Touched By a Kind Gesture from Two Constituents
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert
March 5, 2026
It's Thursday so in my calendar it is Blogday. To a degree I welcome that as an opportunity to think back across my week and generally I enjoy writing it, though sometimes it feels like a chore. Let's see how this week goes. I'm finding it a bit more difficult than I normally do to keep up as I am really the sole councillor serving Brentford West: there are a few balls in the air. Some are quite important, some less so, but one of the difficulties working in a council domain is that things often seem to take far too long.
It is not feasible for a humble ward councillor to accelerate things, and it wasn't that much better when I was on Cabinet. But my perspective is that the way the council works is not improving: the opposite. Most of the then very talented top team we had 3 or 4 years ago have departed, and a lot of them have not been replaced, either in the council or in its subsidiary, Lampton. This means people are covering more than one job, and often covering activities where they have limited experience or skill.
So, what have I been up to? Well, I didn't make it to see the voluntary groups. I did go to Hounslow House but discovered that the activity was in fact online. I had a good conversation with the head of membership services and one of his team who were in the office so that was pleasure. Then cycled off to Kingston for my now repeating each couple of years MRI to see if I have lung cancer. This was run by a private contractor InHealth and the service was in a bit of chaos. I remember InHealth because my former CEO and HR Director decamped many years ago and went to work there. They didn't last long and the company was making big losses but turned round after they left, which may or may not be a coincidence. Anyway, I was seen, which took about 10 minutes, but apparently I will be told my result after 4 weeks, which does not impress me.
On Friday I had an appointment to meet the head of Hounslow Highways on the notorious junction between Windmill Road and the GWR where between Highways and the council there has been the parcel passed for many months, even though the real sinner is the developer. I was stood up, but told him I could cope with the disappointment, because by the time this was established I was in The Globe tucking into a tasty snack and something to wash it down. Then to see a resident with a planning problem - actually someone else's absence of a planning problem which was causing problems for him! Have not done much about that - must do better.
I am of course fallible, and I don't expect any thanks from anybody - I only do what I am elected for. Often, I wrestle with a problem for a while and rarely hear when things are resolved but take the view that if the emails dry up there is no more for me to do. Like buses, thanks apparently are like buses, because in the last few days I had two thank you cards.
It is quite touching when people go to the trouble of thanking for a small service and I am very grateful to the two who did, one with a clearly handmade card. Lovely!
On Saturday it was my surgery at the Library. One resident came, and I spent some time helping with paperwork. I am often astonished by how complicated documents are. Often, I think these are quite unjustified and very daunting to people who are not used to deal with such matters. I will do my best to help those who need it and ask for it, and it worries me that there are probably many who give up without=t seeking assistance.
Sunday was the Green Party monthly meeting. These are always friendly and actually fun meetings that also involve very oversized and splendid cakes from the South Street Cafe in Isleworth.
On Monday I started with an appointment with a heating company. My boiler is gas and 25 years old and getting very unreliable. As a good Greenie I am looking at gas free alternatives. My electric provider assures me that a heat pump is possible using a balcony but after wasting a lot of time going through their interview, the follow up call says, no, don't be ridiculous, that is not possible (which is what I always expected, but you sometimes have to go through the motions). So, this was a more conventional electric solution. Nice man spent some time measuring me up (flat not me personally) and then said there were special prices just for me. He said Chinese imports were cheaper but wouldn't last (what we used to say about motorbikes when I was a biker - Japcrap - and Japanese cars a little later). I may or may not have lung cancer but I did nearly have a heart attack when he told me his heavily discounted quote. Back to square one.
I got alarming messages on Monday morning about people mounting cameras which were looking through their bedroom window. Much as I welcome the council raising money where they can (actually I am lying about that - I am a politician) I think that is taking it too far. I'll leave that for when Reform take over the UK and Hounslow as one of my correspondents assures me they will (I am sceptical given they are now in a tailspin in the polls) and introduce the policies approved by their favourite leader Vladimir Putin.
These evil beasts are on metal poles attached to lamp posts and have a notice explaining why, though do not mention Hounslow as I think they should, nor how long they will be there. An officer responded very quickly and said "I can confirm that the cameras you've seen in the area are in connection with collecting data to assess current traffic patterns. They are not permitted and will be removed at the end of the week/early next week" I believe they were placed at night time so that added to paranoia.
They do look as if they might be facing bedroom windows (this one is in Brook Road South) and somebody suggested to me I could become famous if I could uncover footage of a pervert traffic officer looking at film from someone's bedroom. Having looked closely, the lens is unfortunately facing downwards towards the middle of the road so my career will not be thus launched.
Later in the day I visited a family who live in the ward who have a planning issue. This one is about a planning application refused whereas last week it was a neighbour's one that has been approved. A councillor's life is full of excitement and variety. After that, a session at the Black Dog with the head of Brentford Voice, from which we are organising a meeting to move forward discussions about empty shops, and the need to work with small businesses to get their concerns better communicated (and addressed!) We have set a provisional date.
Tuesday was the day of my car's MoT. I drove to my preferred garage (for about 20 years) Capital Motors in Chiswick. Because I drive it rarely and often just a couple of miles, every time I get in it, I get a red message 'start the engine NOW'. I deduced that the battery is on its last legs (do batteries have legs - these days you never see them and I have no idea where it is in the car). The garage man says Jaguar batteries are very expensive and the bill proved him right. I can remember buying my battery from Birkenhead indoor market for a tenner and fitting it myself by undoing a couple of screws. Times change.
Restarting (with the time and various settings changed) I drove to Hounslow House. I would have cycled as is my wont, but I was picking up some litter pickers from Marina Sharma who borrowed them in 2022 so I needed a car to accommodate them.
Oh, the Council Meeting. 4 hours of pure delight. For the first time in my life, I prepared a speech to support elements of the Conservative Amendment to the budget. I do think we should withdraw some of the Special Responsibility Allowances, some of which I believe were invented to bulwark Leaders' internal vote within the Labour group but obviously that is just a scurrilous allegation, no doubt without any foundation in fact. I also think we are spending far too much on ineffective communication people who focus on boosting the prestige of the ruling party rather than actually informing residents. Unfortunately, the Mayor forgot to call me to speak so my beautifully-crafted speech, comparable to the best from Winston Churchill or Martin Luther King, was wasted. She did invite me to be the first contributor to the discussion of the budget itself but I'm afraid all the world will ever hear is my usual halting and mumbled comment about how useless were the two Cabinet Assistants I was awarded in my time before I resigned from the Top Table. I therefore (for the first time ever, I think) abstained on a couple of council votes. I have become more and more dissatisfied by council meetings where there is never any real debate, just two parties plus Theo Dennison pontificating. I wish I was better at that!
On Wednesday evening I was called to be Taxi for The Melvinator. Poor Mel's legs are in a poor state and he asked me to pick him up from his home and convey him a few hundred metres to St Paul's Church. We were attending a meeting of the Ward Police Panel. This turned out to be another 2 hours of pure joy and I was a bit irritated because none of the cops in attendance were responsible for the ward, but for other areas. I have yet to meet the Sergeant who is responsible for Brentford West but at least I now have a contact detail. There was a quite impressive Enforcement Officer in attendance, but I remain of the opinion that the council's approach to enforcement has completely lost its way. I will be writing to 'them in charge' to have my two ha'pence worth, which will undoubtedly be ignored, but might make me feel better. Or worse. Time will tell.
This morning, I have a message from TfL about the West London Orbital train service, which has been talked about for several years. It involves a new station (amongst others) at Lionel Road in good old Brentford East. This will obviously be handy for locals across Hounslow, though they say 'If the WLO receives the necessary approvals and future funding, services could start by 2035.' I have a feeling we are talking about a successor to HS2 which perhaps will become MS3 (Medium Speed 3) or some topical name a la Mildmay - I don't know - Scrubs Line? Whatever, if I remain an optimist I may use it before I am 110.
Other things I am working on - vaguely with Brentford Voice - is an event calendar for Brentford. There is nowhere where we can go to tell us what's on locally. The council website is usually out of date and badly organised, TW8 no longer really try to fill the hole. Other services like the council website are far from comprehensive, clunky and often out of date, so on the initiative of a chum of mine we are working with some geeky types to look at filling what we think is the hole.
I was in Boston Manor Park for a coffee this morning and that shows a few things that are on, and I also found out about something I initiated years ago and chased last year that I asked the council to attend to. Of course, nobody tells me as the ward member what is going on in my ward, I might spill the beans.
So as I never spill the beans I am not spilling them here but if it happens you may hear of something very soon.
Finally - an update on 'my' 3 trees.
Beginning to get quite leafy and blocking my view of the sky 😱
Councillor Guy Lambert
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