Forum Topic

Hanif Khan at Downing Street

Hanif Khan has been to Downing Street to attend a reception with Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps for people who have been doing good things for transport during the pandemic.Grant Shapps thanked London Borough of Hounslow personally for the efforts taken to promote cycling and active travel. Hanif has put a short video on Twitter with photos of him at the reception with the PM and SoS for Transport.https://twitter.com/HanifKhan_1/status/1422814562483523584

Paul Campbell ● 1909d44 Comments

Wow, that has made my day

Paul Fisher ● 1909d

I can’t recall seeing the reply to the letter our local councillors sent to Grant Shapps nearly a year ago decrying the traffic measures taken by LBH. I think we can take this as the belated response.

Tom Pike ● 1909d

To be fair I think Cllr Khan and his Labour colleagues would attend the opening of an envelope if it attracted publicity

Paul Fisher ● 1909d

To be fair, I think seeing a political rival invited to number 10 is rather more likely to provoke the jealousy of any ambitious Tory councillor.

Tom Pike ● 1909d

As someone said to me the other week when we were discussing the commitment of some supposedly Labour councillors. 'They have no politics' - if this were a Lib Dem majority council what's the betting a lot of them would espouse that party?

Vanessa Smith ● 1909d

When was the last time one of the Chiswick Conservative Councillors got invited to number ten to be congratulated on their success in implementing government policy?

Paul Campbell ● 1908d

Don't see how Cllr Khan is betraying his party principles by going to number 10. It is Labour Party policy in Hounslow at the moment to support schemes like Cycleway 9 and only the government can provide funding to complete it. Dominic Cummings revealed that cycling was one of the few policy issues that Boris Johnson took an active interest in and, along with Andrew Gilligan, he appears determined that Cycleway 9 and other schemes be implemented regardless of local objections.Grant Shapps doesn't hide very well that he doesn't completely buy in to these policies but he has been selected in the role for his lack of principle and original ideas and to be the fall guy when things go wrong.The concern for supporters of Cycleway 9 must be that the interest of central government in the minutiae of local transport policy will end once Johnson is no longer prime minister. Now that his personal unfitness for the office is no longer really disputed, it is only really the opportunism of the Tories who don't care as long as they are ahead in the polls that keeps him there.Johnson has had an unsustainable run of luck over the last two years which has meant he has kept his job despite his incompetence but it is hard to see that continuing. Property prices in the north won't rise forever, the resumption of international travel will make more people aware of how his Brexit deal impacts them and he won't survive a public enquiry into his handling of the pandemic. Once he goes the micro-management of local authority transport policy ends and Cycleway 9 ceases to be the only game in town for funding.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1908d

The Tories have a dilemma that however bad Johnson is as a Prime Minister, his celeb appeal is probably worth about 5% on the polls particularly compared to someone like Gove as an alternative. At the moment I see him hanging on until 2024 particularly as everything that is being done to delay the public enquiry until after then. Gove probably believes then will be his moment to strike.Before then we have a local election and it looks very possible that Chiswick will have Labour councillors within ten months. Although this is part of a national trend in which Labour look set to make gains in Tory voting areas and has nothing to do with Cycleway 9, many will claim it is an endorsement of the scheme and, assuming the new Chiswick councillors back the cycle route, it will mean any revolt in the local party against transport policy becomes less likely.

Francis Rowe ● 1908d

'Don't see how Cllr Khan is betraying his party principles by going to number 10. It is Labour Party policy in Hounslow at the moment to support schemes like Cycleway 9 and only the government can provide funding to complete it.'That may well be the case - however, what with Cllr. Katherine Dunne saying 'Boris blows my mind' because of his comments about walking and cycling, and then Hanif Khan fawning over Boris and Grant Shapps it's enough to turn your stomach. Labour councillors may have no choice but to have to deal with these people, but crawling up their backsides for many of us is a step too far and then some.

Vanessa Smith ● 1908d

What a complete berk Johnson is.  So out of touch, a complete and dangerous amateur as PM.  Have no faith in naive Sunak either.  Coupled with an even more out of touch local Council in Hounslow.  They motives are glory and money, not the wellbeing of the citizens of this country and area.

Claire Moran ● 1908d

I guess that's put paid to any chance of Cllr Biddolph getting a BEM?

David McLoughlin ● 1908d

Meanwhile the Chiswick Conservatives, fresh from their victory to re-introduce traffic on Devonshire Road are still fighting to remove the segregated cycleway on the High Road. They were at it last night in committee. And the Southfield Lib Dems are fighting to remove the only north-south cycle route through Fishers Lane. Also in the news! Climate scientists have detected warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, one of the planet’s main potential tipping points. Such an event would have catastrophic consequences around the world, severely disrupting the monsoons that billions of people depend on for food in India, South America and West Africa; increasing storms and lowering temperatures in Europe; and pushing up the sea level in the eastern US. It would also further endanger the Amazon rainforest and Antarctic ice sheets.

Edward Seaton ● 1907d

Did the climate scientists say that the Gulf Stream would collapse if Cycleway 9 was removed?

Jeremy Parkinson ● 1907d

The Hounslow Conservatives have retreated to their bunker, utterly bewildered and bereft, capable only of repeatedly and incoherently blurting out "full public consultation" and "modal shift" with only the prospect of their next drive to the dry cleaners to buoy their beleaguered spirits. It's very sad.

Paul Campbell ● 1907d

Ah the bunker piece - one never knows whether this is a reference to Archie, Adolf of Golf. Boris likes playing some dodgy cards. His backbenchers are increasingly unhappy bunnies. He’s a more canny cove than he likes to make out. Plenty of turf for our local cultural warriors to chomp on. Mixed metaphors aside.

Russell Pearson ● 1907d

The whole thing was crazy, sorry Boris but all that dosh should have gone towards people changing to EVs first and would have cut pollution muchfaster, the cycle lanes could have come later and all changes should havecome along in different stages for people to adapt.  If he's happy with howthings have gone he's entitled to invite who he wants.

Janice Evans ● 1907d

"The Hounslow Conservatives have retreated to their bunker, utterly bewildered and bereft, capable only of repeatedly and incoherently blurting out "full public consultation" and "modal shift"Paul - why are you and your friends so averse to a full public consultation? The cycle lobby has been blathering on for months that cycleway 9 has only been introduced as an experiment and that once we have all seen how wonderful it is we will all support it. OK Paul you have had your "fun" - now lets go for it and ask people what they really want. Oh dear, of course you already know that when ever Chiswick residents are asked about the various incarnations of cycleway 9 that they comprehensively reject it and any form of bi-directional segregated cycleway. The scheme being introduced with a new experimental traffic order is the the fourth attempt by TfL/LBH to devise a workable scheme - when are they just going to admit that they have failed? When you find yourself in a hole the best advice is to stop digging - unless of course you like being in a hole?Modal shift is no laughing matter. Without it the whole cycleway scheme is essentially pointless. Unless the cycleway leads to people undertaking fewer journeys by bus and car AND instead cycle then there will be no improvement in air quality. Without improvements in air quality there will be no reductions in CO2 and no contribution to slowing the rate of global warming.  So why are neither TfL or LBH taking any steps to measure modal-shift or changes in air quality? I think we all know the answer to that one. Cycleway 9 is and has always been a vain attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It is very clear that this type of scheme should not have been introduced on a busy high road with multiple side roads and busy junctions. Now is the time to for the council to properly consult residents on all the options and approve a scheme that is supported by most residents. Come on Paul - what is your problem with that?

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 1907d

It's pretty irrelevant what Paul thinks. The rules of the game are being set by Boris Johnson who will financially punish Hounslow if and when they decide to scrap the scheme. Even if they did actually agree with everything you say, they still have to take into account the fiscal impact of not doing central government's bidding. That would include reduced grant funding and having to pay out of their own resources for returning Chiswick High Road to its previous state.

Francis Rowe ● 1907d

Cllr Hearn appears to be trying to cover up the inadequacy of his presentation to Hounslow scrutiny meeting on Tuesday."Full public consultation" he parroted.  There will be a full public consultation was the response.  "Full public consultation" he and Cllr Tak parroted again.  Yes, there will be a full public consultation.. It could have gone on all night.I don't know whether Cllr Hearn just doesn't understand or if they have agreed a "party line" and are determined to stick to it, no matter how nonsensical.He appears to have forgotten the result of the full consultation for the bidirectional cycleway in 2017 which had majority support.The rest is as confused as usual.- there has been an improvement of air quality on Chiswick High Road.  The data clearly shows this.- "Without improvements in air quality there will be no reductions in CO2". He is confusing two different things... air quality is based upon levels of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, not CO2.To quote his own government's guidelines.  "Trial or experimental schemes should be left in place for the full duration of the .... experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO), ... until at least 12 months’ traffic data is available and has been published.""Engagement, especially on schemes where there is public controversy, should use objective methods, such as professional polling to British Polling Council standards, to establish a truly representative picture of local views and to ensure that minority views do not dominate the discourse. Consultations are not referendums, however."So really, he can go away and come back in a years time after the new traffic order.I assume he would be happy for polling to occur so the opinions of his elderly supporters do not dominate.  It was interesting that a survey of a representative sample of people in the area showed a majority in support.

Michael Robinson ● 1907d

Michael - there was a petition signed by over 5,000 residents specifically opposing the original bi-directional scheme. Subsequently there was a petition (open for only 4 days) signed by over 10,000 residents condemning ALL the traffic measures imposed on Chiswick including the cycleway. No Hounslow petitions have ever been signed by so many people.  There is one (yes one!) air monitoring station on the whole of Chiswick High Road. The data from one monitoring station proves very little. The report by TfL's air quality consultants make it very clear that the original scheme would simply move the air pollution around from one road to another.Michael - as you know there is NO commitment from Hounslow Council to conduct a full public consultation on the cycleway scheme. Why not?Please do not lecture me on air pollution. The NOX gases are of course important for human health but CO2 is the gas that directly affects global warning.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 1907d

Yeah right Sam, that was the petition that Cllr Biddolph and David Lesniak were promoting on a Facebook group run by an anti-bike lane campaigner in Hampstead.  You can't claim it is representative of local opinion, these petitions are just magnets for people who hate cycling from all over London and beyond.You really do need to be lectured on air pollution.  You repeatedly needed to be told that the air quality report you referenced assumed no changes to existing traffic. You made the ridiculous claim that the air quality monitoring station on Chiswick High Road was as far from the road as possible when if it was any closer it would be on the pavement.  You have completely ignored that the air quality monitoring station has shown an improvement in air quality when you claimed the opposite. You then said,"Without improvements in air quality there will be no reductions in CO2" when the two are completely different.The introduction of the ULEZ should improve air quality.  Will it reduce CO2 emissions? Don't know, that isn't objective of the ULEZ.It is all moot anyway, the government has laid out guidelines for assessing schemes and they don't reflect what you want.You and your fellow councillors could try writing a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport complaining about the department's policies.Who knows, you may even get a response this time.

Michael Robinson ● 1907d

Well gee, Michael, if you're so opposed to opinion from outside the confines of W4, then all input on any pro-cycling petition or consultation, etc. is now null and void.I'll remind you local businesses (and many local residents) we're never consulted yet a blogger from Reading was. Odd, no?

David Lesniak ● 1906d

David,While you might gain some credibility with the Onesies by attacking Michael, you lose rather more when you “remind” them that you were never consulted, as your input to the consultation is covered at some length in TfLs response: Outsider Tart (Chiswick High Road, W4 2EF)Strongly opposed the proposalsIn their response to consultation, the bakery opposed changes to parking restrictions, which it stated would negatively affect businesses and residents along the route. They stated that removal of single yellow lines would remove loading for businesses and residents, and that the introduction of parking controls on Sundays and 6-8pm on evenings would remove the opportunity for customers to stop and collect goods from businesses on the route. They raised concern that the route would cost £70m and would only benefit cyclists who do not contribute financially to use the road. They raised concern that cyclists are not licensed, and that the police therefore cannot enforce against anti-social / unlawful behaviour by cyclists. They raised concerns that faster cyclists would not use the cycle track if this was blocked by slower cyclists, and would not be punished for doing so.The business raised concerns that relocating a bus stop on Chiswick High Road east of Chiswick Lane could result in buses blocking back in an already-congested location. They also expressed concern that the kerb radii at the junction of Chiswick Lane were too severe to allow lorries to turn left from Chiswick Lane onto Chiswick High Road, and that reducing the width of turnings into side streets generally would compromise access for larger vehicles like delivery lorries and refuse collection trucks.They raised concern that information presented at consultation was conflicting, not easily accessible and referenced information which was not available. They also raised concerns that their business did not receive notification of the consultation or any visit from a TfL representative.Representatives from the Outsider Tart also raised a number of other points in subsequent emails and a meeting following consultation.

Tom Pike ● 1906d

As if on cue, Tom weighs in with his usual schtick. Pro-active engagement did not occur with any business along the route. Not then. Not now. Not ever. Ditto residents.Pro-active engagement did occur with supporters of the scheme from outside W4. Then as now.With a route two metres outside our window, TfL and LBH knew precisely where we were yet no one thought to use a person or a letter aimed directly at us. No business was consulted this way. A strategy they've been taken to task for multiple times. But you do you.

David Lesniak ● 1906d

So you responded to the C9 consultation, and clearly TfL noted your concerns. But at the same time you were never consulted. Were all the other businesses and residents that responded to the consultation not consulted either?

Tom Pike ● 1906d

Twist it and turn it anyway you want, Tom.The fact remains opinions were solicited prior to the "consultation" from a very narrow field. Just not the field of inquiry, namely Chiswick.

David Lesniak ● 1905d

It’s not me doing the twisting. You cannot claim to have not been consulted after you responded to a consultation and your views were noted, as were dozens of other businesses and over a thousand of residents in Chiswick. It is simply untrue to claim you were never consulted, though you clearly feel that doesn’t present any obstacle to you endlessly repeating it.

Tom Pike ● 1905d

Not speaking about any situation in particular.  But it seems evident that consultations are happening over various issues, but the results do not seem to affect the Councils decisions.  Therefore the consultations are a waste of time and money.  Some companies carrying out some consultations had connections with Council members I understand.  Some questions were skewed.  Some results are being held back.  Holding consultations doesn't mean a fair outcome. Data is definitely open to interpretation as can be seen clearly on this forum.

Maggie Dodge ● 1905d

When people complain about the lack of consultation about the original Cycleway 9 design it is because it was drawn up with no attempt to use local knowledge to produce the best possible layout prior to detailed designed. This resulted in a flawed design that needed changing.Conservative councillors complaining now about a lack of consultation on the temporary scheme are being preposterous. The consult as you go method is mandated by their party leader. Hounslow have no choice in the way this is being done. Attempts by other councils such as Ealing to deviate from Downing Street's dictat and actually properly consult residents has led to financial penalites.

Francis Rowe ● 1905d

CS9 was put out to consultation precisely to get local input and the design was changed as a result of this, at Kew Bridge and Dukes Avenue. The revised design then went out to further consultation. That does not seem an unreasonable approach, and is the standard process for any public infrastructure project.

Tom Pike ● 1905d

Did that hurt?

David Lesniak ● 1905d

If the standard approach on infrastructure projects isn't first to walk the route and informally consult with businesses about how they handle deliveries and Churches on how they conduct funerals and weddings then the process was flawed. A lot of time and effort was spent on sorting these issues out and then holding a second consultation which could have been saved with a few short conversations with local people.

Francis Rowe ● 1905d

You might want to read the consultation report. TfL conducted face-to-face interviews with more than 600 businesses to determine just such details as loading issues. https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs9/user_uploads/cycle-superhighway-9-consultation-report-6.pdf

Tom Pike ● 1905d

The councillors and officers at Hounslow do not understand representative consultation.  As witnessed at the Streetspace meetings last week, Jefferson Nwokeoma's idea idea of consultation is to send out letters but with no empirical or published reporting of the resultant feedback before action.  This is his only, and often repeated, defence against criticism of the Council's methods and its policy of continuing to ignore real local opinion. What is more worrying now is that it is very clear that the "independent" consultant, Steer, is mandated to legitimise what is proving to be very weak and inappropriate before and after traffic data that seeks to support the Chiswick Streetspace schemes and when challenged at the meeting about what confidence they had in the data they simply dodged the question and looked very uncomforable in doing so.

David Kerr ● 1905d

I'm sure the cycle lobby will deny that with tons of data.

Maggie Dodge ● 1905d

My favorite take away from Nwokeoma was his claim 8000 letters were sent to 45,000 residents.

David Lesniak ● 1904d

Thanks, Tom, for the link.First of all, there are not 600 businesses in Chiswick along the route. Not even 600 if we throw in those in Hammersmith along the route. So again, we see you twisting and contorting "data" to suit your agenda as opposed to supporting actual real relevant input from the community.Now I know this next bit will make you seethe and as a result you'll find a way to denigrate me, but I'm a glutton for punishment so here goes...I had a looky loo at the list of stakeholders once again. Brent Cyclists - look it up on StreetViewStop Killing Cyclists - local is it?Devstars - TW18Eco Cycle - SW11Glaxo - TW8Lauston Lehrmann - SW5London Bike Hub - TW2L&Q - E15Saferoading - WD3 (had to look that one up - think Gerard's Cross)Sky - TW7St Pauls Church - W13On a separate note, Chiswick High Road Acton Group led by Karen Liebreich and, I quote:Chiswick High Road Action Group (Chiswick High Road, W4 4EU)Neither supported nor opposed the proposals (interpreted)They called for space for a cycle track to be created by reducing space for motor vehicles rather thanpedestrians (that's not happening) and for the route to be extended to Chiswick Business Park or ChiswickRoundabout. Specifically, they called for increased footway space near Our Lady of Grace Church and British Grove (neither of these is happening), with the likely outcome a better preservation of Chiswick’s café culture and cleaner air. I'd imagine they'd support the recent brunch initiative as well.But I save the best for last. Have a look at the List of Stakeholders Emailed and Consulted. Get to the "O" section. You'll note Outsider Tart is not listed. Ergo, in black and white in the documentation you provided proof positive we were not consulted. Mind you, we knew this but you somehow didn't. Even with your degrees and supposed reading comprehension. Have a longer look through that list and you'll find some pretty interesting "stakeholders" from far and wide. Just not those on the route. So that's super interesting. Again.So my humble thanks for bringing this back into focus. Perhaps the penny will drop for you this time around.

David Lesniak ● 1904d

"But I save the best for last. Have a look at the List of Stakeholders Emailed and Consulted. Get to the "O" section. You'll note Outsider Tart is not listed. Ergo, in black and white in the documentation you provided proof positive we were not consulted."If you look at all the other businesses in section 4.7 of the Consultation Report which alongside yours were consulted and whose responses were noted, they're not listed as stakeholders either.You sent in a response to the consultation, your response was noted in the consultation report - in fact it's the longest response of any business. You were given chance to express your views, and you did. That is the very definition of being consulted, however you may claim otherwise.

Tom Pike ● 1904d

Just to remind David Kerr that he confidently predicted that Cycleway 9 would be removed before April (that is April of this year...).Any explanation of why you got that so wrong David?

Michael Robinson ● 1904d

Love it. We were not consulted but we sent in a response to the consultation.Erm...

Tony Smart ● 1904d

I think it is obvious why things are not going the way they should and predictions are not working out.  We have some very strange goings on in Hounslow Council, and many other Councils for that matter.  If things were clear cut and done properly then it would be a different kettle of fish. Cycle groups have an unhealthy influence. Roll on when we can vote out those influenced by the LCC etc rather than residents and we can have just and honest handling of all matters as the majority of council tax paying residents want. Anyone who thinks wanting rid of this grip the cycle lobby have,  is anti cycling is very misguided.  I have nothing against cyclists, I don't want to be forced to become one, and  I just don't want everything skewed and data misinterpreted in their favour.  Nothing wrong with that.

Maggie Dodge ● 1903d

As if on cue, Tom gaslights only himself.Answering a survey is not consulting. A man of your intellect knows this.Those emailed directly include residents associations in Kensington, Bankside, Belgravia and many others far and wide. Nary one in Chiswick was emailed to consult. Also emailed were Aldi, Asda and a barrister in Essex. Neither Aldi nor Asda had shops along the route when they were consulted directly. Yet other shops along the route were never engaged with directly via email or in person. Canary Wharf Management? WTF do they know about Chiswick?

David Lesniak ● 1903d

I didn't receive one of those alleged letters !Did anyone on this Forum get one ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 1903d

How many households is that?

Philippa Bond ● 1903d