Being Paid More to Do Less and Not Happy About It
Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Linden Grigg reports back
Cllr Linden Grigg
September 11, 2026
Isn’t it frustrating how little positivity there is in the news these days? Constant negative headlines - the latest that AI might kill us all - drip fed through addictive pings on our phones. The sapping negativity can extend even as far as ChiswickW4.com. I do often worry that these blogs can read like nothing but a rap sheet for the sometimes hapless Council. The people are tired! They want something to cheer for! So I thought I’d kick this blog off with some happy personal news: out of the blue I’ve had a pay rise at work.
The Labour Group decided at the last Borough Council meeting to raise all of our allowances as well as bump their Leader’s salary by 35%. So I have the Hounslow Labour Group to thank. As well as, I suppose, Chiswick Council tax payers who are covering it for them.
As a Conservative Group we did of course vote against the pay offer. Perhaps we had been gripped too firmly by those previously mentioned negative headlines coming out of Hounslow’s finance department about next year’s looming £15 million Budget Gap. Or that we thought it might be inappropriate given the burden on taxpayers of the expected £2.7 billion national rise in Council Tax this year. Or simply that it looked on the surface like a dirty bid to secure political support.
Either way, I am now keener than ever to justify my election as a Chiswick Homefields ward councillor. I must say on that front the Labour Group are trying their best to make it difficult. In this Tuesday’s upcoming Borough Council meeting, the laughably lightweight agenda includes, as the only substantial business, proposals to alter the constitution.
The nub is this: there will be shorter Council meetings, with fewer questions, and less opportunity overall for us to scrutinise the goings-on of the Council’s political leadership. Combine this with national legislation that restricts the right of Councillors to call-in planning applications, and it’s clear that we are being paid more to do less. And all Labour decisions.
We’ll be coming together with all Opposition parties to suggest that the constitutional changes aren’t appropriate, and to request a truly cross-Party approach to Council procedure. I’m glad to say other Parties such as the Lib Dems have agreed to join us in that approach.
Here is what I’ve been doing in the meantime:
Weltje Road Petition Passes 500 names
Many people will now know about Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s mad, bad, and dangerous scheme to close Weltje Road to all except those that live in the Borough. Chiswick residents in Ealing or Hounslow will no longer be able to use it to get onto the A4.
Nominally this is about the safety of cyclists, but in reality there are a few vocal people on Weltje who no longer want the traffic. That’s all well and good - though long term residents will know Weltje has been used this way longer than I’ve been alive - but the inevitable result is that up to 2,500 vehicles daily might be forced onto Chiswick Lane, lowering the quality of life for people there and causing congestion for everyone else.
I launched a petition calling on Hammersmith and Fulham Council to keep Weltje open to everyone. Over 500 have signed which is mega. I’ll present it to Hounslow Council on Tuesday. I’ve asked officers to collaborate with their peers in Hammersmith. They are asking that the junction be redesigned with safety in mind; I think a redesign is a sensible solution. Drivers and cyclists alike should be alert at this junction, but let’s not close it.
We are seeing the slow strangulation of traffic arteries of this great city. It’s regressive. London is now the slowest city to drive through in the world, and I know that fact won’t be lost on people in Chiswick.
I’m very grateful to everyone who has been involved. So many people have written emails to local MPs, Council officers, and elected Members. I am not yet sure whether our MP Andy Slaughter has done this, however, so if you could spare a few minutes to ask him to do so I would be glad.
Step-Free Access at Turnham Green
When I was elected I made it clear that Turnham Green station was a priority for me. We want step-free and all-day Piccadilly line access. These are two expensive commitments that ultimately rely on TfL funding. I have been asking questions to see where we are at.
In response to an FOI I submitted on Step Free Access, I have been told that:
“Transport for London is currently assessing the feasibility of providing step-free access at Turnham Green station. We are awaiting the outcome of a feasibility study, including a recommendation and an associated cost estimate for the proposed works. An outline business case has been developed; however, this will not be submitted for consideration until it has been updated with information from the feasibility study and cost estimate.
The London Borough of Hounslow has been informed that Turnham Green station is being assessed as a potential candidate for accessibility improvements. The potential enhancement works were specifically mentioned in the TfL / Hounslow Council Officer Working Group on 30th May 2024 and 16th October 2025. Engagement has not progressed beyond this initial stage, as we consider it important to have a completed feasibility report before discussing potential options in greater detail. As part of any future discussions, opportunities for third-party funding would be explored. Securing additional funding would help strengthen the case for progressing the scheme.
We currently expect a decision on whether the Turnham Green step-free access project will proceed to be made during the autumn of this year.
I followed this up with a briefing call to Hounslow planning officers. I want to know how the Council can push this along. Additional funding could come from Community Infrastructure Levy Funds, paid by developers. Sadly, Hounslow is going through a famine of approved developments at the moment, so there isn’t very much of this levy funding available.
Ward Police Panel
I attended our ward police panel, where you, the residents, can get facetime with our brilliant Neighbourhood Police team and raise issues. The only things to report are that vehicle break ins are still high. Please remember to lock your cars and remove valuable items from the seats.
We’re also lacking a representative from Bedford Park. If you have your finger on the pulse of suspicious comings and goings in Bedford Park, we'd love to have you on the panel. Register interest to me at Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk.
Chiswick Book Festival
I've been volunteering at Chiswick Book Festival every year since I moved to Chiswick. This year was no different. On Thursday night you may have seen me at Chiswick House with a Steward’s badge on for a fireside chat about the Beatles to launch the Festival.
Modern Chiswick’s roots are essentially creative - professionally literary, artistic, and progressive. Torin and the team of organisers do a wonderful job keeping these values and traditions alive, and I'm always delighted to support (as a literature graduate) in even this small way.
Abundance Apple Day
Last Saturday Cllr Jack Emsley and I caught the last of the Summer sun in the best way possible, manning (if I’m allowed to use that word) a stand at Abundance’s Apple Day.
The unbelievably warm weather had meant a worse harvest of apples from across Chiswick than usual, but that didn't hamper efforts to produce plenty of delicious juice.
Congratulations to Lucy who managed to win “longest peel” of the day, at an incredible 80 inches.
Markets and Street Parties
The following Sunday we celebrated Chiswick Flower Market’s 6th birthday, followed by the Thornton-Mayfield street party.
My overwhelming takeaway was pride in representing an area which takes these important social occasions so seriously. The fabric of our communities depend on gatherings like these and are increasingly rare due to licensing overreach and red tape.
Well done to everyone involved, especially those who make it all happen by putting the time in behind the scenes. They deserve our full support.
Cllr Linden Grigg
07779 436258
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
Chiswick Area Forum : 16 September from 6.30pm
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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