Category Archives: Osterley

by loukit | June 28, 2025 · 23:02

The Limes of Osterley and Spring Grove: an epicormic ritual

Thornbury Road near Oakley Close: Big Lime epicormic growth

Occasionally, one encounters the odd bit of hate for the OSG Ward street trees. Shedding leaves, pollen, seeds, sap and basal (or epicormic from the Greek) growth, for example.

Thornbury Road c1911

Many specimens, thriving on our roadsides, remain healthy, however. Lots are longer term than many of us, they’ve shed leaves and sap since before we lost half our street sweepers or left our smaller motors in similar sized garages. Trees stayed within the confines of the pits in which they were planted, and their roots would spread less.

However, we’ve got an aging population of, on the most part, well looked after street trees, sometimes appearing to get in the way, a bit dishevelled.

Thornbury Road near Oakley Close: Big Lime after epicormic removal

Early this month, pre-empting a resident’s request, I enquired of Hounslow Highways via FixMyStreet when to expect attention to the basal growth of the around 30 Lime trees on Osterley Avenue and Thornbury Road from Jersey to London Roads. There are a further 138 of them elsewhere in the Ward; around 1,500 street Limes, in total, across the borough.

Thornbury Road Shops c1937

During the growing season, they undergo epicormic removal twice. Timing of each visit depends on the climate and growth of the epicormic for that particular year. The 2025 first removal is now almost complete with the second expected late August, early September, depending on the regrowth.

Osterley Avenue Lime: Epicomic gone and roots to gully works planned

Coincidentally, programmed work in Osterley and Spring Grove started the day after enquiring on 5 June.

TL 28.6.2025

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Filed under H28 bus, Hounslow Highways, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Thornbury Road

Tagged as Bus route H28, Hounslow Council, Hounslow Highways, Osterley & Spring Grove, Osterley Park, OWGRA, Spring Grove, Tony Louki

by loukit | May 15, 2025 · 14:40

Skidmarked Donuts in the Dark at Syon Lane

In recent times, it seemed that those running Tesco on Syon Lane cared little about its neighbours and its facilities after it closed its doors. Very little helped.

Big Tesco, Syon Lane

Often, after dark, people living at this end of Osterley and Spring Grove Ward would be subject to invasion of and noise from the northern end of the store car park. Revved engines, screeching wheels, burning tyres would wreak and interrupt calm and sleep of the 400+ households of afterhours North Isleworth.

Skidmarks at Osterley Tesco expansive car park

The persistence of some concerned residents raising this with councillors (sharing sound and vision footage) and its being referred to the OSG Ward Police and Hounslow Council’s Community Safety Team via the Ward Police Panel, led to a pretty positive onsite meet, earlier this week.

Brokered by LBH Safer Communities Coordinator Tara Doyle, I also met, Ward Police Sergeant Dhillon, Tesco HQ ASB Partnerships and Community Manager, Luke Smith, Osterley Tesco Store Manager, Paul McNulty, nearby resident, Mr Catherall and OWGRA’s Barbara Stryjak.

Donuts and Good Boys. Sgt Dhillon, T Doyle, L Smith, P McNulty, G Catherall, B Stryjak. Photo by T Louki

By the burnt rubber marks from a recent episode, one of the many (but not extensively laid) hard plastic ramps installed following Sergeant Dhillon’s earlier intervention and a newly placed ‘Dalek’ camera, triggered to film noisy additional goings on, we discussed further ideas, not least a better barrier locking regime after closing but it’s not over, more developing.

Recently located, portable Dalek CCTV installed to capture images of transgressions within the Tesco car park

Residents witnessing ongoing incursions are encouraged to call and report on 999.

TL 15.5.2025

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Filed under Great West Road, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, RAs, Roads, Traffic, Wyke Green

Tagged as Great West Road, Hounslow Council, Osterley & Spring Grove, OWGRA, Syon Lane, Syon Park Gardens, Tony Louki, Wyke Gardens

by loukit | April 14, 2025 · 12:57

Sheila O’Reilly

Sorry to be sharing news of the death from pancreatic cancer, last week, of Sheila O’Reilly, Councillor for Osterley and Spring Grove Ward 2005 to 2018.

At an OSG Ward Police Panel, Osterley Park House 2016

A long term resident of Thistleworth Close, active in the community for a long period either side of her time on the council, and a thorough scrutineer of proposals affecting the Ward; very supportive of residents’ successful campaigns for a humane development of the former Campion House site on Thornbury Road. Sheila’s advice and scrutiny of proposals for the Syon Lane sites were very valuable during planning processes including later Judicial Reviews and Planning Inspections.

Ward Walk on Syon Park Gardens with Hounslow Highways 2017

Regardless of our party political incongruities, we would work well together to advocate for the Ward and its residents during our coincidental tenure as Councillors.

Mayor Ajmer Grewal’s Comminity Awards event 2017

Sheila’s funeral will take place Midday, Friday 25.4.2025 at St Vincent de Paul Church, 2 Witham Road, Isleworth, TW7 4AJ and her Family would welcome the participation of all who who knew her.

Sincere condolences to husband Peter, their Children Kevin and Kathleen and Families.

TL 14.4.2025

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Filed under Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Planning, Spring Grove

Tagged as Hounslow Council, Osterley & Spring Grove, OWGRA, Planning, Tony Louki

by loukit | April 8, 2024 · 11:51

Great West Road Firestone site: Redesign proposal

A little before Christmas, the planning agent for 6 West Cross Way wrote to say that they’ll not be facilitating a tree outside the former Firestone building location as had been kindly placed by owners Legal & General in 2021 and 2022.

Proposed amendment to the former Firestone Factory site scheme

Councillors were also told to expect an application for minor amendments to the planning permission approved in November 2022. The existing scheme, (reference P/2021/4973) which was going to be built for Tesla, currently includes a car showroom, car workshop, MOT testing facilities, offices floorspace, new vehicle access points, service yard, basement car parking, landscaping, boundary and other associated works.

Tesla has pulled out and L&G is now looking at how best to make sure this scheme is delivered. They have decided to build it speculatively and intend to find an occupier during construction, or as soon as possible after completion.

Without a requirement to return to the Planning Committee, L&G’s agent has, under Section 73 of the 1990 Planning Act, just applied for a “non material amendment” to the existing planning permission.

Accompanying the submission and shown within this design pack, the changes sought include, reducing the size of the building, removing the basement and to reprovide outdoor parking around the more compact building. The pastiche deco style clock has been dropped because of concerns over its maintenance.

Firestone steps railing finial

Careful integration of what was left of the heritage of the site would remain. The planning agent says, “L&G remains confident that the scheme will attract a high class occupier who will make a real contribution to the Great West Road … and jobs that will be created.”

Responding, I emphasised that the site should be developed rather than left part demolished. Equally, when raised, the developer confirmed that all Grade II Listed Firestone heritage (remaining after Thatcher’s Fan Club vandalised it beyond recovery in 1980) would be protected, maintained and enhanced. L&G reiterated that their current Design and Access Statement regarding the Great West Road frontage will be secure, planted with sufficiently mature evergreens and access to power for lighting at Christmas ensured.

It has been said that speculative developments should be built to consider the broadest interest of the market, ensuring that a suitable occupier can be found and this is what led to some amendments to the permitted scheme, “to make it as market facing as possible”.

Regretably, by Autumn 2023, Tesla changed its strategy which, in turn, led Legal & General to revise that 2022 approved scheme to something smaller; less costly to build and then rent. Perhaps it may still happen. Mr Musk, by then, may later want something more economical and could end up in Osterley and Spring Grove Ward after all.

TL. 8.4.2024

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Filed under Brentford, Great West Road, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Planning

Tagged as Great West Road, Hounslow Council, Osterley & Spring Grove, Planning, Tony Louki

by loukit | July 9, 2023 · 15:26

NatWest Bank Closure: Protest at 10.30 am Tomorrow, 10 July 2023

NatWest Bank, bailed out by the people to the tune of £46 billion and still 39% Government owned, are using spurious statistics, poor consultation and erroneous assertions to shut down the last remaining and accessible bank between Hounslow and Chiswick. It’s the only one with a customer car park and also located within the Council’s London Road 30 minutes free Stop and Shop parking facility.

Last bank standing: NatWest, 486 London Road, Isleworth

No amount of online, video or telephone banking can replace a human face to face physical transaction whether elderly or any other citizen within the 30% without the means, online savvy or inclination or just likes going out.

NatWest Isleworth: Elderly customer with their carer drew up to the front door to use this most accessible of bank branches

Recent pavement surveys by NatWest customer and Isleworth resident, Madhuri Kapila, show buoyant footfall at 468 London Road. There has also been a keenness to sign this letter to letter to NatWest Head Office and, so far, 150 customers, many elderly, greatly concerned and fearful of the closure, have participated.

NatWest Isleworth: Open during convenient hours 5 days a week

Daily attendance at the branch, of late, shows around thirty customers per hour, more if ATM users are included, translating to at least 750 user per week. NatWest profits for 2023/24 show a 50% jump to £1.9 billion in the first three months of the year; why should the company need to close a long established and well used branch operating from Freehold premises?

NatWest Isleworth Branch: Night safe

All of the many shopkeepers Madhuri has spoken to (NatWest did not reveal of having spoken to any of our traders in its public relations pieces), are greatly against the proposal. They see the bank as an anchor business for London Road as well as a banking facility for them and everyone else.

Last Friday, Madhuri and I visited NatWest Headquarters at 250 Bishopsgate to present the collected letters but no one was available to receive them nor this additional letter to Dame Alison Rose, Group Chief Executive Officer of NatWest Bank..

Ruth Cadbury MP also wrote this letter to NatWest Bank asking for a meeting and for the closure to be withdrawn.

Recently publishing a booklet for bank branch visitors, NatWest used a mixture of pre, during and post pandemic figures, with obscure graphics, to justify their current stance. The decision really did appear to have been made prior to any real consultation and, responses from NatWest since seem at best repetative and standard public relations deflections but at worse, some may describe as lip service and sham going through the motions.

Please show your support in any or all of these ways:

NatWest Bank Isleworth: Please maintain the Welcome

Download, complete and immediately return this letter to Keep Nat West Bank Open via email KNWBOpen@gmail.com

Ask that the closure decision be reversed. Email or write to Dame Alison Rose, Group Chief Executive Officer, 250 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AA: or email alison.rose@natwest.com and cc KNWBOpen@gmail.com

Monday 10 July 2023 at 10.30 am. Join a peaceful protest against the closure outside NatWest Bank, 486 London Road, Isleworth, TW7 4DD.

Tell your friends.