May 2022: Off to Pastures New: Making Brentford Better
Chiswick Riverside ward councillor Michael Denniss reports back
Zoe Nixon and Michael Denniss campaigning in Brentford
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's about coming together and building a more inclusive community for our families and neighbours. I’ve lived in Chiswick all my life and represented Chiswick Riverside Ward for the last four years. I’ve been a beneficiary of the great community assets that we have, particularly the fireworks at St Paul’s Church on Guy Fawkes’ night, a veritable initiation for any Chiswick child.
I’m (just!) old enough to remember the mini steam railway that was run in the ‘90s by a local enthusiast and to which residents would flock on a Friday night. I’ve been impressed by the dedication of the two residents’ organisations, the Strand on the Green Association and Grove Park Group, and the way they have influenced the council on issues that matter to residents such as the creation of a walkway along the Thames Path below Kew Bridge. These associations provide great value for those who wish to add their voice to local issues and I strongly encourage membership.
In this year’s council elections however, I am standing in Brentford West, having recently moved to the area, alongside Zoe Nixon, a business owner and Board Member of the Hounslow Chamber. As in Chiswick, many residents there are concerned about the future of their local community and the local high street and the preservation of their community spirit, the affordability of local housing and the effectiveness of essential services. The rationale behind our campaign Shop local, Shop Brentford, Building a Better Brentford TOGETHER is that we want our high street to serve and strengthen the wider community. We believe that businesses and residents can work together to make Brentford a cohesive and vibrant community just as Chiswick has been for me.
Making the case for greater diversity in the council’s monitoring forms
At Borough Council I spoke out in support of a motion proposed by Councillor McGregor for the inclusion of ‘Latin American’ in the ethnicity sections of the council’s monitoring forms. This was in recognition not only of the large size of the Latin American community in London but also a request by the Greater London Authority to do so. I spoke first on the greater value that the collection of these additional data could provide both for the council’s Public Sector Equality Duty and its greater accuracy in monitoring its residents. I felt that these data would enhance the council’s decision-making powers and ensure that the council truly understood the make-up of its residents. The ethnicity options currently available (White, Black, Asian, or Other) were clearly inadequate.
Making the case for “Latin American” to be included as an ethnicity on the Council’s diversity monitoring forms
Secondly, I spoke of the importance of the value of diversity in our society and how our curiosity of each other and greater understanding of our differences unites us as one people, as one nation of Great Britain. As this nation had a place for Latin Americans, just as it has a place for people of all backgrounds and ethnicities, it should follow that the council’s monitoring forms should include “Latin American” too. It was therefore with great regret that the motion was rejected, with every Labour councillor voting against. I aim to include this change should the Conservatives win in the council elections next year.
Planning Committee
In December the Planning Committee heard from two applications based in Chiswick. The first was the redevelopment of the B&Q site on Larch Road by the North Circular which would include a hotel, flats, retail units and restaurants, and, interestingly, a “Technology Showcase” boasting exhibition and event spaces. The site lay in a conservation area and I and the other councillors had to weigh the harm that this development would have to the conservation area against the public benefits of the scheme such as employment and the provision of housing. There were far fewer “family sized” homes (two bedroom units that could sleep at least four people) than officers would have expected of a development of this size, and this led me to reluctantly vote against the scheme. However, the application passed with a 6-5 majority. I feel that the Hounslow Local Plan’s definition of family sized dwellings which accepts two bedroom units, is not ambitious enough and underestimates the size of homes that families need. I will push to make the council’s criteria here more family friendly should I get reelected next year.
The second application proposed one house and five flats on Devonshire Road. The scheme met all the important points: all units would be council homes at London Affordable Rent levels, landscaping, refuse and recycling were provided for and there was provision of cycling. However it also included an unsightly metal staircase that was entirely incongruous with the other houses and which residents had raised when objecting to the scheme. On balance, the councillors voted unanimously for the application.
Mortlake Crematorium
Mortlake Crematorium serves several boroughs including H&F, Hounslow and Richmond and I attend board meetings there as part of my council duties alongside other councillors from these boroughs. We discuss the crematorium’s risks and strategies and ensure that the crematorium provides a valuable service to residents.
In Memoriam: Councillor Javed Akhunzada
It was with great sadness we heard of the passing of Councillor Akhunzada.
I attended his funeral at the Jamia Masjid & Islamic Centre and paid tribute to him at Borough Council earlier this month. Councillor Akhunzada joined the council at the same time as I did and we often shared our experiences and challenges of the new role. He was much appreciated as a community leader and will be missed by all of us.
Cllr Michael Denniss
michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703274
CAMPAIGN NEWS from the Councillors Group in Hounslow
By the Leader of the Opposition Cllr Gerald McGregor
More on Key Conservative Pledges
ACCOUNTABLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The next meeting of the Council is on Tuesday May 1 st and is a Statutory Meeting required by Law to set a Budget for 2022/2023 commencing on April 1 st for the next financial year.
The Budget concentrates on Taxation Raising and Expenditure in next year. The Council Tax in London has two parts, one put forward by the Local Council and the second part the Demands from the Mayor London.
Managing Local Taxation
Hounslow’s Labour-led council is once again raising Council Tax by the maximum possibly allowed without having to call a local referendum. Meanwhile, the Mayor of London is also raising his share of council tax by 8.8%. We are opposing this huge and unnecessary extra burden on local residents.
No Unjustified Increases
The Conservative Group has produced working documents for an alternative budget for the third year in succession. We had great success last year as our proposals on funding education and widening the scope of our legal team have been adopted in part since then by the current Labour administration. More details during Tuesday’s council meeting!
Spending Wisely
In our alternative budget, we will show how the costs for putting back resources removed by Hounslow in 2018 and 2019 in Adult Social Care, can be met by careful financial management from current existing funds without putting pressure on hard pressed working people and pensioners. We can spend money on frontline services without squeezing council tax-payers.
Campaigning
Meanwhile, your local Conservative teams have been continuing to listen to residents right across the borough. Whilst Conservative candidates spend time talking to residents, the Hounslow Labour Party is still arguing amongst itself trying to decide who its candidates are. We expect that they’ll finally be able to reach a decision later this week, barely 10 weeks out from election day. Whilst they’ve been playing internal politics, we’ve been out delivering for residents, listening to their concerns, and standing up for our communities.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Most council meetings are now taking place in person at Hounslow House though a few, such as licensing panel meetings, continue to be held virtually. Even if they are held in person, you can watch them live (or later) on the council's YouTube channel . Please check for each meeting by looking at the agenda reports pack for each committee.
The key council meetings coming up are:
- 1st March – 7.00pm Borough Council annual budget setting meeting
- 3rd March – 7.00pm Planning
- 15th March – 7.00pm Overview and Scrutiny
- 22nd March – 7.00pm Cabinet
- 8th March – 7.00pm Licensing panel
- 15th March – 7.00pm Overview and Scrutiny
- 22nd March – 7.00pm Cabinet
- 28th March – 5.00pm Audit and governance
- 5th April – 7.00pm Licensing panel
- 7th April – 7.00pm Planning
- 19th April– 7.00pm Cabinet
SURGERIES ARE BACK!
We are now able to hold face-to-face surgeries again and, as before, will be available in Chiswick and in Gunnersbury. Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the nine Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn). Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Turnham Green ward councillors will take this surgery).
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Patrick Barr
patrick.barr@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703263
Cllr Gerald McGregor
gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784821
Cllr John Todd
john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784651
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Michael Denniss
michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703274
Cllr Gabriella Giles
gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk
07966 270823
Cllr Sam Hearn
sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
07833 376222
Turnham Green ward
Cllr Joanna Biddolph
joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703446
Cllr Ranjit Gill
ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702956
Cllr Ron Mushiso
ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702887
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March 9, 2022