That Was The Year That Was..

Top Chiswick News Stories From 2014

January

New Cinema For Chiswick Gets Go-Ahead
Council grants planning permission to Picturehouse

Burger Restaurant Byron On Way
Company confirms that it will open a branch in Chiswick

Future For St. Albans Church Becoming Clearer
Likely to remain in use as a church for christian worship

February

Chiswick House Prices Averaging Over a Million
Market appears to have reached yet new heights recently

Jamie Oliver's Union Jacks Restaurant Closes In Chiswick
Speculation that an American-style restaurant will replace it

Hounslow Announces Cut In Council Tax Rate
The half per cent reduction is the second in two years

Moving to W4 area-supermodel Cara Delavigne

March

Anger Over Council's Marie's Corner Store Decision
Locals say Ealing planners ignored their pleas to retain local shop

More Coffee And Cake For Chiswick
A new patisserie planned and Costa Coffee is opening too

Street Lights In Chiswick Still Annoy Locals
Council responds to a range of questions on the matter

April

Andy Murray To Run For Election In Chiswick
The chairman of local GPG group is standing as an independent

Strada In Chiswick Closes
Staff from the popular Italian chain bid farewell

Ceiling Collapses at Virgin Gym in Chiswick Park
Investigation as four people injured during gym session

May

'Cheapest House In Chiswick' Up For Sale
Vacant Council property on market for under a million in prime road

Woman Robbed At Knifepoint In Her Kitchen
Neighbours and victim chase the suspect in Airedale Avenue

How the Lend Lease CHR development could look

June

A New Tower Block for Chiswick?
Lend Lease development plan could include new high rise on Essex Place

Members 'Revolt' At Virgin Active Chiswick Park
 Furious they are paying full charges while denied facilities during refurbishment

Chiswick Is Not Just 'Cash Cow' Says New Council Leader
Steve Curran on street lights, parking and the Lionel Road development

July

Summer Of Motoring Misery in Prospect for Chiswick
Hogarth flyover closure latest in list of ongoing works

Outrage Over The Piles Of Rubbish Lying Around Chiswick
Local people say the problem is getting worse

Armed Police In Chiswick Common 'Chase' Drama
Described as 'like something out of 24' on television

August

Demolition Notice for Packhorse and Talbot
Pub could be gone in just over a month if application proceeds

Sutton Court Road Yellow Lines Raise Fears of CPZ 'Creep'
New parking restrictions are to tackle extra congestion in the area

September

Poundland To Open On Chiswick High Road
In prime location on site of the former McDonalds

George IV Reopening Soon
Retains its 'traditional pub' feel, following refurbishment

TOTS Boutique Announces Closure
Another blow to local business as shop shuts after over thirty years

October

Body Found in Hunt For Alice Gross Murder Suspect
Discovery made in dense woodland in Boston Manor Park

Local Auction House In Court Over 'Ivory Ban'
Elephant artefact was sold by Chiswick Auctions

Could Chiswick Get Its Own Shard?
A 42-storey tower block mooted to replace the Octopus

Pickwicks Wine Bar closed after many years

November

The Hole In The Wall To Become A Smokehouse
Chiswick gastropub reopens today and plans big changes

End Of An Era At Mortimer & Bennett
As Dan Mortimer leaves Chiswick after 25 years

Locals Want Wheelie Bins Delayed In Chiswick
Anger growing as deadline approaches for new service

December

Average Home In Chiswick Now Costs Over A Million
Agents sound a note of caution as London market slows slightly

How The Empire House Development Will Look
We show the visual impact of the High Road plans by Lend Lease

Wedding Bells Ahead For Dec
The Chiswick TV presenter gets engaged while on location for 'I'm A Celebrity'

 

December 27, 2014

Related links
Year Summary
1 Police Link Series of Sexual Assaults in Chiswick
2 McDonald's Closing On Chiswick High Road
3 Major Development Planned For Chiswick High Road
4 Cafe Rouge on Chiswick High Road to Close
5 Naked Rugby Players Disrupt District Line
6 Demolition Notice for Packhorse and Talbot
7 Poundland To Open On Chiswick High Road
8 Chiswick's Second Most Expensive House Goes On Sale
9 'Cheapest House in Chiswick' Up For Sale
10 Woman Robbed At Knifepoint In Her Kitchen
11 Supermodel Set To Move To Chiswick
12 New Upmarket Burger Restaurant For Chiswick
13 Man Seriously Wounded in High Road Stabbing
14 Jackson & Rye To Open In Chiswick
15 Owners Of Italian Villa To Open Restaurant In Chiswick
16 Chiswick Web Designer May Face Jail Over Paedophile Slur
17 E-Fit of Chiswick Sex Attacks Suspect Released
18
19 Cyclist Seriously Hurt at Sutton Court Road
20 Chiswick Property Reaches Another All-time High

Some of the big issues for Chiswick residents in 2014 were the wheelie bins, rubbish on the Chiswick High Road, the Lend Lease development in front of Sainsbury, the news of a possible 42-storey tower to replace the Octopus , continuing controversy over a third runway for Heathrow Airport, the Brentford Football Stadium development at Lionel Road, the proposed Picturehouse Cinema, and the sexual assaults on women in Chiswick

Parking in Chiswick , new restaurants, crime stories and traffic were also popular local reads throughout the year. Property sales continued to make headlines and the introduction of the new stamp duty rules in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement was of great interest. The average home in Chiswick is now over £1m.

Restaurants arriving to Chiswick included Bills and Byrons, Italian restaurants Villa de Geggiano opened on the site of the former Brick Oven and another Italian arrival was Valentina. Blueberry cafe closed and Angie's Little Food Shop opened. Japanese restaurant Chisou closed as did Union Jacks and Strada. Dan Mortimer left Mortimer and Bennett. Pickwicks Wine Bar closed and was bought by an Italian microbrewery.

Some familiar faces disappeared including Tots on the Terrace and Melburys.

Local groups in Chiswick continued their hard work, from the High Road Action Group formed to monitor developments along Chiswick High Road, which is keeping a close watch on Lend Lease, to residents' associations and local councillors trying to get piles of rubbish collected from the streets. Abundance continued its work planting bulbs and flowers with a garden outside the Chiswick Library.

Chiswick celebrities continued to make news- Declan Donnelly ( of Ant & Dec) got engaged. Supermodel Cara Delavigne is moving to W4 area. Darragh O Briain and Clare Balding remained household names with their television programmes.

Independent traders in Chiswick held a Street Party to publicise the benefits of local shopping.

Crime in Chiswick throughout the year ranged from burglaries to phone snatches and street scams, and the area retained high figures for theft from motor vehicles.

Local schools also brought in above average results in national exams while at the end of the year Chiswick School head Tony Ryan warned that cutbacks in funding would have a real impact on education.