Forum Topic

Didn't Councillors assure us that Turnham Green Terrace Restrictions weren't about revenue?

I distinctly recall councillor Guy Lambert saying on this very forum that the access restrictions weren't about raising money and officers had told him they didn't expect that much would be raised. Was he misled?

Anita Blake ● 2215d25 Comments

Yes, by half a million quid!

Jill Merrett ● 2215d

Let us hope that we was misled, although this shows a degree of naivety. Unlike the councilors in Ealing who simply barefaced lied.

N V Brooks ● 2215d

Mr Lambert has been on Facebook and Twitter saying there’s rarely congestion in Chiswick, and everyone can find a parking space.

Russell Pearson ● 2215d

I suppose they will have to make up for the lost revenue when shops will likely close due to, well...traffic restrictions.If you imagine local councillors were not aware of the consequences you must gave a better imagination than Walt Disney.

Keith Iddon ● 2215d

"Was he misled?"Of course he wasn't. Any fool could see it was about making money.

Steve Taylor ● 2215d

“ Have been looking at congestion in Chiswick over the last week. I've checked it out in morning and evening rush hours plus various times during the day. There's very little congestion except around school closing time when it's very busy on South Parade and Acton Lane. A little tricky at times with temp traffic lights on the CHR. Loads of parking near the town hall, in Sainsburys, and I've yet to see it full outside the police station or in Chiswick Back Common/back of M&S.”Guy Lambert

Russell Pearson ● 2215d

Well people are being asked to WFH again so traffic volume will b lower, you just can’t win can you?

Chris Johnson ● 2215d

It is a surpisingly small number of fines given the number of illegal drivers passing through on a daily basis over the past two months.

Paul Campbell ● 2215d

With respect, Anita, I believe the question is:Did Guy Lambert mislead?

David Lesniak ● 2215d

Yes Cllr Lambert did mislead (again) but obviously he was under orders to do so from his LeaderThe silence recently from Labour councillors says it all really I suppose though I expected nothing less

Paul Fisher ● 2215d

No, I refuse to accept that he was deliberately misleading. He appears to be a genuine individual committed to making things better in the area. If he was aware all along of the agenda to use these measures as an excuse to generate revenue he would not have made the public comments that he did.I think the worst he can be accused of is being naive but he does seem to have lost the plot slightly with his bizarre posts on social media claiming there are no traffic jams on Acton Lane and South Parade. He does now owe people an explanation as to whether he still feels the closure of TGT is justified. After all the amount of fines being raised proves beyond a doubt that it is not achieving its stated objective.

Anita Blake ● 2215d

From the numbers of cars and bikes who go deliberately crash or ignore red lights it would be interesting to know how many of those vehicles were the same ones repeatedly ignoring the signs.

Philippa Bond ● 2215d

"He appears to be a genuine individual committed to making things better in the area."No, he isn't. He is causing traffic and environmental chaos for purely political reasons. He doesn't listen to the voice of reason or adhere to community votes. He has gone power crazy. It's a common phenomenon in politics.

Steve Taylor ● 2215d

"interesting to know how many of those vehicles were the same ones repeatedly ignoring the signs."You will never know that until bikes get registration markings.

Steve Taylor ● 2215d

You'd be able to tell cars, vans and lorries though.

Philippa Bond ● 2215d

"You'd be able to tell cars, vans and lorries though."Yes indeed.

Steve Taylor ● 2215d

Once again I don't think that is the case. I think he genuinely believed that these changes would be positive. I think he took at face value the assurances he got that this wasn't about revenue raising. That said, the time has now come for him to admit his error.

Anita Blake ● 2215d

He will never admit his errors. He would be apologising every day!

Steve Taylor ● 2215d

I beg to differ, Anita.Guy is a Labour politician, a member of cabinet, like any other. He tows the party line and that's it.To me he showed his true colors during lockdown. I helped him out despite our differences and it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to call in a chit when needed. Absolutely nothing doing. Not a peep out of him, not even a disingenuous reply to my request to help businesses expedite putting outdoor tables/chairs. One point of these road changes is to give more space over to businesses. We have seen none of that on Devonshire where it would be easy to demonstrate. Less so on the Terrace. Instead we have dinky bike/planter/lock things promoting his agenda. They sit empty. That exact real estate sits outside the doors of several restaurants and cafes. In other parts of the city this is the space given to businesses to extend their trading area to comply with distancing and attempt to generate revenue to cover the shortfall from the past six months. Remember, businesses are on the hook for rents and rates eventually so, at present, we all have to make up for lost time.He has also never once proven to be receptive to any other infrastructure issue. He supported the building of a nine-story car park in Brentford but when I asked about the number of parking spaces in Chiswick? No reply. No engagement. No evidence. No data. He just ran rough-shod over our roads and pavements. When it came to CS9 he fell in line with lobbyists and attacked our position. Worse, he attacked our questions. So, no, I disagree. This is not a man who acts genuinely. He does not represent constituents equally. He is a member of cabinet who should be doing so. And he should be holding to account those who are paid employees (e.g. Mark Frost) who refuse to engage with residents and businesses but who can, oddly, find the time to speak with an applicant from St Albans. As a resident and business owner, we pay taxes twice into the kitty that feeds Chiswick. The applicant pays nothing. And she gets a return phone call??? And Guy sits by idly???Genuine?

David Lesniak ● 2214d

Correction there..9 storey monstrosity of a car park in Brentford. I know a car park is purely for function and not aesthetics, but this one takes the hobnob for ugliness.It looks unfinished and  like they should knock it down and start again and it's only been up for 18 months or so.I wonder what these people are really thinking,apart from how they can help each other out when it comes to getting their way,they don't really seem over concerned about the people living here.

Keith Iddon ● 2214d

If it was primarily intended as a revenue raising measure, then you'd imagine they'd have been a bit more circumspect about its introduction and implementation. Such as was the case with the innocuous traffic island installed in Lionel Road North which appearedto have no other purpose. As it is, introducing a measure which has provokednon-stop controversy ever since it was first announcedmonths ago hardly seems the best way to go about catching people unawares.At least that presumably was the thinking at the time.And quite reasonably so, IMO.michael adams

Michael Adams ● 2214d

The primary intention is to reduce car use in Chiswick. But not in Brentford.Brentford councillors are cheering on the road closures in Chiswick, and mocking anyone who disagrees. Parking they say is a doddle, and there’s no congestion.The £500,000 in fines for one small Chiswick road, that used to be part of a thriving shopping area, is an added bonus for them.

Russell Pearson ● 2214d

“But please can we have more cameras to fine people from outside Grove Park so that I can continue to drive wherever I like” begs Russell ad infinitum on Nextdoor and OneChiswick Facebook page. William Wallace or Mr Toad?

Paul Campbell ● 2214d

I have been driving around Sunbury, Shepperton and Walton on Thames for about five hours. I didn’t come across any cyclists, hardly any cycle lanes to look out for, or government road measures, it was heaven.It Wasn’t until I took a detour back through Feltham those horrible two wheel machines started appearing and getting in my way.Hounslow seems to be plagued with these weird  people and  you can see the borough caters for them with little coned off lanes.The borough I have just visited must of put traps down to catch these weird machines, can’t LBOH purchase some and turn the Borough  back to normality.

Bernard Allen ● 2214d

With half a million pounds from fining people going down Turnham Green Terrace, Hounslow can afford to install another lot of road closures - and so it goes on!

Peter Evans ● 2214d