This is a fair article on some of the things that have been happening recently, based on the contact I have received.
It is important, however, that residents report things through the relevant eForm when things happen.
I intend to take up any offer to visit the place when works are complete.
Update: I need to post the url as wordpress has changed the way that links are added and it seems to be having teething trouble:
The Chronicle have commented on the above but again not asked any Conservative for a response. Here is the article. They have been happy to use my blog to generate stories in the past without referring to my blog as a source, but not so happy to use it to get my alternative take on these reports.
I have not yet seen the hard copy of the latest edition but I will be interested in whether the previous Borough Council Meeting was covered.
Off to Euston for a train to Manchester later this morning. I expect to see lots of other Conservatives heading up to Conference from there. Looking forward to it but need to get a few things done first, one of which is a first draft response to this. Sadly was not given the chance to comment as part of the article.
Lets hope that the trains are running well today!
The news about Feltham Community School and its GCSE results is brilliant. The Head Teacher at this school has impressed a lot of people with her very clear commitment to turnaround and the highest academic and personal standards. Well done to everyone and those young people have done well throughout the Borough.
I have not yet read a hard copy of the Chronicle but am aware of the latest on the FCA Building. There are two people I wish to speak with, both of whom are on leave but there are two things that I find odd about the article:
a) No reference to the word “temporary” in the article and this word is important – see the actual application.
b) The claim that the plans for a skills centre have fallen by the wayside. We have had bad news that we cannot proceed now but that does not mean that this location cannot be used for this purpose in the future.
Just been alerted to this article. Someone could take the impression that the site has actually been formally discussed since the Government decided that this application was not as high a priority for them as others.
The irony of the article stating that I have raised the prospect of flats on this site could not be under-estimated. The thought of flats on this site is something I find very hard to stomach.
Whilst I maintain that this site was brilliant in terms of raising the profile of skills training, one of the other reasons I liked the use of a Skills Centre here is that it avoided the risk of more flats.
Maybe some who were critical of me previously now realise why the decision to forego a capital receipt on this site was a brave and good decision? A big commitment to the people of Feltham.
I have serious doubts that the site is worth £5 million as claimed in the article.
I got a mention in the letters page in the Chronicle for the second time in as many weeks. The author is a constituent of mine and he and I have exchanged emails in the past. I very much hope that he reads my blog.
My view has not changed. I cannot think of a better way to raise the profile of skills training in Feltham by relocating the Skills Centre to a High Street location. I am already on record as having stated that I did not like the images that were presented to the West Area Monitoring Committee and expect something different as part of a planning application that has been submitted. My constituent said, “so what will happen when the skills centre attracts additional students from surrounding boroughs?” My response is that I expect a deliberate effort on the part of West Thames College to increase the proportion of local students i.e. from the Feltham, Bedfont & Hanworth area. I also would expect it to be chepear for students to catch one of the many buses than to drive and pay to park.
However, and most crucially, reference was made to alternative sites near public transport and I would be interested to know where these are?
I hope that this discussions remains current as this scheme is being looked at by the Learning & Skills Council.
I read an article about the above earlier today.
I have already asked the extent to which the Council’s Emergency Planning Section would have been involved and informed none at all.
If you live in Brainton Avenue, I hope you have not been inconvenienced too much!
This blog got a mention on page 6 of the Chronicle yesterday. If you found out about this blog that way, feel free to let me know and, more generally, I look forward to your comments.
Bowen's blog 