Area Forum To Focus on Gunnersbury Events and Community Safety

Agenda for meeting at Chiswick Town Hall also includes e-bike update

Chiswick councillors at a recent area forum. Picture: Yagnesh Nakarja/LBH

June 13, 2023

The next Chiswick Area Forum and first of the new council year is taking place at Chiswick Town Hall on Tuesday, 20 June.

As festival season starts, there will be a chance to hear about measures that have been put in place to manage the impact of Gunnersbury Park events and ask questions about their experiences and concerns for this year.

The agenda also includes a report from the police, a short update on the e-bike scheme, a presentation on Hounslow council’s thriving communities fund and, as usual, the public forum during which residents can raise questions on any topic.

“With the start of Hounslow’s Summer of Culture outdoor events, I wanted to give residents and businesses the opportunity to share their views,” said Cllr Gabriella Giles, this year’s chairman of the Chiswick Area Forum and councillor for Chiswick Riverside ward. “Although last year’s Gunnersbury Park festivals resulted in the most complaints, from residents throughout Chiswick and from further away too, I know that others were disturbed by events elsewhere such as in Chiswick House and Kew Gardens. After so many disruptive events, and with residents’ complaints so often ignored, we need to know the specifics of what will be done.”

Cllr Joanna Biddolph, vice-chairman of the Chiswick Area Forum and councillor for Chiswick Gunnersbury ward said, “Last year resulted in a huge number of complaints about festivals, particularly Waterworks. Comments were far stronger; there were many more of them; and they came from a much wider geographical area. With Waterworks specifically, complaints were not only about decibel levels but also about the booming bass which made houses shake and windows and doors rattle. Waterworks is coming back this year and there must not be a repeat of last year, or for the same to happen at new festivals. The majority of residents understand that festivals, circuses and other events are needed to bring in income to maintain and improve our public parks and gardens. There must, however, be a significant shift towards respecting locals, and recognition that these events take place in a local community.”

The session on festivals will start with presentations from David Bowler, CEO of the Gunnersbury Estate CIC (community interest company); Victoria Wallas, Hounslow’s assistant director of community enforcement and regulatory services including licensing; and Peter Robertson, local resident and music festivals organiser who produced a report last year on the way sound travels, and the behaviour of festival promoters, which proved extremely valuable in getting the attention of the Gunnersbury Park CIC and Hounslow’s enforcement team.

Local police sergeant Jim Cope will provide an update about community safety and his team’s response to the current spate of break-ins and car thefts.

Residents are invited to raise any other subjects during the open forum.

As with previous meetings, there will be an informal networking event at the venue for an hour before the meeting with stalls from community groups and sandwiches and beverages served.

Agenda
6.30pm Informal networking, stalls about various services, sandwiches, coffee/tea
7.30pm Formal meeting starts
E-Bikes update
Police and the community safety team reports
Thriving Communities Fund presentation
Gunnersbury Park: Managing the Impact of Events
Open Forum
AOB

Everyone is welcome to attend and come along to this event and registration is not obligatory, but spaces are limited and so you can reserve your place by registering here.