Positive News for Residents and Taxpayers of Chiswick and Hounslow


Chiswick Homefields councillor Gerald McGregor reports back


Cllr Gerald McGregor

September 1, 2024

The Hounslow Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Board

Talking about safety of the streets and in the homes of Hounslow.

Having been selected to be the Conservative group representative on the CSP Board it was a pleasure to have a full agenda for the meeting, the location courtesy of the local Hounslow police team, at the Metropolitan Police Borough Command Headquarters in Montague Road on Thursday 29th August.

  • The Hounslow Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Board is made up of representatives from the Metropolitan Police, the Council, Fire and rescue authorities, Borough health and care services, the probation service and others representing communications and support, chaired for the first time by Councillor Raghwinder Siddhu.

These authorities work together to establish a set of priorities, with the aim of protecting the local community from crime and to help people feel safer.

They work out plans and strategies on how to deal with socially and personally impacting local issues including violence against women and girls through domestic abuse, antisocial behaviour, drug or alcohol misuse, and re-offending.

They assess local crime priorities together in a thoroughly professional manner and hear from and consult partners and representatives of the local community about how to address these issues.

 The Hounslow CSP Board meets each quarter to address with priorities above as set by the Hounslow Safer Communities Strategy. 

Whilst the CSP Board is not a public meeting as there are restrictions on the use of privileged legal information issues, the Board seeks to publish as much information to residents as possible, including non-restricted agendas and minutes of meetings. 

The meeting this week had a series of presentations and the whole group of twenty plus officers and professionals was able to engage one another about different aspects of the safety of the community as a whole.

For any further questions about the CSP Board, please contact the Community Safety Team via  community.safety@hounslow.gov.uk  or 020 8583 2503.

Traffic and Transport

The Proposed Scheme:

TfL has proposed a new road layout scheme at the Hogarth Roundabout. Its stated aim is to increase safety and to reduce accidents by freeing up the southbound traffic on to the A316.

A summary of the proposals:

  • To create a new left lane on the westbound A4, approaching the Hogarth Roundabout

- It would be a dedicated lane leading to the A316

- It would commence immediately in front of the gates to Fuller’s Griffin Brewery and would replace what is now brewery parking on Mawson’s Lane

- It would not be segregated from the other lanes of the westbound A4

- It would be controlled by traffic lights before the roundabout, as the existing three lanes are. Lights for all four lanes would be positioned 10 to 15 metres further east

- It would reduce the number of slip lanes leaving the roundabout on to the A316, from two lanes to one

  • Entirely close access from the roundabout to Church Street

- The pavement alongside the Griffin brewery wall would be extended across the current entry point to Church Street, linking the pavement with the pedestrian island in front of the George & Devonshire pub and the entrance to the underpass

- The stated reason to block Church Street is to enable pedestrians and cyclists to safely access the entrance to the underpass, without having to cross Church Street

- Access to Church Street from the roundabout will be via a180° left switchback u-turn from the southbound A316, at Chiswick Square, on to Burlington Lane, in front of the George & Devonshire pub

- No further details have been provided in the consultancy document on access to Old Chiswick

- Exit from Church Street will be via the short stretch of Burlington Lane (in front of the George & Devonshire pub) on to the southbound A316

- Access from Church Street to the A4 westbound, the A4 eastbound and to Chiswick Lane northbound would be via the A316 southbound, a right uturn in front of Chiswick Gate/ the start of the Hogarth flyover, on to the northbound A316, going back towards the roundabout.

  • Pavement and other works

- Widen the pavement alongside the brewery, with planting

- Block Church Street access with extension of pavement and trees

- Deep clean the underpass

- Install new paving, lighting, wayfinding around and in the underpass

- Provide seating and cycle parking by the entrances to the underpass

- Advanced stop lines at all approaches to the roundabout

So, we have an engineering programme which commenced with a withdrawal of incorrect road accident statistics which were part of the case. The actual relevance of the accident stats to the scheme have yet to be proved.

The Hogarth roundabout traffic scheme consultation has been extended because of the continuing growth of public concern about what precisely is intended by cutting off access to residents in Church Street and the Mall.

The concern has led to further consultation slots made available at Hogarth House going into September.

A meeting has been called at Hogarth House by the Cabinet member of Hounslow Borough Council. I have raised a series of concerns and provided a series of solutions, but the key to much of this debate is the closure of Hammersmith Bridge (solution supplied) the limitations caused by Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes and the extra traffic hitting the roundabout.

People have a local sense of increasing strangulation without reason, as the plans seem to be map based and not at all related to the special reality of living in the area.

Cllr Gerald McGregor

gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk

07866 784821

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2024/25

Chiswick Area Forum is expected to be on Tuesday 24 September at 7.30pm
The Hogarth Hall, Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Turnham Green W4 4JN

The Next Borough Council Meeting is on Tuesday 17 September 2 at 7.30pm
Council Chamber. 6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road TW3 3EB

The Next Scrutiny Panel is expected to be on Thursday 19 September at 7.00pm Room 610. 6 th Floor, Hounslow House 7 Bath Road TW3 3EB

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

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

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