Blog 539 6th August 2026

Quite bizarrely I got myself very confused with my diary last Thursday. Cabinet member Sue Sampson had organised a Teams meeting about a matter that has been infuriating me for more than 4 years - the parking situation related to Orchard, York and other roads in the area which came impossibly tight when the small car park was closed in favour of new council houses on Windmill Road. We were promised action to improve this involving some existing little-used garages 3 1/2 years ago but it has still not happened.

In my tiny mind I confused myself by cycling up to Gunnersbury Park for the meeting with planners there for 4 pm. Couldn't understand why I was alone but finally worked out this meeting was at 5.30, So went into Chiswick and did a bit of shopping. Came back at 5.30 and Craig asked me why I hadn't been at the parking meeting. Grrr. I am usually quite meticulous about diary and punctuality but at the present this seems to out of the window.

Anyway, it seems it was an encouraging meeting and I expect an update soon and I am back to hopeful that we will find a path through the fog around this matter!

As to Gunnersbury, I and half a dozen Labour councillors had a useful discussion with people from planning and it helped to understanding what is proposed , the planners' views and the issues which people are finding testing. Other parties did not bother to turn up. I don't remember having so many emails about a planning application - at a rough estimate about 60 or 70 emails. Many make the same points and a lot of them using identical language. I have responded to several of them seeking clarification or simply acknowledge I have taken their thoughts on board. One of the fundamental rules of the Planning Committee is that you must enter the meeting with an open mind and (as is common) I am accused by both sides of the argument of having made up my mind beforehand. I really haven't, but probably uniquely on the committee I have a long history of the debates about Gunnersbury, which was in my ward until 2022.

The Planning Committee is this Thursday evening, 6th August. There are 3 applications all of which may be contentious so a challenging time later today!

On Friday I went down to our new pub the Dock House for a coffee on its pleasant terrace. Bumped into a couple of old friends from the Labour party, which was a pleasure, and then to some new ones from the Green party. A pleasant interlude with people who care about Brentford (albeit one who now lives in Felixstowe!)

On Saturday I was back there for a meal with my daughter. It is great to have this open and it is even better to see this and no doubt other factors (weather included) are driving a more lively centre of our town. There are even more people taking the riverside path past my apartment though of course that is blocked off by Ballymore on my side of the Brent and Brentford Dock on the other. One of these at least will I am sure will be resolved this century but I'm reluctant to make any more optimistic predictions 😁

Later I went up to see what was happening in Boston Manor Park around the Bridge event. Rental bikes were actually well marshalled by Lime last year but this year we have two providers to contend with. Forest bikes are well marshalled (though not without annoying residents nearby)

I'm afraid I can't say the same for Voi. I have reintroduced my capacity for camera shake which I thought I had mastered when I was 11, but I hope this demonstrates the general story! There were also a lot of bikes, mainly Voi I think, parked rather randomly down BMR, a matter I am progressing with council officers.

Whilst I'm on the subject, these pesky bikes are badly parked outside Morrisons. This is a cardinal sin because it makes it hard for me to park my bike so it is hitting someone who really matters (in my mind anyway).

Enough bikes! they exclaim. OK I agree, enuff.

Except I finished my BMP survey by cycling up the canal path in the evening when the event was in full swing and very noisy by the canal/river. Not a big problem as nobody lives in that area

Noisy, but a beautiful setting. That is not a fire starting in the trees. It is a flash of the stage lights. There is an awful amount of green algae (I suppose) in the canal which I suppose is encouraged by the drought. The Brent is drier at low tide than I have ever seen it, but of course the climate deniers point out it was hot in 1976 so it's all a hoax. Presidents Trump and Putin and the Reform party all agree on that so it must be true.

On Sunday our Green party monthly meeting was for the first time at the Express rather than the little cafe in Isleworth. Good meeting room upstairs and I was forced to drink a pint and eat a pizza.

The council says it has planted 25000 trees last year and I think 38000 over the last few years. I have not seen much happening locally so I have asked for an update of planting by ward of both street trees and planting in other places.

The first answer was from Hounslow Highways, who confirmed they had planted 14 street trees around Brentford West in the last 2 years. I cycled around to check on them and found them all. I was actually heartened that 12 of them looked to be in good fettle, so, despite young trees being vulnerable they are surviving the drought.

Except this one in Clitherow Road which I reckon is a goner

And this one in Whitestile which is in need of urgent supplies of Lucozade which always used to Aid Recovery

I have had another update saying 287 trees have been planted in Boston Manor Park over the last few years and 3 in St Paul's Rec. They also suggest some have been planted in Wellmeadow Allotments (bet you didn't know the allotments exist - never mind new trees!) and some in the Library. There lies another story but I dispute there are any new trees there.

On Tuesday I met a resident at the Potting Shed. He has a difficult housing issue but I discovered he had already been talking to Craig about this so I decided to stay out of it rather than muddying the waters.

On Wednesday I had a meeting at the now ubiquitous Dockhouse (can a building that doesn't move really be ubiquitous? Learn to write English, Lambert.) This was with Mark Pearce who leads the Creative Mile. We were joined by his co-director Margaret Kirby to talk about my role as a volunteer and more importantly about the development of the Creative Mile, its prestigious partnership with the National Gallery and the challenges to pay for it all, given always too meagre funding from the council. I will be following that up over coming months because the Creative Mile and the Canal Festival have really put our town on the map and I will do all I can to build it to support these local heroes. We also touched on the Watermans and the Trust that used to run it and wondered what is happening next for the Watermans story. I see an update on "Regeneration East" has appeared in my diary for 15th September though I have not spotted the promised spades in the ground anywhere recently. In fact all I really hear of is things being delayed.

In the evening, a meet at the Griffin as a thank you for those who volunteer for the event. I put in a small shift but the Kudos must go to the festival Godfather Martin Case (I started that, so I will finish) and his chums at Brentford Voice and overwhelmingly to Sam Thomas who does a wonderful job making it happen.

Well, need to gird myself for the Planning meeting which is likely to be long, bitterly contested, and no fun. And I was eager to get back on planning. Am I a masochist? Answers on a postcard.