A previous area forum meeting. Picture: Hounslow Council
September 28, 2024
This Tuesday’s (24 September) Chiswick Area Forum was well attending with significantly more than 100 people packed into the event venue at the Town Hall. Cllr Ron Mushiso was in the chair.
Many appear to have attended to hear details of the latest position regarding Transport for London’s (TfL) proposals for the road layout near Hogarth Roundabout following the conclusion of the public consultation.
The overwhelming majority of both councillors and people in the hall were opposed to the scheme which would see an extra lane added to the A4 Great West Road in front of the Griffin Brewery.
The meeting heard that there had been a significant amount of participation in the consultation with over 1,000 responses and good attendance at the public exhibitions. The level of response was such that the review of the feedback will take longer than expected and a report on the consultation won’t appear until November.
Criticism of the scheme came from all quarters including Hounslow Council’s own transport team. Most of the negative comments related to the closure of Church Street, which was regarded as unnecessary, and the very sharp turn proposed to enter Church Street via Burlington Lane in front of George & Devonshire pub was roundly criticised on safety grounds. There was also scepticism about the safety arguments being made by TfL for the scheme which it was claimed did not support the changes being proposed.
The consensus in the meeting appeared to be that it was hoped that the proposal would not progress to the next stage.
Other matters discussed included local crime particularly ‘boys on bikes’ and masked robbers targeting Chiswick School pupils returning home in the evening. The police were able to report four related arrests made the previous Friday.
Car theft was also raised with break in and thefts of SUVs in roads such as Wavendon Avenue and Alwyn Avenue described as an epidemic. Some residents complained of what they described as police inaction and said that they were considering hiring their own security.
There was discussion of speeding traffic along Abinger Road which was seen as a result of traffic being displaced by congestion in the area and the state of Chiswick’s pavements was brought up with it being described as ‘appalling’ and claims made that falls and accidents were commonplace. Hounslow Highways was described as too slow to respond to issues as they arise.
The next Chiswick Area Forum is due to take place on 11 December.
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