Local councillor Sam Hearn writes a blog about his week
Friday 8th September : Spent time trying to complete numerous tasks ahead of my eye operation.
Saturday 9th September : Up early so that Sue could take me to the Western Eye Hospital for a cataract operation. Everything went smoothly and I was home before I knew it clutching my eye drops and my list of does and don'ts. I was supposed to have had the operation in August but when I turned up the surgeon apologised because they did not have a lense in stock that was powerful enough for my prescription.
Sunday 10th September: I decided to have a quiet day at home and not join some friends for a 12 mile walk on the South Downs Way. Sue kept me in touch with WhatsApp photos. I got lots of sympathy at church because I was still wearing a plastic guard over my eye and looked “bug eyed”. In the afternoon I continued preparing for the following evening's Group meeting and Tuesday's Borough Council meeting. I discover that I need to buy a pair of reading glasses that will tide me over until I have my second cataract removed. I am sure that Busby the Chemists can help me out
Monday 11th September: At the Civic Centre for a presentation to Chiswick Councillors by Stefania Horne, Hounslow's Head of Parks, on the progress being made with the Duke's Meadow Project. Although funding has still to be secured from a variety of sources, ambitious plans are in place to upgrade the many sporting facilities and the pedestrian access to this popular area. Cllr Todd who is part of the project team is rightly proud of what has been achieved so far.
Ahead of next May's election the Group meeting is enlarged to include selected and approved candidates. This gives candidates an insight into the workings of the Council and what will be expected of them. There was a healthy discussion of all the items to be covered in the following day's Council meeting.
Tuesday 12th September : To the Civic Centre earlier than usual for a reception to recognise the contribution made by Hounslow's officers and emergency services to the response to the Grenfell Towers disaster. Genuinely humbling to hear how nearly a hundred officers from the CEO down had volunteered and provided support in so many ways.
The Council Meeting itself was a litany of revelations. The Medium Term Financial Strategy showed that not only would council tax be going up yet again but that £2m would, in an election year, be used to ensure that those already paying highly discounted rates of CT would in future pay no CT.
Recycling rates at 29.5% are now lower than when the Conservative led administration left office in 2010 - when the recycling rate was 32% (up from 17% under Labour). The Lead member did not think that this was disappointing. Nor was he able to say when all the Borough's roads and pavements would be brought up to a decent standard of repair. We are coming to the end of the five year programme of intensive capital expenditure under the PFI contract and many potholes and cracked paving slabs remain in a poor state. Finally there was the Council's failure to bring Heathrow to book for its appalling record on air pollution.
Wednesday 13th September : Business meetings out of London all day but back in time for the Candidate Hustings meeting for Chiswick Riverside. The meeting room was full to bursting. There were nine candidates for three places. As a candidate myself I did not get to hear the others perform. We drew lots for the position that we would speak at and I was fortunately drawn at number seven. Thankfully I was re-selected along with Michael Denniss and Fahdi Farhat. Michael and Fahdi are good colleagues who I have campaigned with and I know will work hard both as candidates and if elected as councillors. The Ward Chair Jeremy Day, thanked the retiring Councillors Lynch and Barwood for what they had achieved and their long service. Both have served as Mayor of Hounslow,
Thursday 14th September : A few hours catching up on emails and other outstanding tasks.
Cllr Sam Hearn
September 17, 2017
