Forum Topic

Church Street closure causes Syon Park Garden Centre to closes

Today is the final day. All predicted when Church Street was closed against the will of the people

Steve Taylor ● 2549d11 Comments

"against the will of the people"Oh dear! That old chestnut again - would these be the same people who must be obeyed when it comes to Brexit? Or a different set of people who can be completely ignored when it suits their political masters?Is it only a democracy when these issues are a national concern? Or is it the case that local issues can by-pass the democratic process?Those councillors who voted for that closure may have thought it would all go away and be forgotten - yet two years down the line the bloody stupid closure still reverberates, because those of us who live locally put up with the resulting traffic congestion every single day, as we told them we would. Not content with that they just - two weeks ago - approved the application for the former pub The George, situated right on the mini roundabout at the junction of Twickenham Rd. and South St. to allow a change of use for a Mosque and community rooms. Objections and concerns over the traffic that would be forthcoming for planned seven days a week usage were batted aside as if they were of no consequence, in spite of representations from the local amenity society and a nearby residents association, there were over 500 objections in total. Wyevale was never going to be able to withstand the double whammy of the road closure that made access by car so hard, plus a difficult business climate.

Vanessa Smith ● 2549d

How, Steve, did the closure of Church Street cause the closure and sell-off of Wyevale Garden Centres all over the country? If you haven't heard of these closures, then google it.

Anne England ● 2548d

Wyevale have obviously had a lot of problems, we are in a very fraught business climate. However in respect of the branch at Syon it is a fact that Wyevale management attended the local council Forum meeting when the Church St. closure was up for decision and they did speak against it, citing that they had lost - I think - it was £35,000 just in the few months of the temporary closure, which no business can sustain. So if they were already having a difficult time that decision was the death knell. These things are always a combination of many factors - nice to know that Hounslow did its bit sending them to the wall isn't it?

Vanessa Smith ● 2548d

The new owners of some of the Wyevale sites are keeping them running if financially viable. The closure of Church Street means Syon is a non starter because people stopped going there due to the traffic chaos in Twickenham Road which is a constant logjam since Church Street was closed by a few idiot Labour councillors who are out of touch with the environment and the reality of life. The people spoke...the people were ignored by the despotic regime. People have now lost their jobs. Thanks to Labour, the uncaring party who care not a jot about the community they purport to serve.   

Steve Taylor ● 2548d

Well okay, if Wyevale said so re losses then that must be the case although, as Vanessa says, the closure of Church Street is unlikely to have been the only cause.I don't really 'get' the chaos caused by the closure of Church Street though. Maybe it is because, as a retiree, I could use the roads to Syon Park, Isleworth Library and Leisure Centres and indeed West Middlesex at times when the road(s) were less busy - not that I chose them as such. There was of course the odd exception but isn't that the case with every road? The route up to Ealing Broadway on the 65 takes much longer at the moment due to works which seem to have been going on for at least a couple of months.

Anne England ● 2548d

Wyevale have been in the deep stuff financially for some years but the closure of Church Street (to appease a few 'vocal locals') was the straw that broke the camel's back according to the staff to whom I spoke at Syon Park.It's one heck of a round trip through an almost permanent traffic jam to get from Isleworth or beyond to Syon Park and the writing was clearly on the wall.The Osterley Wyevale site became more attractive to visit when Church Street closed and it's no surprise that it has been snapped up by British Garden Centres for a rebranding and re-launch next month.

N V Brooks ● 2548d

What a pity there isn't a bus which runs up that way from Brentford, or from anywhere for that matter. From my memory, the road up to Osterley Garden Centre is hardly a safe walk - isn't the pavement very narrow or even missing in parts? - and in any case, you wouldn't be buying much and carting it back down the road on your back. If somebody knows of good bus possibilities from Brentford, please speak now! Just at the minute, the 267 all the way to Squire's in Teddington would seem a better bet.

Anne England ● 2548d

Sadly Anne (if I may) you are correct. No public transport of any kind along Windmill Lane (although the pavement at that end is safe and complete).

N V Brooks ● 2548d

H28 from Busch corner and 5 minute walk from Jersey road is best you can get

Chris White ● 2545d

I have often thought that rerouting the 195 from brentford along the great west road , down by Gilette along up to the Iron bridge and join up with original route to destination one idea.

Jean Harrison ● 2541d

Except that you could not get  the 195 over Three Bridges (the bus would be both too wide and too heavy).

N V Brooks ● 2541d