Leaves, Young People and the High Road
Chiswick Homefields Councillor Jack Emsley reports back
Cllr Jack Emsley
October 31, 2026
I can’t quite believe we’re at the end of October already! The year seems to have flown by. Autumn is firmly my favourite season - there’s just something about crisp sunny days walking by the river or through the grounds of Chiswick House.
Of course, autumn also brings leaf fall. This is, as most years, one of the big topics in my inbox at the moment. Hounslow Council has promised additional resource to tackle leaf fall in Chiswick this year. As we discovered at the last area forum, our end of the borough is the area with by far the most trees, and so it should follow that we are given the most resources to sweep up leaves and ensure pavements don’t become a sludgy mess.
Most residents in the usual leaf hotspots should have seen leaf sweeping teams out and about last week and into next week. If there’s particularly heavy leaf fall on your road that has yet to be addressed by the Highways team, please do drop us a note and we can check the schedule and pass on areas that need to be visited more urgently or revisited for another pass.
Children’s Commissioner Report
A number of parents in Chiswick have written to me expressing their concern about the recent Children’s Commissioner report that saw Hounslow ranked as the second hardest place to grow up in our country. It’s a sobering look at the real problems facing young people in our borough, and should be met with a period of both serious reflection and action.
My Conservative colleague Cllr Jo Biddolph rightly called for the report to be added to the agenda of the next meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee. This is a cross party body that could effectively review the report and work together to make recommendations to improve our borough’s offering for young people. Having recently been appointed to the scrutiny committee myself, I think it would be an excellent use of the committee's time to address one of the big issues facing our borough.
Unfortunately, the response from the council thus far has been extremely disappointing. Instead of recognising the issue and agreeing to work cross party, the councillor in charge of children and young people’s services put out a bizarre statement a few days ago claiming that council officers gave the commissioner the wrong information, that they’ve conducted an internal audit in less than a week without any independent oversight, and have now judged themselves to be much better than the report claims.
It’s very poor to see elected Labour councillors throwing council officers under the bus to try to excuse failings in the services their administration provides. I hope there will be a serious reflection over the coming days and that they focus on trying to improve the state of children’s services in our borough rather than trying to make excuses and cover it up.
Good news for Chiswick High Road
Today (Sunday) is Flower Market Day, and I’m looking forward to heading down as usual to support this fantastic community market. I was glad to read that new figures from the High Street Data Service and Partnership show the Sunday markets have had a big positive impact on High Road businesses, not only increasing footfall but also increasing spend in local bricks and mortar shops.
Over the past half decade the High Road markets have put Chiswick on the map as a destination to come to. It’s great to hear they’re having such a brilliant effect on our local businesses. When they win, Chiswick wins.
Chiswick is a really special place - a market town within London. So whether you’re on the High Road, visiting Duck Pond market at Chiswick House, or down in Dukes Meadows for the brilliant Sunday food market, there’s no reason not to head out to one of our area's great market offerings this Sunday!
Chiswick Area Forum
Finally, a quick reminder that Wednesday 4th November is the date of the next Chiswick Area Forum. The formal meeting starts at 7:30pm at Chiswick Town Hall, chaired by Chiswick Gunnersbury Cllr Ron Mushiso. The meeting will hear from Chiswick Rugby Club about the work they’re doing in our community, followed by an update on and chance to discuss the proposals for C9 to mount the pavement outside of Our Lady of Grace Church.
Colleagues in Chiswick Gunnersbury have written at length about these proposals, and the Area Forum will be a chance to put questions to officers about the revived scheme. As a parishioner at Our Lady of Grace, I know the impact this change could have on our community and on pedestrian safety, so look forward to raising concerns with officers at the meeting and having a constructive dialogue on potential alternatives to this scheme.
Cllr Jack Emsley
07977 396017
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
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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