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Hostile Streets

I see that Brentford gets some mention in the new GLA report :https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/hostile_streets_-_final_report_for_print.pdf"The most striking example of a hostile street we saw was near Brentford, where primary schools are straddled by the A4 and M4 flyover. We walked the route with parents and children, who showed us how difficult it was for them to get to school. They were worried about fast-moving traffic, high levels of pollution, and getting stuck in the middle of the busy road waiting for ages for a green light to cross.""2.25 In just three locations – Gallows Corner in Havering, Croydon Fiveways and a stretch of the A4 near Brentford – we came across:• A signed cycle route which was not completed and ran out midway down a 50mph road• A pedestrian crossing with a dropped kerb for wheelchairs and buggies, and tactile paving for people with visual impairments, on only one side of the road• A cycle lane which directs bikes onto oncoming traffic• Pavements and traffic islands which are too narrow or have street clutter that makes it difficult for wheelchairs and buggies• Busy, signalised junctions with no pedestrian phase in the lights• Traffic islands where pedestrians wait to cross surrounded by high volumes of fast-moving traffic• A pavement and crossing which were closed following a collision, when the issue "and page 20 has the Brentford photo titled "A cycle lane on the A4 directs bikes into three lanes of oncoming traffic"

Tim Henderson ● 3203d5 Comments ● 3200d

Get ready to start fighting to save your local park.

At a council cabinet meeting on 11th July there was an agenda item 14, REG 525 Parks Transformation https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/g9860/Public%20reports%20pack%20Tuesday%2011-Jul-2017%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10If you scroll down to the pages relating to this item it says "Document is Restricted" In the decisions paper https://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/documents/g9860/Decisions%20Tuesday%2011-Jul-2017%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=2 it says that the recommendations in the report were approved.What recommendations? Clearly the public isn't supposed to know. The explanation for the exemption is;By Virtue of Paragraph 3 Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)There have been rumours that parks management is to be handed over to Lampton 360 a set of companies set up by the council whose main aim is to develop property, they are also now running the waste contract. The suggestion being made is that is that maintenance is "coming back in house". Lampton 360 is a series of private companies and if the "business affairs" justification can be used to hide what it is doing, there are serious concerns about transparency and accountability.Where are our local councillors? What have they been doing to ensure there is proper consultation, scrutiny and debate before our parks are handed over to Lampton 360?Can any of our councillors throw any light on this mysterious agenda item?

Vanessa Smith ● 3342d14 Comments ● 3205d