Reactions to the ‘Big Ideas’ proposed to develop Chiswick’s town centre

Images above: The Wild Bunch cafe

Cafe owners facing Turnham Green delighted

Cafe owners whose businesses face Turnham Green are delighted that Hounslow Council is considering making more use of Turnham Green for events and activities.

Cabinet members universally approved a report called Reimagining our town centres, commissioned from a group of architects, transport consultants and commercial estate agents, who set out some ‘Big Ideas’ for ‘reimagining’ Chiswick, Feltham, Brentford and Hounslow town centres.

Among those put forward for Chiswick are the redevelopment of the Post Office building, making more of the Town Hall and the Library and a programme of community-led events and festivals, making more use of Turnham Green.

Mandana Kalati, who runs The Wild Bunch cafe opposite Turnham Green, has had her business blighted by the Empire House development.

“This end of Chiswick is very quiet” she told The Chiswick Calendar. “I’m the only one here. There’s no shops, no footfall. We would like to bring more people here, so any events, anything that will bring more events to this side of Chiswick would be perfect.”

Anne Khoshaba, who runs the Rhythm & Brews cafe on the corner of Wellesley Rd and Sutton Lane North, was similarly enthusiastic. “I think that [more events on Turnham Green] is a fantastic idea” she told us.

Sunflowers Turnham Green 2017 by Barbara Chandler

Image above: Sunflowers on Turnham Green; photograph Barbara Chandler

Residents who live around Turnham Green may be less delighted

Turnham Green is very widely used by people for sport and exercise, sunbathing and picnics, but apart from George Irvine’s funfair there are few organised events on the Green. The use of the Green is at present subject to Management Guidelines agreed with the Council in 2001. One of the stipulations is that “community events will be held without amplified sound”.

The guidelines came about because local residents complained to the Local Government Ombudsman in 1999 over its use of Turnham Green for events – specifically the Moscow State Circus in April 1998 which lasted for 20 days including over the Easter holidays – but also because of other events prior to that. The previous vicar of Christ Church, Rev Dainty, once had to ask a rock band to turn the volume down while he was trying to conduct a wedding service, The Chiswick Calendar was told.

The Reimagining our town centres report notes the need to ‘prepare a strategy for place-based events and activities, such as overcoming barriers to using Turnham Green as a hosting site.’

Image above: Turnham Green in summer; photograph Barbara Chandler

The authors of the report, architects Allies and Morrison, transport planning consultants Urban Flow and commercial real estate agents Avison Young, may not be aware quite what a can of worms they would be opening, as the residents who took the complaint to the Ombudsman are still around and likely to be every bit in favour of defending the decision.

Margaret Chadderton, (not one of those who pursued the Ombudsman complaint) who has lived in Devonhurst Place facing Turnham Green for nearly 30 years, told The Chiswick Calendar:

“None of the residents object to events, in fact most of us have participated in church fairs, craft fairs and theatre performances on the green but we do care about noise and late hours.”

She points out that Turnham Green is far from being a neglected space:

“It is very heavily used. In the fine weather it is packed with sunbathers and picnickers. Even today in mid January I have just looked out of my window and see nearly every bench is occupied, women are wheeling prams, children are playing and dogs are being exercised. It is a much loved area and we are lucky to have such a beautiful space.”

Image above: Frivoli art gallery in Devonshire Rd

Ruth Cadbury concerned about future of Chiswick’s Post Office

MP for Brentford and Isleworth Ruth Cadbury told The Chiswick Calendar she welcomed that Hounslow are looking at Chiswick in a holistic way.

“Although the Council owns few properties in central Chiswick apart from the Town Hall, they can influence to some extent what happens on other sites” she said. “Therefore it’s good that they are considering the community needs at the heart of this work.

“I continue to be concerned about the potential loss of the sorting office from Chiswick. Having visited the posties there at Christmas, the sorting office badly needs some investment to make it fit for purpose, but I continue to be concerned that it the plans to move the team  to Acton may have only been put on ice.”

Chiswick ‘a jewel in the crown of west London’

In the preamble to the report, Council Leader Steve Curran wrote Google mobility data and the Council’s own footfall counters indicated footfall was increasing across all four town centres.

‘Hounslow town centre has broadly returned to pre pandemic levels, but Feltham and Chiswick remain below, with Brentford significantly lower. Mastercard data evidences a plateauing of consumer spending on retail below pre pandemic levels.

The ideas outlined in the report are designed to bring more people into the centre of Chiswick to spend money.

It describes Chiswick as ‘a unique High Rd destination’ and ‘a jewel in the crown of west London’, saying: ‘Chiswick is a successful centre and does not need to be reinvented. It is a case of
protection and refinement rather than change … The combination of shops, food and drink and attractive character are what make it unique and must be protected.’

It advocates the Council should: ‘Positively encourage specialist, independent and boutique shops in Chiswick to reinforce its unique shopping attraction’ and says:

‘Chiswick has a unique mix of places to shop, work, eat, drink and enjoy entertainment. However, more could be done to increase footfall and spending on the High Road from people working in Chiswick Business Park and those coming from outside Chiswick, such as visitors to Chiswick House and Gardens.’

A mixed response from Cllr Joanna Biddolph

Cllr Joanna BIddolph, Conservative spokesman on the retail economy, told The Chiswick Calendar she was pleased with some aspects of the report, but disappointed with others:

“I welcome the fact that several initiatives recommended by the Chiswick Shops Task Force, such as introducing a waste and recycling management system for traders, reducing street clutter and recognising the borough’s rich heritage, have been incorporated into these suggestions.”

But far from being proposals that were uniquely tailored for the various town centres within Hounslow, she said:

“I worry that this plan, regardless of fine words, tries to introduce a one-size-fits-all approach to our borough’s four unique town centres.

“As the task force hears so often from retailers, Hounslow council fails to engage directly with retail, hospitality and other high street businesses, a problem perfectly demonstrated by the fact that this report has not taken into account the individuality or character of Chiswick’s fantastic independent shops.”

Cllr Biddolph continued:

“It is absolutely critical that the council becomes flexible in its attitude towards supporting retailers across the borough, and places consultation, not dogma, at the heart of its decision-making process.

“I’m disappointed, too, that this proposal excludes the retailers and hospitality businesses in the borough’s more local parades. All our retail, hospitality, health/well-being and service businesses should be treated equally and be involved and listened to at the same time.”

Cllr Curran wrote in the report preamble:

‘Whilst these documents are focused on the town centres they do consider their hinterlands and connections to neighbourhood parades, which will be considered in more detail in 2022.’

Image above: Replanting of the piazza on Turnham Green Terrace, with new benches commissioned by Abundance London, mentioned in the report

‘Invest in green and recreation space’

The report advocates the Council ‘invest in green existing and recreation spaces, green routes between them, establish stronger links to the river and deliver planting that builds on Chiswick’s historic landscape character.

Karen Liebreich of Abundance London, who spent a lot of last year on her hands and knees planting one bit of Chiswick or another, told The Chiswick Calendar:

“Abundance is pleased to see the references to greening the centre of Chiswick and looks forward to seeing this come to fruition, with adequate funding. With the climate and biodiversity crises our towns have to provide space for nature.”

Image above: Chiswick Flower Market director Ollie Saunders

Report welcomed by Chiswick Flower Market organisers

The Reimagining our town centres report has been welcomed by the organisers of Chiswick Flower Market. Speaking on behalf of the group, which is a Community Interest Group set up with similar aims – to bring people to the centre of Chiswick to spend their money with local businesses – Ollie Saunders, one of the directors, had this to say:

“The report sets out some good ideas to improve the urban environment and we are pleased to see the desire to work alongside local groups who can help make the High Road more vibrant.  That is important as you can design a beautiful connected town centre but you need to have interesting and diverse businesses and things to do here to bring people to it. Which is why we started the Flower Market!

“We are pleased to see that the quick wins include extending the programme of community-led events following on from the successes of things like the flower market, as well as to invest in marketing Chiswick as a destination so that we can further spread the word outside of W4 to bring new people here.

“However, we do think an overall strategy for markets and events in Chiswick is the logical next step – we suggested this to the consultants and it’s great to see it in the report. I hope that will bring new ideas that can be brought to life here.

“Chiswick is a wonderful place to do that – but it needs a forum for collaboration and working with the community in a positive way with leadership. The report highlights that local people and community groups have a crucial role in implementing projects – there is certainly the wilingness and energy around in W4 to do that so I hope with more support, Chiswick really will get known for how the community played a central role in revitalising the High Road in a positive and fun way”

Read the ‘Reimagining our town centres’ report here.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar

See also: Council approves plan to ‘reimagine’ Chiswick town centre

See also: Karen Liebreich’s guest blog on Abundance London’s 2021 year review

See all the latest stories: Chiswick Calendar News & Features

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