Strategic matters tracker

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. A priority for our town but nobody quite believes it is going to happen. Need to keep the pressure on this
Watermans Riverside	BW and BE	As above. Watermans arts replacement is part of this development It has planning permission but little sign of anything happening
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 wha the politcial and officer leadership intends.
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.
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 pleased to have a meeting very soon on its future which will increase the usable size of BMP
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.
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
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 sternuously to let them in a difficult market. I dispute that: several local retailers have given up because the council is unhelpful. A charity looking for a charity shop has been told nothing is available (even though they are). BAlly more is trying to let its shops but has taken years and at least 3 that previously opened have closed.At least we seem to have a pub abd a Pilstes centre that seem to be imminent but the rest are not happening in the foreseeable future. Brentford town centre is dead.
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.
Democracy	Hounslow general	Advocate a process that puts residents at heart of decisions. Green people good at saying what should be done but useless at actually doing anything!
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 residents in a ward that is currently 3100.
BCBH	Syon	Rowing- a shorthand way of saying, get river sport thriving and truly available to local people especially youngsters at a sensible cost
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