Great West #9

Great West Investment destination: Hounslow

Peter Matthew Executive director housing, planning and communities

Councillor Steve Curran

Niall Bolger Chief executive

Leader of the council

HOUNSLOW.GOV.UK

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Issue 9 2020

HOUNSLOW: MAKING IT HAPPEN

Great West Investment destination:

HOUNSLOW

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WORKING HARD TODAY, PREPARING FOR TOMORROW Expanding Heathrow will create tens of thousands of job opportunities in local communities and double apprenticeships to 10,000 at the airport and across our supply chain by 2030.

We’re working in partnership with local and national education providers to deliver a legacy of jobs, skills and new apprenticeships for the future.

For more information please visit: www.heathrowexpansion.com/ community-information/local-benefits/

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GW | Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Councillor Steve Curran on why Hounslow has an outstanding reputation for delivery and ‘making it happen’.

As you read our latest edition of Great West, you will see that there is significant growth and development – from one end of our borough to the other.

It demonstrates Hounslow’s commitment to meeting its targets, both for building new homes and creating employment for the future. These are exciting times in Hounslow, and we have a team ready to deliver on our commitment to residents and businesses to make Hounslow the heart of development in west London.

Regeneration and growth is coming to every corner of the borough. We have exciting transport projects in the pipeline to help better connect our people and places. These, along with our proximity to Heathrow, makes us the premier gateway borough for London.

Working with partners and developers, we are transforming Hounslow into a place that our residents wish to live, our businesses thrive, and is a leisure and cultural destination. Join us in making our plans come to fruition for a future borough that benefits local communities and economy across the capital.

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Pictured from top down: Hounslow House council offices, The Brentford Project launch and Barratt London’s construction site at Hounslow’s High Street Quarter.

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BUILDING COMMUNITIES Berkeley Group builds homes and neighbourhoods. We create welcoming places, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy a great quality of life. St Edward Homes are very excited to be working in partnership with the local community and London Borough of Hounslow to develop locally inspired masterplans for the Homebase and Tesco sites on Syon Lane.

www.berkeleygroup.co.uk Proud to be members of the Berkeley Group of companies

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THE NEW PLACE TO BE 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, just a minute’s walk from Kew Bridge station. Complete with a 24-hour concierge, residents’ lounge, gym, media room and landscaped gardens.

AVAILABLE NOW. PRICES FROM £465,000 To book your appointment please call us on 020 8131 1997 or email us at verdo-kewbridge@ecoworldinternational.com

CGI is indicative only / Not representative of the final product

ecoworldlondon.com

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Editor-in-chief: Suruchi Sharma Editor: Shailja Morris Production manager: Christopher Hazeldine Art direction: Smallfury Designs Business development director: Paul Gussar Project manager: Sue Mapara Subscriptions manager: Simon Maxwell Managing director: Toby Fox

GW | Contents

CONTENTS

Hounslow Council programme manager: Navjeet Natt Cover image: Hounslow Making it Happen Map by Katherine Baxter

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Images: Simon Harvey Photography, Baz Seal, Hounslow Council, ibis, Luke Fullalove, Daniel Lynch, S Saunders / Digital Nation Photography, Duke of London, Sam Mukadam, Vipul Sangoi 2016, Alex Brenner, Fergus Burnett Photography, Cristina Schek, Alliance Dance, Simon Llewelyn Jones, tp bennet, Barratt London, Transport for London, London Heathrow Airport, Countryside Properties, Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work, PLP Architecture, Kumar Sriskandan/Alamy, Ryan Edy

8 News

The latest development stories from the London Borough of Hounslow.

14 Brentford Project

Printed by: The Manson Group

Ballymore’s scheme will provide a new waterside urban residential quarter.

Published by:

20 Culture

Hounslow explores new ways to celebrate its diverse and dynamic community.

Sunley House, Bedford Park, Croydon CR0 2AP T: 020 7978 6840

27 Town Centre

The new development is forging ahead for completion this summer.

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30 Partnerships

Councillor Steve Curran and Countryside’s Mike Woolliscroft on why partnerships are critical to development.

36 Business

From multinational to SMEs, companies explain the appeal of a Hounslow base.

40 Placemaking

An interview with Berkeley Group Chairman, Tony Pidgley, on placemaking.

44 Ecology

Hounslow is the first London borough to implement a Climate Emergency Action Plan to tackle carbon emissions.

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48 Connectivity

New transport projects are being delivered to support regeneration.

51 Apprenticeships

Hounslow is developing its home grown talent pool with an ambitious and farreaching apprenticeships programme.

For the London Borough of Hounslow Hounslow House 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EB Subscriptions and feedback: greatwestmagazine.com © 3Fox International Limited 2020. All material is ­strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the written ­permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly ­forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no ­responsibility for omissions or errors.

The views expressed in this ­magazine are not ­necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited.

56 Facts and Figures Recent major achievements.

58 Projects

Reports on the schemes and areas having a transformative effect.

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NEWS

LONDON NIGHT CZAR VISITS CHISWICK

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London’s night czar Amy Lamé visited Chiswick High Road to meet with businesses, organisations and residents to understand how the community works after dark.

At the first night surgery of the year organised by Hounslow Council leader, Councillor Steve Curran, Lamé and her Greater London Authority team learned about the creation of new night-time initiatives and the development of what is being currently offered.

They were joined by representatives from Fuller’s Brewery that employs several hundred staff in their Chiswick head office, Brentford Football Club, the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, Hounslow Met Police officers and Councillor Katherine Dunne, cabinet member for communities

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and climate emergency.

The group visited Turnham Green for art project W4th Plinth, went on a behindthe-scenes tour of the new Chiswick Cinema site, and met with landlords, event promoters and residents involved in community activities at the Fuller’s-run George IV pub on the High Road.

They also went on a guided tour of the area led by members of the Neighbourhood Policing teams and finished the evening by heading to The Italians deli and restaurant located on Chiswick High Road.

Curran says the visit by Lamé and her team brought “some great ideas and creativity to our discussions" about how to improve the night-time economy of Chiswick and the entire borough for

residents, businesses and visitors.

He added: “In Hounslow the council has built up an excellent relationship with our local policing team and we’re working hard to understand how we can improve our night-time offer to people in a way which works for everyone, and strikes the right balance between entertainment and safety.

“It was great to meet with such a broad range of people and discuss how we can work collaboratively and creatively to achieve this.”

Lamé explained: “Chiswick’s economy at night is flourishing and it was fantastic to meet with Hounslow residents, police officers and business owners to discuss how they could best be supported in developing a night-time strategy that works for everyone.”

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GW | News

ACCOR AND SPLENDID HOSPITALITY LAUNCH NEW IBIS STYLES The latest addition to the ibis Style collection of hotels opened in December located close to Heathrow Airport.

The 125-room ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel is a joint venture between hospitality group Accor and the Splendid Hospitality Group.

Guests at the hotel, located on the A4, will have access to a direct train route to central London and are near several major business parks.

The hotel’s contemporary interior has been designed by Wakefield-based Matthews Mee and reflects the Art Deco architecture of the A4’s Golden Mile stretch, which includes the iconic Hoover building, the Gillette Factory and Firestone HQ. Stuart Bailey, CEO of Splendid Hospitality, said the access road has been renamed Master Robert Close to pay tribute to the former hotel that stood on the site for many years. He added: “Hounslow is currently undergoing an ambitious plan to positively transform the area by 2021, and it's great to be part of this regeneration."

COALO WINS GOLD AWARD FOR SAFETY A west London facilities management firm has been handed the prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold award in recognition of its practices and achievements in health and safety.

Coalo, rebranded from Lampton Facilities Maintenance 360 last year, achieved the high standard in recognition of its management systems including leadership and workforce involvement. Colin Gallaugher, Coalo managing director, said: “This is a great achievement and clearly recognises our commitment and hard work in maintaining an excellent organisational culture that promotes the application and management of health and safety within the new organisation. For us to have gained this award at gold level on our first attempt is an excellent result for all of us.”

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NEW GUNNERSBURY PARK SPORTS HUB ON TRACK A £13.8 million development to create one of London’s largest outdoor sporting venues is due to be finished this year.

The Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub is being delivered by Hounslow and Ealing councils, and managed by Gunnersbury Community Interest Company (CIC).

It will have a multi-use sports centre and gym, floodlit artificial grass pitches, natural grass cricket, football pitches, tennis courts and an angling lake.

Bodies including Sport England, the London Marathon Charitable Trust, The Lawn Tennis Association and The England Cricket Board have provided funding for the major works, which are due to come to fruition this year.

Partners include the University of West London and the International

School of London, while Brentford FC Community Sports Trust is among the funders, and already uses the new floodlit 3G football pitches for the club’s under-19 BTEC programme.

Hounslow Council leader, Councillor Steve Curran, said: “Whether you want to play football, cricket or tennis, use the gym or enjoy a walk in a wonderful green space, Gunnersbury Park will provide fantastic facilities to take part in sports and activities for residents of all ages and backgrounds.”

David Bowler, Gunnersbury CIC chief executive, adds: “The new sports hub will complement the exciting range of opportunities being developed across the site for recreation, learning, creativity and wellbeing."

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AFFORDABLE NEW HOMES ON LAMPTON ROAD Hounslow Council has purchased 75 affordable homes on its former Civic Centre site, now called The Staging Post, and the scheme will help the borough's residents on the housing register to rent a property.

The homes, which will be let at social rents, are part of a wider scheme led by housing association Notting Hill Genesis to create a total of 940 new homes, 50% of which will be available as affordable properties.

The council’s 75 new homes, in the Eden House development on Lampton Road, will consist of 23 one-bedroom, 46 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom flats within two blocks of The Staging Post.

The flats, built in partnership between the council’s in-house development company Lampton 360, Kindred Homes, Octavia Housing Association and Hounslow Housing, will be available for residents in housing need, including 12 of the homes being offered under a shared ownership scheme. The development also provides a new community centre for young people. The homes, located close to Hounslow High Street with quick links into central London, are a part of a wider commitment by the council to deliver 1,000 council homes.

TWO BRIDGES ON TARGET FOR SUMMER LAUNCH

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A new housing development called Two Bridges in the East Bedfont area of Feltham is on target to be completed at the end of this summer.

The housing scheme and supported housing development is being created by Kindred Homes, a joint venture between EcoWorld London and Lampton 360 – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hounslow Council.

The project is due to include 30 new homes in a mix of purpose-built supported housing, shared ownership and build-to-rent units. Both blocks in the new development will include an allocation of on-site parking for residents, and 10% of homes will also be wheelchair-accessible.

The Two Bridges development site when completed will be handed over to Octavia Housing and Lampton 360 this summer.

It is among several sites that Lampton 360 is developing with EcoWorld London. These sites include Eden House in Hounslow and Acton Lodge in Brentford.

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Residents have moved into a new supported housing development in Feltham to allow them to continue to enjoy independent living.

Bristol Court has been opened by Hounslow Housing to provide 94 one and two-bed flats available for rent in an extra care scheme.

The supported housing gives residents more independence than a nursing home or residential care, with on-site support delivered by London Care.

This scheme is the first in the borough to deliver specialised care for adults with learning disabilities and adults living with dementia.

All flats at Bristol Court are wheelchair accessible, and nine have been specially adapted for wheelchairs. On-site there is a restaurant with hot meals, hairdressers, therapy room, activity spaces and three specially-designed gardens available for residents.

Maggie Ayers, senior care officer at Bristol Court, said: “I believe Bristol Court is a way forward in supporting our most vulnerable tenants to continue living in a safe environment with help on hand should they need it.”

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HOUNSLOW: CREATING A CULTURE FROM THE GROUND UP

GW | News

RESIDENTS MOVE INTO BRISTOL COURT SUPPORTED HOUSING

The #1 Hounslow programme has been “working from the ground up” to take on board the values and views of staff to shape the way the local authority works in the future, said Hounslow Council's chief executive Niall Bolger.

The scheme was launched to provide a culture shift in the organisation, ensuring future decisions are crafted to “meet the challenges and opportunities” that Hounslow is facing.

Bolger said more than 70% of the workforce had contributed to a wide-ranging survey, and explained: “There is a tangible sense of people wanting to be involved and shaping the future of our borough and organisation in order that we can lead together. Hounslow is a borough that is developing and increasing in size, and we have one of the largest regeneration development programmes in the country. Our organisation needs to match that in terms of its ambition and drive, to create the very best outcomes for residents and our communities.”

Bolger added a remarkably high number, around 40% of council staff, actually live in the borough. He said: “We want to be an organisation that has ambition at our core. We want to be known as good people to do business with, and an organisation that is passionate about the places and people we serve.”

Questions in the online survey included asking what council staff valued most working for the borough, what kind of culture would support the council to deliver the best outcomes, and what staff would change about the organisation to make it better.

Bolger added: “We are starting by working from the ground up to look at how we collectively as a single organisation identify the culture, values and behaviours we need to exhibit, to deliver the ambitions of the corporate plan and the regeneration strategies. Along with that we will be embracing our digital programme and making sure our organisation is fit for the future.

“It’s a whole organisation approach to reform and transformation, and it will also be about engaging the wider public sector and our colleagues in the private sector to make sure they can contribute to a sense of ambition, drive, enthusiasm and passion for the borough and the people in it."

The online survey of views has now finished, a series of hub events have been completed and the data collected is being analysed.

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Enquiries Matt Stone 02075109114 mstone@ballymoregroup.com

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08/02/2018 15:03 11:59 25/02/2020

HIPSTERS, HOMES AND HERITAGE

There’s a real buzz about Brentford. As well as the Bees’ new Community Stadium, the town centre is also on the cusp of transformation with ambitious and creative developments to open up historic waterways and provide a thriving new urban residential quarter. Shailja Morris reports

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he tide is turning for Brentford. This historic riverside town has been edging towards a major resurgence since the start of the millennium with developers breathing life into its brownfield sites and extensive river views.

In spite of this, Brentford’s High Street has remained overlooked and even the keenest observer would fail to realise that two rivers, the Thames and the Brent, flow through the town.

With the launch of The Brentford Project in September 2019, the town is finally poised for a watershed regeneration programme, transforming it

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Pictured: Visitors enjoy community events and entertainment at the launch of The Brentford Project.

into a vibrant district centre celebrating its heritage and waterside location.

Developers Ballymore added flamboyant touches for the launch, including painting the whole of Catherine Wheel Road, where the river meets the canal, in a striking blue, representing the rivers and referencing Brentford’s famous flood of 1841.

On completion in 2027, Brentford will boast a new high street with a mix of established and independent retailers and a new supermarket. Leisure facilities for residents to enjoy include a cinema, gym and an arts centre. Historic yards and lanes connecting the High

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GW | Regeneration

Street to the waterfront will be reinstated via a new section of the Thames Path.

These will be lined with independent retailers offering artisan food, goods and crafts. New homes, retail, commercial, cultural and leisure spaces will be set over the 4.79 acre site across 11 buildings. The first of the 876 new homes are due for completion in spring 2022 and are selling well with strong interest from local buyers in nearby Chiswick, Richmond, and Ealing.

As well as private apartments, some 90 homes will be at council rent levels.

The project takes in the southern side of the High Street, opposite the market square in the centre of town. The urban quarter will combine new buildings designed by architects AHMM, Glenn Howells and Maccreanor Lavington with the site’s key heritage buildings, including St Lawrence’s Church, revived after sitting derelict for five decades. John Mulryan, group managing director at Ballymore, says: “A town centre regeneration of this scale is a bold project, and not every council would be courageous enough to get

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behind such a great deal of change. We have huge respect and admiration for Hounslow Council and its ambitious vision for the borough. We have a great relationship with them. They are willing and open in working collaboratively with developers like ourselves to make positive change happen.”

THE SUMMER SERIES Brentford became a magnet for artists, creators, musicians and local community crowds during a summer-long festival to mark the launch of The Brentford Project. More than 3,000 people flocked to the waterside to celebrate the town’s creative diversity and establish it as a crucial platform for live music and the arts.

Entertainment included live DJ sets, local musicians, art workshops and yoga, as well as breadmaking classes and history talks. Food was provided by local bakery and restaurant Rye by the Water, a key festival venue. Another big attraction was Duke of London’s classic car collection.

The festival was organised by Ballymore. Creative director Roger Black explains: “Our approach is founded on the notion that if you want people to go to a place then you create social opportunity which leads to a thriving economy. So if we want people to buy our real estate we have to build a place where people want to go. The reality of the high street in Brentford is that because it’s been held in suspended animation for

so many years there’s not enough there, so our focus is on giving activities that bring people and make it interesting and exciting. I have to say that it is a novel approach in real estate development. I don’t know anybody else in real estate that thinks the way we do.

We put quality of life and a connection to art and culture central to everything we do. That sets Ballymore apart in terms of our outlook on property development.”

NEW STADIUM WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR BEES Brentford FC’s new Community Stadium is a hive of activity as it nears completion for its target date of June 2020. With the exterior of the 17,250-seater stadium complete, the installation of high-tech internal fittings, AV and IT equipment are progressing at a rapid rate.

Following the installation of furniture and catering equipment in early spring, there will be two test events held in April and May, paving the way for the first match, a pre-season friendly in July, building up to the first league match in August.

The state-of-the-art facility will draw more fans, businesses and investment to the area and be able to host up to 2,000 people for events and conferences.

It has been 15 years in the planning and is part of EcoWorld London’s Kew Bridge Gate project, providing commercial opportunities, as well as 910 new homes to buy or rent in apartment buildings. Works have also begun on the build-to-rent element of the scheme

Pictured: L-R Ballymore's Matt Stone, council leader Cllr Steve Curran and Hounslow Council's Peter Matthew at The Brentford Project's offices.

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Brentford’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed like the tide of its two rivers. As Roger Black, creative director at Ballymore, explains: “Brentford’s rivers are a huge geographic asset. This is why it has been a very important place historically with waves of different uses. For many centuries it was one of the gardens of London, helping feed the population.

During the industrial era, the Brent was turned into a canal and was an important place for logistics and canal traffic marrying up with Thames river traffic.

This was enhanced when the railway was extended into Brentford. The last substantial use of Brentford as an industrial zone was before the Second World War. After then, its importance diminished as we started to see the growth of the automobile.”

As a post-industrial zone, many of Brentford’s riverside warehouses remained despite falling into disuse. Unlike today, there weren’t the same pressures on land usage in London. Until the turn of the 20th century, new homes were usually built on greenfield sites.

Black adds: “Post-industrial areas became very valuable in the 1990s. In London they started becoming economically viable as they were regenerated into a range of other uses.

"Brentford is a continuum of London’s redevelopment after the closing of the Docks. All these post-industrial zones – the South Bank and East End – started coming into their own. Now areas like Brentford are coming into the picture.

As the pattern of commerce pushes towards new opportunities, Brentford’s time has come.”

Above: Pizza-making and pottery classes at the launch. Right: the 'blue' road refers to the river and the 1841 flood.

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with the first tenants due to move in early 2021. The first phases of homes for private sale, Ivy House and Jasmine House, were released to the market in 2019 and the next phase, Lily House, will be launching later this year.

The scheme will also be an important generator of local economic and social benefits, providing over 200 local employment opportunities per annum until expected completion in 2023.

Robin Goodlet, managing director at EcoWorld London, says: “Being part of the capital’s most exciting regeneration projects is hugely rewarding and we are pleased with the progress made on the project so far, with the new Brentford Community Stadium close to opening its doors to fans and works well underway on the new homes. We look forward to continuing to work with Hounslow Council, Brentford FC and the community to create a new destination for London.”

Chairman Cliff Crown explains: “There is an enormous amount of development here and we feel like we are the catalyst for that as we are a community stadium. The Brentford FC Community Sports Trust does so much work in the local community, from

GW | Regeneration

IT’S TIME FOR BRENTFORD

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The borough of Hounslow is an exciting place to be right now

Hounslow Street Sports to Griffin Park Learning Zone.

"We have a big role to play and it’s only going to get bigger as the years progress. The new stadium is also a great facility for the Community Trust to use, as part and parcel of what they do in the local community.”

Looking ahead to the next season – August to September 2020 – Crown adds: “We would hope to be at home during the first weekend of the football league season. It may be in the Championship, it could even be in the Premier League. You never know. It would be amazing to walk into a brand new stadium that we have been planning for 15 years and play in the first ever competitive match in a league you have not been in for more than 80 years.”

London Irish is moving to the new stadium in September 2020. The Premiership club has been

Below: Restaurant Rye by the Water and (right) Duke of London classic cars were key venues for the launch.

RYE BY THE WATER Opened in June 2019, this bakery and daytime restaurant was a key venue for the festival. Head Chef Ross Mangan says: “We have another project with Ballymore called Derby, a restaurant within Embassy Gardens in Vauxhall.

"When we found out about the Brentford Project, we were keen to manage something similar for the locals here. It was much needed as there aren’t many places offering fresh baked goods.We have a great picturesque setting with a terrace overlooking the canal.

"We have been here since the project’s beginning and it will be interesting to see it transform. It is developing slowly but already we have a strong crowd of local people.”

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DUKE OF LONDON Duke of London is more than a classic car dealership. As well as offering an eclectic array of cars from all eras and restoration services, their new premises provide affordable workspaces for local makers and creators. The new premises, The Factory, opened in June 2019, in partnership with Ballymore, in Catherine Wheel Road, are at the heart of the Brentford Project site.

More than 1,000 classic car enthusiasts, collectors, artists and musicians were in attendance.

Owner Merlin McCormack explains: “Ballymore have been amazing. They allowed us to scale up from our former 16,000sq ft site to 51,000sq ft in our new premises."

GW | Regeneration

Left: L-R London Irish Rugby Club president Mick Crossan with Cllr Steve Curran and Brentford FC chairman Cliff Crown.

playing its first team games at Reading FC’s Madejski Stadium, 30 miles away from its Sunbury training base. Sam Windridge, London Irish commercial director, says: “We are hugely excited to be coming back to our historic heartland. It has been a long-term aim of the club and will secure the future sustainability of the club. We had fantastic times at Reading with crowds of 20,000 when we played the Wasps in 2000, for example, but things move on.

"This move will be great for players and supporters who will be coming into a new area where there is so much happening. The borough of Hounslow is an exciting place to be right now and we are grateful to the support from Brentford FC and the leader of Hounslow council, Steve Curran. We feel we’re part of a very strong consortium of clubs and organisations that are going to bring some fantastic activity to the area."

LOCAL MAKERS AND CREATORS McCormack adds: "The extra space has been carved into shared creative work spaces which are in great demand and are completely full. These small on-site businesses are made up of independent creatives, including artists, musicians, a music video production company, a burlesque costumier and antique furniture restorer. These are all local makers and creators from Brentford, Isleworth, Richmond and Chiswick."

He adds: “I've been fortunate to have been given this opportunity by Ballymore and wanted to give a little bit back, which is why we offer a huge discount over the market rate. I was once in a similar situation where I couldn’t afford to be in London so we are helping out people who would otherwise not be able to afford being in this part of town. We have had large corporate companies come to us for office space and I have turned them away as our space is going to people who actually need them.

“A lot of creatives and media types are moving into Brentford. There is a visible change in the demographics of the area. We are seeing more young professionals, hipsters, for want of a better word, and they need an outlet so we thought we’ll build it and see if they’ll come.”

LONDON FASHION WEEK The new premises are putting Brentford on London’s style map. London Fashion Week hosted two events at The Factory, with the classic car collection providing a stylish backdrop. A high end British car manufacturer has also used it to launch its new range of cars. In the meantime, Merlin and the team remain busy with their core business of selling classic cars as well as hosting live music, private dining experiences and a Classics and Cake car meet on every third Saturday of the month, with all proceeds going to charity.

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WE ARE HOUNSLOW Hounslow Council is exploring new ways to harness the wealth of culture on offer to celebrate its dynamic and diverse community. Sofia Kannas finds out more about exciting new plans for its heritage, arts and leisure offer and talks to some of the borough’s makers and creators

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GW | We are Hounslow

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ith more than 50% of its population being from BAME backgrounds, Hounslow Council ensures there is always a heady mix of leisure and cultural pursuit on offer for all of its residents.

The borough’s eclectic and extensive diary of events reflects this increasingly multicultural community.

Last October, Hounslow organised a major event celebrating social integration and the achievements of the BAME communities within the borough to mark Black History Month.

Held at West Thames College, with speakers from the GLA, British Future, Hanworth Community Centre, local MPs Ruth Cadbury and Seema Malhotra, as well as the college itself, the event highlighted that Hounslow is one of the most diverse communities within Britain, a fact the council would like to celebrate every day.

Documentary maker, Susanna Wright, screened a series of six two-minute films, simply called My Hounslow, about people living in the borough, including choreographer Torron-Lee Dewar. The films have been shortlisted for a number of awards at film festivals in the UK and around the globe, promoting the borough to a whole new audience.

GLOBAL GROOVES Events like Night of Festivals have been instrumental in bringing very different sections of the community closer together.

This unique two-day event has been a regular feature to animate the centre of Hounslow with its showcase of live global grooves, street carnivals and an innovative pop-up museum exploring the borough’s rich local heritage. With help from researchers working with Hounslow’s Local Studies Department, the popup features the people, places and stories that make the borough tick.

CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE

Left: Hounslow's Winter Lights Festival 2019.

Above: Activities for children at Watermans Arts Centre and outdoor entertainment. Right: Gunnersbury Park.

Victoria Lawson, executive director of environment, culture and customer relations at Hounslow Council, says: “The council recognises that culture sets potential free and is vital in bringing different parts of the borough’s many communities together.

“We have been working with our partners to ensure that our heritage assets are supported and invested in. We have a legacy of doing this with investment in Gunnersbury Museum and Park, Hogarth House and Boston Manor House.

"We have recently secured further funding for Boston Manor Park and for Gunnersbury Park and this is an exciting time to bring to life some of our cultural gems in Hounslow.”

A LASTING LEGACY In terms of heritage attractions, Hounslow residents are spoilt for choice. Historic Gunnersbury Park and

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REHMAT RAYATT, PHOTOGRAPHER AND FILMMAKER Rehmat Rayatt is the creative talent behind the exhibition Music and Me which is being currently displayed at Hanworth Library before touring other borough libraries until 2021. She chose to capture portraits of local musicians in and around Hounslow due to “its vibrant backdrop.” Featured are Indian drummer Johnny Khalsi, rock band Chains of Daisy, DJ Bick and Galilleo Damascus as well as musicians from Hounslow Symphony Orchestra.

Rayatt says: “The exhibition was commissioned

by Hounslow’s Creative People and Places, an amazing organisation that champions local artists and art from different communities which is hugely beneficial to the local creative community. It is great that it will tour local libraries – spaces that are accessible to everyone, including people who do not normally get that sort of access to art exhibitions in London, for example.”

In spite of moving to the borough just two years ago, Rayatt has always had strong links with Hounslow. She says: “I grew up in Essex but my parents run an organisation called Chakardar which organises Indian classical concerts in Hounslow.

The Paul Robeson Theatre or Watermans Arts Centre were my weekend home for many years! The borough and its cultural hubs have always played a big part in my life. I’m very proud to finally become a permanent Hounslow resident!”

The premiere of Rayatt’s latest film, Toxification, a hard-hitting documentary about the overuse of pesticides in the Punjab region of India and its devastating impact on the farming community was screened at Watermans Arts Centre last year. She explains: “I wanted an artistic and accessible venue that is local to me. It was a sell-out and the film has since received the prestigious Best Documentary award at Ottawa Indian Film Festival in Canada, as well as showing over 15 times across the UK, USA and India." Rayatt was recently commissioned to direct a short for BBC Four entitled Terra Firma. Her photographs and films are regularly featured at The Southbank Centre and The British Film Institute.

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Above: Katherine Baxter. Below: Rehmat Rayatt at her exhibition in Hanworth Library.

KATHERINE BAXTER, ARTIST AND MAPMAKER Katherine Baxter, who designed the cover of this issue of Great West, is one of the UK’s leading cartographic artists, with an impressive list of commissions ranging from HRH Prince Charles for a map of the Duchy of Cornwall to a map of the fictional village of Emmerdale for ITV. A Hounslow resident for 25 years, she has always lived by the Thames, first in Chiswick and now in Brentford Dock, where her illustrated map of the area greets and informs visitors. She says: “The river is a very important aspect in my life here and I’m lucky to have a view of both the canal and Syon Park. There is something about the tidal feeling of the river that makes you feel free. My biggest fear about city living is the idea of being enclosed.

However, in Hounslow we have the river and many green, open spaces.”

Describing her inspiration for the cover illustration, Baxter says: “I wanted to showcase the green spaces and draw out the history, heritage sites and diversity of Hounslow, as well as tell a story about what’s happening in the borough with its new developments and regeneration. People love maps, it’s interesting to see things in context to give a real sense of place. I have been lucky enough to have been commissioned by a number of fantastic clients to explore and illustrate cities and locations all over the world. Each map and project still gives me a thrill; it’s always a joy to create something new. I illustrate using traditional drawing methods and although I use the computer for colouring and creating digital files, my passion still lies in the actual mark making of pen on paper.”

25/02/2020 18:22

HOUNSLOW ON FILM Less than 10 miles from Charing Cross, Syon House has featured in an array of films and television

TORRON-LEE DEWAR, ALLIANCE DANCE UNIT

Below: Alliance Dance Unit on stage and below right: Torron-Lee Dewar.

Torron-Lee Dewar is looking forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of his performing arts organisation, Alliance Dance Unit (ADU) which he founded when he was just 16. Since then, both Dewar and ADU have racked up an impressive clutch of awards, including the Family Heroes Award and making the top eight organisations in the National Diversity Awards. Dewar himself has received a British Citizen Award Honour for Service to the Arts and was selected to be a West London Olympic torch bearer at the 2012 games. He is also part of the Mayor of London’s Creative Enterprise Zone consortium (CEZ). As well as directing creative services at ADU, Dewar also visits schools and colleges to inspire young people about the performing arts.

Dewar says: “I’m proud to be part of the CEZ consortium. Our borough has so much potential to fully claim its shine. My background is Brentford, born and raised, and I feel it’s important to give back to the local community. I became involved in the arts through various artistic establishments across London, including Watermans Arts Centre. It gave me a sense of purpose and enjoyment and inspired me to launch ADU to give young people a positive platform to harness their energy and steer them away from the dangers in the streets.

“ADU has gone from being a community club to an awardwinning charity. We are currently based at the Rose Community Centre in Brentford but are hoping to get help with better equipped premises in the area to build upon our current operations in the communities around us.”

GW | We are Hounslow

Museum boasts hectares of green space to enjoy. It also continues to host an exciting range of events, educational talks and craft activities and is the proud home of the three-day Lovebox festival.

Gunnersbury Park's regeneration is currently receiving help from a £340,000 award from road operator, Highways England.

This money, taken from a ringfenced fund for reducing the road network’s impact on the historic environment, is helping secure the future of three of the threatened buildings through transforming them into cultural and artistic facilities for the local community.

Further historic gems that showcase and embrace the borough’s diversity include Georgian country estate, Osterley House, which besides its usual charms, is also exploring and celebrating the role of women in society through a collaborative women’s football art project.

At Hogarth’s House in Chiswick, Hounslow Council is building a learning centre as part of a National Lottery Heritage funded ‘Mulberry Garden’ project that will also re-landscape the grounds.

And just next door, Chiswick House and Gardens features an 18th century villa inspired by its owner’s visits to Italy and beautiful grounds which are credited as the origin of the English Landscape Movement in formal gardening. The gardens have an ever-changing contemporary offer, including art installations, light shows and Gifford’s fantasy circus.

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programmes for over 50 years, including John Boorman’s 1965 Having a Wild Weekend, Robert Altman’s Gosford Park and ITV’s Vanity Fair.

The stately home continues to be a favourite location for filming, not just period dramas, but also modernday productions such as Transformers: The Last Knight, which was shot in Syon’s Long Gallery.

Following on from the regeneration of Boston Manor House, Boston Manor Park has secured National Lottery funding of more than £3.6 million for the second phase of a project to enhance, conserve and engage diverse communities with Boston Manor Park.

The funding, awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund, will help the borough secure a new learning space and modernised community café hub, landscaping and refurbishment of the Park, focusing on ecological enhancement works.

There will be lake and river bank improvements, a new nature trail path, a new accessible circuit path and changes to the Park’s amenities. More trees will be planted and on-site information resources and activities will be introduced.

Other cultural success stories include the Watermans Arts Centre, which leads the borough’s Creative People and Places initiative, to bring top international performers such as Bilbobasso, Artonik and Co.LAB.se to Bell Square, the outdoor arts space in Hounslow town centre.

The independently funded Arts Centre Hounslow, meanwhile, located in the Treaty Centre, provides theatrical performances, dance and performance classes, as well as classes for the over 60s and adults with learning disabilities.

In the pipeline is an international arts festival, children’s theatre festival and another dedicated to Asian arts. It is also a producing house, creating shows that transfer to the Edinburgh Fringe and London’s West End.

Bath Road, Hounslow

Pictured: Outdoor entertainment is often held in Bell Square, Hounslow High Street.

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25/02/2020 17:58

MIPIM

Bath Road, Hounslow

A2Dominion set to deliver 100% affordable housing at new schemes in Hounslow Construction is under way to create 176 affordable new homes on the site of a former supermarket in Bath Road, Hounslow. Due for completion in 2021, the development will provide 93 shared ownership and 83 rented homes.

The Group is also working with Transport for London to redevelop the Hounslow West Tube Station car park. We will be providing 400 homes, a public square and gardens, commercial space and a brand new station entrance.

A2Dominion has 38,000 homes in management, including over 2,800 in Hounslow, with a further 7,000 in the pipeline across London and southern England.

Whilst the Group takes a commercial approach to housebuilding, all its profits are reinvested into building more new homes and supporting local communities.

a2dominiongroup.co.uk

MIPIM Hounslow Advert Feb 2020.indd 20-24_GW9_weAreHounslow4.indd 25 1

16:37 25/02/2020 16:53

DELIVERING THE VISION

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GW | Hounslow High Street Quarter

Hounslow’s landmark High Street Quarter development is due for completion this summer. The £100 million project is a mix of residential, commercial and leisure amenities and promises to draw in residents, visitors and fresh investment to the local economy. It also marks the start of a wider programme to revitalise Hounslow’s High Street, as Shailja Morris reports

H

ounslow’s hotly anticipated flagship High Street Quarter development is rapidly taking shape. Already emerging from swathes of scaffold sheeting is Block D, comprised of 52 apartments, almost all of which have been sold, many to local people.

Once completed, three further blocks will have been fitted out and prepared for delivery. Meanwhile, the 27-storey high tower has been shooting up at a rate of one to two floors per week since last November. Below the flats are 15 commercial units, three of which will be turned into restaurants to drive footfall and create a lively evening space. In total, there will be 500 homes across 5.3 acres with 59% private ownership, the remaining 41% of which will be split equally between affordable rent and shared ownership.

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT The scheme, by developers Barratt London and Wilson Bowden, is a major strategic site that is critical to delivering the town centre regeneration plan.

Ed McCoy, Barratt London director of sales and marketing, explains: “We are proud to have won the bid for this project, which is the first major development in the heart of the borough for more than 20 years.

We have seen huge interest from local people who will be able to get on to the housing ladder for the first time. Most are using the Help to Buy scheme that we launched last July. The cost of a deposit is around £17,000 to £18,000, which represents just 5% of the purchase price that can now get you on the property ladder in Hounslow.” As well as new homes, cafés and shops around a new public square, there will be a multiplex cinema on track to open in 2021 and a large leisure space for year-round use.

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“It will be a catalyst for growth,” says McCoy. “That was the whole ethos behind the initial discussions we had with Hounslow Council – to create a new vibrant space that local residents could use. It should absolutely reinvigorate the town centre. We have a strong relationship with Hounslow Council who are one of the best councils to work with. We had a shared vision in what they are trying to create and in what we are trying to deliver. It is going exactly as planned.”

NEW MASTERPLAN Peter Matthew, executive director of housing, planning and communities at Hounslow Council, agrees that the High Street Quarter is critical to the town centre's regeneration but emphasises that more needs to be done to revitalise the High Street. He explains: “If you look at what the High Street Quarter scheme will shortly bring – a brand new development with lovely frontages and public realm - the next consideration for the council is how we ensure we maximise the opportunity for the wider town centre.

“All town centres are facing challenges right now with ever more people shopping online. We need to assess what the right planning framework would be. It is already a vibrant and lively town centre with cultural diversity. How do we retain that but with a higher quality offer for existing residents, new residents and visitors? What is the right mix of retail, commercial, leisure and cultural in a regenerated town centre?

Matthew adds: “We also need to factor in the increasing population of the town centre. As well as the High Street Quarter, there will be 100 new homes built above the TK Maxx building and TfL have proposals to redevelop the bus station with 900 apartments above it. We need to ensure that all these big schemes are held together by good-quality public realm, attractive spaces and the right mix of uses which would work for different communities both day and night.

"We’re talking to a number of big retailers at the moment about what we can do collectively in the High Street. The vision is to create a whole new High Street, while as far as possible keeping the things people value about the current one, and the second part is to manage and maintain it differently.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has applauded Hounslow for its ambitious plans to deliver the genuinely affordable housing that the borough, and London, needs. He said: “In 2018 I was delighted to be able to allocate more than £63 million to Hounslow as part of my Building Council Homes for Londoners programme to support a large proportion of Hounslow’s 1,000 homes target.

“My housing and land teams will continue to work closely with their colleagues at Hounslow Council to ensure these new homes are completed as swiftly as possible and to the highest standards. We can’t fix the housing crisis overnight, but this shows what we can do in London when we work together.”

Pictured: A 27-storey apartment block forms part of the residential scheme of the landmark development.

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PROUD TO BE INVESTING IN HOUNSLOW A SELECTION OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS Chipping Ongar

Epping

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M40

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M25

Kensington Heathrow Airport

M25

Canary Wharf

Westminster

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Hounslow

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Richmond

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TADWORTH, KT20

CALEDONIAN ROAD, N7

THE STAR AND GARTER, TW1O

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Sevenoaks M25 Oxted Redhill

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ORPINGTON, BR6

SPITALFIELDS, E1

BERMONDSEY, SE1

STAINES UPON THAMES, TW18

London Square is delighted to have sold out of our latest development in Hounslow, London Square Isleworth. This is a new community of contemporary 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with a superb specification and spacious living areas.

With a sole focus on the capital and its surrounding areas, we are specialists in developing homes that are worthy of this magnificent city and its residents, from cool city apartments and smart family homes to grand restorations and conversions.

For more information on our portfolio or to join our award winning team, please contact us.

CALL 01895 627 300 OR VISIT WWW.LONDONSQUARE.CO.UK

www.londonsquare.co.uk Computer generated images depict London Square Isleworth, London Square Caledonian Road, London Square Spitalfields, London Square Bermondsey and London Square Staines upon Thames and are indicative only. Photography depicts London Square Tadworth, The Star and Garter and London Square Orpington and is indicative only. Details are correct at time of going to press. February 2019.

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25/02/2020 15:13

BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS

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The cornerstone of a major regeneration scheme is a strong partnership between local authority and developer. Councillor Steve Curran and Mike Woolliscroft, Countryside MD, explain how their positive partnership added value to the ÂŁ52 million development, The Assembly. Shailja Morris reports

25/02/2020 15:19

What do you feel are the principal factors required for successful partnership between a local authority and a private developer?

SC: London Borough of Hounslow prides itself on being a borough where projects are delivered. We have high growth aspirations that deliver significant benefits for our residents. That requires working effectively with partners to realise our ambitions.

Successful partnerships are built on clear objectives, good leadership and clear and effective governance.

We have that at Hounslow.

MW: In my view, there are four common factors to

successful partnerships; clarity of objectives – often a wide range of varying objectives exists between partners – trust, good communication, and effective resources. Hounslow Council has been a long-standing partner of ours and we have fostered a close working relationship across all levels of seniority to ensure the vision is being realised.

Ensuring interests on both sides are aligned on a rolling basis can only be achieved if there is ongoing communication between both parties. This ensures all stakeholders are on the same page to overcome obstacles that may arise. Our collective teams were highly motivated to make sure the school was handed over on time to a well-trained and satisfied school staff.

GW | The Assembly

T

he Assembly is a £52 million regeneration scheme in the town of Hounslow, which delivers one of the largest primary schools in England together with 284 new homes.

The development is part of the Mayor of London’s multimillion-pound investment programme for the borough of Hounslow with a number of other major regeneration projects under way to reinvigorate key quarters of the borough.

The scheme is a partnership between Countryside and Hounslow Council. The new Hounslow Town Primary School can accommodate five forms and up to 1,200 pupils. Of the 284 new homes, 50% are designated as affordable and are overseen by Network Homes. The council and Countryside staff worked closely to keep development of the school on track and open for the start of the new school year in 2018.

The second phase of homes is currently in construction with handover scheduled in 2020.

How do you monitor, as well as manage, the health of the relationship?

SC: The high aspirations of the council means we invest carefully and pick partners with an excellent track record – such as Countryside. We want quality projects, delivered on time. We have an engaged project team that leads and monitors projects and fosters good relationships with all our partners.

MW: Managing the relationship is exceptionally important. Countryside has been specialising in delivering projects in partnership with other organisations for over 35 years so partnering methods are embedded in our procedures and staff training.

At the beginning of a partnership we invest in the establishment of good working relations at all levels in the management structure. We then monitor this and the understanding of objectives in frequent

Pictured: The Assembly has 284 homes and a 1,200-pupil primary school.

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conversations. We use the same approach to other stakeholders. The Assembly is an example of a project where the entire team shared the same view of success – opening the school in September 2018. This made overcoming challenges far easier.

Did either party’s objectives or requirements change during the course of the project?

SC: This project was a significant scheme for the council and it is only right that it developed over iterations to ensure the scheme ticked as many boxes as possible. We listened to our consultation process, adapting and amending where necessary and pushing for the highest benefit in the scheme – including getting the right school layout and access arrangements and increasing the affordable housing offer.

The close relationship between parties enabled these changes to be incorporated quickly without harming project delivery.

MW: When working on large-scale communityfocused projects like these, objectives often change, and often as a result of the partnership determining opportunities to improve outcomes.

By securing an additional GLA housing zone fund, we were able to improve affordable housing delivery for the borough. The funding enabled us to raise the level of affordable housing from 40% to 50%. This change

came late in the design of the project but the parties worked quickly to ensure it didn’t delay the planning process or the start of construction.

In what ways does this form of partnering create added value for the community and the council?

SC: Our ambition is large. The council chooses its partners carefully to ensure quality and added value for the council’s aspirations. We acknowledge and realise that we can’t deliver everything ourselves, but by working closely with quality partners we can add real value to our assets.

MW: Working together enables all development partners to deliver the most impact to communities in a positive way.

This particular project, working with Hounslow Council, the school management and local community helped us create one of the largest primary schools in the country – that is an incredible accomplishment for all sides to cherish and look back upon.

We ensured that we celebrated the fruition of the school by marking moments such as the initial ground breaking, completion of the structure and the actual opening of the school.

Enabling the local community to become part of the journey gained buy-in and made the handover to operational stage a greatly anticipated event.

Pictured right: The four apartment buildings are enclosed by landscaped gardens.

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HOUNSLOW TW3

Get ready to take your place

The Assembly is a new development of 1,2 & 3 bedroom apartments and 4-bedroom townhouses located in Hounslow, West London.

PRICES FROM ÂŁ315,000

All homes benefit from an exceptionally high specification and access to a beautifully landscaped garden square exclusively for residents, offering a tranquil greenspace unusually close to the capital.

BOOK A VIEWING TODAY: theassembly.london 020 3892 4740 theassembly@cpplc.com

Set on a quiet road moments from Hounslow High Street, the Assembly is just a 9-minute walk from Hounslow East Station (Piccadilly Line), with Help to Buy available on selected apartments.

AT THE ASSEMBLY

The Assembly - Pears Road, Hounslow, London, TW3 ISR

Countryside terms and conditions apply. * Help to Buy - Terms and conditions apply. Contact us for further details. More information can be found on www.helptobuy.gov.uk.

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PLEDGE

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P

25/02/2020 15:19

PLEDGE

cause

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cares

25/02/2020 15:19

HOUNSLOW MEANS BUSINESS With the highest concentration of blue chip companies after central London, its new status as a Creative Enterprise Zone and continued growth of its business parks, Hounslow is an economic powerhouse to be reckoned with. Great West explores the borough’s continued appeal for multinationals and finds out how the Chamber of Commerce is supporting the high proportion of SMEs in this entrepreneurial borough

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GW | Hounslow

Pictured below and right: Chiswick Park boasts 33 landscaped acres and more than 10,000 employees.

W

ith an international airport on its doorstep and strong transport links to London, ever more multinationals are selecting Hounslow as their ideal UK base. Brentford is home to more than 200 companies including Sky, GSK, Dell and JCDecaux. More than 200,000 jobs are available in the area, which is the UK’s biggest media and broadcasting hub. A further 17,500 jobs will be created as the Great West Corridor develops and more skilled workers relocate to the residential developments being created here.

Further along to the west, Chiswick Business Park is the European HQ for Disney, Paramount and Pokémon and the UK base for Pepsico, Singapore Airlines and Vue International. At Bedfont Lakes in the east are tech giants Cisco Systems, IBM and SAP. With 18% of its workforce working in a tech-related field, it is no surprise ICT and digital is a key sector, along with transport and logistics, and media and broadcasting.

Hounslow is one of just six of the Mayor of London’s Creative Enterprise Zones, with new funding enabling it to deliver specialist skills, training and support and offering greater access to the creative industries. The borough also has a strong entrepreneurial streak.

Out of approximately 18,000 businesses in Hounslow, some 95% employ less than 20 people.

Chris Durkin, chairman of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, explains: “Around 5% of business in the borough are multinationals and the rest are SMEs which run the gamut of everything you can imagine. A lot of them are here because the big broadcasters, BBC and Sky are here. They feed off the larger businesses and are part of the supply chain. Of course, the big businesses are here because of the airport and the links to central London. The third runway would be a

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huge driver of additional business, about another 70k – 75k extra jobs on the airport, and another quarter of a million in surrounding areas and the rest of the country. It would also double the amount of exports going out of the UK. It is an exciting time for Hounslow.

There is a great deal of regeneration taking place which is why the Chamber hosted a regeneration conference in autumn 2019. We had speakers across all sectors raising awareness of the opportunities, not just along the Golden Mile but in Chiswick Park and also Bedfont Lakes, which is undergoing a lot of development and is a tech park in its own right.”

The chamber celebrated its 110th anniversary last

TECH TRAILBLAZER — COVEO Canadian company Coveo develops digital search and personalisation services powered by artificial intelligence. Since launching in Quebec in 2005, it has been on a steep growth trajectory and made Chiswick Park its European HQ in November 2018.

Gary Gonsalvez, marketing director, says: “Chiswick Park was an obvious choice for us. It is close to our clients and hosts more than 75 companies, including numerous start-ups. Most of our employees live nearby and we are well served by the M4 and good rail and underground connections. Both Heathrow and central London are easily accessible and we don’t have to pay costly London rents. Chiswick Park itself is a green oasis in the heart of west London. It’s relaxing to take a stroll around the lake, grab a coffee or take part in one of the many events taking place. It’s a fun and unique environment. We are laying down roots and have just joined Hounslow Chamber of Commerce."

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Pictured above: Sky Central, the company's HQ in Isleworth, designed by PLP Architecture, opened in 2016.

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MEDIA GIANT — SKY

We are a large player and support the circular economy year, and in addition to supporting local businesses has sharpened its focus on international trade and exports. Alan Rides, managing director of the chamber, explains: “The UK has 3% of the world’s total GDP so why deal with just 3% when the other 97% is out there?

We are on the doorstep of the UK’s largest airport with the majority of the UK’s exports going out from there, and have a high volume of international freight companies based in our borough. My background is working for the Department for International Trade and I help advise our members on issues around Brexit and international trade. We have set up a joint venture with West London Business called the West London Export Club and have been encouraging trade missions from the US, China, Turkey and the Middle East. We arrange receptions and invite exporters to meet people from other countries, meet customers and agents and explore ways of expanding international trade rather than just doing business in Europe into the rest of the world. On a regular basis we are continuing to work hard on helping smaller SMEs grow and listen, understand and deliver what they are looking for.”

Since launching its HQ in 1989 on its site in Isleworth adjacent to the Great West Road, the Sky campus has grown in size to an impressive five hectares encompassing office space, studios and production facilities alongside research and development zones for 7,500 employees.

Diana Foxlee, Sky’s director of property service group, says: “Our Hounslow base was initially driven by the proximity to Heathrow, as well as cost. Over time, we decided to stay here and invest in the site.

Transport links have got better and we have funded some feasibility studies to see how they can be improved further.

“Around 1,500 of our 7,500 staff are Hounslow residents and if you extend the numbers to Ealing and Richmond, the figure grows significantly so we have a good amount of people that live pretty close to the site.

“We have a really good relationship with Hounslow council. We see ourselves as working towards the same goals. The council has always been very supportive and vice versa. We have our own academy on site which opens its doors to local schoolchildren with two daily sessions that help them to find out about all aspects of broadcasting as a potential career.

“With so many large corporations based here, we are part of a wider consortium of businesses that meet regularly. We are a large player and do what we can to support a circular economy in Hounslow.

Having a supply chain that is locally based is beneficial for everyone involved.”

25/02/2020 18:32

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25/02/2020 17:24

PLACEMAKING PIONEER For Tony Pidgley, founder and chairman of Berkeley Group, successful placemaking does not start in an architect’s studio. It happens gradually, across local community halls through continued engagement with the scheme’s beneficiaries — its residents

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A passionate advocate of delivering social value, Pidgley speaks to 3Fox International’s managing director Toby Fox about the principles underpinning the Berkeley Group ethos, from its flagship Kidbrooke Village scheme to potentially exciting new developments in Hounslow.

TF: Berkeley Group’s flagship Kidbrooke Village, a £1 billion regeneration in Greenwich, is regarded by some as a benchmark of successful placemaking.

How much is Kidbrooke a product of a particular place and particular time? How much of it could be replicated elsewhere?

25/02/2020 18:33

associations, all against development at the beginning.

But in the end, they came to the planning committee and supported us. That’s what happens when you listen to communities and put their ideas into action.

TF: How long does that period of engagement last?

TP: It takes many months. You can’t rush it. You can’t turn up and say, “we’ve got to put a planning permission in six weeks’ time so hurry up”. In Hounslow right now, at a proposed site in Osterley, we must have had up to 10 meetings so far and we are still talking to them.

Some of the problems in society are due to a lack of balance in the debate. Nobody really talks to young people yet we all say they are tomorrow’s society, so why wouldn’t you talk to them?

Why should decisions be made by people my age?

And we don’t stop once the planning’s over. We have liaison managers at Kidbrooke and many other sites who keep the conversation going.

Pictured below: Tony Pidgley. Left: discussing the finer points of placemaking with Toby Fox, MD at 3Fox International.

GW | An Interview with Tony Pidgley

TP: Kidbrooke was known as the Ferrier Estate, an unsafe area where many people felt that society had deserted them and I think it had to some extent.

Residents felt just by having the address on their CVs, their job prospects were diminished.

The placemaking principles worked well as it’s now a thriving community with a vibrant local centre, so we adopt its principles and practice across new schemes.

Grassroots face-to-face engagement with the community has been crucial and we always replicate this. It’s about social impact, creating the right balance and how you build wider communities and places for all generations.

People need to feel equal, whether they’re in a social rented home or a private house, so you put those different walks of life together. Kidbrooke is a tenure blind scheme.

Our Grand Union scheme is another big site of 22 acres in Brent. It’s a different place but, again, you have to start by talking to the people. That leads us to the community and the need to build something for everybody, from young children to senior people, so we think about the community very carefully.

Then we move into biodiversity, placemaking and architecture, before breaking down the detail about kitchens, bathrooms, cars and carpets. We make the community feel safe by reducing crime by designing every space well.

TF: What is the scope of your plan in Hounslow?

TP: We are in the process of public consultation across two sites – the Tesco Osterley site and Homebase Brentford – and hope to submit planning applications later this year, subject to community feedback. The proposals are for more than 2,000 mixed-tenure new

TF: How do you get your ideas across to an audience that may be sceptical about development, improvement and regeneration?

TP: You start by listening to them. People will always know whether you’ve really listened to them or not.

With many schemes, we worried more about the residents than we ever worried about the politicians.

If you talk to people enough, in person, and take their views on board, sooner or later most people will get to trust you.

At Grand Union, there were several residents’

Placemaking starts with communities, which start with people 41

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25/02/2020 18:35

homes, including affordable homes.

Six areas of green space with more than 400 new trees would be on sites that are predominantly paved right now, with large car parks and very little greenery or biodiversity value.

A civic square with shops, offices and community spaces are included with more than 40,000sq ft of community and commercial space. We would reprovision the Tesco store and preserve local jobs and put in more than £25 million of investment into local infrastructure, car clubs, electric charging points and clear routes and storage for cycles.

TF: What took you to Osterley in the first place? What is the attraction of this part of west London?

TP: Osterley is a great place with lots of employment, including Sky with its 8,000 employees. There is a tube station and it’s close to the Golden Mile yet far away enough from the A4 traffic.

TF: Has your experience of Hounslow so far encouraged you to invest further in the borough?

TP: Hounslow is a local authority with vision, that wants to make things happen. A council leader like

Steve Curran will make sure the environmental and other aspects of placemaking are right for the residents and the borough.

TF: Do you consider yourself a placemaking pioneer?

TP: We led this model long before anybody else so I would tend to agree! But it’s not down to me. Everyone in our organisation thinks about placemaking that starts with communities, which start with people. It’s part of the Berkeley Group DNA. TF: How are developers like Berkeley Group helping solve the housing crisis?

TP: We have got to get into modular construction.

Housebuilding methods have got to move into the 21st century and we have been working on a factory to manufacture this type of construction as we never had the quality of manufacture in the UK. Berkeley is a founder member of Public Practice, an initiative to train planning officers and increase understanding and collaboration between the public and private sectors. We have trained around 100 planning officers and are now pushing off into different parts of the country.

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25/02/2020 15:33

PROUD OF OUR GREEN CREDENTIALS Willmott Dixon is proud to be supporting the borough of Hounslow to construct a greener, brighter future for education in the area.

The new Green School for Boys - unlocking pupils’ potential for building lives less ordinary.

To learn more about our work visit

willmottdixon.co.uk @WillmottDixon

40-42_GW9_TonyPidgley2.indd 43

25/02/2020 15:33

BLUEPRINT FOR A GREENER FUTURE Hounslow is taking the lead among London boroughs by implementing a Climate Emergency Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions. With the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, the action plan involves bringing residents, businesses and community organisations together to create a framework for a greener borough. Suruchi Sharma reports

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GW | Ecology

Pictured left: A cleanup event in Chiswick, and (right) Edward Pauling Primary School pupils returning fish to Feltham Pond.

D

arebin is probably not a place many people will have heard of. A city in Australia, just outside Melbourne, Darebin has achieved a significant first. Its city council was the first authority in the world to declare a climate emergency in December 2016, kickstarting a wave of similar environmental promises at local authorities across the world, including Hounslow. The west London borough took up this important cause in June last year, and is taking great strides in striving to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Hounslow has embraced the work ahead by employing environmental consultants, Eunomia, to create a climate emergency strategy with achievable aims. The goal is to ensure the borough benefits from the changes planned over the next few decades. So, what has the council been doing to engage the public to aid in its endeavour? Eunomia delivered a workshop for Hounslow Council last October where more than 150 people, including residents, businesses and community groups joined councillors to suggest ways to help address climate change issues on a local level.

ENCOURAGING GREEN ACTIONS “Wider community engagement is critical,” says Alex Massie, service area lead for climate emergency at Eunomia. He adds it is vital councils engage with the public as an authority’s own emissions are “usually only 1% of the total emissions in the borough”. He explains: “It’s great to get your own house in order but there has to be a ripple effect, and you do that by engaging people, by asking and listening and providing

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information so they can make informed choices.”

Massie says: “The focus for Hounslow is climate change mitigation – reducing greenhouse gas emissions – to try and stop the problem getting too big. That involves understanding what you’re currently emitting and is the starting point to identifying the principal issues.” A sign the council has its finger firmly on the environmental pulse is that it has been working hard to encourage green actions by committing to reduce emissions and energy consumption at community buildings and housing developments.

A big step towards this was the installation of solar insulation panels at produce and horticultural wholesaler, Western International Market, the largest project of its kind in Europe.

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the community was encouraged to take on a 2k or 5k route. Councillor Samia Chaudhary, the council’s cabinet member for parks and leisure, said: “These activities unite people to clean up and have fun at the same time. It raises awareness of the devastating overuse of single-use plastics.”

Hounslow impressively had the highest uptake in London at last year’s ‘Great British Spring Clean’, with around 52 local groups taking part, collecting over 500 bags of which 25% was recycled. The council has also developed the Cleaner, Greener Hounslow framework, which helped generate 24 self-service litter pick boards in the borough’s most open spaces. Buoyed by the success of the global #2minutebeachclean, volunteers receive a litter picker and biodegradable bags to dedicate a small part of their day to collect rubbish and record details. The council will now build on this work and introduce its Environmental Champions scheme for residents to get more involved in their area. This will launch in the coming months.

URBAN WILDFLOWER SITES

The council also aims to create infrastructure to encourage more sustainable modes of transport such as better cycling opportunities. Hounslow boasts the second largest number of electric charging points in London and plans to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy to discourage people from driving to work and helping fund improvements to public transport.

GREEN JIGSAW

46

Hounslow is the eighth greenest borough in London, which is a huge plus for its residents. It boasts 200 parks and pocket parks, waterways, river banks, more than 1,800 allotment plots in 29 sites, and over 100,000 trees, 11,500 of them lining its streets.

Massie explains: “The most powerful impact of open spaces is that they give people contact with ecosystems and the natural world, which means they’re more likely to become aware of the issues and want to make changes themselves.

“This is where the impact can multiply. If you’re not exposed to these spaces – especially in a city like London – it’s less likely you’re going to care about what’s happening. Secondly, as things change in London, the urban ‘heat island’ effect is likely to become ever more significant. Open spaces help a city breathe and reduce temperatures which is critical for Hounslow over the coming years.”

The council promotes park activities including parkrun events for adults and children, but also has a novel way to introduce residents to green spaces through ‘plogging,’ which originated in Sweden and combines jogging and picking up litter. Last September a plogging event was held at Hounslow Heath where

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Pictured above: Wildflower sites encourage pollinators that help support the ecosystem.

The strategy also considers simple environmental measures such as planting trees and wildflowers.

The council has made the commitment to plant one tree or shrub for each child born in the borough, approximately 5,000 each year. In November last year, residents planted more than 800 native trees at Harvard Hill Park and De Brome Open Space. Seed planting has taken place at 20 new urban wildflower sites covering 11,700sq m. Massie adds that small steps such as insulating a home or planting wildflowers can make a vast difference. He says: “In a very small area you can plant wildflowers to help pollinators. If that is magnified across the city that’s fantastic and will help retain our pollinators. This is critical for our wellbeing because they pollinate our crops and support our ecosystem. Small things can have a huge impact.”

Hounslow has 24 community groups dedicated to parks. A strong example of the council and community working together are the recent improvements to Feltham Pond. Friends of Feltham Green helped initiate an 18-month project including tree pruning, planting new shrubs, flood prevention as well as dredging, cleaning and refilling the pond. The pond reopening saw 50 fish re-homed in the pond with the help of pupils from Edward Pauling Primary School.

Cllr Chaudhary says Hounslow engages thousands of children every year in similar activities. She explains: “A greener borough benefits both people and the environment – it provides homes for wildlife and helps absorb pollution. The education and involvement of young people is fundamental to behaviour change initiatives. If we want to protect the environment we need to look at radically changing our ways of interacting with the environment. Involving the young generation can give us reassurances that this change of attitude is sustained in the future.”

25/02/2020 19:14

Untitl

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25/02/2020 16:48 16:46

WELL CONNECTED With an international airport on its doorstep and easy access to central London, Hounslow has long been a magnet for businesses and new residents. As major regeneration projects and key housing developments take shape across this thriving borough, its transport links are also about to receive a boost.

Shailja Morris reports

I 48

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f location is everything, then Hounslow has it all. Central London is a short journey away from its eastern end, while one of the world’s busiest gateways, Heathrow, lies to its west. Between these key destinations is a large and vibrant borough with an ambitious regeneration programme and a growing economy and population.

Although the town is well served by strong transport links, more infrastructure is needed to support the pipeline of developments, as well as a larger airport.

In its Local Implementation Plan 2019-2041, Hounslow Council detailed its commitment to tackling air pollution by providing more electric vehicle charging points in the borough and creating a high-quality network of cycle lanes to encourage people to leave their cars behind for local trips. There have been initial discussions to introduce a battery-powered train on a

rail network. Significant public transport projects that have been worked up over the last two years are now being driven through the planning process.

WEST LONDON ORBITAL Among these is the proposed West London Orbital railway, an 11-mile circular track that would connect Hounslow train station to the proposed HS2 hub at Old Oak Common. It would join services to Brent and Wembley and beyond to Hertfordshire and the north without the need for commuters to travel into central London. A journey from Hounslow to Barnet would take around 39 minutes. The scheme is being progressed by TfL and the West London Alliance and has shifted up a gear to outline business case. West London Alliance estimates that it would create 65,000 new jobs across the six boroughs within its scope.

25/02/2020 18:43

CREATING A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE Frost adds: “We are looking at innovative technological solutions so we’re exploring a battery-operated train which might be appropriate on that line. We propose funding would partly come from a Workplace Parking Levy and we’ll probably be the first place in London to use this power. The levy allows us to charge for offstreet car parking spaces provided by employers.

It would genuinely introduce a step change in public transport funding and discourage car journeys, creating a virtuous circle of both viable finance and improved fare box income.”

Heathrow Airport meanwhile is working hard to cut emissions across its operation, and public transport plans form an important part of this. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye explains: “We are committed to protecting the huge benefits of aviation, while reducing the impact of aviation locally and globally. On a local level, transport planning is key, to limit the number of vehicle trips in and around the airport, and ensure the trips made are as clean as possible.

"We’ll achieve this in a number of ways: investing in public transport, including our continued support for Southern Rail; converting all of our vehicle fleet to electric or hybrid and introducing an Ultra Low Emissions Zone, which will eventually be replaced by user charging for all car trips. On a global level – the enemy is carbon, not aviation. As an industry coalition we released our Sustainable Aviation decarbonisation roadmap in February, and we’re fully committed to net zero by 2050.

"We incentivise airlines to bring their cleanest and quietest aircraft to Heathrow. We’re working with industry and academics to scale up the use of sustainable aviation fuels, and last year announced a prize worth up to £1 million for the first commercial

28-49_GW9_heathrow2.indd 49

electric-hybrid aircraft to land at Heathrow. We look forward to continuing our work with Hounslow and other partners to drive innovation, collaboration, and bold action to protect the environment.”

GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT One of the biggest challenges faced in the borough is public transport access for the thousands of residents who work at Heathrow.

The council is lobbying for additional bus services to the airport from the south and a new southern rail access. A new station at the Clockhouse roundabout

by Bedfont Lakes Business Park would provide a new overground line from London Waterloo and connect the area with Feltham and Heathrow Terminal 5. Frost explains: “This new station will support a significant amount of development in Bedfont Lakes. Without it, there will be far less development as a consequence.

However, it is contingent on central government to put in place the right framework in that area. We are relaunching our proposal in spring this year and hope it will be given the green light.”

Plans for Cycleway 9, which runs from Hounslow to Hammersmith and Fulham, were approved in September 2019. The route will initially terminate at the end of Kew High Street but there are proposals for it to extend to Heathrow. Work has already started on its South Circular Road stretch and expected completion of the 11-mile highway is 2022.

Hounslow has the second highest number of electric vehicle charging points in London and is rolling out a programme of rapid charging points in car parks, with one already in service in Hounslow town centre.

Frost says: “One third of the borough’s carbon emissions are linked to transport so we’re working hard across the piece to create the right environment for residents and businesses to reduce these. The borough is continually at the cutting edge here, being the first to explore innovative mechanisms like the workplace parking levy to help fund new green public transport options."

Pictured left: a new Elizabeth Line train.

Below: one of Hounslow's many electric vehicle charging points.

GW | Connectivity

Not content with one potential new rail line, the council is working on a further two. The revitalisation of an existing freight line between Brentford and Southall could bring the benefits of the Elizabeth line into the heart of the Great West Corridor opportunity area off the A4.

A strategic outline business case and preliminary designs have been completed. Mark Frost, assistant director transport, planning and environmental strategy at Hounslow Council, explains: “We are working with Legal & General who currently own the site at this line’s southern terminus near the A4 to find the least disruptive method of construction and we’re exploring the staged realisation of the project. We are trying to secure approval for the scheme from the Department of Transport. It will cost from £80 million – £100 million in building costs. However, running costs will be around £1.7 million annually and we’re looking for the department to provide additional funding for the scheme to help us with any revenue shortfall, with a completion date of 2026."

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25/02/2020 18:45

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18/02/2020 16:20 14:59 25/02/2020

GW | Apprenticeships

BRIGHTER FUTURES Hounslow Council has committed to creating 4,000 new apprenticeships and training opportunities to help people into work and gain practical skills while creating a well-qualified workforce. With a growing population and the expansion of Heathrow driving more opportunities, Shailja Morris explores how the borough is developing its home grown talent pool

14:59

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Pictured: young women are being actively encouraged to pursue STEM careers.

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25/02/2020 18:47

T

FATIMA MAGSI, ADMINISTRATION OFFICER I was in foster care before joining the Academy and found it difficult to find employment. I did not have any paid previous work experience, had low selfbelief and felt that there was a stigma attached to being a care leaver.

I enrolled onto the Pre-Employment Training course at Heathrow Employment and Skills Academy where I started to build on a variety of skills tailored to the job I wanted to do. Everyone worked so hard to help me achieve my goals. I was also assigned a Heathrow Buddy, my ‘work mum’ who provides me with help, assistance and guidance to ensure that I am supported.

After the course, I landed my dream job as an administration officer at the Academy itself. I am now completing a Level 2 Business Administration Apprenticeship to increase the opportunities available to me.

Pictured below: young people receiving advice at the Heathrow Apprenticeships and Careers Show.

he drive for a skilled workforce to meet the needs of Hounslow’s growing economy and rising population is being jointly propelled by several partner organisations including Hounslow Council, Heathrow Airport, businesses and educational institutions. Central to this is the council’s ambitious 2019 pledge to create 4,000 apprenticeships over four years.

Although apprenticeships have been part of the UK workforce for some time, modern apprenticeships are now financially supported by an employer levy and offer training and development opportunities for people of all ages. The old frameworks have been superseded by 'standards’ that offer longer, higherquality training with more off-the-job training and rigorous final assessment.

Vicki Taylor, head of lifelong learning, skills and employment at Hounslow Council, says: “Out of the 4,000 apprentice opportunities in Hounslow, 400 are internal to the council and 3,600 are with employers across the borough. It is an ambitious pledge and we have a strategic project board that can make a difference and move things forward. We also have a council job brokerage team to support both apprentices and businesses.”

Taylor adds that the push for apprenticeships is being driven by the projected growth in West London.

“The GLA forecasts that some 210,000 new jobs will be created in Hounslow from 2015 – 2041. We are ensuring the supply and demand ratio is right.

"We have a growing younger population, particularly school aged children in years 10 – 13, plus 9,000 young people from outer boroughs that travel into our schools. There is a lot of opportunity to get these young people to stay in the borough and live and work locally.”

Taylor and her team also support internal upskilling to small businesses and can provide access to funding to organisations within their supply chain to stimulate local skills training.

She adds: “We are passionate about supporting our

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GW | Apprenticeships

residents, businesses and educators to work collaboratively towards full employment, a skilled workforce and a thriving local economy.”

Councillor Tom Bruce, lead member for education, children and youth services, adds: “It is about creating a balance of opportunities across different industries and age ranges. Within the council we have had young people in their late teens taking up apprenticeships, but there are also current staff in their early 30s taking a Masters degree, for example, or another qualification to further their careers.

“Hounslow is growing. We have good links with large corporates along the Golden Mile like Sky and GSK, as well as the retail sector, hospitality and catering. There are lots of opportunities in construction in Hounslow and Brentford."

Cllr Bruce adds: "We work with the development arm of the council, Lampton 360 Property, and ensure they are getting apprentices in and working with them across a variety of different roles. After four years, we hope to have a workforce with more skills and ability

We hope to have a workforce with skills and ability across a variety of fields SAADIQ CORNELIUS, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER across a variety of fields. We want people to know that Hounslow is a place where there is opportunity for young people and their families to stay and work and develop their careers.”

West Thames College has been providing apprenticeships over the last decade with a strong focus on logistics and construction. Neena Gharu, head of apprenticeships, says: “We have around 60 apprentices working towards a freight forwarding standard. We are well on track to becoming the first provider to get the first freight forwarding apprentice through on that qualification who is due to finish her Level 3 in March 2020."

The college works closely with Heathrow Employment and Skills Academy and is part of the Heathrow Skills Partnership. Gharu adds: “We are part of the airport’s taskforce for expansion. They have a big target to provide 10,000 apprentices by 2030 and we are one of five colleges that they collaborate with.”

50-55_GW9_apprenticeships2.indd 53

I applied for an apprenticeship with Hounslow Council in events management and audio visual in October 2015 after dropping out of a degree course in electronic engineering. It was a very intensive course and I quickly realised that both the course and university were not for me. Stepping into the role at the council felt natural to me. I enjoyed it from day one and gave it 100%. I was on day release to study for a Level 3 NVQ at West Thames College, which I found very beneficial. During that year, I won the Spark Apprentice of the Year, which was a complete surprise and a great accolade. After my apprenticeship, I was kept on in a permanent role.

I am now the council’s web and digital officer. I’m loving it – every day is different. Not everyone at the age of 24 can say they are responsible for the council’s website and social media platforms and keep their community informed about news and issues that matter to them.

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JAGDEEP SANDHAR, SENIOR FINANCE OFFICER I started as a finance apprentice with the council in 2007 and I’m now on my third and final apprenticeship. After completing my first year as an apprentice I went on to an Advanced Apprenticeship Training Scheme, completing levels 2, 3 and 4. I enjoy working in finance and worked my way up after securing a permanent role after the first year.

After taking my AS levels, I decided not to go to university. I felt it wasn’t the best career route for me and it takes so long to get a degree. I have never looked back. I was well supported during my apprenticeships and beyond them.

I have just signed up for my final apprenticeship in leadership and management, accredited by the Chartered Management Institute. I am a new manager with a team of six and I think it’s important to fully understand the principles behind the practice. Two of my team are apprentices and I can fully relate to them as I was in their shoes at the start of my career.

We are here to level the playing field and provide access to opportunities

Spark is an educational charity that helps develop young peoples’ employability skills. Director Ruby Mir, who kickstarted her own career with an apprenticeship programme, explains: “We help people understand that apprenticeships are a credible alternative route and can be as rewarding as going to university. When a business or organisation says they are trying to boost their apprenticeship numbers, we advise them that the only way to do that is by working with younger people a couple of years before they consider their options.

She adds: "They need to start engaging with them much earlier to spark their interest. If your average apprentice starts at 18, they need to be interacting with them and shifting mindsets from the ages of 14 – 16.

"Consider the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) industry, where there are not enough women. STEM companies need to target young women at a very young age, so we help businesses understand that, and we also give them access to young people.”

Mir says: “We fall under one of the disadvantaged boroughs within London so we are here to level the playing field and make sure that every young person has access to opportunities to help their understanding about careers. We work with Heathrow and companies like Cisco, Dell, GSK, Octink and JCDecaux. We’re doing 3,000 placements per year and our core is in Hounslow. We have 19 secondary schools in Hounslow and work with all of them in some way, shape or form.”

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25/02/2020 18:51

Fview

BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE IN FELTHAM Construction of our new development in Feltham is well under way with our stylish new showhome due to launch in April 2020.

Fairview New Homes have taken a redundant car park and former Labour Club , along with six houses in Manor Place and assembled a prime development site in Feltham Town Centre.

Computer Generated Image

Our reputation for rapid delivery for new homes was a key consideration when Hounslow council decided to sell to us. Image above shows progress to date, in just under 10 months.

We have nearly 60 years’ experience in land acquisition. We consider all sites in London and the South East, with or without planning, no matter what condition.

If you own or know of any appropriate land Call us first on 020 8366 1271 rhys.davies@fairview.co.uk | jon.spring@fairview.co.uk Details correct at time of going to press.

FviewHnslwGWMag230x276-Feb20-FINAL.indd 1 50-55_GW9_apprenticeships2.indd 55

17/02/2020 16:20 11:38 25/02/2020

HOUNSLOW'S VITAL STATISTICS Number of languages spoken

140

Chiswick Business Park has 1.8 million sq ft of workspace, over 10,000 employees and 33 acres of landscaped gardens

We pledge to deliver 4,000 apprenticeships by 2023

There are

6

stately homes of renown: Gunnersbury, Chiswick House, Syon House, Boston Manor, Hogarth’s House Osterley House

Hounslow earns 46% of London’s television programming and broadcasting activities jobs

affordable homes by 2022 pledge: 3,000 for social rent 2,000 for shared ownership plus build 1,000 council homes 56

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The average house price is £405,493 , box e v o L s n 2, festival o i t c Jun itadel 000 , C and ract 120 ry year att ns eve ic fa mus

5,000

to correspond with the number of babies born in Hounslow

trees per year

25/02/2020 16:21

Hounslow is

ONE

Creative Enterprise Zones

EV

charging points: 82 residential charge points 87 public charge points second only to Westminster

40%

OF THE BOROUGH IS A PARK OR GREEN SPACE

(2018) one of the fastest growing in the UK — 52% of the population is aged under 35

SIX

Population: 270,782

of the Mayor of London’s

17 parks have been awarded Green Flag status

52 local groups working with the council for The Great British Spring Clean

56-57_GW9_markets4.indd 57

GW | Markets

GLA FORECASTS SOME 210,000 NEW JOBS WILL BE CREATED IN HOUNSLOW FROM 2015-2041

95%

Good and Outstanding schools; 76 schools audited by Ofsted: 24 Outstanding, 48 Good and 4 requiring improvement

9,000 young people from outer boroughs travel into Hounslow's schools

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HOUNSLOW ON THE MAP

A312 A312 M4 M4 M4 M4

Osterley Osterley

Heathrow Airport

Hounslow Hounslow East East

Cavendish Parade

Hatton Hatton Cross Cross

Hounslow Hounslow West West

Hounslow Hounslow Central Central

HOUNSLOW HOUNSLOW Hounslow Place

Cavalry Barracks

Hounslow Hounslow

A315 A315

Manor Place

Feltham Feltham A314 A314

A244 A244

Feltham Rail Station Enhancements

A312 A312

A316 A316

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Isle Is

GW | Projects

Acton Acton Town Town Stamford Stamford Turnham Turnham Brook Brook Chiswick Chiswick Green Green Park Park

Boston Boston Manor Manor Brentford Lock West

Brentford Brentford

Kew Kew Bridge Bridge

A4A4

Gunnersbury Gunnersbury

A4A4 Great Great West West RdRd Syon Syon Lane Lane

BRENTFORD BRENTFORD

Chiswick Chiswick

Isleworth Isleworth

A310 A310

Green School for Boys

Green Greenschool schoolfor forboys boys

LONDON

London by tube: Heathrow Terminal 5 15 mins

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Hounslow Central

Hammersmith

Leicester Square

King's Cross

25 mins

40 mins

50 mins

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25/02/2020 16:21

“Help us deliver what we said we were going to deliver and then you will get a reward, you will be part of that journey – you can share in the success.”

Councillor Steve Curran Leader Hounslow Council

Everyone involved in development can benefit from an inside understanding of what drives and motivates top local authority people. What are their personal views? What are their priorities? What influences their thinking when making farreaching decisions?

Unfiltered.

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60_GW9_projects4.indd 60 Untitled-4 1

No-one knows the answers better than the leaders themselves, and The Voice of Authority is the first-ever platform for them to express their individual opinions in interviews that are completely unedited and unfiltered.

thevoiceofauthority.co.uk @TheVoiceofAuth 25/02/2020 16:53 14:25

GW | Projects

PROJECTS

MANOR PLACE, FELTHAM Fairview is expecting to complete a major new housing development of 120 new homes off New Road, Manor Place in Feltham this summer.

Construction on the site started in 2018, marking the start of a wave of new housing built for local people as part of Hounslow council’s pledge for 5,000 new homes. The single-acre site borders Longford River and was previously home to a disused Labour Club, six residential properties and a car park.

The new development will comprise a range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments across seven blocks which will range from four to 10 storeys in height. The GLA is contributing to making 40% of the dwellings affordable homes.

Of these, 25 will be made available for affordable rent, while a further 23 homes will be available for

14:25

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shared ownership.

Leader of Hounslow Council, Steve Curran, says: “Increasing housing supply is part of our strategic plan for the regeneration of Feltham and Heston. We have worked very closely with Fairview New Homes and the GLA, to ensure that the 40% strategic target for affordable housing is met.

“We want to keep the community at the heart of this project and as a result, the application will generate £1.4 million in CIL monies for improvements to the local infrastructure.”

As well as providing new homes, Fairview will also help fund a new footbridge over the Longford River, which will connect the development to the adjacent Glebelands Park and provide a new footpath along the river’s banks from New Road.

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HOUNSLOW PLACE Meyer Homes has transformed a former disused commercial site at the eastern end of the High Street into a mixed-use development of 293 homes and 926sq m of flexible commercial floorspace. Nearing completion, the scheme is a mixture of 14 mews houses with the remainder as apartments, 13% of which are affordable homes.

Architects Pollard Thomas Edwards provided full service from concept to completion of the scheme, which includes a network of streets creating a new pedestrian route to Hounslow East underground station just 200m away. The site is in a prime location at 714 – 746 London Road, one of Hounslow’s main arteries that leads to Isleworth and Brentford.

It is adjacent to Hounslow bus station, surrounded by high street stores and restaurants. It was formerly the location of Hounslow House, a seven-storey office building fronting London Road, with a three-storey office building immediately behind it and a large lowrise warehousing unit in the remainder of the site. In total the area took up 1.22 hectares.

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CAVENDISH PARADE, HOUNSLOW WEST The former site of Morrisons supermarket in Hounslow is being transformed, thanks to a £40 million project that will provide 176 new affordable homes for Hounslow alongside a new 6,100sq ft supermarket.

The Cavendish Parade scheme on Bath Road, Hounslow West, will deliver 100% affordable homes, with 50% social housing and 50% intermediate tenures with the option to buy and rent.

It is being developed by A2Dominion, a residential property group with a social purpose that has worked in the borough of Hounslow for more than 70 years.

The scheme has been designed by Colwyn Foulkes Architecture and Planning.

Helping to meet housing demand in the borough, the scheme includes 83 homes for affordable rent and 93 properties for shared ownership, designed to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder.

It will breathe life into the site, which has been derelict since 2016. Cavendish Parade is in the centre of Hounslow West’s shopping area with the underground station a minute’s walk away.

Other key features of the scheme are a play area and outdoor space for residents.

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BRENTFORD LOCK WEST, PHASE 3

THE GREEN SCHOOL FOR BOYS The Green School for Boys will be moving into a purpose-built new building in September to accommodate 900 pupils and provide muchneeded secondary school places within the borough.

Developers Willmott Dixon appointed HNW Architects to design the new five-form entry CofE faith secondary school. It will provide a modern educational space designed with the school’s STEM specialism in mind, providing hi-tech learning facilities, including labs and LED screens. Students will also benefit from a multi-use games area and an artificial sports pitch.

The new school will replace the current temporary accommodation on the corner of London Road, which consists of 10 classrooms, including purpose-built science rooms, an art room and small group rooms.

An extension of the school’s sixth form provision was opened in September 2019 and is situated on the nearby site of its sister school, The Green School for Girls. The proposal includes various enhancements to the character and appearance of the Grade II-listed Busch House, which sits within the site.

Plans for the third and final phase of a mixed-use development at Brentford Lock West have been given the green light by Hounslow Council. The Commerce Road scheme will deliver 452 new homes, 187 of them affordable, alongside commercial and retail space, as well as a new public bridge.

Developed by Waterside Places – a joint venture between Muse and the Canal and Riverside Trust with design and planning from Grid Architects and Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design – Phase 3 will feature seven new buildings ranging in height from five to 10 storeys, following the same pattern as the previous two phases, arranged around courtyards and lining the canal. The first two phases contained buildings designed by Duggan Morris, Karakusevic Carson, Mae and Mikhail Riches.

Colin Veitch, chairman of Grid Architects, said: “We will celebrate the industrial heritage of the area, respecting the scale and maintaining the high quality design standards of the earlier phases.”

The public bridge will create a new route, improving connectivity through Brentford, while opening access to the Grand Union Canal, local parks, Brentford station and Brentford High Street. This stretch of the Grand Union Canal will also see towpath improvements, new mooring facilities and the renovation of the existing dock. Work on the new bridge is expected to start this year and will take two years to complete. Enabling works for phase three and construction of the first buildings is also targeted to start this year.

A new bus depot will be constructed as part of the wider Brentford Lock development to replace the existing Metrolink facility.

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FELTHAM RAIL STATION ENHANCEMENTS

CAVALRY BARRACKS

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Among the oldest barracks in the country, Cavalry Barracks near Hounslow Heath has been an integral part of the borough for more than 200 years since being built in 1793. Following a decision by the Ministry of Defence to release the 14.85 hectare site this year and relocate the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Hounslow Council adopted a planning brief followed by a public consultation in July 2019.

The brief allows for a significant residential-led development of at least 1,000 new homes, with around half of the units to be made affordable housing. The need for employment opportunities, green community spaces, school places, health centres and better transport infrastructure is reflected in the draft plan.

Guidelines for developers include ensuring that the conversion of listed and heritage buildings reflects the site’s strong identity and military legacy, as well as retaining its historic open space and new-build opportunities. The planning brief also ensures the provision of good pedestrian and cycle links within the site and to Hounslow West station via Beaversfield Park.

Councillor Steve Curran, leader of the council and cabinet member for planning and regeneration, said: “The future redevelopment of the Cavalry Barracks provides a significant opportunity to deliver new private and affordable housing, community facilities and most importantly, the protection and enhancement of the listed buildings and historic environment. “We want to preserve the long and proud military heritage of the site while retaining as much use of the 14 listed buildings, given that the entire site is in a conservation area. At the same time, and particularly with an area this large, there needs to be guidance for developers on what we would like to see and how it will integrate with the rest of Hounslow West, building and supporting a strong local community."

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Improvements in and around Feltham train station are progressing with a new pedestrian and cycle footbridge due for completion in November this year. The project is a combined initiative by Network Rail and Hounslow Council to improve public transport links in and around Feltham.

At the centre of the scheme was a proposal to lengthen Feltham station platform to accommodate 10-car trains.

The project later extended the scope of works to include the improved pedestrian footbridge over Bedfont Lane, leading to the heart of Feltham Town Centre with associated landscaping and public space and the widening of the road bridge over the railway line.

When complete, the project will enhance transport links to the station itself with new bus stops and improved routing, helping improve safety from the previous level crossing. It will provide a new entrance to the station and a better pedestrian environment.

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Located on the banks of the Grand Union Canal, Brentford Lock West has already delivered 307 stunning new homes over two phases. A final phase that includes 452 affordable and private homes, along with commercial space, a new public bridge and a bus depot is also due to start in 2020.

The scheme has been designed to recognise the area’s former waterside industrial heritage, while offering stylish and unique homes focused around a sense of community.

Brentford Lock West is being delivered by Waterside Places - a joint venture between urban regenerators, Muse Developments and the Canal & River Trust - that specialises in unlocking Britain’s waterways through intelligent design and a forward-thinking approach to urban renaissance.

www.watersideplaces.com

Great West Investment destination: Hounslow

Peter Matthew Executive director housing, planning and communities

Councillor Steve Curran

Niall Bolger Chief executive

Leader of the council

HOUNSLOW.GOV.UK

01 Great West 9 Cover_3.indd 1

Issue 9 2020

HOUNSLOW: MAKING IT HAPPEN

Great West Investment destination:

HOUNSLOW 25/02/2020 12:57