The local planning authority (whatever their make up over the years) have seemingly been always hot on demolition in the cause of 'improvement', and less less hot on construction. Totally different set-up then of course, but the decline of Brentford's High Street dates from pre-war times, and little appears to have changed.
Janet McNamara did a dissertation on the subject I believe.
To my knowledge, no archeological surveys were done in the course of the post-war demolition of the south side of the High Street. New roads (i.e. Brent Way) were simply built over bulldozed buildings. This photo shows the view from alongside the riverside buildings in the previous post, looking north to the High Street -
It would be so nice to believe that we have a more enlightened authority now in place. Any news on whether anybody has actually been down to check the state of play on-site today?