Focusing on the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate

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Chiswick Gunnersbury councillor Ranjit Gill reports back

Cllr Ranjit Gill

December 21, 2024

Its again my opportunity to do the blog this week just before Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone enjoy the time with family and friends but don’t forget to wish those on their own and support them during the festive season.

Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate

I've spent a good amount of time recently looking at issues on the historic Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate (often mistakenly thought of as part of Ealing), which forms part of the Ward I serve: Chiswick Gunnersbury (formerly Turnham Green Ward).

The biggest issue there, as voiced by residents, is crime. 

A spate of burglaries has hit the Estate recently, running in waves across this sleepy little community and causing great alarm. 

Other issues have included brazen car thefts off residents' driveways, car break-ins, and, perhaps most sinister, a drug dealing gang which took up residence in the Estate's secluded service roads after the nearby Lovebox festival in Gunnersbury Park a few years ago. The local Ward Officers at that time, Natalie Soden and Nicholas Hill, worked closely with residents to stop that problem and built up a very positive relationship with residents across my Ward who have great respect for those who live lives of service.

Earlier this year, in April, I organised a visit to the Estate from the former Tri-Borough Police Commander for our area, Sean Wilson. 

Following up on that, I and my fellow Councillors, Jo Biddolph and Ron Mushiso, will be working with the new Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Jill Horsfall, and the new Inspector for our area, Mr Ian Willis, to make sure that the disturbing crime of burglary is also tackled just in this part of the ward but throughout Chiswick.

To that end, Inspector Willis will be speaking to his teams directly about burglaries whilst also helping residents to understand what he and his colleagues are doing by hosting the new, 'Cuppa with a Copper' event within the Chiswick Gunnersbury Ward. The first one was held at the International School on the 27th of November and this an informal opportunity for residents to air their concerns directly to officers is now set to become quarterly.

The Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate and its residents have a storied history and much of this will come to the fore in the Centenary of the Estate next year. Like its bigger, more well-known brother, Bedford Park, the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate is protected by an Article 4(2) direction to maintain its historic character. 

As you might expect, gardens, both front and back, are especially valued in the Garden Estate and recent threats to this historic Estate from unsympathetic alterations, or even wholesale removal of gardens, is something that residents feel very strongly about. The first, independently judged Front Garden Awards were held in the Estate this year with the judges including amongst them Constance Craig-Smith, gardening writer for both English Garden and the Daily Mail. Please see the link below which appeared in Chiswick W4 recently

Front gardens in the Gunnersbury Park Garden Estate. Photo: Laurent Widloecher

Hounslow Council and repairs

All councillors have a lot of case work like my fellow Councillors some cases take a long time. One case has been ongoing since August. Repairs to the property started on 12 th August and we completed on 22nd November. Considering the resident had health issues and was sleeping on the floor the repair team took their time. The resident has been requesting a rent freeze but to date has not had a reply to this question. It just beggars belief that it the request keeps getting ignored. A simple Yes or No would suffice!

Strand on the Green Towpath

Meanwhile, in Chiswick Riverside, we can walk the Strand on the Green Towpath safely this Christmas as thanks to Cllr Gabriella Giles urging of the council, the section of wall that was collapsing under Compass House has been restored. Emergency works were completed in record time, and the path has now reopened. We know that there is need for full remedial works along the entire river wall, and appreciate that the council sprang into action to ensure the path is open for the holidays.

Photos from before and after.

 Wishing all readers and residents a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cllr Ranjit Gill

ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk

07976 702956

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 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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