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The Independent Community
Group
Welcome
to the official website of the Independent Community Group (ICG), where you can keep up to date with all of the local
news and views involving the ICG in and around the London Borough of Hounslow.
Headlines
3 March 2010
Community Group welcomes cash for community projects in 2010/11 budget
The Community Group on the London Borough of Hounslow has welcomed the inclusion of £550k
for community spends in the 2010/11 budget, and praised the Leader of the Council for his "sensitivity, flexibility and
vision" in supporting the Group's proposal to increase an original proposal to commit just £300k to the area.
There was chaos at borough
Council as the original recommendation fell by 28 votes to 27, following the abstention of some of the Community Group members.
However after discussion between the coalition partners it was agreed that an extra £250k would be made available for
community projects, emphasising the commitment of the administration to empowering residents. Following this agreement the
new, amended budget was approved by Borough Council by 29 votes to 28.
Community Group Leader Phil Andrews
commented: "We were always generally supportive of the budget and this was reflected in our voting, but we were
also concerned that the original proposals, drawn up by officers, demonstrated little respect for the Community Group's
priorities and for it's roll within the coalition.
"The abstention of some of our members in the first
round of voting was more about reversing that deficit and reminding those who needed to be reminded that we were a coalition
and that the priorities of both groups, and not just one, had to be taken into account.
"In that regard the
extra £250k for community projects is really just the icing on the cake.
"It is down to the sensitivity,
flexibility and vision of the Leader of the Council that the amended budget was able to pass through."
Councillor
Andrews also dismissed allegations from the Labour Group that the extra funds directed into communities were "a waste
of residents' money". He commented: "I am not surprised that Labour thinks empowering residents is a waste of
money. The party has long opposed our efforts to give our community more independence as can be demonstrated by its opposition
last year to Project Empower, which made £4m available on our estates for tenant-led projects.
"The
local Labour Party's agenda today is all about controlling residents rather than empowering them. This latest comment
of theirs would appear to emphasise that fact."
25 February 2010
Community Group seeks "aspirational" budget next week
|
| Community Group Leader Councillor Phil Andrews |
The Community Group on the London Borough of Hounslow wants to deliver an "aspirational"
budget that combines low tax with opportunities for increased engagement with residents.
This week the
Leader of the Council Peter Thompson announced his intention of delivering a fourth consecutive Council Tax freeze for the
year 2010/11. The Community Group, which runs the local authority in coalition with the Conservatives, expressed its delight
at being able to present another low tax budget but called upon the administration to be "bold and imaginative"
in using available funds to strengthen local democracy and empower communities.
Community Group Leader Phil Andrews
(pictured) commented: "The Leader of the Council deserves a lot of credit for spearheading this administration's
successful efforts to produce a zero increase budget under such difficult circumstances, and it is to his credit that he has
taken on board concerns about some of the proposals that were floated in December, and which following discussions have
now been withdrawn.
"We are proud to be associated with such an achievement and it is our hope that it will
be accompanied by some bold and imaginative measures to direct resources towards empowering our community.
"We
want to see an aspirational budget that does something tangible to demonstrate our commitment to strengthening local democracy
rather than just cutting tax. We are still discussing a few options and are likely to support the proposals if we can incorporate
some of our objectives into the end product."
8 February 2010
EDMS motion top of the agenda for ICG councillor Jon Hardy
ICG and Syon councillor, Jon hardy, is to table
a motion at Hounslow Council's Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) on Wednesday 17th February 2010 which,
if approved, will have far reaching consequences in the way the planning departments Electronic Data Management
System (EDMS) is developed.
The motion will ask members of SDC to instruct the council's
planning department to adopt a series of measures laid out in a report which was compiled by many leading community
representatives as part of the council's community engagement policy.
The report sets out a series of measures
aimed at improving the way in which the council consults with the community on planning issues and how it handles
the storage and availability of planning documents so that residents can access them readily. The full report can be
viewed here.
5 February 2010
Ivybridge students have designs on safer driving
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| Winning entry by Najmo Said (centre) with runners up Hana Saey (left) and Kerri Ghanem (right) |
Following
the approval of the new 20mph zone on the Ivybridge estate in Isleworth pupils at the Ivybridge school were given the
task of designing the new street signs that will accompany the scheme.
The scheme, in Summerwood
Road, Isleworth, came about after many years of campaigning from residents and the ICG ward councillors, who were concerned
for the safety of everyone that lives and goes to school on the estate. As well as the reduced speed limit the scheme
will also include a new crossing near to Ivybridge school and Kirkstone Lodge.
However, rather than
using the usual council signage to indicate the new speed limit, pupils from Ivybridge school entered a competition
to design their own signs for the estate. At a special awards ceremony at the school ICG and Isleworth councillor Paul Fisher,
lead member for community safety and parking, was on hand to award the prizes. Out of the 150 entries a shortlist of three
was drawn up from designs by Kerrie Ghanem (ten), Hana Saey (nine) and Najmo Said (seven) with the winners prize going
to Najmo Said.
Speaking at the event councillor Fisher said: "Residents had been asking for a 20mph zone for
several years. I'm happy to have been able to identify several funding streams which means the scheme can now go ahead.
"I was extremely impressed by the many different designs for the new signs and would like to congratulate the
pupils at Ivybridge school for their efforts. Unfortunately there could be only one winner and I would like to congratulate
Najmo Said on her success."
It is hoped that the new signs will be in place within the next week or so.
28 January 2010
ICG secures major community funding for Isleworth and Syon wards...Again!!
In
their relentless pursuit to secure S106 funding for community organisations and projects throughout Isleworth and
Syon, a massive £385,832 has been secured by ICG councillors since November 2009, bringing the total
amount of S106 funding secured to over £555,000.
Since the council elections in 2006
the ICG has been working tirelessly to unravel the mystery that is S106 funding. For those of you that don't know, S106
money is a contribution made by developers to the council to offset the impact of a development on the community. These
contributions can be very specific, such as education, health and CPZ contributions, and can only be spent on certain
things. Other contributions, such as environmental improvements, open space and community facilities, can be a bit more
flexible and spent on a wider range of projects.
One of the biggest hurdles was identifying exactly
what funding was available and what it could be spent on and it is largely thanks to the ICG councillors that the database
containing this information is now more accessible and not kept hidden away, as was the case previously. Once the funding
was identified our next task was to find out how we should go about allocating it. The next challenge was to identify projects
and organisations that could make good use of this funding and actually getting the funds allocated.
It
has taken a considerable amount of time to get this far but we are now beginning to see the fruits of our labour. Many projects
and organisations in Isleworth and Syon have already benefited from S106 funding and we are determined that all existing,
and future S106 contributions are allocated in a way that will benefit the community for years to come.
As
stated in the opening paragraph of this article, £385,832 has been recently allocated to projects in Isleworth
and Syon. Below is a breakdown of where this money will be spent:
Isleworth
£2,700 towards a canopy for the creche at the Bridgelink Centre on the Ivybridge estate.
£22,394towards street scene improvements in and around Shrewsbury Walk, Old Isleworth.
£11,000
towards new curtains at Isleworth Public Hall.
£3,500 towards new kitchen equipment,
tables and chairs and new signage at the Bridgelink Centre on the Ivybridge estate.
£8,000 towards
re-surfacing the ball courts on the Ivybridge estate.
£21,574 towards improvements at Isleworth
Bowls Club to include a new facility that will allow disabled people to play bowls.
Councillor Paul Fisher is currently negotiating
a change in conditions that could mean that a further £419,000 is available to spend on improvements
to the ROWE Centre on the Worton estate.
Syon
£20,000
towards improvements at the St. John's Community Centre.
£52,674 towards improved signage
and the extension of the Christmas lights into Ferry Quays.
£89,663 towards bringing 17 Market
Place back into community use.
£100,000 towards improved play facilities at St. John's
Gardens.
£54,327 towards improved play facilities at Townfield Way.
Councillor Jon
Hardy is also looking to secure funds of c£30,000 to improve the lighting and the surface of the entrance
to Isleworth Town school via Smallberry Avenue.
Speaking after the recent meeting of the Isleworth and Brentford
area Committee (at which councillors are responsible for allocating S106 funding) Isleworth councillor Paul Fisher said: "I
am delighted that the ICG were able to secure even more funding for our communities. Securing such funding has been
one of my main objectives since being elected and I shall continue to push for every penny possible.
"This is
just another example of the ICG's commitment to the communities of Isleworth and Syon and continues our fight for grater
community involvement."
Plenty going on at the Ivybridge Estate
 Community Safety Day on the Ivybridge Estate
The
London Fire Brigade were on hand at a recent event held on the Ivybridge Estate to show residents what their local station
does and to offer help and advice in preventing accidents, especially in the home.
Three Fire engines from
the Isleworth Station were on hand during the day and the local children were encouraged to climb inside and switch on the
sirens etc. and the fireman also showed what all the equipment on board was used for. The kids were then allowed to use the
hose, which ended with many being soaked!
A display of how dangerous chip pans are and how to put them out was a highlight
and also how the Fire Brigade manage to cut a victim out of a car involved in a road traffic accident, with Fiona King being
the brave volunteer who sat in the car while the large cutters were being used, but the fact that she had eight fireman in
attendance for half an hour didn’t seem to worry her.
The Fire Brigade were also offering
to visit any home on the Estate to do a free fire safety check and install smoke alarms. They were also joined by members
of the Isleworth SNT who were on hand with local crime prevention advice.
 Ivybridge
Pensioners Party The annual Ivybridge Pensioners Party was held in
the Bridgelink Centre just before Christmas and was a great occasion with all the guests enjoying a three course traditional
meal with plenty of wine or sherry on hand and Isleworth Councillor Paul Fisher taking on the role of Waiter for the afternoon.
Guests
were treated to a live band playing all the old favourites while they ate their meal, a raffle and a free present for everyone
at the end of the afternoon, presented by two Father Christmas’!!
Special thanks and credit must go to all of the hard working staff at the Bridgelink Centre, the committee
for laying on such a special event and Councillor Dakers, who took time to sit and chat at all the tables.
20 November 2009
ICG Councillors secure major funding for Rose Centre
Since being elected in May 2006 the three ICG Councillors for Syon ward (Caroline Andrews, Shirley Fisher
and Jon Hardy) have been working tirelessly to make improvements to the facilities that are available to the residents of
the Syon estate.
Following years of neglect under the leadership of the previous
New Labour councillors, the ICG felt it was about time that improvements were made to your most valuable
community asset, and the venue of one of our regular surgeries until the recent fire, the Rose Centre.
From the outset they
were determined to give the residents of the estate a say in what sort of improvements that they wanted to see and took the
bold step of organizing a public consultation event at the Coach and Horses pub, where the residents had the chance to tell
the ICG what they wanted. It was clear from the results that the Rose Centre was massively under-used, due
largely to outdated appearance of the interior of the building.
The ICG looked at several options for improving
the Rose Centre, including a completely new purpose built centre, however, funding restrictions ruled this option out at a
fairly early stage. Instead we set about securing sufficient funding to give the current building a complete facelift and
with the help of the Residents’ Association, tendered a bid for a share of the Rainbow Project fund. With this funding
in place things were looking up, until the recent fire, which presented us with another challenge that we needed to overcome
in order to bring about improvements. Although this was a set back we remained positive and took the opportunity to re-evaluate
the situation, which gave us another chance to look at other means of funding.
Another successful bid, this time from
the Community Cashback project, secured a further £6725 of funding to go towards redecorating the interior, but we did
not stop there. We have also been looking at available S106 funding that could be used for this project and following a meeting
of the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee on 19th November, we are delighted to announce that
we have secured the sum of £64,074 for the Rose Centre. This means that improvements
such as 2 new store rooms, new toilets (including a new disabled toilet), new boiler and radiators, new doors to the main
entrance, new windows, carpet in the main hall, purpose built shelter for mobility scooters and the re-surfacing of the exterior
play area can now be carried out.
We are fully aware of the
length of time that it has taken to get this project to the stage that we are at now but we have remained fully committed
to making these improvements to the Rose Centre. But our work is by no means complete and we continue to
look at new ways to bring about improvements to the community of the Syon estate. That is why we want to
hear from you, the residents of the estate. If you have any ideas on how we can make these improvements please
let us know by contacting us or by visiting one of our surgeries.
16 October 2009
Rose Centre wins share of Community Cashback funding
As part of the ICG's relentless pursuit of community engagement under the leadership of ICG and
Isleworth Councillor, Paul Fisher, we ran an article on this website on 11 September, followed up by a leaflet drop, urging
residents of the Syon estate to vote for the Council's bid for funding through the Community Casback scheme, to re-decorate
the Rose Centre following a recent fire. The decision on the winning bids was revealed this morning and
we are pleased to announce that our bid was successful and that the Rose centre is now in line to receive £6725.
After hearing the news, Councillor Paul Fisher, Lead member for
Community Engagement, said: "I am delighted at the decision to award Hounslow this funding and I am particularly
pleased for the residents of the Syon estate. I would like to thank everyone that voted for this project and would also
like to thank the three Syon ward councillors for working with me on this.
"I am extremely proud to
have been a part of this bid and it has been a real pleasure working with councillors from all political
parties in order to secure this funding. Community engagement is about involving the residents of the borough in the
decision making process regardless of their political allegiances."
13 October 2009
Politics and brown envelopes
It's probably safe to say that,
given the current political climate concerning MP's expenses and party funding, councillors receiving money in brown envelopes
must be treated with a certain amount of trepidation and even suspicion.
Unlike the three main parties,
the ICG do not have the luxury of wealthy benefactors to fund our activities. Instead we rely on the generosity of our members
and supporters to make donations from time to time. We even set aside space on our leaflets with an appeal for such donations.
Imagine then, the scene at Councillor Paul Fisher's house the other evening as an unexpected envelope was pushed
through his letter box. There is nothing unusual about that as councillors receive a multitude of mail. However this particular
piece of mail had councillor Fisher perplexed for a moment as it contained £50 cash. Further inspection of the
envelope revealed that it contained one of the afore mention slips with our appeal for donations, much to councillor
Fisher's relief. The donor obviously wished to remain anonymous as he/she had not filled in their details and we
have to respect that decision.
On behalf of the ICG, Councillor Paul Fisher would like to acknowledge receipt
of this very generous donation and thank whoever it was that felt compelled to lend us their support. It is
very much appreciated.
2 October 2009
ICG deplores recent activity of the BNP
ICG Councillors are disturbed to discover that BNP supporters from outside the Borough were
congregating last Wednesday at a local pub in a private meeting. The ICG deplore any activity by the BNP
and are particularly concerned that they are once again targeting this Borough for their brand of slick-racism especially
at a time when people are feeling vulnerable.
We believe that the landlord in question took the
booking in all innocence and will be approaching him with an open mind: nevertheless it is important that
he is aware of the dangers to the Borough of hosting this organisation not to mention being known as a BNP hangout.
Opening of borough's first Sri Lankan community centre celebrated at special function
ICG councillors Phil Andrews, Paul Fisher and Shirley
Fisher joined the Mayor of Hounslow at a special function to celebrate the recent opening of the borough's first community
centre aimed at providing specific cervices for the Sri Lankan community.
The centre, in Chamberlain Walk,
Hanworth, will give members of the Sri Lankan community a chance to meet on a regular basis and facilities will include tea
and coffee hours, games such as carrom and chess and those wishing to catch up on news from home will be able to read a collection
of Sri Lankan Sinhala, Tamil and English newspapers.
As
well as councillors from Hounslow guests included the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, who all enjoyed an evening rich
in Sri Lankan culture and identity. Guests were also treated to a range of freshly prepared Sri Lankan dishes including various
types of hopper, chicken curry, seenisambal and potato curry. The meal was rounded off with a traditional Sri lankan desert
of bananas and kiri with kitul treacle.
The
evening was rounded off by a variety of Shi Lankan entertainment that included a comedian, singers and dancers.
Speaking after the event Isleworth councillor Phil Andrews said: "The ICG are proud to be involved with events like
this and the work that the Sri Lankan community are doing in Hounslow deserves this sort of recognition."
The
Sri Lankan Community Centre Details are as follows:
Sri Lankan Community Centre (SLCC),
Community Resource
Centre,
Chamberlain Walk,
Hanworth, TW13 6YG
Tel: 0203 011 2534, Fax: 07006040009
Email:slcc@officeliveusers.com
Web: www.srilankancommunitycentre.giving.officelive.com
17 September 2009
ICG set council
policy on Community Engagement
In April 2009 the IDeA (Improvement and Development Agency) published its final report,
Community Engagement Evaluation Project, for the London Borough of Hounslow. Following on from this the ICG presented a motion
to Borough Council, that was carried, which required a full and thorough timetable of events that would ensure the council
was able to implement the recommendations set out by the IDeA.
At a meeting
of the council’s Executive on September 8th 2009, ICG Councillor Paul Fisher, Lead Member for Community Engagement,
presented a report, which if accepted, would determine the council’s future policy in relation to community engagement.
The report was accepted and a major milestone in the ICG’s history had been reached. The fact that the ICG was able
to play such a major part in setting council policy is testament to the years of hard work that had carried out by it’s
members and is proof that the system can be changed.
One of the reasons for the ICG going into
coalition with the Conservatives after the local elections in May 2006 was the fact that we were presented with an opportunity
to actually deliver on some of our more ambitious election manifesto pledges. From the outset the ICG
have been campaigning to change the way in which the council, and some of it’s officers, engages with our community
and to change the New Labour mentality that existed for so many years of “We know what’s best for the residents’
of Hounslow”. If you didn’t fit in with the right crowd you had no chance of having a say over what actually happened
in your community.
Removing New Labour from this equation turned out to be the easy bit. Changing
the New Labour mentality that existed within the council was always going to be the difficult bit and was never going to happen
overnight.
The first step on the road to change was taken by Councillor Phil Andrews,
the newly appointed Lead Member for Housing, when he ordered a thorough management review of Hounslow Homes, which was overseen
by the council’s Scrutiny department. A string of open meetings were held where Hounslow Homes tenants and leaseholders
were invited to have their say on what was going on in their communities. The results of these meetings were fed into the
scrutiny review.
It’s safe to say that this review was met with a certain degree of resistance
from various sections of Hounslow Homes but it soon became clear that, to use a well known quote from the Star Trek movies,
resistance was futile, so much so that the then CEO of Hounslow Homes felt the need to seek employment elsewhere. The battle
lines had been drawn.
The
next step to empowering our community was to present a motion to Borough Council on 4th March 2008, setting out
the ICG’s position on community engagement. The motion was passed and the seed had been sewn.
Syon councillors urge residents to vote for Rose Centre re-vamp
The London Borough
of Hounslow has successfully submitted a bid to carry out 5 community involvement days across the borough from a fund made
available by Criminal Justice Board and needs your help.
Community Cashback is a new scheme in England and Wales which gives
local people a say in how £4million of recovered criminal assets (for example confiscated cash or property) should be
spent in their communities.
5 locations in Hounslow have been identified, one in each sector and all with the same aim, to improve community
centres and youth facilities. This is an area identified by the local community that they would like to see addressed to improve
community cohesion.
Please vote to ensure that the Rose Community Centre scheme gets the go ahead. Go to Community Cashback, scroll down to Community
Involvement Days, click on it to select, scroll down to the bottom of the page, enter your email
if you wish, and click on the 'Have Your Say' button. It's not the simplest of pages. You have a week to register
your vote as the deadline is the 18th
September.
The proposal for the Syon Estate is:-
Rose Community Centre, Brentford.
This centre
was subjected to an arson attack, the centre is used by a local nursery group, elderly residents and youths, it is the hub
of this local community, and is an integral part of the community. Internal and external painting required.
4 September 2009
First Isleworth
Green Community Fair proves to be a great success
|
| Cllrs. Caroline Andrews and Shirley Fisher (centre) with Andy Sibley and Rosie on the ICG stall |
Isleworth
Green was the centre of attraction last Sunday (30th August) when it paid host to the inaugural Isleworth Green
Community Fair. The event, organised jointly by the ICG and the Royal British
Legion, was aimed at publicising the different community groups and voluntary organisations that operate in and around Isleworth
and to promote some of the local businesses.
Along with the children’s
ride, face painting and fairground-type stalls visitors were able to find out more about what goes on in their community by
visiting the many stalls manned by volunteers from local organisations. Those represented included the Royal British Legion,
the ICG, The Isleworth Society, the Friends of Isleworth Public Hall, the Cathja Barge, Hounslow Animal Welfare, and the Mulberry
Trust. Food was provided in the form of samosas and spring rolls from Delicacies and cakes were on sale from the All Saints
Church stall.
Brentford Football Club was also on hand with a penalty shoot out against
the club mascot Bee and the Isleworth Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Fire Brigade were on hand to answer questions.
One of the more unusual activities taking place was the opportunity for visitors to soak one of
their councillors. The stocks were ably manned by Councillors Phil Andrews and Jon Hardy who had to endure a barrage of soaked
sponges being hurled at them while in the stocks.
Radio West Mid were on hand throughout the
day to provide the music and local historian Eddie Menday acted as MC.
The organisers were delighted
to welcome the Deputy Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Barbara Harris to the event. She spent the afternoon visiting and talking
to the volunteers at each stall and gave a speech urging people to support the Royal British Legion and the work that they
do.
The finale saw teams from the Swan Inn and the Isleworth British Legion locking
horns in a fiercely fought contest of darts and pool followed by a tug of war on the green. Both teams were determined to
win and after the darts and pool had finished they were locked together at 8 points each. Everything was now down to the tug
of war. To ensure that fair play prevailed the Deputy Mayor was on hand to act as referee, which was just as well as the Swann
Inn tried to sneak an extra man into the team. Not to be outdone, the Legion team tried to steal a bit of ground over the
Swan, but Councillor Harris was having none of it and order was soon restored before the first pull began. Unfortunately for
the Legion this was a one sided affair with the Swann winning with ease. With 2 pulls remaining the Swann were firm favourites
and so it proved when they won the second pull with relative ease again. With the score now 10-8 in the Swan’s favour
all was not lost for the Legion as there was 3 points on offer for the last pull. The thought of loosing and some serious
barracking from their own supporters seemed to lift the Legion and the third pull was a much tighter affair. The Swann started
well but the Legion fought back and had the opposition in trouble for a while, but it was not to be as the Swan’s younger
team always had the edge and the Legion finally succumbed under the pressure and the Swan Inn were crowned worthy champions.
Speaking after the event, Co-organizer and the ICG’s Andy Sibley said: “I am absolutely
delighted with the way the day has gone. I would like to thank everyone from the Royal British Legion for allowing us to use
their facilities throughout the day, Hounslow Council for awarding us a grant of £500 towards the cost of the event and
I would like to pay tribute to my fellow Co-organizer Lynn Green.
“Without Lynn’s
help I doubt that this event would have gone ahead. She has spent hours going around to all of the local businesses to get
them to support us and has been the driving force behind it all. I would also like to thank the volunteers on the stalls for
their help in making today such a success and my particular thanks go to my colleagues in the ICG for their support. I would
also like to thank Councillor Harris for her support and her firm hand while refereeing the tug of war.”
After drying himself off, Isleworth Councillor Phil Andrews said: “The ICG are pleased to
be involved with this event and it is our intention to build on today’s success and return next year with a bigger and
better one.
“The ICG is about community engagement and what better way to bring
the community together than this. My thanks go to everyone involved and to those that turned up to support us.”
Below are some more photographs of the day.
|
| The RBL tombola |
|
| Councillor Jon Hardy takes another soaking |
|
| We're all young at heart really!! |
|
| The RBL team under pressure in the tug of war |
|
| Pub Challenge winners,The Swan Inn, show off their trophy with the Deputy Mayor |
|
| The Deputy Mayor talks to Eddie Menday |
Councillor visits library with a difference and secures extra funding
Isleworth councillor Paul Fisher paid a recent visit to Hounslow Toy Library in his capacity
as Chair of the Community Investment Advisory Panel to deliver them a cheque for £14,500 (see above), which is additional
to the £10,000 which they receive on an annual basis.
After his visit Paul said: "I was kindly invited by Mrs. Matthews to see what they do and how they struggle each year
to make ends meet. During my visit I was instantly struck by the love, care and total devotion shown by those to the disabled
children in Hounslow and their parents who use this facility that I immediately made
enquiries in how I could further fund them.”
21 August 2009
Isleworth Green Community Fair
Sunday
30 August 2009
Midday - 5pm
On Sunday 30th August many of Isleworth’s community
groups and residents’ associations will make their way to North Street, Isleworth, for the Isleworth Green Community
Fair. The idea came about after Isleworth’s
ICG ward councillors secured £11k of funding to bring the green back to it’s former glory. The fair will enable many of Isleworth’s voluntary organisations to promote
the work that they do in and around Isleworth and will be an ideal opportunity for residents to see how they can get involved
with any of these worthwhile groups.
The event is
being run jointly by the ICG and the Isleworth Royal British Legion and a whole host of fund raising activities will be taking
place on the day. As well as the stalls on the green there will be plenty of activities in the RBL club throughout the day. The event is open to anyone and is free to attend.
Radio West Mid will provide musical entertainment and there will be plenty to do for the whole family. The day will be rounded
off by an evening of entertainment at the RBL Club, starting at 6.30pm and the doors will be open to all to attend. The ICG would urge residents to support this event and the
various organisations taking part.
7th August 2009
Reduced parking fees to benefit
local traders
Businesses in Isleworth were given a much-needed boost last week when the eagerly awaited reduced parking fees
came into effect.
The new charges, implemented on Monday 27th July, means that people parking outside shops in London Road
and South Street will now only pay 10p to park for the first half hour then the standard tariff thereafter.
The changes have come about as a direct result of the ICG’s input into the Council’s resent review of it’s
parking policies and highlights the vital roll in which we play in determining council policy. It is also a testament to the
many traders that attended several meetings, allowing them to have a vital input into the final outcome.
Speaking on the day of the launch, John Oxborough, Chairman of the South Street Traders’ Association said: “Many
people were put off from stopping and using the shops as they were having to pay 70p to do so.
“Now that the charge has been reduced we hope that more people will be encouraged to stop and use the facilities.
Paying 70p on top of the price of a haircut or prescription is a significant amount and we desperately needed the council
to do what they could to help.”
Councillor Paul Fisher, who introduced the new charges, said: “Traders and residents came to me last year expressing
their concerns at the downturn in trade that the businesses were experiencing and asked me if there was any way in which the
council could help.
“It is hoped that these new charges will encourage people back to their local shops as well as going some way
to easing the burden on small traders in these very difficult times.”
The areas in which these charges apply are:
Old Isleworth
Upper Square (1,3,4,7-11), The Pavement (1-4), South Street (1-14, 35-37), Shrewsbury Walk, Twickenham Road (189-227)
Isleworth
Odeon Parade (1-7), London Road (468, 532-572, 459-495), St. John’s Road (3-5, 16-20, 11-27, 31-37), Woodlands
Road (1A)
6th August 2009
Street Athletics comes to Isleworth
Hundreds of residents descended upon the Ivybridge estate recently as Street Athletics came to Isleworth.
The event was created by Olympic Gold medallists Linford Christie and
Darren Campbell, who both came along. There are 24 national venues for the 2009 programme, with the London final on Saturday
6th September and the national final in Manchester on Saturday 20th September.
Kids from all parts of the borough took part and were eagerly cheered on by their supporters, which
included the Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Paul Lynch, ICG Councillors Shirley Fisher, Genevieve Hibbs, Phil Andrews and Paul
Fisher and Chiswick Councillor John Todd.
6 July 2009
Photography competition launched
on Isleworth estate
If you are:
- Aged 18 years or under
- A resident on the Ivybridge
estate
- Someone with an eye for detail
- A budding photographer
Then read on…
Hounslow Homes have teamed up with MPOWER Youth Project in a bid to find budding young photographers on the Ivybridge
estate.
The ‘MEGAPIXEL’
competition is aimed at people who are 18 years or under who have an artistic eye or those who may have a story to tell in
pictures and you could be in with a chance of winning some great prizes including a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.
To enter the competition all you need to do is take 3 photographs of your estate and send them
to mpoweryouthproject@googlemail.com along with your name and address by 13th August 2009.
The winning pictures will be judged on style, execution and for the picture’s ‘message’ or caption. Every entrant will be invited to a special prize ceremony in the summer.
Terms and contitions:
- Photos must be the work of the
names entrant
- Entrants must me 18 years old
or under
- Entrants must be Hounslow
Homes residents/living in Hounslow council property.
30 June 2009
ICG Organiser to take
part in series of local debates
ICG Organiser, Isleworth councillor Phil Andrews (pictured left), is to attend a series of
public meetings to debate MP’s expenses and democratic reform.
The meetings will take place in early July and
have been organised by Brentford councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems, Andrew Dakers, under
the banner of ‘Take Back Power Hounslow’ and coincides with the launch of his new website (www.takebackpowerhounslow.org).
All parliamentary candidates and representatives from independent
groups in the Brentford and Isleworth constituency, as well as the current MP, Ann Keen, have been invited to take part in
the debates.
The debates that Councillor Andrews will be attending will take place
at:
ISLEWORTH: Mon. 6th July, Isleworth Public Hall, 7.30pm
BRENTFORD: Wed. 8th July, St Paul’s Church, 7.30pm
CHISWICK: Thurs. 9th July, Chiswick Town Hall, 7.30pm
All debates will be independently chaired and details will follow.
27 May 2009
More funding available for community youth
projects
ICG councillor Paul
Fisher has announced plans for this year’s Community Youth Fund scheme.
The scheme is aimed at helping
organisations that are involved with youth work throughout the London Borough of Hounslow and grants of between £500 and £2500
are available.
Speaking after a recent meeting
Councillor Fisher said: “I am pleased to announce the details of this scheme and would like to encourage as many organisations
to apply for funding as possible.”
If you think that your organisation
could be eligible for funding, or know of anyone that could be interested in applying, full details of the scheme can be found
at:
http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/community_youth_fund_2009.pdf
5th May 2009
Lower parking charges set to
aid traders
Traders in Isleworth are set to benefit from having reduced parking rates outside their
businesses following the Executive’s decision to approve the recommendations put forward by the Isleworth and Brentford
Area Committee (IBAC), which had nominated several areas as ‘vulnerable shopping parades’, at a meeting on 5th
May 2009.
The move comes after the
council’s lengthy review of its parking policies and charges and means that shoppers wishing to use their local shopping
parades will only pay 10p for the first half hour of parking, reverting to the standard charge thereafter.
Speaking after the meeting, Isleworth Councillor Paul Fisher (pictured left), Lead Member
for Parking Services, said: “I am delighted that my colleagues on the Executive have voted to introduce this scheme
in Isleworth, which will bring much needed help to our traders in these very difficult times.
“I was determined that this scheme should go ahead as soon as possible after the
members of IBAC had made their nominations to the executive as I have been working with the traders on this since last August.
I am aware that this has been a lengthy process and would like to thank everyone involved for their support and patience.”
The new charges will come
into effect after the statutory consultation period of approximately 4 weeks. The areas to benefit are:
Old Isleworth - 1, 3, 4, 7-11 Upper Square, 1-4 The Pavement, 1-14 & 35-57 South
Street, Shrewsbury Walk & 189-227 Twickenham Road.
Isleworth - 1-7 Odeon Parade, 468, 532-572
& 459-495 London Road, 3-5,16-20,11-27, & 31 -37 St John’s Road & 1A Woodlands Road.
30th April 2009
Mayor launches website to celebrate
her year in office
The Mayor of Hounslow, Isleworth ward Councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs (pictured right) has launched a new website to
celebrate her year as Mayor of the borough.
The website contains a photographic history of all of the events that she has hosted and been invited
to and is intended to highlight the variety of activities that she has undertaken in the last year.
One of the highlights of the year was undoubtedly welcoming the Queen to the borough
to open the new site of the Thames Valley University in Brentford, an honour that is rarely bestowed on the borough's first
citizen. Other highlights include a visit to the All England Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon and the recent charity dinner
at the Music Museum in Brentford.
Photographs of these, and many other events can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/GenevieveHibbs
27th April 2009
Bees secure promotion and league
title
Brentford Football Club finally secured
promotion to League 1 on Saturday after an impressive 3-1 win away to Darlington.
Promotion looked to be guaranteed after their 3-0 win at home to Accrington Stanley
the previous week, but with other results going against them, and an unexpected defeat away to Dagenham and Redbridge mid-week,
it meant that they had to wait until Saturday to get the 3 points that would secure automatic promotion. The icing on the
cake came with the news that title contenders, Wycombe Wanderers, could only manage a draw at Port Vale, which meant that
the Bees were also champions.
The ICG would like to congratulate Andy Scott and his team on their success, and Brentford Football
Club for the continued work that they do in and around the borough, which has once again seen them voted League 2 Community
Club of the Year.
8th April 2009
High Street benefits from Executive decision
over parking charges
Traders of Brentford High Street, which is in Syon ward, were handed a much-needed
boost when the Council’s Executive, which met on 7th April 2009, approved the new charges for the recently
re-furbished car park.
The land on which the car park is situated, which is on the south side of the High Street,
and was derelict up until a year ago, was brought back into public use after members of the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee
(IBAC) agreed that a new car park was needed, following lengthy consultation with businesses in the area.
Although this was originally a temporary measure it soon became clear that there was the need
for a more permanent arrangement and funding of £48,477 was allocated to re-surface the land and mark out the bays.
Following the completion of the work plans were drawn up to introduce a pricing structure that
would benefit both traders and shoppers alike, while at the same time making it less open to abuse by people who were able
to park there all day for free under the old scheme.
At last night’s Executive meeting Paul Fisher, Isleworth Councillor and Lead Member for
Parking, presented the report outlining the new charges as follows:
Free for the first hour, 30 pence for 2 hours and 60 pence for 3 hours, with maximum duration
of stay 3 hours.
Speaking after the meeting Councillor Fisher said: “I’m delighted that my colleagues
on the Executive approved these proposals and would like to thank the councillors from all political parties of IBAC for their
support over the last year on this issue.
“These charges strike a balance between the needs of the people that just use the car park
to stop off to buy a few bits and pieces from the local shops and those who are there on business and need to park for longer
periods.”
The new charges should be in place by the end of April.
2nd April 2009
Residents kick up a stink over Council planning
committee's decision to approve Mogden expansion
RESIDENTS of Isleworth, Hounslow, Whitton, Twickenham
and beyond are bracing themselves for more odour after Hounslow Council’s Sustainable Development Committee voted to
approve Thames Water’s application to expand its capacity by more than 50%. After
having first indicated that they would oppose the plans, councillors from across the political divide supported a Labour motion
to approve after planning officers failed to correct Thames Water’s dishonest claim that the water regulator OFWAT would
not permit it to cover the storm tanks - a necessary pre-condition for significant odour reduction.
The truth of the matter, of course, is that OFWAT’s permission
would only be required if Thames was intending to raise the money from the public by increasing water charges. OFWAT recently confirmed to a Hounslow Chronicle reporter that it would not intervene if Thames were to
commit a small proportion of its own massive annual profits to honouring its statutory obligations to the neighbouring community. Senior officers at the London Borough of Hounslow knew this, but for reasons
best known to themselves chose to withhold the information from members. Once
Thames had conned the Committee with this blatant falsehood, only the ICG’s councillor on the Committee, Jon Hardy,
stood firm and opposed the application.
To show their disgust at the Council’s decision, residents from the affected areas
gathered outside the main entrance to Mogden in a public display of solidarity and to remind Thames Water that this issue
is far from over.
Among those that attended the demonstration was ICG councillor Phil Andrews and and MRAG (Mogden
Residents’ Action Group) Chairman Steve Taylor. Speaking at the event, Councillor Andrews said: “We wanted to
show Thames water that they will not be allowed to get away with the kind of behaviour that was on display at the SDC meeting
when they effectively misled the committee over the issue of funding.
“We felt that it was appropriate to hold our demonstration on the same day, and at the same
time, as Thames Water’s long overdue Residents Liaison meeting. It is also ironic that this meeting was planned for
1st April and so soon after the Council’s decision to allow expansion, but WE are no April fools. We will
continue to fight this decision and do everything we can to ensure that the residents of the boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond
do not have to suffer any more than they already do.”
20th March 2009
Further funding secured for local projects
At a recent meeting of the Isleworth and Brentford
Area Committee, members approved funding that will benefit residents and businesses of both Isleworth and Syon wards.
The first project to receive funding was for the refurbishment
of the toilets at the R.O.W.E. Community Centre, which is located on the Worton estate in Isleworth. Speaking after the meeting,
Councillor Paul Fisher said: ”I am delighted that the committee has approved the grant of £5,300, which will go towards
some much needed improvements to this very popular community centre”.
The second project to receive funding, totalling £22,700, was for new signage to be erected in
Brentford High Street, which is in Syon ward, and will highlight many of the local businesses that trade in the area. One
particular part of the High Street to benefit will be Albany Parade, where it is hoped that new signage, along with subsidised
parking, will attract more customers to visit the various traders there.
I addition to the above funding, a further £24,000 was allocated to the Ivybridge traffic calming
scheme, that was recently reported on this site.
This latest tranche of funding means that £111,000 has been allocated to projects that will benefit
the residents of both Isleworth and Syon wards in the last month and reaffirms the ICG’s commitment to community engagement.
6th March 2009
Ivybridge estate to benefit from major traffic
calming scheme
At
the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee meeting held on the 5th March 2009, a request was made by Cllr. Paul Fisher for
£60,000 of funding to implement a 20mph zone on the Ivybridge Estate, which was unanimously agreed by all Councillors
present.
Cllr. Fisher has been working tirelessly to procure this funding after listening to concerned residents about
cars and motorbikes regularly speeding around the estate and the danger to all, especially those who reside at Kirkstone Lodge
Sheltered Housing and the pupils at the Ivybridge School.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr. Fisher
said: "At last we will be able to put in place measures to make the Ivybridge estate a safer place to live and visit
and I cannot stress enough how pleased I am that, at long last, I have been able to secure this money after investigating
all manners of funding for this scheme and in this current financial climate it has not been easy."
Half of the funding will be allocated from the
local Area Committee Capital allocation and the other half from S106 monies still unspent after ten years, which Cllr Fisher
and officers from Hounslow Council discovered, could be spent on the estate.
Cllr. Fisher further commented "I was absolutely
gob smacked when this S106 money came to light and will be fully investigating what other money could and should have been
spent in the Isleworth area over the years. I am convinced there is a possibility of much more that we can use to make
this an even better place for all of us to live and I shudder to think what other worthy schemes may have been missed because,
for whatever reason, we have not been informed.
I can assure all Isleworth residents that I will
fight tooth and nail with my Community Group colleagues to make sure any outstanding monies are spent in Isleworth and not
returned to developers having not been used."
Cllr. Fisher is now meeting with Hounslow Homes and a Hounslow Council Traffic Officer on Friday 13th
March in an attempt to implement this 20mph scheme as soon as possible and will be reporting to the Residents Association
every step of the way to keep them fully informed.
Ivybridge residents will also be pleased to
know that the recent temporary traffic order put in place on Rugby match days, instigated by the Residents Association,
Hounslow Homes and Cllr Fisher, is now to become permanent after the overwhelming success in preventing limousines and mini-buses
etc clogging up the estate roads rather then paying a parking fee elsewhere.
Mayor welcomes the Queen to Hounslow
The Mayor of Hounslow, ICG and Isleworth ward Councillor, Dr. Genevieve
Hibbs, was given the honour of welcoming the Queen and Prince Philip to the borough when she visited the new Thames Valley
University site in Brentford recently.
It is particularly fitting that the Queen should visit the university as it already
has special links with the royal household through the recently launched butler training course and regularly supplies
both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle with chefs.
Speaking afterwards, the Mayor said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be able to welcome
the Queen and Prince Philip to Hounslow. This sort of opportunity does not come around very often and I was so excited when
I was told of the Queen’s visit and that I would be given the chance to meet her.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the staff and students of TVU who all helped to make
the day such a success. It is wonderful that we have such a great facility in the borough and one that has such a special
relationship with the royal family.”
Blaze wrecks community centre
Police are treating a fire at the Rose Community Centre in Brentford, which caused a
significant amount of damage, as arson.
The Fire Brigade were called to the centre in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a passing delivery driver spotted
the blaze and alerted the authorities.
Although nobody was hurt during the incident the interior was badly damaged by smoke and has halted work that was taking
place to refurbish the roof.
The hall, which is used by a number of community groups, including the ICG for one of our regular monthly surgeries,
was due to be re-opened next week but it is now unclear when it will be fit to use again.
Syon ward councillor Jon Hardy said: “I am relieved to hear that no one was hurt. However, the prolonged closure
of the Rose Community Centre will have a major impact on the groups that already use it, including the ICG. We are currently
looking at alternative venues for our surgery and we will do our best to make sure that we hold a surgery on Wednesday 4th
March as planned.”
Details of the new venue can be found using the Councillors' Surgeries link and will be posted on the Home page
as soon as suitable premisis are found.
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