Area Forum, Local Plan and Loss of Dukes Meadows Hedges
Chiswick Homefields councillor John Todd reports back
Cllr John Tood
June 29, 2025
As the warm weather finally settles in, here is an update on some of the key things happening in and around Chiswick, from the upcoming Area Forum to longer-term developments in planning policy that could shape our community for decades to come.
Chiswick Area Forum Returns – Come and Have Your Say
One of the most important dates in the local calendar is fast approaching: the next Chiswick Area Forum takes place on Wednesday 2 July at 7:30pm, hosted at St Paul’s Church in Grove Park.
This meeting is a chance for residents to hear directly from council officers, raise local concerns, and influence what happens in our part of the borough. This time, we’ll be looking at a number of topics that really matter to residents, including the condition of our pavements and roads, waste management (particularly weed control and litter bins), and general upkeep of the public realm. If you've noticed broken paving stones or patches of persistent weeds, this is your opportunity to get answers and action.
There’ll also be an open forum section, beginning around 8pm, where anyone can raise issues not already on the agenda. Whether it’s parking frustrations, street lighting, or just something that doesn’t seem right, I encourage you to come and speak up.
If you can’t attend in person, do feel free to send the Chair Cllr Jack Emsley (jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk) or Vice Chair Cllr Ron Mushiso (ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk) an email with anything you’d like raised at a future meeting or to be picked up in casework.
The New Local Plan – Ambitions, But Also Some Alarm Bells
Earlier this year, Hounslow Council formally submitted its long-awaited Local Plan 2020–2041 to the Secretary of State. This follows a borough-wide consultation last autumn, which many residents responded to with passion and concern.
On paper, the Plan is a major piece of work, spanning everything from housing and jobs to heritage, transport, and climate policy. It sets out the Council’s intention to deliver 28,800 new homes and 20,000 new jobs across the borough by 2041. It also claims to promote carbon reduction, improve infrastructure, and protect green spaces.
But scratch beneath the surface, and the picture becomes more complicated.
The first thing to note is that the Plan consolidates several previous planning documents including the Great West Corridor Plan and the West of Borough Plan, both of which were withdrawn after criticism and delays. What’s been submitted now is a single Local Plan that attempts to do everything at once. The risk here is that, in trying to cover so much ground, it glosses over the very real differences between neighbourhoods, especially between more densely urban parts of the borough and places like Chiswick, where conservation, infrastructure pressure, and local character matter immensely.
Then there’s the question of housing. While it’s right that Hounslow contributes to meeting London’s housing need, the delivery mechanisms remain vague. There’s little detail on how infrastructure will be funded or delivered alongside thousands of new homes. We’ve seen it before, homes built without enough school places, GP provision or transport links to match. Worse, while the Plan does refer to "affordable housing," there’s no serious strategy to guarantee affordability in practice or hold developers to account when targets are missed or watered down.
From a Conservative perspective, we support responsible growth, but it must be infrastructure-led, community-informed, and focused on raising quality of life. That means not just meeting targets set at City Hall, but ensuring local neighbourhoods aren’t sacrificed to rushed or speculative development. The Labour-led Council’s approach often seems to prioritise quantity over quality, with a concerning tendency to centralise decisions and ignore legitimate challenge.
Dukes Meadows dehedging
Large areas of hedging has been cut/removed by contractors acting for a private school on land occupied by the Old Meadonians Football Club.
Any wildlife that existed has been eliminated.
Apparently there’s a tripartite agreement between the school, LBH Property Department and another, who I presume is the football club, to develop this land.
I contacted the Council Leader, Acting Chief Executive and the Cabinet member responsible for our Parks and open spaces asking for an explanation. Still awaited pending their enquiries.
Planning Department mentioned the tripartite agreement.
Cllr Bruce is now the investigating officer. I've written to him asking for an explanation.
Ward Councillors were never told of this agreement.
Another private school had aborted an earlier scheme which enabled it seems the second school to use their approved planning permission.
Wilton Avenue Ashbourne Grove garage conversion to housing
LBH Planning file 00354/C/P1 and P/2021/24 give approval to this garage conversion scheme.
The developer acting for LBH has now submitted an amended scheme reference P/2025/1614 which some residents believe restricts public access to part of the amended site.
Objectors have mistakenly used the wrong reference number in recent communications with our Planning Department.
We’ve tried to contact them to rectify this error.
Cllr John Todd
07866 784651
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2025
Anyone can attend public meetings of the council at Hounslow House which is fully accessible. Most meetings take place on the 6th floor of Hounslow House which is at 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB.
Council Meetings
- Tuesday 22 July 7:30 pm - Borough Council
- Tuesday 16 September 7.30pm - Borough Council
There is public access for these meetings via a direct lift from the ground floor to the Council Meeting Room
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Council Meetings – Audit and Governance Committee
- Tuesday 15 July 7.00pm
- Tuesday 4 November 7:00 pm
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Chiswick Area Forum
- Wednesday 2 July 7.30pm - St. Paul's Church, Grove Park
- Monday 13 October 7.30pm - Hogarth Hall, Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, Turnham, W4 4JN
Both meetings are open from 6.30pm allowing residents to meet officers of Hounslow Council in Adult and Child care Social Welfare, Education, Housing and Services
Important Current Local Issues
During weekends and regular Public Holidays, residents can still access council services on-line or via emergency numbers:
To inform the council of an emergency, please call 020 8583 2222
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).
Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery).
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS
Chiswick Gunnersbury ward
Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446
Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821
Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810
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