A Hopeful Start as Chiswick's First Green Councillor
Chiswick Riverside councillor Rick Rowe reports back for the first time
Councillor Rick Rowe following the result of the count being announced
May 30, 2026
Since the count on 8th May, it has been a real privilege to begin work as the Green councillor for Chiswick Riverside and as the first Green councillor elected in Chiswick.
That is something I am very proud of, but I also understand the responsibility that comes with it. Residents voted for change, for a different kind of politics, and for a councillor who is visible, practical and rooted in the community.
My first few weeks have been busy, humbling and energising. I have been dealing with residents’ casework, attending local events, meeting community organisations and beginning the formal work of the council. Most importantly, I have been listening.
Taking on new responsibilities
At the London borough of Hounslow AGM, I was delighted to be voted Vice Chair of the Chiswick Area Forum. I have also been appointed to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel, and The Thomas Layton Collection Trust.
These are important responsibilities. I will approach them constructively, guided by Green values and with a clear focus on residents, young people, public accountability, climate action and the long-term wellbeing of our community.
The Vice Chair role currently comes with a Special Responsibility Allowance of £2,770. I have committed to donating the full amount to local good causes and charities, so that the payment goes back into the community it is intended to serve.
Chiswick Riverside is full of people and organisations doing quiet, important work. They support young people, protect nature, help vulnerable residents, strengthen community life and make our area kinder, greener and more connected.
I have already received one nomination and would welcome further suggestions from residents. Please send nominations for local charities or good causes to Rick.Rowe@hounslow.gov.uk
Cllr Rick Rowe standing next to Cllr Jasmine Deol following the London borough of Hounslow AGM
Getting on with local casework
Since being elected, I have already been working on a wide range of local casework. Residents have contacted me about fly-tipping, overflowing public bins, abandoned Lime bikes, street trees causing structural concerns for properties, overcrowding and unstable housing.
One of the first issues I was contacted about was the Recreation Ground on Thames Road. Mr Ingram, a PE teacher at Strand on the Green School, got in touch after a child was injured there and raised concerns about holes in the ground.
After I raised the issue with the council, a team attended the following day to fill the holes. I have also spoken with local residents and arranged to meet the responsible council officer in the coming weeks to discuss the wider condition of the site.
The goal posts were recently removed by the council because they were rusted and unsafe. I hope we can now look positively at the future of the Recreation Ground, including how it could be improved for children, families and local residents, with better facilities and replacement goal posts.
These issues may not always make headlines, but they matter deeply to the people affected by them.
For me, being a councillor is not just about meetings at Hounslow House. It is about walking the streets, seeing problems for myself, following up and making sure residents are not left feeling ignored or passed from team to team.
There will be issues that take time and problems that need persistence. But I want residents to know that when they raise something with me, I will take it seriously, understand the council’s position and push for a proper response.
Unloved notice board at the entrance to Strand on the Green Rec.
Listening to local environmental and community groups
On 21st May, I had a fantastic meeting with three inspiring local community leaders: Dr Karen Liebreich MBE from Abundance London, Marie-Claire Meisels from Chiswick Repair Café, and Clare Searle from Friends of Hatton Fields.
It was exactly the kind of conversation that gives you hope for what local communities can achieve when residents organise, share skills and care deeply about the places around them.
Karen’s work with Abundance London is a brilliant example of practical environmental action rooted in place. Abundance London is a Chiswick-based voluntary organisation involved in planting, greening, orchards, surplus fruit, public spaces and community action. Karen also set up the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden and received an MBE for services to horticulture and education.
Marie-Claire and the team at Chiswick Repair Café are doing equally important work by helping residents repair household items, reduce waste, learn practical skills and challenge throwaway culture. Their work shows that sustainability is not just about large policy decisions. It is also about everyday choices, shared knowledge and giving things a second life.
Clare Searle and Friends of Hatton Fields have shown the importance of residents speaking up for local green spaces, biodiversity and community access to nature. Friends of Hatton Fields have been closely involved in the Hounslow Local Plan process, including the Examination in Public, where the future of Hatton Fields has been considered.
Clare has also contacted me following the latest stage of the Local Plan examination, after documents requested by the Inspectors during the May hearing sessions were published. I know how strongly many residents feel about the future of Hatton Fields and the protection of green spaces across the borough.
Whatever stage the formal planning process has reached, residents deserve clarity, transparency and a proper understanding of how decisions affecting green space are being made.
These organisations may each focus on different things, from planting and repairing to protecting green space, education, biodiversity and community action. But they are all part of the same bigger picture. They show that a greener future is built locally, by people giving their time, energy and expertise to improve the places they love.
You can find out more about their work here:
Remembering solidarity
The first event I attended after being elected was the 100-year commemoration of the General Strike at Bell Square in Hounslow.
The event included a walk through local labour history, followed by food, drinks and live music. It was a warm and thoughtful gathering, and an important reminder of the history of working people standing together for dignity, fairness and justice.
This is an important part of history which we much remember. Decent work, strong public services, social justice and climate action are not separate causes. They are all part of building a borough where people are valued, communities are supported and decisions are made for the long term.
That is the kind of politics I believe in: rooted in solidarity, practical in delivery and ambitious about the future.
Activists speaking at 100-year commemoration of the General Strike on Hounslow High Street
Chiswick House and Gardens
Over the past fortnight I have also had the pleasure of attending two events at Chiswick House and Gardens Trust.
On Thursday 21st May, I joined a behind-the-scenes tour of the Community and Creative Campus. Mel and Sue gave a brilliant tour of the Kitchen Garden and surrounding spaces, including a glimpse into the secret garden and the Trust’s exciting plans for its future.
I was struck by how thoughtfully the project brings together heritage, education, biodiversity and community use, while opening up underused parts of the estate in imaginative ways.
On Tuesday 27th May, I volunteered during the half-term Gardening Together session led by Philippa Markou and colleagues. It was wonderful to see children and families actively engaging with the gardens, learning practical skills and feeling welcome in such a special local space.
I had the chance to help create a brow line on the lime trees along Dukes Drive, which was both enjoyable and rewarding. It was a small example of something much bigger: people caring for shared places together.
Chiswick House and Gardens is not only a beautiful historic estate. It is a place for learning, nature, volunteering, creativity and wellbeing.
For residents who have not visited recently, I would really encourage you to see what is coming up. There is a wide range of events, activities and opportunities for families, residents and visitors throughout the year.
Cllr Rick Rowe pictured pruning Lime Trees with a younger volunteer during the half-term Gardening Together session
Celebrating volunteers
Next week is Volunteers’ Week, running from Monday 1 June to Sunday 7 June 2026. It is a chance to thank the people who give their time across Hounslow, often quietly and without fuss, to keep community life going.
Having volunteered at Chiswick House and Gardens during half term, I was reminded again how much community life depends on people giving their time, skills and care. Volunteers help make places feel welcoming, bring people together and create opportunities that might otherwise not happen.
Volunteers are at the heart of so much of what makes Chiswick special: community gardens, local charities, residents’ groups, youth activities, environmental projects, heritage organisations, faith groups, advice services and neighbourhood events.
Anyone interested in volunteering locally can find opportunities through Ealing and Hounslow CVS, which connects residents with volunteering roles across both boroughs.
A greener borough is not only built by council decisions. It is built by people giving time, care and energy to the places and people around them.
Met Office post showing the extreme weather of 35.1C recorded at Kew Gardens on Tuesday 26th May 2026.
Heat, climate and the nature on our doorstep
This week’s extreme heat has been a stark reminder that the climate crisis is not distant or abstract. It is already affecting London.
Kew Gardens recorded record-breaking May temperatures this week. Behind those figures are real impacts: overheated homes, pressure on older and vulnerable residents, risks for children, difficult conditions for outdoor workers, stress on trees and wildlife, and a greater need for shade, water and accessible green space.
The Times has also reported on the impact of heatwaves at Kew Gardens, where Richard Deverell, Kew’s chief executive, described how 400 trees died during the 2022 heatwaves and warned that climate change is already damaging some of Britain’s most familiar trees.
Female Stag Beetle in woodland area near Thames River, West London
This week I was also pleasantly surprised to spot a female stag beetle while walking along the Thames. It was a small but lovely reminder of the wildlife we share this part of London with, often without noticing.
Stag beetles are the UK’s largest beetle and are particularly associated with South and West London. They are protected in the UK and are a priority species for conservation. Their larvae depend on old trees and rotting wood, which is why dead wood, log piles, mature trees, gardens, parks and connected green spaces are so important.
Seeing one along the Thames was a hopeful moment, but also a reminder that nature needs space. If we want children and future generations to grow up with wildlife on their doorstep, we need to value the habitats that support it, from riverside paths and street trees to gardens, parks and small pockets of wildness.
Street trees, parks, gardens and riverside spaces are not simply nice extras. They are part of the infrastructure of a healthy, resilient neighbourhood.
They cool our streets. They support biodiversity. They improve air quality. They give children space to play and residents space to breathe. They make our community more liveable, especially as summers become hotter and more unpredictable.
As Greens, we believe climate action starts close to home. It is in how we care for our streets, how we protect and expand green spaces, how we support walking and cycling, how we reduce pollution, and how residents are heard before decisions are made.
Exterior of St Paul’s Church in Grove Park, where Cllr Rick Rowe will hold monthly ward surgeries for Chiswick Riverside residents
Monthly ward surgeries at St Paul’s
I will be holding monthly ward surgeries at St Paul’s Church, Grove Park, on the last Saturday of every month from 10:30am to 12:30pm in the Grove Park Room.
Surgeries are a chance for residents to raise local issues, ask questions, discuss casework or simply come and speak with me in person.
Due to an event taking place at the church. The next ward surgery will be on Saturday 27th June, from 9:30am to 11:30am.
I am grateful to St Paul’s for making space available locally. Having regular surgeries in the heart of Grove Park is important, your councillors should be accessible, visible and easy to reach.
Residents can also contact me at Rick.Rowe@hounslow.gov.uk
Thank you to everyone who has stopped me in the street, emailed, invited me to events, raised casework or offered advice since the election. Please keep getting in touch. There is a lot to do, but I am excited to get on with it.
Cllr Rick Rowe
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