| Topic: | Re:Re:Brentford Dock Estate - proposal to erect gates and fences | |
| Posted by: | Eric Baker | |
| Date/Time: | 08/08/20 13:47:00 |
| 'Private property' is an interesting concept. None of us want our homes or gardens (if lucky enough to have one) to be treated as communal space. But surrounding spaces are more ambiguous. They seem to work best when treated as communal resources and least well when locked behind gates, with the fearful, privileged owners peering out at the clamouring masses. OK, it's not at all like that in Brentford but the Brentford Dock land is basically a publicly owned resource that was expropriated by Thatcher, just as much of the countryside was stolen from the traditional co-owners via the enclosures - a fancy name for legalised theft. Now Right to Roam is giving us access to swathes of privately owned land. Unfortunately there is no right to roam the Brentford Dock peninsula despite it naturally containinging parts of what should be the Thames Path. There's also no sign of the Duke of Northumberland opening up his Thames-side acres any time soon. So of course the minority of owners active in running Brentford Dock can decide to become semi-gated. But what a pity for community spirit and cohesion. I much prefer the Ballymore approach of trying hard to bring the wider community into their big development across the water from the Dock. Perhaps a future government will designate all that private Thames-side land between Isleworth and central Brentford as open access land. Then any gates would have to be torn down. |