Private Roads, Guide Dogs and Rotten Boroughs
Chiswick Homefields councillor Jack Emsley reports back
Cllr Jack Emsley
March 22, 2025
Spring is well and truly here in West London (via a couple of false starts), which is really just as well as the past week has been fairly outdoorsy in a number of ways!
Staveley Gardens
I kicked off the past week last Saturday with one of our regular sessions out knocking on doors and chatting to residents in Staveley Gardens. Chiswick’s Conservative councillors are regularly out talking to residents whatever the weather, but thankfully on this occasion the sun was out, which meant a quick stop at the Chiswick Cricket Club for a lunchtime pint.
In addition to ongoing frustration about the council’s plan to dim our local streetlights, one issue that came up again and again was the curious case of who owns the roads in Staveley Gardens.
A question about road ownership came up at this month’s Chiswick Area Forum, where a resident asked whether the council could intervene in a long running issue about the state of the road and pavement outside of her house. It’s not owned by the council, and instead is the responsibility of a company called Grainger. In fact, everything from potholes to pavements and even permission for works on water pipes is the responsibility of this company which, as it happens, has been less than forthcoming in responding to local issues.
I’m having a meeting with a number of Staveley Garden residents in a few weeks time to discuss issues with Grainger, and work out how to get a much better deal for an area which is in clear need of some urgent road and pavement maintenance.
Meet Valiant the Guide Dog
On the topic of councillors regularly walking up and down local roads, last week was the eleventh anniversary of Chiswick Guide Dogs, which is a good excuse to introduce the latest addition to our household:
Valiant is an 18 month old guide dog who we’re currently fostering after he, very sadly, failed his final test after months of rigorous training (something about chasing a man with a croissant). He’s staying with us until the charity can find a permanent adoptive home for him, which could take several months - not that we mind!
Guide Dogs are always looking for new volunteers to either foster dogs who are in between homes or in training, or for those who may be able to adopt a failed guide dog (or one who’s retiring). Lots of details and opportunities available on the charity’s website here.
WildChiswick AGM
The final update in my outdoorsy theme is just to once again plug the fantastic work being done by local wildlife charity WildChiswick. I attended the WildChiswick AGM this week, where the team spoke about yet another successful year of looking after wildlife and biodiversity in our local area.
In addition to continued great work on Swift boxes and building Chiswick’s very own Hedgehog Highway, I was really pleased that WildChiswick’s chair, Jo Gilbert, was able to join last year’s Environment Scrutiny Panel alongside councillors from across the borough. Jo’s expertise was invaluable in helping to shape the council’s nature recovery plan, and it was fantastic to be able to sit on the panel alongside experts and colleagues from other parties as we worked out how to make our local environment even better.
If you’re interested in the group’s work, or want to get involved, you can find out more via their website here.
Rotten Boroughs… again
Eagle-eyed readers of Private Eye will have spotted that Hounslow Council has made yet another appearance in the infamous Rotten Boroughs section of this week’s edition. A Labour councillor in Feltham is in hot water over some inaccurate and incomplete declarations of interest in the run up to a major Proceeds of Crime hearing - even more scandalous, as Private Eye notes, is that this councillor is one of several currently in receipt of nearly £10,000 in additional, taxpayer funded allowances as part of her ‘cabinet assistant’ role.
There’s been much debate recently in local Chiswick media about whether this role really justifies the large amount of taxpayer funding it receives. I’d challenge anybody to read this week’s Private Eye story and argue that, at a time when streetlights are being dimmed to cut costs, this particular cabinet assistant represents good value for our money…
Cllr Jack Emsley
07977 396017
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2025
Council Meetings - Borough Council
- Tuesday 25 March - Final Meeting of Council Year
There is public access for these meetings via a direct lift from the ground floor to the Council Meeting Room
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Council Meetings – Overview and Scrutiny Committee
6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB
Important Current Local Issues During weekends, residents can still access council services on-line or via emergency numbers:
To inform the council of an emergency, please call 020 8583 2222
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).
Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery).
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS
Chiswick Gunnersbury ward
Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446
Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956
Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821
Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810
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