The below blog was originally published on ChiswickW4
It’s often hard as a councillor to summarise what we’ve been up to since we last wrote here, but for me, the month of March has effectively been a show-and-tell of my register of interests(and don’t worry, I don’t think I’ve missed any)!
From the Brewdog sale drama, to attending a fundraising lunch for iCAP with the Women’s Irish Network (where I happened to be sat next to the London Rose), the month seems to have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime.
It started with the Budget Setting meeting of the council, the most important meeting of the year for us as councillors. A strong showing from the Conservative Group drew criticism from the Labour administration which only highlighted how much they didn’t listen or have the ability to adapt. Many of them appeared to simply read from what seemed to be ChatGPT pre-prepared speeches.
Moving on from this, there were meetings of the three Thames Strategy boards that I sit on, a fantastic supper club organised by SOGA at the newly refurbished Bell and Crown, two meetings to do with the Towpath (including the project board for the Strand on the Green Wall works), and two afternoons spent at Hounslow House to interview for the new Director of Place. That’s alongside work, and perhaps it’s best I don’t mention my February where I had an amazing time at Twickenham watching Ireland beat England on home turf!
This week has been no different to the rest of March, starting with councillor’s surgery on Saturday morning, a Mother’s Day spent with the family enjoying Mexican food and music. On Monday night I headed to the Gtech to see two completely different Brentford teams play Wolves in a game that started with such promise.
The next day included a call for the Local Government Association to discuss what could go into training for new councillors on how to engage in healthy debate. While we all came from different parts of the country, it was amazing to see how similar our experiences of debate were; from the fact that there is no right of reply in a Borough Council meeting (and therefore is the debate really a debate) to the importance of listening and arguing the point not the person making the argument. I don’t know how useful our discussion will be for new councillors, but it was great to be a part of.
Tuesday night was reserved for the last official Borough Meeting of this term - the Chiswick Area Forum - and the only forum to take place in Hounslow before the elections. Having chaired this forum in the past, it’s always amazed me how other ward forums tend to be happy taking the party line of the administration when it comes to these meetings, often allowing officers to dictate the agenda. I was therefore delighted that Councillor Jack Emsley has continued the tradition of Chiswick setting the tone when it comes to what the Chairman thinks is appropriate for this meeting which is a chance to bring the council to our local communities.
Wednesday was a busy day, following work, I was out speaking with residents in Chiswick Village. The estate has been impacted by the development of penthouse flats, and topics of concern ranged from poor lighting on strategic routes, to anti-social behaviour and the poor quality of Oxford Road South - which after 7 years of my asking the council to address, will finally be resurfaced this year! This was before I headed off to the Express to join the Brentford Ukulele Collective for a spot of practice ahead of our first gig (more to come on that later).
Thursday was a somber affair, as I travelled to Surrey for the funeral of a family friend who my parents had met when my mother worked at the Embassy of El Salvador and with whom we had attended many events of the Anglo-Central American Society. The day was full of gratitude for a life well-lived and laughter at shared memories in both English and Spanish, and even a reference or two to Latin American politics.
It was then back to London so I could be back in front of my laptop for a meeting of the trustees of Chiswick Pier House. We’ve a lot going on and are gearing up for our regular Boat Racefundraiser. Please do come and join us on the 4th April from midday, we’ll have food and drink available to purchase, and you may even be able to witness the Brentford Ukulele Collective in person!
Friday went in a whirlwind, work, then off to Meadowcroft for a thank you tea with the residents. Back in January, a fire broke out that resulted in the loss of a life. Due to a combination of factors, residents had been left without support or guidance during the fire. Many neighbours of the home on Brooks Lane looked after the Meadowcroft residents while the council made arrangements for a care centre and emergency accommodation. I had received a call from a resident while on my way home from work and spent much of the evening of January 9th with the residents at Age Concern Chiswick working to ensure that officers were supported when needed and residents were updated when new information was available.
Knocking on doors over the following days, it was lovely to see how the local community were really worried about their elderly neighbours and wanted to make sure that Donald’s two cats were going to be fed.
It’s awful that it’s oftentimes only in the face of tragedy, do we see the face of charity. That’s certainly been no truer than in the wake of the fire. Residents invited many who had helped them to a tea, and while it was lovely to catch up, it’s easy to see that so many are still traumatised by what happened in their home.
Finally, my week closed out with the launch of the Hounslow Conservative Campaign and Manifesto. A culmination of at least six month’s work, and a great chance to get the candidates and their supporters from across the borough together. There’s a real chance to change the political landscape in Hounslow. In Chiswick, it’s only the Conservatives who can bring the challenge to Labour, to stop this constant pressure on residents that means we’re so often seen as a cash cow.
On Saturday morning, I was out with SOGA again for the community litter pick as part of the Great British Spring Clean before heading off to speak to more residents and my first ever gig with the Brentford Ukulele Collective at Whitton Library (I said I’d tell you more)!