Tag Archives: Tony Louki

by | April 6, 2016 · 20:34

H28 bus to the West Mid – safe for now

Transport for London says it has “deferred making a decision on the proposed changes to route H28” and “will have further discussions with the London Borough of Hounslow about these proposed changes.”

H28s on Wood Lane Isleworth

H28s on Wood Lane Isleworth

TfL reports the outcome of last year’s consultation here:  https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/e8-110-h28 .

The consultation was meant to be about improving routes to West Middlesex University Hospital following the government’s NHS cuts at Ealing Hospital last year. However, a number of folk suspect that it may have also been another austerity cuts exercise, this time with local public transport as the victim.

160406 WMUH sign

One of the TfL proposals was to reroute the E8 towards the hospital and to take the H28 out of Wood Lane, Amhurst Gardens and Twickenham Road. This would mean removing bus access to the West Mid from Spring Grove, Osterley and North Isleworth as well as other neighbourhoods in the borough .

Results of the consultation showed a very good response on the H28 from local folk and can be found on pages 5, 31-38 and 81-82 (notes from the meeting I arranged) here. They included,

  • The route needs to go to WMUH – 82 responses
  • Wood Lane needs to be served by a bus route – 68 responses
  • Generally opposed – 58 responses
  • This route is used by a number of elderly/vulnerable people who rely on it to do their weekly shop/get out and about – 56 responses
  • Will lose direct, cheap link to Tesco – 43 responses
  • H91 is not an alternative route for Wood Lane/Northumberland Estate – 29 responses
  • Northumberland Estate is not served by any other bus route and will result in a long uphill walk/walk to get other buses – 18 responses
  • Proposal will adversely affect Wood Lane residents taking children to local schools – 13 responses
  • Will increase the cost and time of my journey – 13 responses

The current route of H28 is safe, for now but this is probably because there is an election for a new Mayor for London next month and the current do nothing Mayor Johnson would not have wanted this cut in the spotlight.

H28 at Wood Lane level crossing

H28 at Wood Lane level crossing

I have spoken to Hounslow Council’s head of transport and when TfL does have these “further discussions”, I shall ensure that residents are involved and continue to do my best to represent.

TL 6.4.2016

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Filed under Council Business, Great West Road, H28 bus, London Road, Middlesex, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Public transport, Spring Grove, TfL, West Middlesex Hospital, Wyke Green

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by | April 5, 2016 · 14:30

Wardabout with Hounslow Highways – Tuesday 5 April 2016 at 11.00 am to 12.15 pm

A productive little mooch around the neighbourhood north of Great West Road between Wood Lane and Syon Lane.

160405 Wardabout

Attending: Satbir and Ali from Hounslow Highways; Joyce from Hounslow Council Contracts Team; Gerry S from Syon Park Gardens; Ian T from Wyke Close; Basil M from Syon Lane; OSG Ward Councillors Tony Louki and Sheila OReilly

Following the Wardabout, Hounslow Highways have undertaken to:

  • Provide a list of actions raised within 3 working days
  • Send an updated list of full actions and outcomes of any investigations within 28 days.

These are what I noted, not all are the responsibility of Hounslow Highways, some are Transport for London which is accountable for Great West Road; matters of flytipping on private land are the locus of Hounslow Council’s Enforcement Service:

Require litter bin near entrance to 120 Wood Lane – heavy footfall to schools and the Osterley Sports Centre and Athletics Track;

Seek solution to westbound vehicle access to Syon Park Gardens from Great West Road;

Deep clean by refuges at junction of Wood Lane and Great West Road;
160405 GWRd Wood Lane detritus

Ask TfL to fix the refuge barriers damaged during recent road traffic incident;

Complete lighting works on Wyke Estate footpath from Wood Lane to opposite 141 Syon Lane;

Advise on responsibility for maintaining play area along this footpath;

Advise on sweeping and litter pick frequency for this footpath;

Unblock gulley outside 143 Syon Lane;

Unblock gulley at 141 Syon Lane/Macfarlane Lane;

Deep clean of laybys from 141 to 211 Syon Lane;

Complete lighting works reinstatement outside 145 Syon Lane;

Address ponding and flooding on to pavement from verges between 141 and 211 Syon Lane;

Upgrade road name sign at Stags Way/Syon Lane to show “leading to Crowntree Close and Wyke Close;

Report Braybourne Drive ditch flytips to LBH Enforcement, serve EPA s81 notice to owners of the ditch (Wates) and diarise regular monitoring;
160405 Braybourne ditch 01

Unblock gullies at eastern end of Braybourne Drive by fire access barrier;

Unblock gulley in courtyard of 8-20 Wyke Close;

Remove corrugated asbestos from footpath to Syon Park Gardens at side of 786 Great WestRoad;

Address pothole by the gulley outside 40 Syon Park Gardens;
160405 Pothole os 40 Syon Pk Gdns

Examine level of crossover infringement and footway parking at various addresses in Syon Park Gardens;

Place litter bin(s) by Syon Park Gardens amenity area to reduce littering;

Advise on frequency of litter picking at this location;

Remove flytip outside 830 Great West Road;
160405 Flytip os 830 GWRd

Contact TfL to encourage maintenance and protection of grass verges on Great West Road – another of Mayor Boris Johnson’s failures.

160405 GWRd verges

Ali and Joyce also made notes so this list is not exhaustive.

A range of other issues e mailed to councillors by residents unable to make the event will be forwarded to the appropriates for follow up.

TL 5.4.2016

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by | December 14, 2015 · 16:56

H28 Bus: Still time to tell TfL

There was a decent turnout from all parts of Osterley & Spring Grove Ward at last Wednesday’s (9.12.2015) meeting with Transport for London, kindly hosted by Thistleworth Tennis Club.

Talking local transport at Thistleworth

Talking local transport at Thistleworth

Some thirty folk came to the lunchtime event offering many good reasons why the H28 should remain pretty much intact, maintaining the link between West Middlesex Hospital and other links and locations with Osterley and North Isleworth. There was also fair comment on the absurdity of running a double decked E8 bus down Amhurst Gardens.

Notes from the meeting can be found here and a highlighted comments were: Continue reading →

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Filed under Great West Road, H28 bus, London Road, Neighbourhoods, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Public transport, Reports, Spring Grove, Thornbury Road, West Middlesex Hospital

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by | November 7, 2015 · 04:48

Thornbury Park: More friends than you may have thought

Another decent turnout in The Music Room, Spring Grove House courtesy of the good people at West Thames College last Wednesday 4 November 2015.  This time for people to share thoughts and experiences of Thornbury Park and to explore the potential of setting up a friends group for the place.

Thornbury Park looking west from near the Rennels Way and Sidmouth Avenue entrance

Thornbury Park looking west from near the Rennels Way and Sidmouth Avenue entrance

There were quite a few justified grumbles about the way the park is maintained and managed, litter, graffiti, drinking, motorbike riding, drugs activity as well as lack of other facilities and no organised activities and sports.

But at the same time almost all present had good to say about the place, an oasis of green in a growing town with albeit limited and semi neglected play and sports facilities, a good place to walk with or without a dog.

The most encouraging aspect of the evening was the good and practical ideas offered by residents present, a wish to move forward but not ignoring the present issues. Each was given an opportunity to write three things they like, three don’t likes and three ways they would improve Thornbury Park.  A summary of the points can be found here and a full list containing all comments made is here.

Also heartening is a list so far of 11 residents offering their time and skills to form a friends group as is the support, offered and implied, by the St Johns Residents Association, Hounslow Council’s Community Partnerships Unit and Hounslow Central Ward councillors, two of whom, Ajmer and Pritam Grewal were in attendance too.  The note taking of Christine Diwell from the Isleworth Society was much appreciated and these (including a discussion on Isleworth Station, the same night) can be found here.

Sign on a housing estate local to Thornbury Park offering advice to youngsters

Sign on a housing estate local to Thornbury Park offering advice to youngsters

What’s next then?  A report of the meeting will be shared with Hounslow Council, Carillion and the Police and feedback and their comments sought.  Residents who signed up their services will be contacted over the next couple of weeks with a view to meet, discuss and plan.

It would also be good to meet, even at this time of the year, for an hour’s walk in Thornbury Park at 10.00 a.m on Saturday 21 November 2015.  Rendezvous by the playground near the London Road entrance.

As always happy to hear from anyone, email tony.louki@hounslow.gov.uk

TL 7.11.2015

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by | December 10, 2014 · 22:32

Half a year a Councillor – meeting at West Thames College Thursday 13 November 2014

Some 40 locals turned up at West Thames College to see a presentation on Hounslow Highways and exchange with that organisation’s man in charge, Mr Rob Gillespie. The evening was arranged to also offer Osterley & Spring Grove residents an opportunity to raise or discuss issues with other local people and their ward councillor six months after the borough elections.

Tony Louki and Rob Gillespie

Tony Louki and Rob Gillespie

The guest speaker was chosen as his teams have been around during the last year across most of the ward renewing pavements, replacing streetlights and resurfacing roads. Another reason was because a fair amount of casework raised by residents includes tree, verge, flytipping and street issues. Continue reading →

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Filed under Great West Road, London Road, Northumberland Estate, Osterley, Reports, Roads, Spring Grove, Wyke Green

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