Local councillor Sam Hearn's blog about his week

Cllr Sam Hearn who represents the Riverside ward in Chiswick, is chairman of the Chiswick Area Forum. He has written this account of his week as a busy local councillor

Friday 8th April: Look ahead in the council dairy and see that next week is pretty much free of formal meetings. Pick up more Zac for Mayor leaflets.

Saturday 9th April: It is my turn to run the Councillors’ surgery – I nearly forgot. Met a group of residents concerned about a residential planning application that affects them. There is so often little that Ward Councillors can do to help. They are followed by a would-be allotment holder who, after years of waiting, has been refused a plot. It all seems inequitable and follows the dictates of a policy that no one had a copy of. Off after the surgery to Broughton Castle for the AGM of The John Hampden Society. The Castle was used as a film set for Shakespeare in Love and most recently TV’s Jane Eyre. It is a truly beautiful and peaceful place and it was pleasure to be shown round by the owner. My Croatian friend Suzy is bowled over by Broughton and soaks up the history of the place like a sponge.

Sunday 10th April: A full on Ward Committee meeting. Rare to hold these on a Sunday but it was the only time everyone could agree to meet. It was good to see new committee members getting to grips with some thorny issues. My usually helpful councillor colleagues are unable to throw any light on the plight of the would-be allotment holder. I will have to actually do some work on this myself.

Monday 11th April: Slip into the back of the well-attended annual meeting of St Pauls Grove Park Church. There is a good turn-out and the meeting breaks half way through for drinks and a hot meal. The question came up of the potential damage done to trees by stapling church posters to them. There was general agreement that this was bad PR for St Pauls and other methods should be used. It turns out that the main culprits are third parties running events at the church and not “the church” itself.

Tuesday 12th April: In correspondence with Officers again over the issue of parking permits for residents of Sutton Court and the CPZ extension. They seem to think that the whole of Sutton Court is in Fauconberg Road. See on ChiswickW4 that local groups are organising another public meeting on Wednesday 27th April to protest against the monstrous 32 storey “Chiswick Curve” project.

Wednesday 13th April: At Chiswick Pier for a Management Committee meeting. Everyone seems in a cheerful mood despite the news that the demolition of Pissarros is now underway. A new PR lady has been appointed by the Trust and the plans for modifications to the Trust’s building are “progressing well”. As on Monday we talk about what you can and cannot do to trees. In this case a tree on the riverbank that both the PLA and Hounslow Council deny all responsibility for.

Thursday 14th April: Discover that many of my incoming Council emails have recently been disappearing into a folder called ‘Clutter’. I do not think that this has caused anyone too many problems but does explain a few conversations at crossed purposes.

April 15, 2016