are still the underdogs of American and Australian societies. At least Australian Prime Minister apologised to the natives for their evil deeds. Brits living in Spain and France don't even bother learning the language of the new adopted country. Frankly suggesting that people don't want to become "British" they should move elsewhere is extremely irritating. Immigrants are in UK because they are needed, it was never an act of charity. Without migration, British economy and society will bleed to death. British culture and customs will undoubtedly change as it has for millennium due to immigration. I am not quite sure why Brits would be worried about that. Of course Multiculturalism has failed. The Irish hate the English The Scots hate the English & the Welsh hate The English. So what do you expect from people from other nations. Whilst I agree that you have an immigration problem in this country, I don't think that this is your main problem. Your main problem is the disintegration of the family unit and the loveless binge drinking environment that your children are growing up in! NEVER in my life have I seen another country where people so seldom give their children a hug and a kiss like in this country and NEVER in my life have I seen another country where there are so many children from different fathers growing up in single parent households! Before you tackle the immigration problem (at least the immigrants LOVE their kids) you should first look at yourselves! Why complain when it’s the British who first migrated into other lands enslaving those people? When it is a question on immigration, the feelings are so strong. I wonder why. Serves you right! Britain! When the British colonised the world, it was ok. But now when people from the former colonies and from other countries come to Britain, its not ok? Look into history and then you can cry because what goes around comes around. Don't see why people have such a problem with mass immigration? It enriches our culture and boosts the economy! We have to stop looking at these people as immigrants and think of them as human beings. The immigrants are not to blame because they were invited and welcomed here by our successive government. We have quite large Spanish , French and Italian communities in Brighton and I believe it really enhances the place and adds to diversity of the City. Globalisation is here to stay. Britain colonised & some would say civilised half the world. It's called Karma. Not so long ago British people colonized Asia, living like kings while locals suffering to no end. At least, these migrants do not enslave the Britons, so stop whining please.IALondon School of Islamics Trust

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4096d3 Comments ● 4069d

Bus route from Hammersmith to Heathrow

I have raised this problem with the TFL for several years without any real response, I recently tried again.QuoteTalking of which, as an elderly person relying on Public Transport, I have for several years requested TFL to look into the possibility of extending the Number 9 bus route to a 24 hour service and extend it to Heathrow all the time. This would assist people on the Hammersmith, Chiswick, Brentford, and Isleworth corridor to enable them to get to the airport without the hassle of struggling to access the Piccadilly line, with heavy baggage, which does not have any escalator SERVICE FROM STREET LEVEL AT MOST OF THEIR STATIONS.UnquoteI also said that with the increase in accommodation coming on-line in this corridor during the next year or two there would be a terrible short fall in the ability to travel on the existing bus service.Their first response was totally negative and I pursued the matter further on the telephone. I have now received their latest response and it would appear that if they get enough people raising the problem they may address it again, so please help in getting this thing rolling by supporting this initiative and  writing TFL or call their hot line at 03432221234.Their recent reply to me is: Our ref:Date:1014037866/43947744-Jun-14 TfL Customer Services4th Floor14 Pier WalkLondon SEI 0 OESwww.tfl.gov.ukDear Captain WeaverThank you for your further correspondence with us on 19 May regarding busservices from Hounslow to Heathrow.I appreciate your comments regarding the current bus routes causingdifficulties for those less able who wish to make this journey. Therefore yourcomments have been passed on for evaluation and future consideration.However any changes that could be potentially made will only be considered ifthere is considerable demand for this.Should you have any further comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.Alternatively our call centre can be reached on the low cost number 0343 2221234. Signed by Emma Bradley, Customer Services Advisor. TFL Customer ServicesSo please guys get on the phone send those emails and see if we can make some progress.

Philip Weaver ● 4088d6 Comments ● 4083d

Great West  Quarter

Mary Macleod MP calls meeting in Parliament over Great West Quarter saga Local MP Mary Macleod has called for a meeting in Parliament with representatives of A2 Dominion and Barratt homes following news that Trico House residents in the Great West Quarter are still suffering from sewage, hot water and heating problems. At the meeting, she will personally investigate the ongoing issues affecting Trico House residents in order to ensure that a comprehensive resolution can be established. Mary said:“Residents of the Great West Quarter have been living with disgraceful living conditions for far, far too long. Just before Christmas, residents were without hot water and heating in their homes for several days – an issue which has surfaced time and time again. It is appalling to see families with young children having to suffer these conditions! They have also been subject to a foul stench from sewage, about which I continue to push for answers. I have therefore organised an emergency meeting in Parliament with Barratt Homes and A2Dominion so we can thrash out a solution that will be lasting and binding.”Mary has been aware of the long-running issues faced by the residents of Great West Quarter for some time. Last year, after being contacted by a number of her frustrated constituents, Mary called a meeting with all residents to discuss their concerns. The session was attended by members of the residents association, local councillors and representatives from A2Dominion where each party was able to voice their concerns. Since then Mary has been in constant contact with the Chief Executives of both A2Dominion and Barratts in an effort to resolve these factors. She is fully supportive of the residents at Trico House and the problems they are facing and will continue to work on their behalf to help resolve the situation.Mary added:“As the local member of Parliament I will continue to represent the views of Trico House residents and push for improvements to the situation at the Great West Quarter. I hope that in the course of discussions with A2Dominon and Barratt Homes we will finally be able to resolve matters for residents.”

John Todd ● 4232d36 Comments ● 4088d

Chiswick Library may be in danger from Labour

For many years Chiswick has had a fine Public Library in Duke's Avenue just off Chiswick High Road. The original building was bequeathed to the people of Chiswick by the owners of the famous Sanderson wallpaper factory in nearby Barley Mow Passage.Subsequently, Brentford and Chiswick Council built a new extension which today houses the Reference and Children's Libraries. The facilities are well used and well loved by a large number of Chiswick, Brentford and Isleworth residents of all ages.There is now a very real concern that after this week's  Borough Election, Hounslow Council will, if it is still controlled by the Labour Party, announce the sale, demolition  and redevelopment of one of at least one of the two buildings that currently collectively comprise the Library. In view of the importance of Chiswick Library to the people of Chiswick,Brerntford and Isleworth  it is important that the current Labour leadership of Hounslow Council state their position on this issue immediately.A cast iron guarantee from the Labour Leader of the Council before we vote on Thursday that the neither of the Library buildings will be shut, sold or redeveloped would be most welcome.Failing that local residents will be entitled to assume that Labour, if relected, does indeed intend to sell off part or all of the Library. Local residents will well remember that a few short years ago Hounslow's Labour Council closed down the Chiswick Day Care Centre which provided valuable services to elderly and vulnerable members of the community and hosted the lunches for the homeless run by the local churches. It did so despite opposition from the families and carers of those who used the centre, local GP's, the local churches, local Chiswick Councillors and our local MP Mary Macleod. The site has now been sold and is being redeveloped. Those of us with longer memories will remember when Hounslow's Labour Council tried to shut down and sell off New Chiswick Pool in Edensor Road, Chiswick  but was prevented from doing so by an effective campaign by local residents. For all of these reasons, and more, it is important that Chiswick, Brentford, Isleworth and Syon elect a large number of Conservative Councillors on Thursday.

David Giles ● 4106d13 Comments ● 4104d

I am one of the Conservative Candidates for Syon

I said to myself I would not get involved in the debates on this forum because many of them start well but then individuals can’t help themselves.  it’s those same individuals who deny that they are politicians on one hand, whilst running a spectacular negative campaign to discredit their political opponents on the other. Anyway as you can tell I have been an interested spectator here; but I am not especially interested in political point scoring or denial of politics. Instead I am using this piece to introduce myself to those whom I may not have had the pleasure to meet on the door step as yet. I am 32 year old man and a resident of Brentford for the past 12 years. I was raised in several foster homes throughout my early teens under the watchful eye Hounslow Borough Council and the good people of Hounslow Social Services. Indeed it was my sixth foster home in 1997 that finally turned out to be my last and I am well aware that I was extremely lucky because many young people that I knew growing up with during that turbulent period of our lives have gone the other way as adults. I am still in touch with a few of them but I am also proud to say that a lucky few have gone to be successful in their own right. The unfortunate ones have to my knowledge, disappeared and a handful are serving or have served time in prison.I was fortunate to come through to the other side largely due to the kindness of my foster parents, but also because of the safety net that was provided by Hounslow Social Services.  I am standing as a Conservative because I believe we all have aspirations and that a safety net of a community is vital to all of us. The local Government therefore needs to offer a service that supports us all but only doing so in a smart, professional and a cost effective way. I believe Hounslow Borough has done great things to support our vulnerable resident in years gone by and I am happy to say that I am a case in point; but somewhere in the last few years it has lost its way. That safety net is now shadow of its former self. I am standing because I believe that the Conservative Party are the only local group with a serious plan to deliver better services at a good value cost to our community of residents. Our local Conservative Party was one of the first administrations to freeze council tax long before it was fashionable. We simplified things so that services were easily accessible and brought in some of the best officers available to deliver on our promises.We all have read about the recent economic figures that were achieved nationally under the steadfast leadership of David Cameron. So it follows that Conservative Party are about delivering on our promises both nationally and locally.I am proud to say that the Conservative ARE a political group made of people like me and you who live in community. I for one I am a games teacher and rugby coach. My colleagues David Gerrey, Ranjit Gill and I are not professional politicians, but We know that we have enough experience to deliver a professional service to our residents.  At these times where we need more than ever a smarter Local Government  that delivers services to its residents in a cost effective way - it is so important that we look beyond political posturing and name calling and look instead at who is best positioned to deliver on your vision for Syon.  There serious issues about schools, public service, our high street, cleanliness, housing, parking and pollution. We don't need petty negative campaigning to win the augment.  If the recent National economic figures are anything to go by, the Conservative Party is delivering on its promises nationally and they say - the apple doesn't fall far from the Conservative Party tree! Please vote on Thursday. Ron Mushiso

Ronald Mushiso ● 4106d15 Comments ● 4105d

Halal Meat

Halal Meat Muslims say a prayer before they kill an animal. Christians say a prayer before they eat it. I'm not sure why either of these practices should be thought particularly offensive. How on earth does eating a piece of meat or poultry that has been slaughtered with a prayer equate to accepting or supporting a religious practice? Why are you so threatened if a person has said a couple of words in Arabic beforehand? With so much crap going on in the world it's ridiculous (and frankly embarrassing) that this is something of major concern to the extent that it is creating so many headlines. Granted, people should be told if they are eating halal meat, but the vitriolic responses are becoming increasingly disturbing. This is not about food standards, it is not about 'defending' a secular society, it is not about labelling or consumer rights or animal welfare. This is about the fact that some people just don't like Muslims.Slaughterhouses are businesses, they also have "the right to choose" to conduct and practice their business in whichever way they wish in order to maximise their customer base. Pizza Express and other restaurants also have "the right to choose" what their menu consists of, again in order to maximise their customer base. Both halal-compliant slaughterhouses and Pizza Express are doing just that, nothing sinister or malicious or untoward. You have the right as the consumer to choose what you buy/eat, sure, which is why it's important that products are labelled well and that, say, places which use halal meat say that they do. Which Pizza Express was doing anyway. This wasn't a secret, the company are pretty clear about it on their website and if this matters so much to you then surely in order to exercise your "right to choose" as a consumer and decide whether/not to eat there you have to actually go and do some research? If you want to be an engaged consumer you have to actually be an engaged consumer, you can't expect everybody to do it for you, you have to ask. When you buy a chocolate bar, do you expect somebody to rush up to you and say 'BY THE WAY THAT CONTAINS NUTS~!' or do you read the packaging?This is a story about lazy people who couldn't be bothered to act like engaged consumers and are horrified to find out that they were 'unwittingly' being given something they never asked not to be given in the first place. That is all it is. My only concern is mislabeling food. If it is halal - it should be labelled as such. For example, the branches of subway which sell halal meat clearly show it. So, you have a choice - go in and buy halal food or not. In the case of supermarkets selling meat which is actually halal but not clearly labelled, this should change. Just like for a muslim it is important they eat halal eat meat it is important for some people (e.g. Sikhs) that their meat not be ritually slaughtered. In regards to animal welfare its a load of bullcrap. Ask the animal how it feels when it's life is taken. Calling it 'humane' is just nonsense. These type of news articles are purely about inciting hatred - the only ones who don't see it are the ones who truly believe that they have a right to hate on another group of people purely by what they believe. As my son asked "All our tongues are the same colour so why do they hate us daddy?" You guys can eat anything even pigs that roll in their own filth but you wont eat HALAL which is clean meat.  You know, the bible also says you shouldn't eat pork as it is 'unclean'.....just saying for all of you stating this is a christian country. Bit of course it's nothing to do with the meat, it's just another excuse to have a pop at Muslims isn't it. I for one am proud to live in a multicultural society and am glad that my child is growing up in one. I would hate for her to grow up as a little Englander with a hateful, narrow view of the world and frightened of anything even remotely different to her. Pork is banned in the christian religion. Read the bible and find out. Stop this vendetta against Halal meat......how many will get an Asian / Indian halal curry after a night Boozing! And as usual I bet the Muslim parents wouldn't have an issue with pork etc as long it was served n cooked separately to the Halal food which would also apply if catering for vegetarians and non vegetarians!! British Muslims have every right to be catered for. They are as British as the rest. I think people are worried in case the ritual prayers are in fact spells which will turn them all into Muslims. This week's row has got nothing all to do with animal welfare. The fuss is about people's fears over the covert Islamification of society. You may or may not agree that concerns are realistic or even legitimate, but food suppliers and others concerned ought not to deny that it is an issue or answer criticisms honestly. I don't think eating halal meat actually turns you into a Muslim. This time it is aimed at Muslims. However assaults on ritual slaughter have a long history in terms of European anti-Semitism. This is just more of the same, prejudice dressed up as concern for animal welfare. Taking lives, foods and shelters of others are cruelty, so, don't take meat, fish and vegetables  for food because they have lives. Don't milk animals because they are their babies food. Don't take drinks because they are the abodes of so many living creatures. Don't let mothers do breast-feeding because it harms their beauty.....Just be the champion of saints of mankind! "  - Do this words sounds funny? Hope, don't for those champions who are the modern advocates of "RIGHTS". Stunning is unethical. Stunning causes the animal SO much pain. Halal is HUMANE and CARING to the animal. Denmark is a country that SUPPORTS animal cruelty. Science has shown the Halal is peaceful. Science has shown that stunning causes animals PAIN and SUFFERING. Centuries ago people were more natural. Stop perverted GMO and perverted food practices. Islam is the best way of life.Birmingham school says sorry for serving non-Halal meat to Muslim pupils. Council catering staff had wrongly dished up the non-Halal food to Muslim pupils on December 12, but details have only just come to light. On Monday parents received a letter from Craig Jansen, head of the 1,400-pupil secondary school and sixth form, in which he apologised unreservedly for the incident. There are hundreds  of state and church schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies so that non-Muslim children could enjoy their own meals in their own schools. IA London School of Islamics Trust    

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4110d13 Comments ● 4105d

Once again Labour is scaremongering about the NHS

The Labour Party, as usual, has so little positive to say that it is now once again scaremongering about the NHS alleging that the Government wishes to close the A&E service at Charing Cross Hospital. Nothing could be further from the truth.Way back when we had a Labour Government, NHS North London originally proposed to downgrade Charing Cross Hospital to little more than a glorified GP's surgery like Chiswick Health Centre.Labour Controlled Hounslow Council originally supported these plans perhaps because it favours the West Middlesex Hospital over Charing Cross Hospital. This is of course completely wrong- we need both.However these original plans were rejected by the local Chiswick Conservative Councillors at a meeting of the Chiswick Area Forum in October 2012 which passed a motion to that effect. Local Conservatives believe that the retention of A&E at Charing Cross and the West Middlesex is essential and have continued to make representations to that effect through our local Conservative MP, Mary Macleod, to the Conservative Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP. The Secretary of State is far more likely to listen to Conservative MP's and Councillors on this issue than to Labour ones. Thanks to pressure from local Conservatives and others, the NHS now proposes that, far from being down-graded, Charing Cross will become a world class centre for elective surgery and remain an important A&E centre. This is a vast improvement on the original proposals. These changes are supported by clinicians and by local GP's and by those who have taken the trouble to examine the proposals in detail. These proposals will save lives and lead to an improvement both in elective surgery and in A&E services. Charing Cross Hospital will get the long term investment it badly needs and Brentford  residents will continue to be able to avail of its services. The Labour Party should stop alarming and worrying local residents by spreading false rumours about Charing Cross Hospital in an attempt to hide Labour's poor record on the NHS when it was in power and to trick people into voting Labour at the Borough Elections on Thursday.The Labour Party has nothing to offer Brentford residents except the possible downgrading and reduction in size of Chiswick Library following on from Labour's totally heartless and unnecessary closure of the much loved and very vital Chiswick Day Centre a few years ago. If you want to save Charing Cross Hospital and Chiswick Library, vote Conservative !

David Giles ● 4106d2 Comments ● 4106d

A Future for Muslim Schools

Muslim children not only need halal meat or Eid Holidays but they need state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers as role models during their development period also. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school. Legally, the state has an obligation to respect the rights of parents to ensure that 'education and teaching(of their children) is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.' The schools must satisfy the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural needs of Muslim pupils. State schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers are not in a position to satisfy their needs. A good school is not just a knowledge factory or a conveyor belt for churning out exam passes - it is a community, a family. A community is held together by common values and principles.Western media and politicians have been trying their best to propagate against Muslim schools. Muslim schools are even called Osama bin Laden Academies by a Teaching Union. Only less than 5% of Muslim children attend Muslim schools while more than 95% are in state schools to be mis-educated and de-educated by non-Muslim monolingual teachers. The demand for state funded Muslim schools is in accordance with the law of the land. Muslim community is not asking for any favour. Muslim community pays all sorts of taxes and is less burden on social services. Church leaders say it is no longer "appropriate" for them to run Sacred Heart RC Primary School which has just six Christian pupils. The school in Blackburn, Lancs, could be handed to the nearby Masjid-e-Tauheedul mosque.The Muslim community has been passing through a phase of fourth Crusades. The battleground is the field of education, where the young generation will be educated properly with the Holly Quran in one hand and Sciences in other hand to serve the British society and the world at large. A true Muslim is a citizen of the world, which has become a small global village. We are going to prepare our youth to achieve that objective in the long run. A true Muslim believes in Prophet Moses and the Prophet Jesus and without them one cannot be a Muslim. My suggestion is that in all state, independent and Christian based school special attention should be given to the teaching of Comparative Religion and Islam should be taught by qualified Muslim Teachers to make the children aware the closeness of Islam to Christianity and Judaism which will help them to think about Islam, as “A Pragmatic and Modern Way of Life,” during their life time. The demand for Muslim schools comes from parents who want their children a safe environment with an Islamic ethos. Parents see Muslim schools where children can develop their Islamic Identity where they won't feel stigmatised for being Muslims and they can feel confident about their faith. Muslim schools are working to try to create a bridge between communities. There is a belief among ethnic minority parents that the British schooling does not adequately address their cultural needs. Failing to meet this need could result in feeling resentment among a group who already feel excluded. Setting up Muslim school is a defensive response. State schools with monolingual teachers are not capable to teach English to bilingual Muslim children. Bilingual teachers are needed to teach English to such children along with their mother tongue. According to a number of studies, a child will not learn a second language if his first language is ignored.It is absurd to believe that Muslim schools, Imams and Masajid teach Muslim children anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-western views. It is dangerously deceptive and misleading to address text books and discuss them out of their historical, cultural and linguistic context. It is not wrong to teach children that Jews are committing the same cruelty in Palestine what German did to them before or during Second World War. It is not wrong to teach children that anti-social behaviour, drinking, drugs, homosexuality, sex before marriage, teenage pregnancies and abortions are western values and Islam is against all such sins. This does not mean that Muslim schools teach children to hate westerners, Jews and homosexuals.Extremism, homophobia and anti-Semitism are nothing to do with Islamic teachings and beliefs. Islam does not teach that Jews and Christians are pigs and monkeys. The Policy Exchange Think-tank should concentrate on institutionally racist British schooling with chicken racist teachers. Muslim parents do not want their children with behaviour problems that include unprovoked aggression, promiscuity, violence, eating disorder, bullying and alcohol. According to ATL, teachers believe behaviour is worse than it was five years ago, with even five year olds being disrespectful, intimidating and violent. This is the true picture of British broken society and the Muslim community does not want to be integrated. The British government is again asking us, Muslims, to adopt the" British values" and to integrate fully into the British way of life. But many so called "British values" are not acceptable to us. The Muslims don't want to integrate or abide by western law. Just because they don´t want to wear nude clothes or at least cloth that can show how big her breast are... so these people failed to integrate. Just because they don't like free sex, then these people failed again. What a dirty Bush mind you have! British schooling and the British society is the home of institutional racism. The result is that Muslim children are unable to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, therefore, majority of them leaves schools with low grades. Racism is deeply rooted in British society. British schools are not doing enough to tackle racism and promote race relations. Many teachers are unaware of racist attitudes amongst pupils. Schools have a responsibility not only to deal with racist incidents but also to prepare pupils for life in a multicultural and multiracial society. At least one racist incident is reported daily in Bolton schools, according to stats obtained from Bolton Council by Mancunian Matters. Bolton Council of Mosques Manager, Ibrahim Kala, said the data is only the “tip of the iceberg” and that Islamophobia makes up a large portion of the reported incidents. Stats obtained through the Freedom of Information request show 2,397 cases of racism in Bolton schools in the years from 2004 to 2013, meaning on average there are 1.26 racist incidents occur daily – and these are only the ones being reported. British society must learn to respect and tolerate those who are different. God has created diverse human beings to live in this tiny global village of one family. Creation by its very nature is diverse with different species, different communities, different cultures and languages. These differences represent the beauty and wonder but diversity is sometimes not fully appreciated, resulting in all sorts of clashes. The British society and Establishment must learn to respect and accommodate others, as if in a family. A report by the Institute for Community Cohesion found that native parents were deserting some schools after finding their children outnumbered by pupils from ethnic minorities. Schools in parts of England are becoming increasingly segregated. The study focused on 13 local authorities. Many of the schools and colleges are segregated and this was generally worsening over recent years. This is RACISM because British society is the home of institutional racism. A study by Bristol University reveals that a high level of racial segregation in Oldham schools and tension between communities resulted in recent riots in 2001. The solution is that those schools where Muslim children are majority may be designated as Muslim community schools. The native parents do not want their children to be educated along with migrant children. As soon as they find that the number of other children is on the increase, they remove their children to those schools where native children are in majority.Truth is always bitter. You must learn to listen to those who are culturally, linguistically and spiritually different. Education is should be more than providing pupils with the skills they need to get a job or enter university: we should not forget that we have a duty to pass on a body of knowledge through generations.Prince Charles, while visiting the first grant maintained Muslim school in north London, said that the pupils would be the future ambassadors of Islam. But what about thousands of others, who attend state schools, deemed to be "sink schools"? You better teach your children in your own schools and let migrant communities teach their children according to their needs and demands. British Establishment and society should concentrate on the evils of their own society and stop trying to change the way of life of Muslims. Muslim community does not want to integrate with the British society, indulging in incivility, anti-social behaviour, drug and knife culture, binge drinking, teenage pregnancies and abortion. In education, there should be a choice and at present it is denied to the Muslim community. In the late 80s and early 90s, when I floated the idea of Muslim community schools, I was declared a "school hijacker" by an editorial in the Newham Recorder newspaper. This clearly shows that the British media does not believe in choice and diversity in the field of education and has no respect for those who are different. Muslim schools, in spite of meager resources, have excelled to a further extent this year, with couple of schools achieving 100% A-C grades for five or more GCSEs. They beat well resourced state and independent schools in Birmingham and Hackney.  Muslim schools are doing better because a majority of the teachers are Muslim. The pupils are not exposed to the pressures of racism, multiculturalism and bullying.  According to a recent report, Muslim schools performed best overall, although they constitute only a fraction of the country's 7000 schools. Muslim schools do well because of their Islamic ethos and a focus on traditional discipline and teaching methods. They teach children what is right and what is wrong, because young children need structured guidance. You better teach your children in your own schools and let migrant communities teach their children according to their needs and demands. British Establishment and society should concentrate on the evils of their own society and stop trying to change the way of life of Muslims. Muslim community does not want to integrate with the British society, indulging in incivility, anti-social behaviour, drug and knife culture, binge drinking, teenage pregnancies and abortion.  Prince Charles, while visiting the first grant maintained Muslim school in north London, said that the pupils would be the future ambassadors of Islam. But what about thousands of others, who attend state schools deemed to be "sink schools"? In education, there should be a choice and at present it is denied to the Muslim community. In the late 80s and early 90s, when I floated the idea of Muslim community schools, I was declared a "school hijacker" by an editorial in the Newham Recorder newspaper in east London. This clearly shows that the British media does not believe in choice and diversity in the field of education and has no respect for those who are different. Muslim schools, in spite of meager resources, have excelled to a further extent this year, with couple of schools achieving 100% A-C grades for five or more GCSEs. They beat well resourced state and independent schools in Birmingham and Hackney.  Muslim schools are doing better because a majority of the teachers are Muslim. The pupils are not exposed to the pressures of racism, multiculturalism and bullying. There are hundreds of state primary and secondary schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion all such schools may be opted out to become Muslim Academies. This mean the Muslim children will get a decent education. Muslim schools turned out balanced citizens, more tolerant of others and less likely to succumb to criminality or extremism. Muslim schools give young people confidence in who they are and an understanding of Islam’s teaching of tolerance and respect which prepares them for a positive and fulfilling role in society. Muslim schools are attractive to Muslim parents because they have better discipline and teaching Islamic values. Children like discipline, structure and boundaries. Bilingual Muslim children need Bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods, who understand their needs and demands.IALondon School of Islamics Trust

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 4117d13 Comments ● 4110d

Meet the Brentford UKIP candidate.

Dr Ryan Thomas CEng MIMechE.Follow me on Twitter: @ryanthomas2013About me: I graduated from Cardiff University with a degree and a PhD in mechanical engineering in 1999.  Following this I joined the British Army and in December 2000 was commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.  I completed 9 years of service, which included two tours of duty, one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan.  My first job upon leaving the army was in financial services, but since 2011 I have worked in construction in the water industry as a SCADA project manager.  I moved to Brentford in 2012.My politics: I believe that individual responsibility, self-reliance and consideration for others are the cornerstones of building a strong, vibrant and prosperous community which allows constituents to realise their full potential whilst the vulnerable are also protected.  The council exists to serve the community and not the other way around.  They only have power because we give it to them, and they only have money because we pay it to them.  For me the role of the council is clear, it provides services and an administrative capability in order to serve the community.    We decide what we want, and we pay our money to fund those activities accordingly.  If the council is not spending our money on services that we require, then it should give it back.My main concerns:Education.  As a society our prosperity depends upon our ability to develop our human capital - the bedrock for this is a solid education.  Are we providing enough school spaces?  Are our teachers of the required quality?  How do we support apprenticeships and further education colleges?  How do we support tertiary education establishments?  How do we help adults that want to re-skill or learn new skills?  Are our libraries relevant and if not what can we do to improve them?  To be clear: I am a massive supporter of libraries and believe they provide an essential public service, if they are ever under threat I will always fight to ensure that they are maintained.Activities and opportunities for young people.  After school clubs, sports clubs, Scouts, Brownies, Girl Guides, cadet forces, Duke of Edinburgh Award.  I believe that challenging our children, and exposing them to risk-taking opportunities in a safe and controlled environment is essential in developing their non-academic skill-sets.  If elected I would be a strong supporter of activities and opportunities for young people.Health.  Is the council catering for the community's needs and is it meeting its statutory obligations? What more can we do to make our roads safer for cyclists to encourage more cycling; is there more we can do to encourage people to walk more?Business and commerce.  Local government cannot create jobs but it can create the conditions that encourage businesses to grow, invest and recruit.  Our local businesses are our Crown Jewels and our golden geese all rolled into one.  What do they need from the council to make doing business easier? What more can the council do for them and why isn't it already doing it? What more can we do to encourage businesses to establish themselves in the borough?I believe in a smaller, leaner council and holding it scrupulously to accountWhat I am against: Crime. Anti-social behaviour.  CPZs. A bigger council. Regulations. Giving money away for zero return. Waste.The Lionel Road development and the re-development of the current Brentford Football Club site will clearly have a massive impact on Brentford in the coming years.  How can we minimise the adverse impact on existing residents while maximising the opportunities these projects will bring?

Ryan Thomas ● 4136d14 Comments ● 4124d

Last chance to sign up to free Outdoor Events training!

Whether you are a seasoned planner or first time organiser, Hounslow Heart of Events is a free, two day seminar to develop your skills in planning an outdoor event and how to work towards delivering a safe and successful outdoor event in the borough.  This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone wanting to develop skills and knowledge in event management:o How to write and event management plano What to include in a risk assessment for an evento What will attract people to your event and how do you measure their experienceso Gain a better understanding about licensing events and when you do or don’t need to have them for your evento Collect top tips in sourcing and contracting suppliers, performers and recruiting volunteerso How to fund your event and secure sponsorship and budget for an evento How to approach and involve Local partners and organisations in your evento What you should to have in place to ensure your event is legally compliantThe training is led by industry professionals who deliver the course in manageable bite size pieces in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, further information on the course outline can be found online www.hounslow.info/heartofeventsDates: Monday 28th April 9.30-4pm and Friday 9th May 9.30-4pmVenue: CAN Mezzanine, 2nd Floor Treaty Centre, Hounslow, TW3 1ES (second floor of Hounslow library)Please register your interest: Thursday 24th April 4pm by completed and returning the application form on the website to hounslowevents@carillionservices.co.uk

Amy Curtis ● 4134d0 Comments ● 4134d

Why I have to go

I have lived in Brentford, to be precise Mafeking Avenue for 33 years. I remember that in the early days the plan was to re build the High Street, and change the Green Dragon Lane estate. Today the high street is mainly the same, with the exception of that a number of companies have closed down, or gone somewhere else. Of course the Green Dragon estate has improved, but the Tower Blocks remain the same eyesore. Whilst most London boroughs have demolished their High rise blocks, Hounslow intend to build adverts on the top of theirs, and of course have given the only piece of green land on the estate to a developer. As time goes by the estate will get older and one day it will have to be pulled down and re built. Meanwhile every piece of spare land is now being built on and it is indiscriminate. There is no plan, and no one at the council gives a dam. To them more residents equals more income. That's it, full stop.I have had many careers here, Truck driver; shop manager; teacher; lecturer. I retired "early" from teaching because I had just got tired of the continual changes. (Why is it that every government thinks it is an expert on education).However after spending lots of money on training, and a huge amount on tools; stock; indemnity insurance; van insurance and tax I started a home security service, or more commonly known as a locksmith company.The CPZ is the final straw for me; I don't have regular hours of work; some days I have no work at all, others I work long and late hours. I also own a car, because when I visit friends or go out for a day I don't really want to drive around in a van, so I have a car as well. Yes it is taxed and insured and it has an M o T. Am I breaking any law? No, but come the CPZ I probably will be, I don't agree with paying road tax; and council tax, and then another tax so that I can park where I live and have paid council tax for.So after 33 years I am selling up and heading somewhere less crowded; where there are no CPZ's, and where the council cares about the environment and uses planning laws properly. Where they wont ok large advertising signs on the motorway encouraging people to drive without due care and attention, and where they wont take every opportunity to milk the motorist dry.For those selfish people who want the CPZ's, I have to ask why? Less cars in the street during the day? What difference does it really make? There will be less parking places at night too, so it is a tax to have less of something.  When Hounslow finally runs out of things to sell; when there is no where else to build and they cannot put up the council tax they will put up the charges. Your cost of living will also go up as like most trades people if I have to go in to the congestion zone I add that to the bill, when you have trades people visit you will be buying the ticket. I can go on and on, Hounslow is with out any doubt in my mind one of the worst councils I know of. Whose fault is it? well it's ours. Those of us who cannot be bothered to vote, or more importantly stand as an independent councillor because that is what Hounslow needs. People who want to do the best for Brentford, not sell it so that those in Hounslow can go on and on throwing money away.So I leave in two or three months. If you want a new lock fitted be quick! Paul Wilson (www.ilocksecurity.co.uk)

Paul Wilson ● 4145d10 Comments ● 4138d

Poor street lighting makes BBCtv

The rather poor street lighting PFI scheme Hounslow managed to get conned into has now made BBC news.It's not really a surprise, the whole deal is a monumental cock up which makes one wonder just why again and again, councils get duped into such spiv like deals.The LED is a big advance in public lighting but so much is still untried and untested technology. To the point that many authorities are sitting it out until it is tried and tested.It is still at a point where trials are taking place and designs fine tuned.Not this one though. LBH have dived into to a contract which is being regarded in the industry as 'naive and careless'.It is being done with very poor design standards, with no consultation and as we have seen in Boston Manor road, no regard for aesthetics or specially designed street furniture designed and paid for not by LBH but by GSK as part of section 106 to improve the environs of Brentford and Boston Manor.The lack of quality design and planning means lighting is placed without regard to obstructions like trees and buildings.The LED lantern is so basic that it cannot be positioned without directing light into windows and casts hard shadows which compromises street safety.To hear the guff from a Cllr Ellar and some other chap about quality and care at last months farce of a forum meeting, one wonders how they have not been fleeced of all their clothes. They are that gullible.Most of Hounslow's street lighting is quite young and way off it's life expectancy. It was a PFI that simply was not needed.  As for light pollution, well 80% of the boroughs light polluting  sodium lighting was replaced already. One of the first boroughs to do so 25 years ago .Thanks to the chap at the meeting who explained all this in such detail to me a few weeks back.

Anthony Waller ● 4150d9 Comments ● 4145d

'Heartbleed' Bug: Change ALL Of Your Passwords Warn Security Experts

'Heartbleed bug' exposes encryption keys; How to test your favourite sites for safetyNot much consumers can do to fix the problem.Published 09 April 2014  |  Brownie MarieEmail Print Text Size Larger SmallerMore Sharing Services ShareCodenomiconA flaw in the popular OpenSSL software has left millions of people vulnerable to having their banking information, tax files, emails, and other online data exposed. And there's no way to know if someone has accessed your information.Nicknamed "Heartbleed," the "bug" is actually a weakness in OpenSSL's cryptographic software that makes SSL/TLS encryption backfire on computer users. The "https" protocol that is supposed to identify a secure website is actually a signal to hackers that the site is vulnerable to cyber attack. The hackers can then trick a computer's server into sending data stored in its memory.Google security researcher Neel Mehta was the first to discover Heartbleed, and the weakness was confirmed by internet security firm Codenomicon. Alarmingly, researchers found that the Heartbleed flaw has been in OpenSSL for two years. It is unknown if attacks have been carried out, because exploiting the software loophole leaves no trace.In addition to exposing users' passwords, personal files, and credit card information, hackers can also steal encryption keys-- the code that translates computer-generated nonsense into usable information."It may even be able to use the secret key to impersonate the server, tricking users into divulging their password and other sensitive information," Vox Media wrote.Codenomicon states that because of the wide-spread use of OpenSSL and the untraceability of Heartbleed, consider your accounts compromised."You are likely to be affected either directly or indirectly," their website, Heartbleed.com states. "OpenSSL is the most popular open source cryptographic library and TLS (transport layer security) implementation used to encrypt traffic on the Internet. Your popular social site, your company's site, commercial site, hobby site, sites you install software from or even sites run by your government might be using vulnerable OpenSSL."To end Heartbleed's hold on the server, vendors and service providers must adopt the Fixed OpenSSL, which was released Monday."Operating system vendors and distribution, appliance vendors, independent software vendors have to adopt the fix and notify their users," Codenomicon instructs. "Service providers and users have to install the fix as it becomes available for the operating systems, networked appliances and software they use."Changing your passwords before the server has adopted Fixed OpenSSL is useless. As of today, most of the major websites, including Yahoo, Google, and Facebook, have fixed the problem. To check if a website has installed the updated OpenSSL software, visit http://filippo.io/Heartbleed/....................................................................,,...................................................................................................................................................................................................................Yahoo Among Millions of Websites Vulnerable to 'Heartbleed' OpenSSL Security BugA new security bug has been found in OpenSSL, the cryptographic library that secures most of the internet's websites, and Yahoo is one of the of the most well-known domains known to have been compromised.Security researchers are very concerned as the bug - dubbed Heartbleed - has been around for two years and affects encryption of data sent over the internet, meaning users' passwords and other sensitive data are open to being spied on.Other websites featured on the top 1,000 websites list compiled by Mustafa Al-Bassam (a former member of the LulzSec hacker collective who is now a computer science student) include popular websites like Imgur, Flickr, OKCupid, WeTransfer, Eventbrite, Web.de, Outbrain, Stackexchange and Kickass Torrents.It will be difficult to discover if or when you have been compromised as attackers are able to exploit the flaw without leaving any trace of their presence.    What is OpenSSL?    OpenSSL is the software library used in servers, operating systems, email and instant messaging systems to protect internet traffic as it travels back and forth. More than 53% of the web servers which host more than 500 million websites use the software which relies on OpenSSL    (Source: NetCraft)DiscoveredThe bug was first brought to light by security firm Codenomicon, who attempted to attack their own servers:"We have tested some of our own services from attacker's perspective. We attacked ourselves from outside, without leaving a trace. Without using any privileged information or credentials we were able steal from ourselves the secret keys used for our X.509 certificates, user names and passwords, instant messages, emails and business critical documents and communication," they wrote on an in-depth information page.Codenomicon adds that anyone on the internet exploiting the flaw will be able to read the memory of a machine that's protected by a vulnerable version of the OpenSSL library.Security researcher Filippo Valsorda has developed an online test that allows anyone to find out whether a server is vulnerable to being attacked, simply by entering the server's hostname.Not an TLS/SSL flawA new version of OpenSSL, version 1.0.1g is now available to download to patch the flaw, which was caused by an implementation problem in the OpenSSL cryptography library, not a design flaw in SSL/TLS - the protocols used to provide secure communication online."There is no flaw in the TLS protocol or the way it is designed, it's simply an implementation bug that has a catastrophic failure mode. The error is the code equivalent of a typo. But some typos are worse than others," explains Paco Hope, Principal Consultant, at Cigital, a consulting firm which helps organisations to develop secure software."The vulnerabilities in the software you use matter just as much as vulnerabilities in code you write. Finding and fixing such bugs requires applying security throughout the software lifecycle and on all the relevant code, not exclusively at the end and not just exclusively on code you write. And if you acquire software from third parties, you care about what they integrate into the product as much as what they write for you."Fox IT has published a list of indicators that can help companies to identify if their servers may be vulnerable.According to Fox IT, attackers can retrieve the source code of the website, usernames and passwords, as well as private SSL keys.

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