Forum Topics

Chiswick Tower and accessibility at Gunnersbury

Looking at the report on what was approved last night for Chiswick Tower, it seems that basically it is just a giant HMO and the intention is to cram as many people into the building as possible.I don't blame the councillors for approving it as it was the only game in town and the developer was holding a gun to their heads by dangling the possibility of an alternative with no affordable units. They also were smart in commissioning an architect to produce pretty pictures of what Gunnersbury station could look like although making it clear they weren't going to be paying. Like Chiswick Business Park before them, they have dodged any responsibility for stumping up for the much needed station upgrade and now it looks unlikely anything will happen for at least a decade. Maybe this outcome means that more attention will be given to making at least one other of Chiswick's stations step free.

Francis Rowe ● 8d10 Comments ● 11h

Average bus speeds fall below 9mph

Interesting update from Ross Lydall in the Evening Standard on this huge problem for London.https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/bus-speeds-london-slow-9mph-tfl-sadiq-khan-assembly-b1261821.htmlThe speed across Hounslow was 8.84mph in October of this year compared to 9.4mph for the 2023/24 financial year. You might expect October to be lower than the annual average but across London the report shows that bus speeds are falling and, as a result so are passenger numbers.The operators say most delays are caused by road works but a government minister is admitting that LTNs and cycle lanes have been a factor in the slowdown.The issue is more acute now with tube fares up again meaning that more people might be forced to consider the bus even though it might increase their travel time. The council had come up with quite an imaginative scheme to restore some of the lost bus priority on Chiswick High Road but all seems to have gone quiet on that. Hopefully this latest data will release funding to try and reverse this trend.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 21h7 Comments ● 14h

Drive-In on Chiswick High Road

I was walking down Chiswick High Road at around 7.30 tonight, when an e-scooter passed me at great speed (at least 20mph) on the pavement (cycle lane 9a, as some think it). It then turned left, going through the door of Tesco and parked up in store. Dangerous on many levels, especially as it didn't appear to slow down before turning. Whatever next? Smartcars in Sainsburys? Mercedes in M&S? Please be careful out there everyone!

Richard Evans ● 1d2 Comments ● 15h

Big Ben ladies purse found in Chiswick

I found a ladies purse with a picture of Big Ben on it at 5pm on Thursday 11th by Marks and Spencers in Chiswick. Message me if you know someone that's lost one.

Alan Ham ● 1d2 Comments ● 15h

Rachel Reeves

This woman misled the Commons in her budget speech, by yet again creating a non-existent blackhole in the public purse, satisfying her backbenchers demand to scrap the 2 child cap.Kemi Badenoch produced her finest hour yet as leader of the opposition by giving her a right royal roasting in front of a packed commons and huge TV audience.Fighting against sleep I managed to watch the chancellor's waffling replies to the probing questions given her this morning, first by SKY's Trevor Phillips, followed by BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. Neither presenter was fooled by her mendacious waffling.Rachel from Accounts and her equally deceitful boss, Never Here Keir are both living on borrowed time.

Denis I. Fox ● 12d115 Comments ● 16h

APCOA & £1000 PCNs

Looking at the news article where a pensioner was threatened with jail and reduced to tears over a envelop in / near the wrong waste recycling bin, I was intrigued to learn that APCOA have wide plans to expand their activities in Hounslow in 2026 and will ,be issuing £1,000 fines to anyone, even 5 year olds who break their rules.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c047422e6y4ohttps://www.hounslow.gov.uk/news/article/10130/new-crackdown-on-fly-tipping-and-anti-social-behaviour-approvedNone of us like fly tippers but expect a 2-tier process where fly posters for various markets get away scot free, and anyone spilling a tea cup (or a lost letter) gets fined £1K.When do Reform get in?

Davy Jones ● 18h3 Comments ● 16h

Hounslow Vision 2025?

One wonders if LBH's Vision 2050 will last past 2026. This is a hilarious read, and I suspect1) Cost a lot2) Has the longevity of a lettuce3) Was partly written by a a botHere's the eco green woke Utopia for 2050. (none of it it happening now):Ideal 1:'Modern infrastructure supports business expansion andquality of life. Residents benefit from rising incomes, whichfuel demand for housing, leisure, and services, creating avirtuous cycle of growth.'Ideal 2:'The borough is a resilient, dynamic place where, despitedifferences, people feel united by wanting to make their areasafe and welcoming'Ideal 3:' Residents enjoy access to co-working hubs, rooftop gardens, and wellnessfacilities — all powered by renewable energy. The area iseco-friendly — but it thrives because it’s built around humanwellbeing, resilience, and long-term liveability.'https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/s203703/Hounslow%20Vision%202050%20-%20Appendix%20-%20Vision%202050%20document.pdf

Davy Jones ● 17h1 Comments ● 16h

Waymo comes to Chiswick

I spotted a Waymo driverless car on Acton Lane a few days ago - a Jaguar E-Pace. Just to check my eyes weren't deceiving me, I looked up what the company is doing in the UK and they are indeed running trials locally. They are taking place in Ealing Borough not Hounslow so you won't see them on the High Road. There will currently always be human safety staff onboard while they run the trials but it looks like the car is driving autonomously unless they intervene. No date given for when the service is commercialised but it is already operating in LA and San Francisco.

Mark Evans ● 1d5 Comments ● 16h

Anyone been to The Kitchen (pan-Asian) restaurant yet?

Despite having a broken website (https://www.atthechiswick.co.uk/the-kitchen/), it's already got 50 five-star glowing Google reviews. Can anyone share their experience of the place, please? Hoping for something special.

Gordon McDonald ● 18h1 Comments ● 18h

Asylum seekers boosting the economy!

The Black economy that is! “Migrants are swallowing heroin and cocaine to smuggle the drugs into Britain in exchange for VIP Channel crossings.”

Steve Taylor ● 4d33 Comments ● 20h

Will I get a fine from Sainsbury

Yesterday I left the big Sainsbury Chiswick car park via the Action Lane exit an hour after going in. Stupidly I chose the lane that had the arrow pointing INTO the car park rather than the arrow pointing out! I only realised when I was halfway out. Has anyone else done this and received a fine for overestaying?

Iris Hill ● 1d3 Comments ● 20h

New Mildmay Line Operator Pledges to Boost Peak Service

Front pageWell, let's hope they get the points and signalling sought at Gunnersbury and Richmond, and TFL do the same for Acton and Earls Court. Far too often, the service is let down this side on those locations. Minor delays this morning but a 50 min wait to go from TG to richmond. The information at TG is non existant ON the screens and over the tannoy while we seem to have new barrier staff nowhere to be seen these days. Yeh,have a guess where they are sitting. The ladies who get moved around are the only ones that are around when at TG.

Julian Pavey ● 2d1 Comments ● 21h

Money gift for neighbours children - how much????

Rather than the usual overload of chocolates, was thinking of giving neighbours children, 2 early teens, some money.  But how much?  It's just a gesture and the adults will get a bottle of something.  We're not best friends so it's just a neighbourly exchange.

Carol Sawyer ● 1d7 Comments ● 22h

Removing the cap on Child Benefit - a good way to reduce child poverty?

This is now very much on the political agenda. It was in in the LibDem and SNP 2024 manifestos but not in the Labour Party Manifesto. Labour  instead promised to develop an "ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty".

Sam Hearn ● 26d94 Comments ● 1d

Katherine Dunne fails (again)

I was bemused by the puff piece on Katherine done by Chiswick Calendar. Bit surprised they didn't ask her favorite color and if she believed in unicorns. Did we need glamor shots?? Also chuckled at the coverage of the recent area forum with feedback from Katherine's colleague, Alexandra Crush.  So many issues: "Element of competition" In order for there to be competition the competitors must provide the same service. They do not. Per the article, Voi services Ealing. That's it. Forest doesn't. This necessitates needing two different suppliers that can charge whatever they like because their competitor cannot provide the same service. The concept of checks and balances does not exist. Simple economics. "truncated journeys weren't a key issue" Surely Katherine should have choked on these words. "50% less Voi than promised" and "Forest immediately increases fees after getting contract" Is it me, or have the suppliers failed to comply with the terms of the contract? If so, what's the escape clause? If a painter fails to provide the works promised in a contract, the owner would have a court case in their favor. The contract becomes null and void. "no incentive for Lime to comply" False. Wandsworth dealt with this issue by rounding up non-compliant bikes and held them ransom. When I asked Katherine about this her response was "there is no regulation." Apparently she can't do what others clearly can. "commercially sensitive information" With spending public money, how is the public not made aware of any expenditure value? There is talk about competition on an open market yet oddly the market is secret. "I wasn't there but I'm sure it was raised" Why wasn't she there and simply how could she not know??? This begs the question can a petition be started for her removal? She fails repeatedly and there is no reason anyone should endure another two years of this dreadful and unnecessary policy she has put in place. She is clearly out of her league. As for any e-bike/scooter being left where it doesn't belong, what is the line item value for Hounslow Highways to remove them? Has it exceeded it's allowance? My bet is any increase in fees Katherine dreamt of by awarding Voi and Forest is erased (and then some) by the increase in costs for HH to remove illegal vehicles now dumped by three different vendors. Not to mention, the public can't use any Lime bike found in Hounslow. So those cost of removing them is wholly borne by Hounslow. To wit on Glebe Street this AM:


David Lesniak ● 57d103 Comments ● 1d

Sweary councillors parking in disabled bays

It looks like the next leader of Hounslow Council is likely to be John Terry!

Francis Rowe ● 15d41 Comments ● 1d

O2 shop.

Does anyone know whenthis shop will be opening in Chiswick please?

Keith Iddon ● 7d5 Comments ● 2d

Marks and Spencer opening

Does anyone know where we can see an actual opening date for the old/new M&S? I know it says Autumn, and that will be in case they need to move the dates, but I was hoping someone might have some insider knowledge? Thanks

Jenny Smith ● 59d34 Comments ● 2d

Chiswick Christmas Popup – Supporting The Mulberry Centre!

Chiswick Christmas Popup – Supporting The Mulberry Centre!We’re excited to share that the much-loved Chiswick Christmas Popup returns on Wednesday 10th December, hosted by the Chiswick Business Group at Workspace Barley Mow!🕚 11.30am – 3.30pm📍 Workspace Barley Mow, ChiswickThis festive community event brings together talented local makers, designers and small businesses — all in support of The Mulberry Centre’s free cancer support services.Visitors can browse a beautiful selection of handmade, locally crafted gifts including jewellery, prints, accessories, artisan food, homewares and more. It’s the perfect chance to shop sustainably, support independent creatives and give back to a vital local charity this Christmas.A huge thank you to the Chiswick Business Group for championing The Mulberry Centre's work and helping raise essential funds for people affected by cancer.

Johanna ● 4d3 Comments ● 3d