Our Patch Autumn 2017
THE BEST TOPPING
FOR YOUR PIAZZA
Now and then:
how a dreary tarmac
space is set to be
transformed
As well as seeking more volunteer
help, the new group is also on the
lookout for projects and initiatives to
get involved in. “We need more people
to come and help; people with an
affinity for working with children,” said
Neil. “One of our recent recruits was a
man who used to be a member of 34th
Hammersmith, at Latymer School; a
pack which no longer exists.” Another
area where help is needed is technical
savvy to run the website and Facebook.
John Horton, of Horton and Garton,
backs scout group expansion. “As an
ex-cub and scout myself, whose mother
ran the guides in my village, I know the
dedication, passion and time invested
in all the young people,” he said. Email
Neil at [email protected] or call
07841 408238.
• 20th Chiswick Scouts has beavers,
cubs, scouts and explorers (www.20th-
chiswick-scouts.blogspot.co.uk).
• 3rd Chiswick Scouts, formed 1909,
is based near Stamford Brook tube
(www.bedfordpark.net/scouts).
• 21st Hammersmith meet at West
London Free School and Holy Trinity,
Brook Green (www.21sthammersmith.
org.uk).
All are on the lookout for volunteers.
A
crowd-funded project to turn
a dull stretch of tarmac into
an attractive area is sprinting
towards the finish line. Grove
Park’s piazza project got off to a flyer
with £36,500 from Hounslow Council.
Nearly 100 shops and residents
have contributed (www.spacehive.
com/grove-park-shops-piazza), and
the winning post of £78,712 is now
in sight. Jonathan Knight, who chairs
the Grove Park group, explained the
thinking behind a piazza with the
emphasis on pedestrians.
“A continental-style space with
wider pavements will be much better
than a massive expanse of tarmac,”
he said, adding that existing parking
bays would be retained in a more
people-friendly design. The space,
where Spencer Road meets Grove
Park Road, near the railway station,
will appeal to al fresco café and pub
customers and boost shop trade.
Crowd-funding cash pledges will
pay for the design phase, improving
accessibility along currently cramped
pavements. By block-paving the area
and adding traffic calming features,
pedestrian safety will be improved.
Hounslow’s traffic department, ward
councillors, residents and businesses
are backing the project, instigated
by the Grove Park Association – a
long-standing conservation group –
re-energised as the Grove Park Group
several years ago, following a local
campaign against the imposition
of controlled parking zones. “The
fundraising is going well,” said
Jonathan. “It’s on target. We
explained it to shops and businesses,
and the penny dropped about how it
could improve the area.”
The proposed piazza scheme
includes tree-planting for a greener,
healthier environment, appealing to
a stable population who have made
the Grove Park area their home. “This
area has biggish houses, and many
people have lived here since the 60s,
70s and 80s,” said Jonathan. “People
tend to stay here for a long time,
which means that more people have a
stake in the area.”
If all goes well, more people will
also have a steak in the area, as The
Old Station House pub (formerly the
Grove Park Hotel) can use some of the
space for outdoor dining.
To donate, visit: www.spacehive.
com/grove-park-shops-piazza