Common Sense Enforcement and Praise for Our Local Jewel
Chiswick Homefields councillor Linden Grigg reports back
It's not coming home but I'll still be in the pub on Sunday
July 17, 2026
Despite natural justice somehow being blocked from taking its course when England was brutally knocked out of the World Cup on Wednesday, I can safely confirm I'll still be in a Chiswick pub to watch the final. Despite very blatant and unwelcome political interference from a President who doesn't seem to understand our sport, the standard of football at this World Cup has meant every game has been really enjoyable to watch. I wish both teams the best of luck in the final - particularly Spain.
On Your Side
Speaking of unwelcome political interference, like many people in Chiswick I was dismayed that pubs at Strand-on-the-Green were left unable to capitalise on World Cup-mania footfall after a local Green councillor provoked the Council’s Enforcement team into removing the pubs’ outdoor seating.
A Conservative sit-in campaign with residents swiftly saw the ridiculous measures overturned, but the tide of unjust fines, restrictions, and PCNs being discharged from the Council continues to rise for everyone. Worse still, the Labour Council are ruthless and swift in exacting their pound of flesh, making life miserable for those who have either made honest mistakes or are already the victims of administrative failure.
In just the past fortnight, I managed to claw back around £3,000 for a resident who, would you believe, was visited by bailiffs for not paying a PCN received in relation to the endlessly confusing Chiswick LTN - despite the fact that all the PCNs had been sent to his previous address and not a single one had dropped through his letterbox.
Running a business in Chiswick, or simply going about your day to day life here, increasingly feels like navigating one of those movie scenes in which the hero is confronted by a hall of deadly red lasers, where, twisting and contorting, one slip results in a killer zap. You might wonder why we facing more restrictions and being hit with harsher sanctions? Because the Council has committed to filling their Budget gap with the money they take through fines.
Let’s Vote on It
We think that enough is enough.
On Tuesday evening Councillors will gather in Hounslow to vote on a Conservative motion calling on Hounslow Council to introduce common sense enforcement guidelines which prioritise warnings instead of fines for individual first time offenders.
Will Labour councillors vote for this policy? Somehow I think it is unlikely, despite recent scandals in which residents have been zapped with £1000 fines for misplacing envelopes beside overflowing bins or even doing the work of the Council for them and clearing up after street parties.
Unbelievably, on the same evening as that vote the Labour Group will wave through extortionate pay rises for almost all of their Councillors. Whilst residents across the Borough are facing a cost-of-living crisis, the Leader of the Council is topping up his own salary by £15,000, a 35% increase which I’m not sure many in the Borough will see in their own lives and which does nothing for the reputation of local politics. We’ll obviously be voting against it, especially because the allowance scheme has been bloated to such an extent that over 80% of Labour Councillors now receive some kind of additional payment above and beyond their basic allowance.
At Stamford Brook Residents’ Association last week I heard very clearly from people that they wanted more frequent leaf clearing, better and safer paving, and more effective tree maintenance. I only wish the Council were so generous with taxpayers’ money when it comes to things residents actually want.
A Sunny Spot
I am conscious that when confronted with a Labour Council that opens itself up so readily to criticism, a blog can become overly negative.
Luckily for me, I’ve supplemented my role as a Councillor as a Trustee of Chiswick House and Gardens, which is very welcome respite from overtly political duties.
Chiswick House and Gardens is, to me, the jewel in the crown of my ward. Ever since moving to this area I have walked through the gardens almost on a weekly basis, as I find it an oasis of calm amidst the bustle of London. The variety across the 65 acres of garden is immense - the lake, the Italian Garden, the multi-layered wood canopy, the cypress tree-lined avenue, and the Conservatory all offer something different and mellow.
As a Trustee I have a duty across my term to help guide Chiswick House and Gardens far into a successful future, but I am aware that many people in Chiswick will have views on what that looks like.
In Xanthe Arvanitakis we have a highly capable Director who has already delivered significant transformation amidst a challenging funding environment, and I was recently given a tour of the Gardens by her to discuss the ways in which the Trust is diversifying its operations in order to surf the crest of a wave that in other heritage and cultural settings is causing turbulence.
As we look to future projects, such as the renovation of the much-loved 1813 Grade I listed Conservatory (recently placed on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register), we will have to, as ever, strike a balance between familiarity and longevity. I cannot wait to get started.
The Future of the De-Growth Bridge
I thought I’d just end this blog with a brief comment on a piece of architecture which has failed both tests of familiarity and longevity. It has been announced that Hammersmith Bridge will not be taking motor traffic in the foreseeable future. Quite simply, I think this is bad. As I have said elsewhere, it’s drivers in Chiswick who will suffer as a result, with permanently longer journey times, slower traffic, and higher emissions.
Like most West London politicians I went to Barnes Fair to check out a proposed solution - a small driverless bus (“pod” to the initiated). Whilst there are pitfalls to the pod, it is, at present, the only proposal that might re-open the Bridge to elderly and disabled residents who need the crossing.
I’d like all Councils to think more innovatively about how tech can solve issues like Hammersmith Bridge - and I hope this is an area where the youthfulness of our Conservative Group can play in our favour.
Cllr Linden Grigg
Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk
07779 436258
P.S. Your three Chiswick Homefields Councillors have made an exciting announcement about our surgeries. You can find out more here.
DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Hounslow House is fully accessible. Hounslow Central tube station is not step-free. The 237 bus stops nearby. Parking in local roads is limited.
Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel
Borough Council : 21 July at 7.30pm
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS CONTACT INFO
Chiswick Gunnersbury ward
Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446
Cllr Vickram Grewal vickram.grewal@hounslow.gov.uk 07904 184099
Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Michael Denniss Michael.Denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Linden Grigg Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk 07779 436258
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
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