Great West Corridor Issues Consultation

Following the adoption of the Local Plan last year, Hounslow Council have to review that part dealing with the Great West Road. Brentford Chamber responded to the Issues Consultation which asked about wide issues such as the extent of the area involved in this review (currently including all of Brentford) and areas for employment. Please see BrentfordTW8.com’s introduction to the consultation.

Although the deadline has passed we would still encourage members to respond to this consultation and put our own below. Do please feed back your thoughts. Our response should be read in conjunction with The Issues Consultation (pdf).

Issue 1: The study area and the extent of the Great West Corridor

1.    Are there any other areas which you feel should be added to or removed from the plan area shown?  If so, please provide a plan showing the area. No sites should be added to the plan area. All sites not immediately fronting the A4 should be excluded. All sites west of Syon Lane or east of Power Road should be excluded.

2.    Do you agree with the areas of transformation and consolidation? The land fronting the A4 should be available for large business needs with commercial and light industrial space for SMEs. “Kew Gate” as a name should reflect pride in Brentford to encourage businesses to name themselves as Brentford rather than West London. A suggestion is Brentford East. Brentford is a destination.

Issue 2: Strategic Vision and key diagram for the Great West Corridor

3.    What do you like and dislike about the area? Likes: the mix between residential and small commerce allowing many SMEs to walk to work; the prestige of many of the international HQs on the A4 and the mix; contribution that waterside makes to wellbeing; roads out of London (traffic permitting); some aspects of public transport . Dislikes: other aspects of public transport (such as poor rush hour service on trains and buses); traffic grid lock; lack of amenities for staff; poor air quality. Closure of Church Street hasn’t helped.

4.    Are there additional priorities, the Council should be focussing on in the scope and content of the vision for the Great West Corridor?  Need retail strategy to encourage and support new and existing retail in Brentford, with long term free/low rental periods to make investment in location worthwhile. Transition policy for retail needs to be in place to stop existing retail (and other businesses) moving out during development phases. Provision of suitable loading and business parking, short term and longer. A BID should be supported for Brentford as a whole.

Issue 3: Achieving economic and employment growth 

5.    Do you think the digital and media sector should be prioritised in the Great West Corridor? If so, what can the Council do to support and encourage growth and spin off benefits? We need a clear policy and provision of light industrial and commercial space for SMEs at long term affordable rents to enable businesses to develop and grow.

6.    Do you think other industrial uses, such as those along Transport Avenue, should remain a part of the employment mix in the corridor? Yes, not just in Transport Avenue.

7.    If you work in the Great West Corridor, in what location do you work? What do you like or dislike about working in the area? The ability to walk to work for some, the increasing difficulties of commuting from a relatively short distance, be it via public or private transport. Lack of support from Hounslow for SMEs.

Issue 4:  Creating new strategic transport connections and improving ease of movement around the area

8.    What should be the priorities for improving access to and from the area? The regeneration of Brentford should start from     Brentford Town Centre as the focus of the community. More and improved bus services along the A4 and through the town centre. Better public transport including rush hour train provision, and better weekend service

9.    Which of the listed projects (or other ideas you have) should be the priority? Brentford Town Centre. Essential to encourage a future for Brentford.

10.    What do you think are the main barriers to movement within the area? River, canal and M4/A4.

Issue 5: Achieving additional housing growth

11.    Should we look at the Great West Corridor as a location that could further help meet the borough’s housing supply? No, the space is needed for businesses of all sizes and types.

12.     What sort of housing would you like to see here? None.

13.     How can we better plan for housing and employment space to coexist? Mixed development that doesn’t include heavy industrial is welcome as long as protection is in place for existing businesses (such as boatyards that do have to make noise).

Issue 6: Environmental quality and Enhancing open space 

14.     What do you consider to be the main environmental issues in the corridor? Expansion of Heathrow, current air pollution; lack of small green landscaping (such as street trees and planting).

15.     Do you think development in the Great West Corridor would benefit from further policies and guidance to address environmental issues, beyond those already in the Local Plan?

16.     What would the priorities for enhancing open space be if resources were available?  Keeping it, maintaining it and making it available to public. Preferably adding cafes nearby.

Issue 7: Promoting high quality design and conserving heritage

17.     How can we respect the historic context of the Great West Road whilst providing the potential for growth? Growth needs to be in context with surroundings.

18.     What are the most significant aspects of the surrounding heritage assets and how best can these be conserved? New developments should be in keeping with surroundings.

19.     Have we identified the right constraints on sites for tall buildings (please see Design and conservation background paper with further questions No.

Issue 8: Community infrastructure and local services

20.     What will the corridor need to support the growth in employment and housing? Need higher PTaL and air quality.

21.    How and where can new school places be provided? Not on green space

Issue 9:  The need for an Interim Planning Framework for the Kew Gate area

22.    Do you have any comments on the Interim Planning Framework, the design principles it contains or the evidence documents it is based upon? No need for it.

23.     What aspects of the Interim Planning Framework should we take forward into the Local Plan review? See above.

10: Making it happen

24.     Do you think any of the Local Plan site allocations should be changed? Can’t comment as diagram not accurate and information missing. So yes, but can’t say which.

25.    Do you think any further sites in the corridor should be allocated too?   For each site please provide reasons and if appropriate a map. See above.

26.    What planning ‘tools’ would help implement the Plan, in particular the ‘game changing’ transport proposals?

27.    Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
Need to consult fully and widely with business and residential community about these proposals before preferred visions are drafted.