Forum Topics

Gunnersbury Park Car Park Access and the Sports Hub

While I'm pleased that the sports hub at Gunnersbury Park is finally going to open has anyone considered the impact on access to the car park. If there are ten pitches, a large gym and a number of other outdoor facilities then there is going to be a large increase in the number of people turning up particularly at the weekend.The access to the park is essentially one way and generally good will between drivers avoids it getting blocked but if there is a stand off the road could get blocked. The plan is to start charging for the car park and people exiting will be anxious to get out in time to avoid a hefty fine. People entering the car park might not understand this and therefore there is scope for conflict. As far as I can tell this looks set to get very messy.

Mark Evans ● 1979d37 Comments ● 1972d

Any LTNs in Hobbayne ward?

Does anyone who lives in this ward, which I think covers part of Hanwell, know whether or not there are many LTNs in it? Would be interested to learn if this was to be a factor in the by election.

Mark Evans ● 1973d1 Comments ● 1973d

Nationwide West Ealing closing

I see that a poster in their window advises they are closing on 29 April. Merging with the Ealing Broadway branch. I suspect the word merging is being misused.

Andy Hamm ● 1977d4 Comments ● 1974d

Swyncombe Avenue Stand Off

It always was a basic flaw in the concept of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods that necessarily they mean somewhere else has to become a higher traffic neighbourhood. When this is in someone else's jurisdiction problems are bound to arise. Hounslow are obliged to protect the interests of their residents but the notion of lots of ANPR cameras appearing on borough boundaries to keep non-residents out is a nightmare. The hope is that, once the Mayoral elections are over, the Department of Transport will relax the rules around funding to allow councils to ditch unworkable schemes without having to pay for unwinding them themselves.

Gordon Southwell ● 1985d52 Comments ● 1977d

Gunnersbury Park Bowls Club and the Sports Hub

We are delighted to see that the Sports Hub is now open. The Bowls Club wishes every success for this enterprise.For the Bowls Club, the photograph in the article is particularly poignant in that it features the bowls pavilion and bowls green. The statements from officers of LB Hounslow and LB Ealing talk of delivering "important community, sports and leisure facilities for residents in the local area" and a vision for Gunnersbury Park "where local people can enjoy sport, beautiful green spaces and a rich local history long into the future.."Meanwhile, bowling in Gunnersbury Park is facing extinction after a history of 90 years. The Community Interest Company is bent on ensuring this fate through a policy of intentional neglect.Members and supporters of the Bowls Club have repeatedly been refused access to the site to carry out extremely urgent maintenance to the green. We learned yesterday that an expert and fully accredited third party has also been refused access by the CIC. This party had very kindly offered to carry out maintenance on behalf of the Bowls Club.The planning application from Putt in the Park has yet to be determined by Hounslow Planning Committee. We believe that by the time this decision is made, whether it is to refuse or to permit, the bowls green will be beyond repair.You may, as does the Bowls Club, wonder how it has been possible to arrive at this situation in what is, after all, a public park which was conceived to be for the benefit of the entire community.

Jim Storrar ● 1978d3 Comments ● 1978d

Sadiq Khan set for a landslide and may be re-elected mayor in first round of voting, says Evening St

Seems as if the 'Sub' Standard thinks it's a done deal for mayor of London, heavens help us all if they are true. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” Khan is obviously able to despite his appalling record of having done virtually nothing since he was elected bar the War on the Motorist. Heaven help us next year as well if the current two sets of clowns get re-elected in Hounslow and Ealing.

peter king ● 2001d47 Comments ● 1980d

Partying in Lammas park leaves it strewn with litter

Large groups of mainly children were making noise in Lammas park till well after midnight last night.Pretty harmless in this unless distancing was being completely ignored but the park is strewn with litter.Maybe they and their parents ( and I hope there were at least some present) would like to come and clear up the mess.Only knew about this as an elderly relative was ill yesterday and we stayed late with her.We could hear the noise from Windermere Road.  Disappointed to see the aftermath on this mornings visit.

Raymond Havelock ● 1992d22 Comments ● 1983d

Dr Bike Free Cycle Maintenance: Sat 10 April Haven Green

Check this out, Cycle Training and more on the Council's website:https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201173/transport_and_parking/150/cycling/4

Philippa Bond ● 1983d0 Comments ● 1983d

Ealing has ranked the biggest hotspot for potholes in the capital with more than 8,000 recorded in t

At last something for Bellend to feel proud of

peter king ● 1992d22 Comments ● 1984d

Anyone know our rights regards Council house Central Heating repairs

Our Central Heating has has stopped working, and this is affecting the way the hot water works too. T Brown stated a motor needed replacing as an emergency, as it was incorrectly repaired by them previously in February when the repair people did not have the correct lubricant so poured Cooking oil over the motor spindle. It then worked for a few weeks and now makes all sorts of clicking and banging noises but has stopped. working.Mum is 88 and should not have to live like this in the freezing cold.Whenever the hot water is used the radiators now go in, regardless of the Central Heating thermostat settings, until the water reaches the required Hot water temperature.T. Brown made it an emergency and promised it would be repaired today Wednesday 10th March.Now T. Brown want to put if off until next week.Does anyone know if I Can demand Ealing council use it's legal powers to make T. Brown carry out it's own promise to replace the motor they themselves damaged? It must be T. Brown's legal responsibility to do so, as it was their own repair people who produced the fault.

Leslie Bailey ● 2014d19 Comments ● 1987d

Dumping Virgin Media and Tivo

I was planning to get rid of Virgin media as their internet service has become increasingly unreliable. One thing stopping me is that I have got used to my Tivo box and am unsure if buying a DVR as a replacement will be as good. Has anyone been down the same road?

Mark Evans ● 2022d4 Comments ● 1990d

Greenest ever' skyscrapers to be built entirely from recycled materials

Our beloved leader gets to build his Gotham City lookalike on the site of the Stirling Road dump. Don't get too excited if you're on the council housing list, you won't be able to afford one.

peter king ● 1992d10 Comments ● 1991d

Graffiti at Gunnersbury Park

The members of the Bowls Club campaign have read, with great horror, about the recent graffiti at Gunnersbury Park.We condemn, without reservation, this utterly intolerable action. We had no prior knowledge of, nor took any part in, these despicable actions. These events will do nothing but harm to our desire to see a bright future for bowls at Gunnersbury Park.We have our differences with the CIC but we will always seek a resolution through civilised discussion and debate, and never through actions such as these.

Jim Storrar ● 1998d4 Comments ● 1991d

Post in area served by Northolt Sorting Office

There has, at Thursday lunchtime, been no post in the area near the old White Hart pub since Saturday (and that was a late delivery combining the previous couple of days). I understood the problems when the pandemic was at its peak but not now. What is going on, Royal Mail?

Ian Fergus ● 1999d4 Comments ● 1992d

My Heroes Seema Misra and Jo Hamilton

Readers may be able to help. The ladies above were caught-up in the Sub-postmasters scandal in which the accounting computer system and the management failed. This caused Seema to be imprisoned and Jo to have to choose by pleading guilty to false accounting in order to escape the more serious charge of theft. There had been redacting and shredding of data to hide the innocence of these ladies. Those who had done this should go to prison. Why were the police not immediately involved? The possible charge was theft after all and so the police could have taken individuals in the post office management for interfering with the evidence. The police are the gatekeepers of part of the legal system and appear reluctant to become involved in rip-offs by authority. Something similar happened in Ealing when some motorists were not electronically reminded that their CPZ resident parking permit was due for renewal. Some residents were reimbursed but how many were not? And now we have the council charging otherwise law abiding motorists for passing through very unusual LTN barriers. The LBE officers who I spoke to last week at the Culmington Road barrier said that all the signage was in order under the signage legislation (when it wasn't) and I said the message wasn't getting through evidenced by the enormous numbers of motorists being charged. The evidence told the story and one of the officers flounced off. End of meeting. This fraudulent abuse of power and entrapment must stop. The police have to act as it brings all authority into disrepute. Gatekeepers in the police heirarcy and there are many are rejecting this in that it has nothing to do with them. That's not right.

Arthur Breens ● 2000d2 Comments ● 1992d

Ealing Parking Services / Tarranto

Has anyone else had this issue?Previously I paid on line but got a message that there hd been an issue with taking the fee. So I tried again - same message.Tried again - once more same message.Then checked my bank account and three lots of payment had been taken.Nightmare starts - can't get hold of anyone, nobody calls back, emails unresponded to.PCN's start arriving.Had to go to the Civic Centre and got my overcharges back with reason "car Reg is quite new and not on system yet".Despite appeal the PCN's not revoked - furious!!Fast forward a year. Renewal time for car.Guess what? Yep £100.00 renewal taken but "problem with payment" message and I cannot get hold of anyone.Last thing I want to do is attempt to visit civic centre - is it even open???Such a poor Council we have.No parties in a brewery for them

Colin Goodman ● 2007d9 Comments ● 1992d

What flag is flying over the Town Hall?

Is Bell(end) still flying the EU flag over our town hall or has he finally seen sense? We should ideally have the Union Jack and the flag of England if there are two flag poles

peter king ● 1999d8 Comments ● 1993d

When is Purdah not Purdah

On the TW8 sister site a local councillors blog states that due to the election run up he could not even chair or filed questions at a meeting over Boston Manor Park.The issues there are those of operations ongoing and the planning of such.But party political it is not.So if that's the parameter Hounslow Councillors are having to comply with, surely the same parameters apply to Perceval House?Except it is Highly Political in any case.

Raymond Havelock ● 1998d3 Comments ● 1998d

Gunnersbury Park Bowls Club - Petition

The Gunnersbury Park Community Interest Company has refused to grant access by the Bowls Club to the bowls green to carry out urgent maintenance work.Some readers may wish to sign this petition:https://petitions.hounslow.gov.uk/GPBowlsClub/Our request is that all councillors, whether members of the Planning Committee or not, should seek to use their good offices to persuade the CIC to allow the Bowls Club access to the bowls green.Gunnersbury Estate (2026) Community Interest Company (the CIC) is responsible for the management of Gunnersbury Park on behalf of the joint owners, the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Ealing.In April 2020 a planning application was refused for the conversion of the bowls clubhouse to a cafe/restaurant. In January 2021, a decision on a further, almost identical, planning application was deferred by Hounslow Planning Committee. This proposal would lead to the re-purposing of the bowls green as a mini-golf facility which would mean the end of bowls in Gunnersbury Park after 90 years.In deferring their decision, the Planning Committee wished to have more time to consider all of the relevant facts, including the consideration of alternative sites for the mini-golf facility.The Bowls Club and volunteers from the wider community have been refused access by the CIC to carry out urgent maintenance work. Without this work the bowls green will rapidly deteriorate to a condition beyond repair and this will mean that the Planning Committee will be faced with a situation where bowls is no longer a viable use for the site of the bowls green.The Bowls Club is not opposed to the establishment of a mini-golf facility in the Park. Indeed, it supports the principle of this important source of revenue for the CIC but not at the expense of the bowls green and the Bowls Club itself.

Jim Storrar ● 2019d14 Comments ● 1999d

The Safety of Women at Night and LTNs

A female neighbour told me she was returning from work late at night in an Uber provided by her employer recently. The driver stopped about 200 yards away from her home by an LTN barrier and said he would go no further. She said he could drive round but he told her he had already been fined several times in LTNs and could only make a living by completely avoiding them. She said she understood and that she would still give him a five star rating if he waited at the drop off for five minutes to give her time to get to her front door as she was terrified by the isolated walk in the deserted badly lit street. He did so with his headlights on and engine running.I can understand the advantage of having fewer vehicles going down a road during the day but at night time few of the reasons for LTNs apply. On the contrary, as any female who gets back late in the evening will tell you, the last thing you want is a complete absence of traffic.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2007d56 Comments ● 1999d