Tag Archives: Syon Lane

Former Shell Syon Gate Garage plot: High

Back in 2008, permission was gained by the owners of this former Shell petrol station and Contitrades House site opposite Homebase on Syon Lane, Isleworth for a self storage facility but that didn’t happened.

Syon Gate Garage site early proposal

Syon Gate Garage site early proposal

A couple of different proposals had been mooted by owners Precis since, both involving a mix of self storage and mainly tall residential but did not progress.

Syon Gate Garage site, more recent proposal

Syon Gate Garage site, more recent proposal

A new scheme is about to be revealed to residents and councillors before a planning application is submitted to Hounslow Council, possibly by the end of this year.

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To allow residents to comment, an exhibition is taking place at St Francis of Assisi Church Hall, 865 Great West Road, Isleworth, TW7 5PD, over two days on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 October 2016 between 4.00 pm and 8.00 pm. The developer’s architects and planning advisors will be present to explain the proposals.

A copy of the invitation sent last week can be found here.

Also, on Thursday 20 October at 8.10 pm (not 7.30 pm as billed) at Hounslow Civic Centre, members of the council’s Planning Committee will also have the opportunity to do the same during at a Planning Development Presentation. This is a monthly event where development proposals ideas are brought to councillors for comments prior to full applications being made. Members of the public are welcome to attend but do not have speaking rights.

The site owner’s planning consultants have provided this summary briefing to councillors.

A planning application by Sky, for temporary car parking on this site has been submitted to Hounslow Council and is reported elsewhere on this blog; it has no immediate bearing on this matter.

Not in Osterley & Spring Grove Ward, the Duke of Northumberland’s schemes for Park Road Allotments and replacement will also be given an outing at the 20 October Planning Development Presentation.

TL 16.10.2016

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Filed under Great West Road, Housing, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Planning

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

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

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

  • improving phase turnings at Wood Lane
  • improving surface crossings at Gillette Corner
  • pedestrian subway safety at Gillette Corner
  • preventing eastbound driving on the southside between Jersey and Gresham Roads
  • future proposals for this TfL owned stretch.

New Ridgeway Road controlled crossing

  • reinstatement of the grass verge
  • marking the cycle lane following completion of the recent works
  • remedying the northside cycle lane pinch point by pedestrian crossing
  • reinstatement of bus stop U Great West Road/Ridgeway Road.

Great West Road at Osterley Library

  • establishing short term parking in the layby east from Thornbury Road.

Great West Road environment

  • protection and maintenance of verges, shrub beds and maximising pavement widths
  • clarifying TfL bollard policy
  • managing curtilage hedge encroachments on footways
  • cycle lane maintenance and safety
  • managing tree growth that impedes cyclists
  • TfL’s tree maintenance and planting programme
  • maintenance schedules.

Councillor Sam Christie’s notes of the meeting can be found here.

Pokemon Pidgey almost a Size 8 gonner on the way to TfL

Pokemon Pidgey almost a cropper from my size 8s on the way to TfL

Always happy to hear from residents about local public transport and the Great West Road.

TL 19.7.2016

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Filed under Brentford, Great West Road, H28 bus, Neighbourhoods, Osterley, Public transport, Roads, TfL, Traffic, West Middlesex Hospital

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

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

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

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