Blog 500 16th October 2025

When Kathleen Richardson suggested I might write a weekly update for BrentfordTW8.com I had never written anything much. It sounded interesting, as I had just really started a new life as a councillor, having spent most of my life working in industry, originally as a financial clerk, then as an accountant and latterly as an executive. I knew little about being a councillor and knew I had a lot to learn. Communication was important as a new-minted politician so I embarked on this experiment. I had no idea I would survive for 10 years as a councillor (I was already 63 when I started) nor that I would ever reach the milestone of a 500th blog.

Mostly, writing the blog (and being a councillor, especially without the burden of a party!)h as been a blast for me. I amuse myself writing it and I hoped it was enjoyed by some local residents. Over the years quite a few people have told me they enjoy it and a few that it was crashingly boring and I should give it up. I guess not everyone liked Shakespeare either (I find it hard work myself) but he persisted. Enough on that thread. I am rather proud to be reaching 500. More to come up to next April and I hope another couple of hundred after that if I catch the electors' eye in the election next May. I thank my readers, whether they like or hate it, because they have encouraged me in my little hobby!

So last week I finished talking about fines. I notice the council is making a virtue about fining people £1000 for - in the cases I see - minor or sometimes imaginary transgressions. I hate flytipping and dedicated 6 years of my life trying to manage that. I invented (together with excellent officers) a dedicated approach to targeting flytipping. I rather daftky, perhaps, insusted it should be modelled on the SAS and therefore called the Special Waste Service. We started in Kingsley Road Hounslow, which was always overrun with flytipping. The new service successfully eradicated the problem there by having dedicated operatives, a proper thought through approach, and fines of up to £300 when problems persisted. The service more or less paid for itself via the fines and supported a team of 5. When I led development of the Labour manifesto for the 2022 election I made sure we planned to build on that success, in a matter that really upsets residents across the borough. The manifesto says: "Over the next four years, we will extend the SWS to cover all fly tipping hot spots across the borough and reducing fly tipping by 25%"

When I was on Cabinet, flytipping was one of the worst records in England and I was determined to tackle it. It had been inexorably increasing - from 20,000 incidents when I was first elected to nearly 34,000 by 2021. After we started SWS it immediately went down to 26,000. Still much too much but down 22% in one year. It seems the manifesto commitment has been forgotten, together with too many promises we made. There are now only 3 people in the service trying to cover the whole borough, but we have other people, many employed by a parking company APCOA which have a shining record of prosecuting a 5 year old and fining her £1000 in Harrow. I think the regime we now have is unethical and has little prospect of reducing fly tipping because it seems to be aimed at generating revenue rather than tacking the issue. Numbers aren't published yet for the year to March 2025, but guess what - flytipping had started climbing again in the year to March 2024. I fear that increase will repeat.

At least one of the victims amongst our residents that have been prosecuted will certainly be going to court. They will be accompanied by me and by a retired magistrate (I am told) who seems to agree with me, that this is an abuse of power mirroring the approach of Trump and (in a modest way) the oppressive regimes we see throughout history.

OK that is off my chest. On Friday I had my appointment with our excellent Eye Boutique. It is not quite the ball it was when it was run by Mr Stewart-Duncan, who made Donald Trump look like a woke liberal but was a very entertaining man whose company I loved. The new regime is less eccentric but still a pleasure to visit until you come to the bit where they tot up the bill when you decide on a new pair.

Later I went up to Boston Manor Road to check if there had been any progress on the alley between residents' gardens and the allotments in Ealing. There had been none, and there were other matters that we really can't blame Ealing for. The alley between the houses is out of control as well so we need to get our residents weaving.

In the alley to the allotments It had of course got worse, with brambles from the allotments making the alley now impenetrable.

I wasn't brave enoughto go through that as I had forgotten my machete. The vines are beginning again to take over the shed and what fences are left. I have a draft of a small court claim in my tray and we will proceed if nothing is done tomorrow (Friday) as promised.

Outside on the road I spied a dead moped and was just opening up Fix My Street when one of the guys I know from Hounslow Highways appeared on the street. Coincidentally he had just reported this so he saved me a small job.

The alleged ambulance opposite the Boston Cafe has now sprouted a third parking ticket. Needs some more effective action. Must urge Hounslow Highways or enforcement to get on with it!

More positive, two new tiny stalls have opened in the place where the bookstore once was. In addition to the bike repair place, the cobbler/key cutter and the little florist we now have an artist, and a lady with very exotic looking dresses. She tells me she has come here from Congo via the Shepherd's Bush market and it is lovely to see a bit of action. Take a look. This is exactly what I think we need in Brentford to support our small businesses and make our town lively!

On Sunday we had our collective surgery in the Digital Dock. On this occasion Katherine was away so it was only me and Dan and not a single 'customer' similar to my recent surgeries at the Library.

After the surgery I was up to the road outside the Kings Arms. Air Quality Brentford were calling for help planting bulbs on the bank between the pub and Boston Manor Road. About a dozen locals there with their trowels. I was instructed to plans some things that looked like walnuts but I have to confirm I am not a patch on Monty Don so there is every chance the bulbs will try to grow downhill.

Then it was Enfield Road to meet a man who had a parking ticket that he said was wrongly issued. I am always told that I may end up locked in the Tower for complaining about a judicial matter but you may have noticed I do sometimes take the risk. In this case it was beedin' obvious that it was a mistake. There was an old yellow line that had been painted over with black paint. But the black paint had worn away and a parking attendant responded with the traditional cry 'Aha, we've got one'. Not really his fault but I was pleased to get an instant apology from the council and the ticket cancelled. No jail for me and a contribution to the country's GDP because there will be a small boon in the black paint market.

On Monday I had an abstemious visit to The Globe. The people from Jackson who are doing the work under the main contractor Connect Plus. They send me a weekly update which rarely changes much - they are doing this job more or less to their timetable.

I find the whole thing unsatisfactory for two reasons which I've probably banged on about before: a) they insist on blocking Windmill Road which I think is a choice they make (I observed if the King was travelling along Windmill they would find a different way of doing it) and b) I think the M4 will eventually fall down and messing about with the pillars (which they have been doing for 20 years and plan on continuing do for 20 years more) seems to me to be putting Elastoplast on a large wound. I am arguing (quietly so far) in favour of amputation. Put the whole thing underground through Brentford and give us our town back. I see Hammersmith are making the same argument for their dinky flyover which I remember them doing 30 years ago. Putting the M4 in a tunnel will probably not happen until next year at the earliest. After all it took from 1802 to 1990 to build the Channel Tunnel so persistence is the thing.

On Tuesday I actually went for my AI tutorial in the Digital Dock, as threatened last week. A very smart woman originally from Portugal gave me the lowdown, and we discussed how to use it. She had various examples but one that was about writing a book took my attention. She is insistent (thank the lord) on AI being a tool to be used to help with things done by humans rather than as a replacement. She has been talking to the council about providing a space for her Community Interest Company - ie non-profit - to do her tutorials but they say they have no space for that, though have agreed for her to use the Digital Dock at certain times.We had a conversation about the library which has been adapted precisely for things like this and is largely unused. Another task for me to try to move forward.

In the evening I attended a session with Ballymore on their progress and plans. Their colour coding is a bit dodgy but the rust colour bit at each end - the car park and the block from Gails to the church is done, bar some finishing bits on the church. The white bit is the council - completed apart from deserted shops. The yellow bit, including Town Wharf in the middle, is under construction. The blue bit is still in discussion with planning and the green bit (in my 'umble opinion the only decent bit of the car park block - it is slightly quirky flats rather like Amsterdam streets - is on the back burner because it is currently the home to some very attractive Portakabins, yum yum.

Being a bit slow on the uptake I hadn't noticed the 'digital notice boards' which have apparently sprung up. The Brentford Voice Gang know all about them - will enquire for more detail

So here is their planned timetable. As you can see, even the stuff they have started on will not be complete until February 2028. The next bit will stretch to December 2028 and the final piece - the Amsterdam bit on Dock Road - has no plan published at all.

I find that very unsatisfactory. The basic planning for all this was on the stocks before I was first elected 10 1/2 years ago and it will not be finally finished for at least 3 1/2 more yeras. During that 15 years we have not had a completed High Street. Meanwhile, despite all the delays in Watermans Riverside, the police station, and the once planned redevelopment of the old Morrisons, we have had two blocks near the foot of Ealing Road, and the huge development at what used to be Heidelberg done in the meantime. The whole development of Heidelberg - already partly occupied - only started about 2 years ago and is planned to be completed in 2026. I don't know if the council can do anything to chivvy Ballymore up, but it should be as much a priority (nearly) as getting some shops in the council block!

As to the commercial lettings - get your eyes adjusted and remember the colour coding is eccentric! The green ones are occupied. The yellows look imminent - except the pizza restaurant seems to have given up, and Ballymore have given up for now on the warehouse at the other end of Gails, because it is difficult to let with so much development continuing very close by. The four in the building they are renovating opposite Tallow Road are tricky because of structural challenges but they hope to market next year and one day the marketing suite will presumably make itself redundant.

The council block. once referred to as Block D and which irritated me because that was pure development language has now become referred to as Tintern House even though there are 3 blocks in that building. I have no idea what Tintern has to do with Brentford and I see it was once referred to as Montgomery, which is a proper Brentford history reference. Ah well. Stop grumping.

It goes without saying that not one of the shops in the council-owned block is not still empty, or at least not open. Brentford has no chance of a vibrant town centre until this is resolved, and the council loses heaven knows how much revenue in rent and council tax from Tintern House, the former housing office and the unbuilt 2 phases of the Watermans Park marina. The latter is many years late and the developer has dodged at least the third drop dead date with no visible plan to complete the development. Also I have heard nothing back from the marketing people in the Printmakers Yard (ex-Heidelberg) though to be fair nothing there is yet ready for a tenant.

On Wednesday I had a FoodBox trustee meeting. I am increasingly remote from that and am keen to have my resignation implemented. We have found several new trustees who will inject a bit of novelty into the team , whilst I am well past my use-by date, a real sin in a FoodBox, though I have mainly avoided being poisonous.

That's enough for now. Just to say, I am beginning to work out how a humble outcast can run an election campaign next year. Trying to get guidance from the election officer in the council and have also talked to a former Lib Dem councillor who once represented Brentford. We had a pleasant chat in the Black Dog and it was generous of him to give me the time and the good advice. It will be challenging but I love this place and I think I should do all I can to help it (if local electors agree).

Separate to all that, don't forget that I have my first ever coffee morning at the Spire cafe on Saturday 11 to 1. I delivered invitations to about 350 homes but I have had only one (anonymous) acceptance so far. People from the High Street, Albany Road, Lateward, Grosvenor, St Paul's Road , The Mall and Inverness Lodge have been specifically invited. But anyone from Brentford will be very welcome. I have no idea how this will work (if at all!). I am a boring old man trying to be innovative 😂