'Urgent Action' Needed For Chiswick Park Footbridge

Mary Macleod accuses Hounslow Council of 'stalling' issue

 Local Conservative candidate, Mary Macleod, has urged Hounslow Council once again to move more quickly over the Chiswick Park pedestrian bridge. Last week, Mary Macleod called upon the Council to present Network Rail with an agreement for the use of their air space near Chiswick Park Station so that construction of the bridge can begin immediately.

The footbridge, which will extend from Chiswick Business Park to Chiswick Park Station, allowing business park employees quick access to the station, may also run near London Underground lines, meaning that the project will also require permission from Transport for London before any work can start.

Mary Macleod with transport minister Claire Perry and campaigners at the site

Blackstone, the owners of the business development, has recently been able to agree a new plan for the maintenance of the bridge with Hounslow Council after years of delays. However, developers will not be able to start construction on the much needed footbridge without permission from Network Rail and other land owners, such as Transport for London.

Mary said: “Hounslow Council cannot continue to stall over the footbridge at Chiswick Park. Once the final building at Chiswick Business Park is occupied by tenants at the end of the year, there will 12,000 employees at the development potentially using Gunnersbury Station. The footbridge to Chiswick Park Station has never been so essential. The Gunnersbury Station Action Team and I have seen real progress in the last year by getting the Council to agree to annual maintenance sums from Blackstone, but it is now up to the Council to think about residents’ needs and get confirmation from Network Rail and TfL.”

The declared candidates for the Brentford and Isleworth seat in the General Election are Joseph Bourke (Liberal Democrat), Ruth Cadbury (Labour), Daniel Goldsmith (Green) and Richard Hendron (UKIP), Mary Macleod (Conservative).’

April 10, 2015