Can a Pub Survive in Chiswick Without a Kitchen?

Michael Denniss on his week of being a local councillor

Councillor - Michael Denniss

Since my previous blog I have attended local residents' group meetings, heard applications at Hounslow (LBH)'s planning committee and taken part in the selection of the new Conservative Party parliamentary candidate for Brentford and Isleworth, Seena Shah.

Public meetings to listen to locals' views

The local Chiswick councillors Patrick Barr, Joanna Biddolph, Gabriella Giles, John Todd, Ranjit Gill, Sam Hearn, Gerald McGregor, Ron Mushiso and I are keen to hear residents' views on local issues for Chiswick including policing, Heathrow's third runway and the Cycle Superhighway C9.

To this end Sam Hearn, Gabriella Giles and I hosted a public meeting in Chiswick Riverside ward at St Paul's Church on 8th October. Over 40 residents came. Of particularly concern was the proposed planning application to change The Station House pub from its current form into a site with new flats and a smaller pub. There were some revelations. The current plan does not allow for a kitchen, and a resident with experience in managing pubs doubted the economic viability of a smaller pub. The application does go some way to address housing needs, albeit at the cost of a beloved local pub, and I will need to consider all factors when it comes before the planning committee. The planning committee is considered to be quasi judicial and members are required to keep an open mind and not to express an opinion until all evidence has been heard at the meeting.

There wasn't such an impressive turnout at Hounslow';s Cabinet Question Time on 16th October at St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road. About nine residents came not including local resident Andrew Murray who chaired the event. Nevertheless, there were some tough questions on CS9, unanimously approved by cabinet on 3rd September despite a well-researched and argued case against it. There had been enormous local resistance to CS9, particularly with regard to safety and the practical difficulties for businesses and other organisations working on Chiswick High Road. A petition led by the Chiswick councillors at the start of the campaign prompted Transport for London to alter its plans which partially mitigated concerns about rat running and traffic gridlock.

Other issues raised at the meeting included a new controlled parking zone, which was largely popular, although there were concerns about the large number of related signs and requests for the council to look into that point. Other points raised included the continuing effect on Chiswick of the closure to traffic of Hammersmith Bridge. The event was recorded and audio should be available on the council website.

A shift in planning rules puts more weight on housing provision

I have continued to attend the planning committee meetings where I have a vote on planning applications that have been called in – a process that allows for a review of applications on which a likely decision has been recommended by officers. A councillor in the relevant ward calls in the application which is then heard either at an area forum or the full planning committee, depending on which comes first. These call ins can range from small residential extensions to the construction of large blocks of flats.

At the most recent meeting, held on 10th October, we considered the extension of a house in a road in Chiswick Riverside ward which would mean its side wall significantly closed the gap between that house and its neighbour. A key consideration in this application was the symmetry of the houses in the road, which would be considerably changed by this alteration, and the view of the sky between the houses, enjoyed by so many residents and a key feature of the street. The application was narrowly passed and I feel that it sets a worrying precedent for properties not only in that street but across the borough. The planning rules, which the committee has to follow in making decisions, have recently changed so that we must give more weight to the provision of housing when making decisions. Consequently there have been cases which the officers now recommend which they would not have recommended previously.

One application for a block of flats was passed, albeit with the slimmest of margins, despite the application using incorrect measurements! However there have also been applications for genuinely exciting and innovative designs across the borough and I look forward to seeing these when they are completed. In all the applications I am impressed by the professionalism of the council officers and their knowledge of planning matters.

On 24th September local Conservative Party members selected Seena Shah as the party's parliamentary candidate for the Brentford and Isleworth constituency. Seena comes from a marketing background and has experience in digital communications and working with social media. You may have met or read about her already – she's been going around the borough meeting local groups and gaining a first hand understanding of local issues while we have been delivering leaflets through doors introducing her to local residents. I had the chance to meet her properly at an event celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Friendly, sincere and with a shared interest in history – which may come from her degree in international relations – she struck me as just the sort of candidate who would appeal to a wide range of people and represent the constituency well.

DATES FOR DIARIES

• Borough council: Tuesday, 29 October at 7.30pm at Hounslow House
• Chiswick Area Forum: postponed and a new date to be confirmed
• The future of policing in Chiswick public meeting: date to be announced soon

Surgeries

• Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library, upstairs in the private room.
• Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Triangle Club, The Ridgeway, W3 8LN, usually a group discussion but privacy can be arranged.

Councillor Michael Denniss

Chiswick Riverside ward

michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk

07976 703274

October 28, 2019