Monthly Archives: July 2016

by loukit | July 22, 2016 · 14:11

Southern Fail: Sadiq would do better

Claire Perry MP couldn’t hack sorting it and resigned as Railways Minister last week. Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the other hand is keen to take responsibility where hapless ministers and private sector pirates continue to fail commuters.

A GTR Southern train - GTR's recent new timetable removed 300+ daily services

A GTR Southern train – with government blessing, GTR’s recent new timetable removed 300+ daily services

Hounslow commuters change trains at Clapham Junction, many from Osterley & Spring Grove Ward’s Syon Lane and Isleworth Stations to get to work at Victoria, Croydon and elsewhere using Southern Rail franchised to Govia Thameslink Railways. A few conversations I’ve had with constituents include horror stories of half length trains, jammed and hot carriages, delays and cancellations caused, in the main, by a badly managed franchise where the onus is on cutting costs and boodting shareholder profits at the expense of a vital public service.

This week the Mayor of London wrote to the Transport Secretary asking for TfL to be put in temporary charge of the Southern part of the GTR franchise. His letter to borough councillors describing that approach can be found here.

In 2014 the Department for Transport agreed to pay GTR £8.9 billion over the seven year franchise with GTR receiving all passenger revenues.

GTR owner, Go-Ahead Group plc Chief Executive David Brown received £2.16 million in total between July 2014 and June 2015, with the majority of this comprised of bonus payments.

TL 22.7.2016

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Filed under Brentford, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Public transport, TfL

Tagged as Isleworth Station, Mayopr for London, Network Rail, Rail Executive, Sadiq Khan, Spring Grove, Syon Lane, TfL

by loukit | July 21, 2016 · 11:02

Freeloaders to be nabbed

Hounslow Council’s planners advise, “agents’ boards will be a breach of the advertisement regulations if not placed on the property to which they relate. If they are on the highway, then the highway authority can remove them and it is normally the highway authority that would enforce in such cases.”

Offending Thorgills, Dexters, Chase Buchanan and Anderson Knight boards at Osterley

First raised with Hounslow Council’s busy Planning Enforcement Team early June 2016, I later found out that the common but prohibited practice of estate agents placing advertising on the Great West Road, Osterley Station subway railings was actually a matter for Transport for London.

Following correspondence, heard from TfL yesterday that estate agents Thorgills, Dexters, Chase Buchanan and Anderson Knight will be written to and given seven days notice to remove these boards. Should they fail to comply, TfL will do it and seek to recover any expenses incurred. A copy of TfL’s communication can be found here.

Unless on the A4, A30 or A406 which are Transport for London’s (report via tfl.gov.uk/contact), our highway authority is Hounslow Highways to whom similar breaches can be reported by visiting http://www.hounslowhighways.org

It’s not just flytips that rankle.

Happy to follow up if problems not resolved.

TL 21.7.2016

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Filed under Great West Road, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Public transport, Roads, TfL

Tagged as Freeloading, Great West Road, Hounslow Council, Hounslow Highways, Osterley & Spring Grove, Planning, TfL

by loukit | July 19, 2016 · 12:00

Useful fact finding visit to Transport for London

It was a pleasure as ever to hang with Councillors Guy Lambert (Labour, Brentford) and Sam Christie (Labour, Bedfont) the one who brokered a positive meeting at Transport for London in Southwark yesterday morning. On the way I was unaware I nearly squashed a Pokemon, Pidgey, near the Young Vic on The Cut, SE1, hadn’t a clue, sorry.

Councillors Guy Lambert, Tony Louki and Sam Christie on the 10.44 Hounslow Loop from Chiswick to London Waterloo for our TfL meet

Of mutual interest for the three of us was the continuing saga of house building conglomerate Barratt unable to facilitate uninterrupted service for the 235 at its western terminus, Great West Quarter; crowding on some routes; ability to access West Middlesex University Hospital from all parts of the borough and overall bus reliability in Hounslow.

Positive news is that brand new and latest lowest emission buses will be introduced by when the 235’s bus operations transfer from Abellio to Metroline in January 2017.

Those recalling last year’s consultations on local services may know that TfL still considers the routeing of the H28 and E8 as unfinished business. There was and remains concern that the removal of route H28 from Wood Lane, Isleworth will make access to the West Mid very difficult from as far away as Cranford and Heston. Replacing it with a double decked E8 down Amhurst Gardens would mean the removal of the last of that road’s mature trees. Expect more consultations in early 2017.

Not enough time to cover all the Transport for London issues affecting Osterley & Spring Grove Ward but a number of items were left with our host to consider and respond to, including:

A4 Great West Road junctions