Liveable Neighbourhood Scheme Data, Harvard Hill and the River Wall

What have you been up to? A question I often get, and sometimes find it quite hard to answer in a straightforward manner when it comes to what I’ve been up to as a councillor.

It’s not that we’ve been sitting on our laurels. Not in the slightest. It’s just that sometimes, it’s hard to understand what might be of interest.

Can’t get away from the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood

In recent years, the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood has taken up a lot of column space here, and on Friday, the councillors from Chiswick Homefields and Chiswick Riverside were asked to join a call to review the findings of the consultation and data acquired in regard to the experimental measures at Burlington Lane and Staveley Road.

After an hour reviewing the slides and being told for what seems like the millionth time for the justification of the project (I get it, I’ve only been aware of this since 2019), we weren’t actually told what the final decision for these measures were going to be.

For the record, and I’ve said this before, my issue with the project has never been the justification. What I have always struggled with is the lack of project management, and implementation of a project which is looking into behavioural change. We were told that the area would be treated as a whole; but the use of separate measures, implemented at different times (due to a myriad of factors), means it’s virtually impossible to look at the data in isolation.

Unfortunately, what I’m now struggling with is the narrative around how the findings from the data capture (Air Quality monitoring that didn’t exist in the ward pre-2020, Active Travel analysis which wasn’t done before the implementation of any scheme in the area) and consultation are now being presented. We were told that the area was to be treated as a whole and was the largest project of its type in London, and now have been told that the scheme is small.

To what end? Well, maybe it’s because the data we have been asking for since 2020 don’t show the results the council wants. We have been told that they don’t have enough pre-scheme data. Well (and forgive my 90s reference), duh.

I wish I could be magnanimous about this, but I have often said that I feel like Cassandra, and it’s a little insulting to have what you’ve been saying for years thrown back in your face as justification for poor results.

Anyway, if you’re interested in hearing what the council has found, you can get a place for the virtual meeting here.

Harvard Hill Update

And before I forget, the barrier at Harvard Hill is going to be made permanent. Initially, we were told that works were due to start 13 February, it was advertised as 20 February, and have now been told this will look like the 6 March. The whole of Harvard Hill will be closed in both directions for two weeks while the works are underway. I have asked for the initial letter drop to be extended to the whole “grid” between Whitehall Gardens and Burnaby Gardens, and Wolseley Gardens and Gordon Road so that the wider area is aware. The initial letter drop area is as the picture below.

Maybe I should have attempted Civil Engineering?

I joke. Many moons ago, I wanted to be an electrical and electronic engineer, but it would seem that my life as a councillor now revolves around some very interesting civil engineering projects.

Apart from traffic, it would seem that there’s a rather large structural project that will need some further attention.

In July 2021, along with the Strand-on-the-Green Residents Association (SOGA), I took part in a walkabout along the towpath and wall at Strand-on-the-Green. We were joined by the lead member for highways, officers from Hounslow Council and Hounslow Highways. The purpose of this meeting was to walk the c.832m path to look at any inconsistencies and start to formulate a plan of action.

Then there was 18 months of radio silence. Following the SOGA AGM in January, I was able to arrange a follow-up meeting with the same groups, so that we could regroup, and this meeting took place on Thursday.

Ever since I was first elected, I have been trying to figure out who is responsible for maintaining this, and have been told many half-truths by many people over the years. It’s not that I was being misled, it’s more that so many people have been involved at various times over the past 20+ years, that there doesn’t seem to be any continuity. This isn’t any one person’s fault, it’s the nature of long-term projects. Certainly none of us were around when we think the wall was built around 1750!

Therefore, this meeting was really useful. Aside from getting a better insight of who is responsible (London Borough of Hounslow for the wall, Hounslow Highways for the footpath), interested parties (of which SOGA are one, the PLA are another, and 3 different departments at LBH), we reviewed the inspection schedules, a 300-page report from the last inspection and gained a substantial insight to how Hounslow Highways manages assets on behalf of the council.

We have been able to ascertain that since 2004, there has been about £1.25m invested in substantial repairs. One of our biggest fears is that something will happen to the wall which means it won’t be usable, and the repairs too costly. It’s a huge part of the character of Chiswick, I know many enjoy a stroll or a drink at one of the pubs.

The meeting was really productive, we’ve now started an action tracker, observed that the last report recommended monthly inspections of the wall after high-tides, which will now start, we have had commitment to bring forward a major inspection following the observation that the scores of the reports have dropped by 10 points in the last two inspections - albeit from “good” to “fair” - and requested that the council start a Sink Fund to mitigate an budgetary risks in the future.

We’ve already agreed to a follow-up meeting in April, which will take place after the next inspection so we can review the results.

Speaking to the next generation of leaders

Following the light failure at Harvard Hill at the end of last year, the Headteacher from Grove Park Primary contacted me as she was concerned about a school trip who would use this route to get from the school to Gunnersbury Station. Thankfully, we were able to get these fixed, and I was really surprised when I was invited by the School Council to come and speak to them in January.

The school council is made up of four students from each year group, and were very prepared. They take democracy extremely seriously and had voted on which questions each class was to ask me. And they had done their research.

The questions were broad-ranging, from what can we do to be better at recycling to asking me about why I was a councillor. I’m not going to lie - some of them were pretty tricky - one child asked me how much of Chiswick’s energy usage comes from renewable energy sources! A really good question that demonstrates what they’ve been learning, and certainly one I still need an answer for!

Gabriella in Class

Mission Failed?

Was this of interest? There were a lot of other items too - meetings with local groups, surgeries, casework, interventions on behalf of residents, licensing meetings, borough council, briefing meetings from heads of department, council estate inspections, still a fair bit of member development training sessions, and trying to organise the next police ward panel. Would you prefer to hear about these items? Let me know.

Looking to my diary for next week, I’ve got a meeting with the Thames Landscape Strategy, the Cabinet sit on Tuesday, we’ve got a briefing on the council budget, a member development session and I’m hoping for a little chance to let my hair down on Friday at the Mayor’s Charity dinner and dance.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Councillor Gabriella Giles

Chiswick Riverside

Gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk

07966 270823

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tuesday, 21st February at 7:00pm: Cabinet

Tuesday, 28th February at 7:30pm: Budget Setting Meeting Borough council

Thursday, 2nd March at 7:00pm: Planning Committee

Tuesday, 14th March at 7:00pm: Chiswick Area Forum

Tuesday, 28 th March at 7:00pm: Cabinet

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight 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 Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery). 

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS

Chiswick Gunnersbury (was 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

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821

Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823

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