Copy of Strategic matters tracker September 2026 update

This is a separate Brentford publication which I plan to develop in a way to keep track of matters that take months or years to progress.

I also would like this to become interactive. I'm not sure how to do that in this web tool soin the meantime I welcome any feedback, ideas, potential additions etc. You can email

guy.lambert@ hounslow.gov.uk

Or you can leave a comment on the blog itself.

Watermans replacement	BW	A priority for our town but nobody quite believes it is going to happen. Need to keep the pressure on this. Update Sep 2026 no progress
Watermans Riverside	BW and BE	September 2026 - No progress on the police station or the derelict former Watermans centre site. There is a rumour someone is living there as a resident guard though somebody says he is having noisy parties.
Marina	BE	Council plans to develop via specialist have collapsed. In hands of Liquidator. As local councillors we have no clue what is going on and questions to the council are often not answered. I have some insight via people who know the river and some of the players. Liquidator has just published an interim report but it doesn't tell us much new. We need to understand what the political and officer leadership intends. All we have are rumours. Rumours suggest the former developer many of whose companies (and who has a bad reputation for his role at Chelsea Wharf) is trying to get new backers to revive his proposal which he failed miserably to deliver.. There is still one occupied boat on site who still accesses via Watermans Park despite him being instructed by the court many years ago to desist, pay £34K to the council plus his share of legal costs. Local expert says the current part-built pontoons are useless and need to be scrapped,
Fountains	Gunnersbury	Apparently the council is spending £4M on a viability study. Meanwhile the centre, which we had a plan (which was finally not deliverable) to replace a decade ago lives on in limbo. Sept 2026 no update
Clitherow Island	BW	Part of Boston Manor Park and nearly all owned by the council. I want it back as part of the park and have been working on that for years. Work is going on, and a helpful update w/c1/6 from officers. Still matters to be resolved but encouraging determination. Sept 2026 partly cleared. Owner who own a small slice of the island according to Land Registry lives above a shop in Fulham cannot be found there, Council officers trying to trace her. Action continues and I am getting helpful responses from officers
Mercury Garages Car Park.	BW	Mercury Garages Car Park. I was promised replacement of the largely derelict garages before March 2023. Still waiting and parking remains critical in York, Orchard and Windmill roads. Recent update suggested we go back 4 years and start thinking about it again, which I found very annoying. Sue SAmpson has helpfully suggested a meet but nothing done by officers yet. No progress despite revived promises
Heritage Harbour	Syon and BE and Riverside (maybe)	We have a team to make Brentford London's first Heritage Harbour. Team includes well known river experts as well as local community people. Short of some roles and will take some years.I read somewhere that Brentford was the fifth largest port in Britain Little progress. This is down to us as a community team and we need to find more urgency
Shops	Mainly Syon	Council failure. 12 council-owned shops were finished around autumn 2024. Only 2 are occupied. The council (who markets them exclusively through an estate agent in Regent St W1 claim they are trying strenuously to let them in a difficult market. I dispute that: several local retailers have given up because the council is unhelpful. Update - a barber, a pilates studio and another hair/beauty company have completed a lease. 2 occupied, 4 committed, 6 still without tenants. A charity looking for a charity shop has been told nothing is available (even though they are). Ballymore is trying to let its shops but has taken years and at least 3 that previously opened have closed.At least we have a pub and a Pilates centre ready to open imminently but the rest are not happening in the foreseeable future. Brentford town centre is dead. 9 shops still empty. Pilates place https://levelout.co/en-gb/pages/studios/brentford says it's open and has some reviews but I have never seen it open (maybe my problem!) Bea still not in her shop having made some changes for building control reasons. If it was my shop I would hvae been chasu=ing and supporting her to get it fixed so I could get rent, business rates, and a lively town centre. Counsil says not their problem. Sole estate agent (in Regent St W1) still lists the 3 units it has listed for years, not any of the others.
Diary	Brentford general	Events diary. We do not have a viable diary so nobody knows what is going on. I think Brentford Voice may have a plan - as do I in consultation with some various businesses and luminaries, but nothing achueved yet. No progress, my bad
Democracy	Hounslow general	Advocate a process that puts residents at heart of decisions. Green people good at saying what should be done but have little power to actually do anything! Hounslow talks the talk but does very little to engage with local people and starve ward councillors - and therefore residents - of information, funding and respect. No change
Hadley	BW	Redevelopment of GSK HQ.  If this and other planned developments go on as expected, the population of Brentford West will more than double over the next decade. Incliudes Paragon (existing building planned to reopen this year - about 1330 inhabitants; Hadley/GSK (over several years) 2324; Great West House conversion to residential 300; Churchill House 75; Police Station 111; Redevelopment of Lidl 215; Charlton House 200+; That is maybe 4500 new properties in a ward that is currently 3100. No visible progress on any, though a contractor has been appointed to build Charlton House replacement
BCBH	Syon	Rowing- a shorthand way of saying, get river sport thriving and truly available to local people especially youngsters at a sensible cost. BCBH now looking to develop to include a wider youth facility. But the council seems to prefer to support numerous clubs in elitist, hard to access and enjoying peppercorn rents from the council. No real change though BCBH have survuved so far. Being encouraged to apply for council grants but they have been down that road before, often unsuccessfully
Chamber of Commerce		Engagement with local businesses. Brentford Chamber of Commerce is not operational.  We do not today have an effective dialogue with local businesses, especially small ones No progress, my bad
House on the corner	Gunnersbury	There is a detached house on the corner between Lionel Road and Popes Lane. It is half owned by LBH and half by LBE. It is probably worth £1.5M if fixed up and provided with access (probably from Lionel) but has been derelict for 20 years +, attracting ASB and becoming an eyesore. Raised with Steve Curran 10 years ago and Peter Mason probably 6 years ago but nothing ever moves. A potential asset turned into a liability by the councils. No progress. You'd think councils would make an effort given the parlous state of finances in GP but no interest.
Empty house at S end of	Gunnerbury Park	There is an old gatehouse with two elements. One is I believe let as a council residence. The other has been used I think for storage and has had scaffolding on it since last year. It should be restored as a residence. Plus - the two look like they would be an interesting building if they were not obscured by unclontrolled vegetation! See above!