| Topic: | Brentford Station: Forecourt and Footpath | Forum Home |
| Posted by: | Jim Storrar | |
| Date/Time: | 27/03/17 14:41:00 |
| I would be very interested to know if others are concerned about the state of the southern forecourt at Brentford station and the footpath from there to Windmill Road. Below is the text of an email that I have sent to the councillors for Syon Ward. Apologies for the length of my missive. I hope that it doesn't send you to sleep! ______________________________________________________________________ I, and others, have repeatedly voiced great concern about the poor state of the footpath from Brentford Station which runs behind Sidney Gardens to Windmill Road. I first raised this issue at least nine months ago. A similar concern relates to the state of the southern forecourt at Brentford Station. I have written on these subjects on numerous occasions to LB Hounslow, Network Rail and South West Trains. On the few occasions when I have received a reply it seems that each authority lays responsibility upon one of the others and my most recent email to LB Hounslow, sent on 2nd March, remains unacknowledged. I understand that some of the land in question may be not be registered with the Land Registry. However until this particular issue is resolved there is an urgent need for one or all of the parties to take the initiative and to carry out the necessary work. Until this is done there is a real risk to public safety and, at the very least, the area will remain as a shoddy gateway to Brilliant Brentford. I implore you to take effective and practical remedial action at the earliest date. If LB Hounslow's commitment to public engagement is to mean anything then these are exactly the kind of issues that have to be tackled with some real determination. Please note that I have copied this email to both Network Rail and South West Trains. The two main issues are as follows: 1] Lighting For at least 9 months the lights along the footpath have been out of action and this is now a very threatening and dangerous route to use, particularly during the hours of darkness. When I used the footpath during darkness yesterday evening there was absolutely no lighting and the route was almost pitch black throughout its length. The surface of the footpath, including the steps at its eastern end, is uneven and poorly maintained. More recently, perhaps because of strong winds, parts of the fencing at the northern end of the back gardens in Sidney Gardens have obstructed part of the footpath. The lighting around the southern forecourt of the station has also been out of action for many months. The forecourt is an area where vehicles and pedestrians share the same space and there are clear dangers arising from the absence of lighting. It should not be difficult to identify the owners of this land if only because someone is paying for the enforcement of parking on the forecourt. (I would suggest that they are getting very poor value for money because parking restrictions are rarely, if ever, enforced). 2] Litter The footpath is almost always full of litter (paper, beer cans etc. etc.). I am told that this is a popular spot for dealing in drugs. There is a recent report on FixMyStreet from someone else (dated 11th March 2017) of human faeces and litter all the way along the path. In early September 2016 I reported my concerns to officers at LB Hounslow who responded promptly to say that they are not responsible for cleaning this footpath and that they do not know who owns it. They suggested that I should contact the Land Registry. I have not followed this advice because I do not believe that it is my responsibility to do so. The southern forecourt at Brentford Station is usually strewn with litter. The areas around the large waste bins in and around the forecourt are popular spots for fly-tipping and today I noticed an abandoned shopping trolley and a black bin bag which has been torn apart and the contents strewn over the adjacent area. On Friday I found a dead dog which I had to lift with a plastic bag before sadly disposing of it in an appropriate manner. I expressed my concerns regarding the forecourt to officers at LB Hounslow on 1st October 2016 but I have received no reply. |