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Local News
What's going on in and around our community.
New car park for Brentford
Shoppers in Brentford are now able to benefit from free parking while they do their shopping.
The new car park, situated on London Road, was officially opened by Councillors Paul Fisher (Isleworth), Jon Hardy
(Syon) and Andrew Dakers (Brentford) last month.
It is hoped that this new facility will attract more shoppers to the area and assist traders on the High Street through
this very difficult economic period. Speaking at the opening, Councillor Fisher said; “As lead Member for Parking I
was pleased to be involved with this project. The Council has a duty to assist local businesses wherever possible and I hope
that the new car park will be of assistance in these times of recession.”
20mph for Church Street....at
last!!
Phase 1 of the Church Street traffic-calming scheme has now been completed.
All entry points have now been marked and new signage has been erected.
The work was completed after a very lengthy campaign led by residents and councillors
in Isleworth, to reduce the speed limit in this picturesque part of the borough.
The road had become increasingly dangerous with speeding vehicles using the route
as a rat run to avoid the busy Twickenham Road during the rush hour.
Funding for phase 2, which will include a new width restrictor, has been secured and
work is due to start soon.
Triumph for Smallberry Avenue
residents
One thing that the ICG prides itself on is community engagement. A good example of this is the recent campaign led
by Syon Ward Councillors Caroline Andrews, Shirley Fisher and Jon Hardy, to have a fence erected around the rear of the new
Bellway Homes development at 455 London Road.
The problem came to light when residents of Smallberry Avenue began to complain about a constant barrage of footballs
being kicked into their back gardens from the playing field belonging to the development.
A meeting with the residents revealed that the fence that should have been erected by the developers to protect their
properties was missing. This led to a string of correspondence between residents, councillors and the developer. After much
deliberation, Bellway Homes agreed to erect the fence to a specification that would be acceptable to all parties.
Caroline Andrews, Syon Councillor, said; “I am very pleased with the outcome. It just goes to show what can be
achieved when a community puts its mind to it.
“I would like to thank all of the residents of Smallberry Avenue for their support and Brian Varley from Bellway
Homes for his efforts in securing a positive outcome.”
20 mph to be introduced on busy
estate
Following extensive negotiations and consultation, funding has finally been secured
to make Summerwood Road, Isleworth, a 20mph zone.
As well as reducing the speed limit on this very busy road, which goes through the
heart of the Ivybridge estate, there are also plans to re-mark the road and introduce double yellow lines at the more dangerous
parts of the road.
Councillor Paul Fisher, Lead Member for Parking, said; “I am delighted that
this project is finally going to go ahead. I would like to thank all of the officers at Hounslow Council, Hounslow Homes and
the URA that have been involved with this.
“It has been a long process and at times I wondered if it would ever happen,
but I was determined to get this through as I believe that the safety of the residents of Ivybridge is paramount.”
Successful trial leads to permanent
traffic order for Ivybridge estate
Following the successful trial of a recent temporary traffic order, which
meant that Summerwood Road was closed to unauthorised vehicles on match days at Twickenham Rugby Stadium, the decision has
been made to make it permanent.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by Isleworth councillor, and Lead Member for Parking, Paul Fisher. The meeting
was also attended by the RFU, the Met. Police, Hounslow Homes and Nick Woods from London Borough of Hounslow’s Highways
dept.
Speaking afterwards, Paul Fisher
said: “I am extremely pleased that the trial proved to be such a success and that it has now become a permanent feature
whenever there is a major event at the Twickenham stadium.
“The residents of Ivybridge deserve to go about their business without being impacted upon by the thousands of
people that descend upon the area whenever there is a rugby match or pop concert at the stadium. These measures will also
improve the safety of residents who will not have to worry about hundreds of limousines and taxis driving through the estate
in a bid to find somewhere to park, and means that residents will be able to park their cars near their homes, provided they
have a valid permit, which can be obtained free of charge from the Civic Centre.
“I would also like to thank the various agencies that helped to make this project such a success, especially
Tony Smith from the United Residents’ Association, Fiona King from Hounslow Homes and Nick Woods.”
MP Ann Keen sued for being 'lazy'
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| Picture from MailOnline |
Ann Keen, MP for Brentford and Isleworth (pictured above), has been sued by a local war
veteran for being ‘lazy’ in a case that is thought to be the first of its kind.
An article appearing on the Daily Mail website, which can be read in full by going
to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1135424/Old-soldier-takes-MP-Ann-Keen-court-lazy.html, describes how 83
year old war hero, John Taylor, took the MP to court for failing to represent him in his battle to clear his name after a
miscarriage of justice 47 years ago.
The news comes just days after calls for the controversial MP to resign her junior ministerial
post for failing to act in the ‘best interests’ of her constituents over the government’s decision to allow
the third runway at Heathrow to go ahead. Both she and her husband Alan, MP for Feltham and Heston, voted against a Tory
motion in the House of Commons last week calling for the decision to be reversed, despite repeated claims from both MP’s
that they are against expansion at Heathrow.
Upon hearing the news, Councillor Phil Andrews, Isleworth ward, said "One ought to congratulate
Mrs. Keen for being such a pioneer in this field."
ISLEWORTH RECREATION
CENTRE SET FOR RE-VAMP
A series of consultation events have been organised to outline
plans to improve the popular Isleworth Recreation Centre.
Fusion Lifestyle, the Council's new Leisure
Services provider, are hoping that the public will approve of the plans to bring the centre up to date and have
issued a letter inviting residents to give their views. In the letter Tim Mills, Director of Business Development, states
"In preparing these
proposals, we recognise the importance of gauging opinion and gaining advice from current users of the facility. Accordingly, we would like to invite you to view our initial proposals at the above leisure centre".
The plans can be viewed at the Isleworth Recreation
Centre reception area from Monday 12th January to Friday 23rd January 2009 as well as the Hounslow Civic Centre reception
area.
A further presentation of these proposals will be
held on Tuesday 20th January 2009 at the Isleworth Public Hall, South Street, Isleworth TW7 7BG, starting at 6pm.
If you are unable to make any of the dates above
but still wish to make a comment on the plans, you can do so by sending an e-mail to http://irc@theclarksonalliance.com or by post to The Clarkson Alliance, Cranbrook
House, 291 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7JA.
HOUNSLOW
ELECTS FIRST EVER ICG MAYOR!
COUNCILLOR Dr. Genevieve Hibbs was unanimously elected as the new Mayor of Hounslow by Borough Council
on May 20th.
Genevieve,
who represents Isleworth ward, is the first ICG member and indeed the first independent ever to become Mayor of the London
Borough of Hounslow. Her election was supported by all Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, West Area Independent, Hounslow
Independent Alliance and Chiswick Independent councillors, as well as of course by fellow members of the Community Group.
Her Deputy will be Councillor Shirley Fisher, who replaces her ICG Syon ward colleague Councillor Caroline Andrews. Genevieve's
nomination was proposed by Councillor Phil Andrews, leader of the Community Group, and seconded by Councillor Peter
Thompson, the Leader of the Council, who gave an excellent and moving speech in her support.
In her address to Borough
Council, the new Mayor announced that "Communicating and Building Relationships" would be her theme for the coming year, an
initiative which will greatly help realise the ICG's core objective of creating a more engaged and united community.
Another
appointment of huge significance was that of Isleworth ward councillor Paul Fisher to the Council's ruling Executive.
Paul will take the leading role in driving the Empowerment agenda instigated by a successful motion which the Community
Group put to Borough Council in March.
All of these appointments demonstrate the importance of the role which
the ICG is playing in shaping the direction of the coalition administration. We would like to congratulate Genevieve,
Shirley and Paul on their appointments and to wish them every success for the coming year.
EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY!
£1.5m tenants' giveaway project launched
at Heathrow conference
Councillor Phil Andrews reports:
"A radical initiative to empower communities living on estates managed by Hounslow Homes was formally launched at the Annual Conference
of the Hounslow Federation of Tenants' and Residents'
Associations (HFTRA) at Heathrow's Renaissance Hotel
on May 10th.
"The scheme will make up to £1.5m of capital money from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) available to
tenants' associations around the borough to spend on estate improvement projects of their choosing, which they will then take
ownership of. The project is the first of what will be a series of bold initiatives to empower residents in the borough following
the passing by Borough Council of an enabling motion which committed the new administration to a new way of thinking in the
way in which we engage the communities we serve.
"Delegates were asked to choose a name for the project, with the winner
walking away with a £50 gift voucher. In the end we decided upon the Rainbow project, appropriate not only because of the
colourful variety of estate-based schemes which will benefit from this allocation, but also because the award represents a
pot of gold which awaits at the end of what has been something of a journey.
"At least 200 people attended the Conference,
and in spite of the rocky relationship which I 'enjoyed' with Hounslow
Homes and with some sections of HFTRA during my early
tenure as Lead Member for Housing & Community Safety, and particularly while the Hounslow
Homes Management Review was in progress, I have begun to pick up a real sense of warmth and of sincere affinity in my dealings
with these organisations and the people who work so hard for them as they have come to understand just what it is that I am
trying to achieve on behalf of our long-suffering tenants and leaseholders. Where there was once suspicion, if not in places
downright hostility, a real united sense of direction and commonality of purpose has emerged in its place.
"There are
clearly still issues to be resolved before we can turn a very good service into a truly exceptional one, but just the fact
that we know we are all striving for the same goal helps us to resolve difficulties as they arise. Exciting times."
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