Chiswick Business Park Closed To The Public
Only workers of tenants are allowed to be there during the current crisis
A sunny day in the grounds of Chiswick Park before the outbreak
Chiswick Business Park- the base for several international companies, is no longer allowing members of the public to walk through its landscaped grounds, to the disappointment of local residents.
The Park management in Gunnersbury, says only essential workers are now being allowed on site. Buses have now been diverted from entering the park (see below) .
Several residents have complained on our forum that they were prevented by security guards from going through the campus in the past few days. One said it was "mean and un-neighbourly to deprive the local community of this long established access to and through this site."
Another posted "That is bad news.... A quiet oasis and space to distance yourself from others."
As the government encourages social distancing during the limited time period residents are allowed outside, people have been seeking quieter places in which to get fresh air.
The Park, which is situated in leafy surroundings, is home to nearly 9,000 employees of international firms such as Disney, and Starbucks, and many are now home-working in line with government guidelines during the current health crisis.
The new 135m pedestrian Chiswick Park footbridge allows faster access by foot between Bollo Lane and Gunnersbury - a five minute walk. As the Park is now closed to the public, the bridge cannot be used.
A spokesperson for Enjoy-Work, which manages Chiswick Park, said: "In an effort to support the latest regulations announced by the UK government to fight the coronavirus outbreak, we introduced new measures on the Campus to restrict access to Chiswick Park to essential workers only.
"Our priority remains the safety of our team, guests and visitors. We continue to monitor and assess the situation daily. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to stay safe at this difficult time."
Routes 70 and 440 are diverted until Thursday 30 April due to a closure. Route 70 towards Chiswick Business Park is diverted via Roslin Road and Sterling Road - missing the stops from Roslin Road to Colville Road, and also missing the stop at Chiswick Business Park. Route 440 is diverted in both directions via Chiswick High Road and Acton Lane - missing the stops at Chiswick Business Park.
The footbridge
One disgruntled local said; "Clearly the owners of the Business Park can do what they like, and will presumably say it's for the safety of their workers, but it does seem mean and un-neighbourly to deprive the local community of this long established access to and through this site.
"I'm sure a lot of people don't realise this is all private property, but the privatisation of public spaces like this is an increasing problem, as shopping centres replace High Roads and new housing developments replace public streets. We already have the situation on the South Acton Estate/Acton Gardens where the developers control the whole site and won't allow any licensed premises on the estate."
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March 26, 2020
