Tag Archives: Hounslow Council

by | October 8, 2016 · 17:16

Osterley Library has friends

Longer term residents will be familiar with this one.

St Mary's Crescent, Isleworth

On St Mary’s Crescent since 1966

Though, no matter how long people have had the pleasure to live in Osterley & Spring Grove Ward, Hounslow’s largest and greenest, everyone should by now be aware of the scale of unnecessary cuts in government funding in name of austerity. Just 24% of the London Borough of Hounslow’s spend is raised by Council Tax.

Locally, mooted closures of Osterley Library have been fought off three times since 1992. Its and the neighbouring Osterley Bowls Club site being mentioned as potential for development on pages 43, 44 and 48 of this council document has again raised interest.

Late last month, the Osterley & Wyke Green Residents Association circulated this flyer that encouraged some 50 residents to a meeting at Thistleworth Tennis Club to discuss the possible fates of both facilities.

Osterley Library opened by past Labour strongman Alf King 50 years ago

Osterley Library opened by past Labour strongman Alf King 50 years ago

It was explained at the meeting that whilst the site could be developed for housing, the property strategy document states Osterley Library would be relocated should this be likely to happen.

For where it is and what it offers, Osterley’s library is a valuable local resource and more people are encouraged to join and use it.  The place offers not just books but newspapers, magazines, information, computers, quiet study space, regular activities for children and adults as well as a good reason for otherwise isolated people to get out of the house and see folk.  Apart from our three parks, Osterley Library is the only council facility in the whole of Osterley & Spring Grove Ward.

Osterley Bowls Club may be another matter. Reduced and attempts to encourage new membership and other factors raised such as local parking controls within the Osterley Station CPZ give club officials cause for concern.

To assist, the possibility of revising controlled hours on St Mary’s Crescent has been discussed with the council’s traffic team. It has been agreed that residents there will be written to before the end of October asking whether they may wish the same controls as in Jersey Road (east of the Osterley Park main gate), Monday to Friday 10am to 12pm rather the current weekdays 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Osterley Bowls Club since 1936

Osterley Bowls Club since 1936

To find out more about Osterley Bowls Club please go to www.osterleybowlsclub.org

A Friends of Osterley Library group has been set up and people are asked to write to info@owgra.org.uk to join.

Useful background, legislation and current policy on libraries can be found on this HM Government site.

TL 8.10.2016

Comments Off on Osterley Library has friends

Filed under Council Business, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Parking

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | 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

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

Comments Off on Freeloaders to be nabbed

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

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | June 14, 2016 · 00:19

Wyke Green: Traveller event

Information about travellers pitching up on Wyke Green prompted a reccy on Thursday 9.6.2016. Toured the area by a neighbour, around the green where they had first located then across to Wyevale but advice from their car wash crew was that the vans had cleared off the day before.

160609 Wyke Horse sign copy

Later that morning Hounslow Council’s parks team advised of the actions taken to reclaim Wyke Green including by way of this notice of direction.

A missing post allowed easy access to Wyke Green recently

A missing post allowed easy access to Wyke Green recently

Residents near Wyke Green raised how easy it had become to access it due to a missing lockable post by Jersey Road; glad to say that by the afternoon the space was more secure with a replacement.  Carillion were also asked to remove a few black sacks, left relatively tidily.

Lockable post now in place at Wyke Green to limit further incursion

Lockable post now in place at Wyke Green to limit future unexpected visits

Coincidentally the next day, Councillors, in our weekly update bulletin Members Matters, received a briefing on Travellers which can be found here.

The advice included details of who to contact if you become aware of travellers camping in the borough.

Police: call the police non-emergency number 101

Parks: Carillion, the council’s parks contractor who’ll make the initial assessment, telephone 0845 456 2853 or email Hounslow.info@carillion.services.co.uk

 

TL 13.6.2016

Comments Off on Wyke Green: Traveller event

Filed under Council Business, Leisure, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Parks, Wyke Green

Tagged as , , ,

by | June 3, 2016 · 11:56

Greenwood Osterley Archers: staying put and supported

Under varied names but in the borough since the 1950s, Greenwood Osterley Archers have been in Isleworth since 1973. First at the Conquest Club and since 2002 subletting space from Grasshoppers RFC at Macfarlane Lane, the former United Biscuits sports ground owned by Hounslow Council since 1992.

Proposal for the new £9.7m Grasshoppers RFC facility at the Conquest Club to be funded by Hounslow Council

Proposal for the new £9.7m Grasshoppers RFC facility at the Conquest Club to be funded by Hounslow Council

There was a council cabinet decision in March 2016 to sell the UB sports ground, part to the Education Funding Agency for another free school and the rest to BSkyB raising £3.7m. In addition to that amount, cabinet also agreed to borrow a further £6m to build and relocate Grasshoppers RFC to a brand new facility on the northern part of the Conquest Club, next to the proposed Nishkam Free School.

Greenwood Osterley Archers on a Sturday morning shoot at Macfarlane Lane

Greenwood Osterley Archers on a Sturday morning shoot at Macfarlane Lane

Concerned that these changes would render it homeless, I accepted an invitation to the archery club at one of its Saturday morning shoots to discuss securing is medium and long term future and later arranged a meeting with the leader of the council, Councillor Steve Curran.

Greenwood Osterley Archers Mia, Marie, Sailesh Alan and Lynette with Councillor Steve Curran and Suzie Munnery of the LBH Sports and Public Health Team at the Indian Gymkhana

Greenwood Osterley Archers Mia, Marie, Sailesh, Alan and Lynette with Councillor Steve Curran and Suzie Munnery of the LBH Sports and Public Health Team at the Indian Gymkhana

We met at the Indian Gymkhana last night to discuss a way forward and Steve Curran confirmed that Grasshoppers RFC should allow the GOA should stay at Macfarlane Lane until their move. It was also agreed that the council would work to find an alternative permanent site for the archers within the borough and this would include examining how GOA could be incorporated within the proposed new free school and BSkyB development.

Further information about Greenwood Osterley Archers may be found here and about Grasshoppers RFC here.

TL  3.6.2016

Comments Off on Greenwood Osterley Archers: staying put and supported

Filed under Events, Health, Leisure, Osterley, Schools, Sky

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by | May 31, 2016 · 20:29

Wardabout on Northumberland Estate with Hounslow Highways – Tuesday 31 May 2016 at 11.00 am to 12.00 pm

The latest in our neighbourhoods mooches took place today on the Northumberland Estate in the rain and with added splash.  We were not deterred, the silver lining was the noting of quite a few pondings and blocked gulleys.

Wardabout on Quakers Lane with Satbir and Ali from Hounslow Highways, James from Hounslow Council, Northumberland Estate residents Sarah, Alan, David and Pia, Councillor O'Reilly and me (behind the lens)

Wardabout on Quakers Lane with Satbir and Ali from Hounslow Highways, James from Hounslow Council, Northumberland Estate residents Sarah, Alan, David and Pia, Councillor O’Reilly and me (behind the lens)

Residents welcomed this Hounslow Highways initiative and their local knowledge helped put issues into historic perspective.  Everyone said they loved the new trees planted in most roads on the Northumberland  over the winter and today they saw them getting a good water.

The list of issues spotted, raised and marked for resolution within 28 days can be found here.

TL 31.5.2016

Comments Off on Wardabout on Northumberland Estate with Hounslow Highways – Tuesday 31 May 2016 at 11.00 am to 12.00 pm

Filed under Council Business, Events, Great West Road, Hounslow Highways, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Road works, Roads, TfL

Tagged as , , , ,