KEW BRIDGE NEWS

September/October 2016

Kew Bridge News is edited by Line Asghar (Apartment 130 - line.asghar@kbnews.org), James Richardson (Apartment 141 - james.richardson@kbnews.org), and Hilary Smith (Apartment 46) - hilary.smith@kbnews.org)

Kew Bridge News is published by J.R. Editorial Services Ltd (Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06563170. Registered office and address for service: c/o Place Campbell & Co., Wilmington House, High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3AU) .

Kew Bridge News is designed and printed by Wyeth Digital Ltd (01420 544 948).

ContentsMeet the Concierge 2

Paddleboarding at Kew 3

Vingt et Un 4or (the Kew Bridge) Pontoon Open House London 6

What’s On 8

Welcome to the fourth issue of Kew Bridge News. Your editors are among the first residents, two of them having arrived in 2012, and one in 2013. We are all committed to 8 Kew Bridge Road. All three of us love living here in what we regard as a brilliant development in a stunning location on the banks of the Thames and on the edge of one of the world’s great cities.

Our commitment through the bimonthly newsletter and our companion website (www.kbnews.org) is threefold: first, to bring news of events that are happening in our part of London, whether it’s at Kew Gardens, the National Archives, one of our local cinemas, theatres or museums, on the river, or under the auspices of a local society or group; secondly, to address issues of concern closer to home, both within and without the development itself; thirdly, to provide a means of communication for owners and residents (and many residents are not owners) to let us know their concerns.

As to the first of these objectives, a starting point will always be the back page of Kew Bridge News, but, once our website is up and running (we hope by the end of September at the latest), we shall be adding events there throughout the year.

As to the second, an example “issue” is highlighted on pages 4 and 5 - the saga of the Kew Bridge pontoon. That could be said to be half internal, half external. Fully external issues would include the Lionel Road development. How many of you were aware of the scheme to build a football stadium (Brentford’s new home), a hotel and 900 apartments on the triangle of land to the right of Lionel Road (a smaller area than our own on which there are 308 apartments)? And then there is the Capital Interchange Way scheme to stick up three towers of 22, 20 and 19 storeys on top of a bus depot, another few hundred apartments, all being part of Hounslow’s grand “Golden Mile” plan. The first mile of the elevated section of the M4 as a “golden” mile! Nobody could accuse Hounslow planners of lacking ambition.

cont. page 7

We would like to remind all leaseholders of the agreement

we have negotiated with Chestertons - one of London’s

largest estate agency and property consultancy businesses

with 18 branches across the world.

The Kew Village office (306 Sandycombe Road, TW9 3NG)

is offering any Kew Bridge leaseholder a discount on their standard commission rates for

sales or lettings.

Quote the code on p.3.

September/October 2016

Meet the Concierge - The Day Team - A polyglot lot

Sawan Jeevnani (“Sawan”)

Sawan was born in Mumbai and is Indian with British nationality. His father is a lawyer and is from a large family, but Sawan himself has just one brother who is a doctor. Sawan grew up in Mumbai, attending school and college there. He came to the U.K in 2005 to work with a smaller chain of hotels, the Shaftesbury Group. In 2008 he took up employment with the Marriott Group, working at the Renaissance Hotel at Heathrow. He then worked as the Night Duty Manager at Grosvenor House, a J.W. Marriott hotel in Park Lane. At present, he is thinking of pursuing property law.

Sawan was one of the core team of five concierges who started working at 8 Kew Bridge Road in 2012 when they were all based in Strand House, the only entrance for the first residents then being that beside Hammond’s (though this was long before Hammond’s first opened their doors). Initially, he worked nights but became part of the day-team in 2014 when Marius (remember him?) left us.

Sawan is married to Kiara and is the proud father of one daughter named Trish who is now 16 months’ old.

He is a linguist, being fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati and Sindhi (his mother tongue).

He likes to keep fit and goes to the gym and was into swimming until a slightly traumatic incident curtailed his quest for Olympic gold (he spent rather longer at the bottom of the pool than was good for him).

As our senior concierge, it is good to know that he “loves” to work here. Ever the diplomat, he refuses to be drawn on the tricky issue of whether there is even one resident who gives him any grief! Apparently, we are all model citizens!

Gestão De Oliveira Baptista Matoso Jonatas (“Gestão”)

“Mine is a long name even by Portugese standards”, although it is not uncommon to find people with seven, eight or more names in Portugal. Born in Portugal in 1978, Gestão had an elder brother, who sadly died 13 years ago, and he has twin younger brothers. He had a grandfather who studied in Manchester and his mother and a maternal aunt also studied in England, the latter at Imperial College in Kensington. The twins were born in England and Gestão lived in London for three years up to the age of four. On his return to Portugal, he lived in the seaside town of Sao Martinho de Porto.

Having completed his schooling, he started work in the hotel business, initially in his village. Gestão returned to England in 2010, and started work at the Kensington Hotel in High Street, Kensington, as a concierge. He first worked at 8 Kew Bridge Road in the final quarter of 2015, initially as an agency worker, but he has since become a full-time employee of Premier Estates.

All his family, minus his mother who died in February this year, are now back in Portugal. Gestão himself lives in Shepherds Bush. He has a wide range of interests, with particular passions for football (following the fortunes of Portugese legend José Mourinho) and music (he plays the guitar). He also loves to walk - especially “in the quiet”, although, as he admits, there are limited opportunities for that in 21st century London.

Gestão is fluent in five languages - as well as his native Portugese and English, he speaks Spanish, Italian and French.

Dante Marzo (“Dante”)

“By study, I am accountant …, by heart, I am gypsy!”

Born in Milan, Dante started travelling aged 13, spending holidays working at music festivals around Europe. After school, he worked for an advertising agency - in budget control! But he didn’t fit: “I started to get revolutionary.” So, with friends, he went to Costa Rica, but not before marrying - aged 19 - a pianist and teacher.

In Costa Rica, Dante started building houses. However, it didn’t last. After 11 months, he rejoined his wife in Italy. But the marriage didn’t fare any better. Divorce and an Ethiopian girlfriend followed. Travel was on their minds, and it was a competition between Africa and a return to Costa Rica. She won! In Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Dante worked at getting kids off the street, and volunteered in UNHCR refugee camps. After 30 months, he returned to Italy. The relationship with his girlfriend went south as he came north!

Then to London in 1998, where he met his Brazilian second wife. Then followed 14 years in Brazil. What was he up to? Most interestingly, he was involved with his wife’s family in a “beachware” factory (in Brazil, not much string made plenty). He also opened a real estate agency; but the global financial crisis saw to that.

The Brazilian adventure came apart in 2011. Widowed for a second time, Dante’s mother became ill. He was determined to look after her whilst his wife was unwilling to give up a career in alternative medicine. Divorce followed and in 2013, Dante’s mother died. “Then I got lost.” The wilderness period ended with his return to London late in 2014, and work at Kew Bridge as weekend cover.

Dante (also multi-lingual) became permanent in November 2015. Sadly, he leaves us soon. What’s next? He chuckles: “Costa Rica is still on the table.” We shall miss his unfailing charm and good humour. We wish them well.

To find out more talk to us today or visit chestertons.com/avios

Your property can help you get away with Chestertons

Applies to sellers and landlords. Terms and conditions apply see www.chestertons.com/avios for details. Avios are issued and redeemed in accordance with Avios terms and conditions.

Code: KBN3

Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is the fastest growing watersport in the world - and it is booming in London. Even better, Britain’s biggest SUP school, Active360, is on your doorstep - in the Kew Bridge arches. Its health benefits include toning up your core muscles, and giving you thorough all-over body conditioning.

Kew Bridge is the pivotal base for SUP on the Thames, and if you’d like to have a go, Active360 lays on beginners’ lessons on request every day. Classes are scheduled every weekend and on many weekday evenings.

Once you have learned how to use the river safely, Active360 can hire you boards so you can head off on your own SUP adventure. Active360 also sell paddleboards, for as little as £650 – check out http://www.active360.co.uk/sup-shop.htm

Some boards are inflatable and can fold up into a small backpack. There’s a special 10% discount for Kew Bridge residents on all equipment and lessons.

Here are two dates for your diary, and Active360 is involved in both if you’d like to come and join in the fun.

Paddleboarders are due to take part in a citizen science project to help assess the health of the Thames. Launched by Active360, the Source To Sea SUP Relay got underway on September 1. It will cover the river from its source in Gloucestershire downstream to the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. It will pass Kew Bridge on the morning of

Saturday, September 17.

Active360 founder Paul Hyman said: “Source to Sea is hugely important because it draws attention to the health of the Thames and its value as a watersports venue.”

Also planned for the same day is a mass paddle from Kew. For more details, see www.laureus.com/sup.

On Sunday September 11, TideFest will celebrate the River Thames with a day of events at Kew, including paddleboarding taster sessions from 11, a charity paddle to Putney and back, and a clean-up of the foreshore. More at www.thamestidefest.net

To claim the 10% discount offered to all Kew Bridge residents on all Active360 equipment and lessons through September and October, please use code “kewbridgers” when booking at www.active360.co.uk

Paddleboarding at Kew Bridge

September/October 2016

Stick or twist? This now appears to be the dilemma facing St George. In our July/August issue we flagged the pontoon question. Whilst we are still some way from a resolution, there is a palpable sense of a momentum building towards a solution that may culminate in its removal.

The backgroundBack in the day, two rowing clubs were situated on the banks of the Thames adjacent to Kew Bridge. With a view to resurrecting a tradition of river-based activities being enjoyed in the area, Brentford councillor, Mel Collins, was the driving force behind the inclusion of an obligation to construct the pontoon in the section 106 agreement (Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s.106) entered into between St George and Hounslow Council.

The planning documentsWhat is a “section 106 agreement”? An agreement between a local authority and a developer that is linked to a planning permission. Such an agreement is required when a development will have a significant impact on the local area that cannot be moderated by means of conditions attached to a planning decision. A new development can place extra pressure on a locality’s infrastructure. A section 106 obligation is aimed at balancing that pressure with improvements to the surroundings to ensure that, where possible, the development will make a positive contribution to the local community.

What about this s.106 agreement?St George entered into two key covenants. The first obliged them to sub-let the two arches under Kew Bridge that are closest to the river to “the Recognised Community Group” (i.e. Brentford F.C. Community Sports Trust (BFCCST)) “for river related community activities”. This has been done and the two arches are now occupied by Active 360 (see p.3), Edge Progressive Paddling (“Edge”) and Chelsea Kayak Club (“CKC”). The second required them to construct a pontoon “and make the same available for the Development and the Recognised Community Group for river related activities”.

Reasons for decisionIn the recitals to the grant of planning permission, under “Principle of Development”, there is this: “The scheme makes provision for public open space, river related uses (through the use of Kew Bridge arches 4 and 5) and a new pontoon.”; and, under “Impact on the Thames/riverside”, there is this: “The proposed development will enhance access to the foreshore for persons wishing to undertake river-related activities …; and includes … a pontoon, the latter not affecting important views or impeding navigation, water flow, … public safety… .”

The upside and the downside from a planning perspectiveIn summary, therefore, the perceived case for the pontoon was to encourage river-related activities for residents of the development and the local community. There was no downside, as, importantly, it was said that there would be no negative impact on important views or safety.

The realityIs that the pontoon has proved to be an expensive white elephant that is not only not fit for purpose (squadrons of Canada and Egyptian geese apart, nobody willingly uses it for river-related activities), but does actually constitute a serious risk to safety and compromises the views of a Grade II listed bridge both upstream and downstream. Whilst the pontoon obligation was included in the 106 agreement with good intentions, the planning case has manifestly failed.

The case for removalNobody uses it willingly. It is a hazard to safety. It reduces the navigable fairway. It is an eyesore. For something of no benefit to anyone, it is expensive to maintain.

The partiesSt GeorgeAn email to Ian Dobie (managing director of St George (West London)) in July, in which the case for removal was put to him, elicited this reply: “the comments you have received … are not necessarily fully representative of the views of the Brentford Boating Arch, which is run by BFCCST, who are … responsible … for the Arch and all associated activities … My understanding is that they are keen for the pontoon to remain and are investigating some relatively minor additional works … to allow it to fully function as intended. I will ask for a full update on this and revert. There has been a considerable investment in the pontoon and it seems a shame that the community, whom it was intended for, may not realise its full potential.”

Nothing further was received from St George, and, despite the suggestion that we may not have been talking to the right people, we have been unable to find anyone who wants the pontoon to remain. Their stance seems, therefore, to be that it was constructed pursuant to an obligation imposed on them, with the design and positioning having been agreed by the Environment Agency and the Port of London Authority, so why should it now be removed?

Did they make a virtue of necessity, and promote the pontoon in their marketing of the apartments here?

Brentford F.C. Community Sports TrustTheir position is a little ambivalent, perhaps not surprising as, at all material times, until shortly before his recent departure from St George, Ian Dobie was also chairman of the board of

Vingt et Un or (the Kew Bridge) Pontoon

September/October 2016

trustees. With the groups working under the trust’s umbrella at the arches being either dead against it or, in one case, neutral, it might have been thought that the trust too would be campaigning for its removal, whereas they seem content to toe the St George line.

Recently, however, they have been asked to contribute £1,500 towards the annual maintenance costs. Unsurprisingly, they are objecting to this. Will they now shift their ground?

Active 360, Edge & CKCPaul Hyman, director of Active 360, makes the point that none of the end users were ever consulted about the design. His first thoughts were that the pontoon might be no more than a nuisance. However, after two incidents in which paddleboarders have been swept against the pontoon, he is vehemently opposed to its retention. Were a person to be swept under the pontoon, a distinct possibility with a big flood tide, it would almost certainly be fatal. Because of this risk, the club has had to alter its practices, and, in a flood tide, it will launch its members from the pontoon; but this is done “under protest”.

Edge chairman, Peter Hughes, is even more outspoken. The pontoon “serves absolutely no purpose, due to its incorrect design and position. A pontoon … should make the water accessible at mid- and low tide. This it totally fails to do because it sits on stilts.” At higher tides, he says, there is no need for it because launching from the existing slipway “is much better.” Launching a group of kayakers from the pontoon at high tide would be hazardous because the pontoon “sticks right out in the main tidal flow.” The pontoon is a danger to all river users, and not just from the risk of someone in the river getting dragged under it. He points to the hazard to boaters from the bridge to the pontoon.

Both men highlight the further danger from the fact that now, officially, all craft, from the large and the fast, to paddleboarders and canoeists, have to share the central arch under Kew Bridge, the first arch being “No entry.”

CKC are neutral.

Strand on the Green Sailing ClubThey are further away, but they would like to see it gone, regarding it as conferring no benefit and carrying nuisance value and a possible safety risk.

The residents of 8 Kew Bridge RoadWe, of course, were included in the supposed beneficiary group, and we are entitled to use it. However, Carol Mullery reports that, thus far, there has been but one inquiry that she is aware of from a resident and this was not followed up. In our July issue, we asked for views. The only response we got was negative.

The houseboat owners, Strand on the Green Association, Strand on the Green Sailing Club & the River Thames SocietyAll are opposed on aesthetic grounds (the “lollipops” on either side of the bridge being particularly offensive to the eye).

The Hounslow councillorsCredit is due to Mel Collins, who readily concedes that what has been erected bears no relation to what he had in mind. He and other local councillors have expressed themselves willing to participate in an all-interested parties meeting to find a solution.

Where now?There is some cause for optimism. First, our local councillors are willing to engage in a discussion. Secondly, all parts of the pontoon could be re-used. Thirdly, we understand that the cost of removal could be recovered, especially once future maintenance and licensing costs are factored in. Fourthly, there is a community group up-river who want a pontoon, and it may well be that ours would fit the bill. Finally, the PLA (who rule the river roost) are willing to broker an agreement to suit all parties.

When there is so much opposition, most particularly from those who were supposed to be the primary beneficiaries, it seems crazy not to take advantage of the PLA’s offer, especially when we have the goodwill of the Hounslow councillors who were behind the project in the first place.

The service charge and the pontoon

This is a subsidiary issue, but we see no possible justification for the licence fee, the cost of the electricity, the maintenance costs or the cleaning costs being stuck on the service charge.

September/October 2016

Attention Nosy Parkers!

Open House LondonSeptember 17 & 18, 2016

Wonder what lies behind the famous front door of 10 Downing Street? Fancy a peek behind the scenes of the Royal Festival Hall? What about experiencing the panoramic view of London from the top of the Gherkin? These are only a few of the goodies on offer during the Open House London weekend and what’s more it’s all free!

There are over 750 places participating in the scheme this year and they range from grand buildings, such as the Bank of England to quirky places like Priory Yurt in Highgate. For the nosy amongst us there are many design-led homes opened up by their owners, including a contemporary house with a façade of weathered steel (featured on Grand Designs) tucked behind The Coach and Horses on Kew Green. Also close to home are such places as the Brentford Canal Toll House, Osterley House, Sir Richard Burton’s Mausoleum in Mortlake and the Herbarium, Library, Archives and Tropical Nurseries at Kew Gardens. For the more adventurous there’s even a Guided Cycle Tour, commencing at Turnham Green.

If you’re tempted to take advantage of this annual opportunity to explore some of the less accessible London sights we would advise some planning beforehand. You can visit the website www.openhouselondon.org.uk for further details and also information on how to order the 2016 Guide. There’s even an app you can download onto your phone to help you navigate your way through the myriad of locations on offer. Generally you can just turn up at these spots but do be prepared to queue for the more popular venues. A few visits do have to be booked in advance so it’s important to check as early as possible.

Weathering Steel House, Cambridge Rd, Kew

Sir Richard Burton’s Mausoleum, Mortlake The Gherkin, St Mary Axe

September/October 2016

cont. from page 1

What about internal issues? It’s early days, but there is no real shortage, and we hope that we can help to get them sorted out by drawing attention to them. A few examples, in no particular order, would be: the lift in Strand House (ever been in it?); the carpets in Strand and Belvedere Houses (they are a patchwork; whatever colour is eventually settled upon, they need to be the same throughout); the recycling arrangements (currently unsatisfactory by any standard, but we could help by (a) flattening boxes, (b) ensuring that only paper goes in paper, only plastic goes in plastic, only cans go in cans, etc,); litter (more pressure needs to be exerted on certain commercial tenants to take this more seriously; and then there is the issue of whether we should take responsibility for tidying the service road at the side of Kew Bridge; one resident complained when our weekend cleaner cleared rubbish from the steps up to the bridge on the basis that this was for the council, but is that not a very one-eyed view?); noise (from One over the Ait; is that an issue of concern?); security (a concern for some residents, but we can help by ensuring doors close after we use them); the water (how many times have we had no water or cold water only in just three years?); window cleaning (are the arrangements as

haphazard as they appear to be?); and short-term “lets” and Airbnb (is this a problem and is it legitimate under the terms of the lease? We have our doubts, and it is a statement of the obvious to say that a constant turnover of short-term residents creates disproportionate work and security issues for the concierge team). Your editors being residents of Strand or Belvedere House, it may be that we are a bit left-leaning and not taking sufficient cognisance of concerns in Rothschild, Provenance or Quayside Houses. So please let us know if there are matters (from the centre ground or right wing) that are vexing you.

Which brings us to our third objective. Please let us know what does matter to you, what you like, what you don’t like, what you would like us to focus on. You can email any of us directly (contact details at the foot of p.1) or you will shortly be able to contribute to any topic via the forum on the website. But please keep it positive and constructive. We are only interested in working on a collaborative basis with our freeholders and managing agents to achieve the results that we all want.

Earthlife Wellbeing & FitnessArch 2, Kew Bridge Arches, Richmond, TW9 3AW

Tel: 020 8940 0888 info@earth-life.co.uk - www.earth-life.co.uk

Just across the bridge you can find Earthlife; a unique and tranquil facility in the arches of Kew Bridge, where

emphasis is placed on Fitness, Health and Wellbeing. Our aim is to provide a personal and holistic approach to wellbeing and fitness in a place of calm and relaxation.

No Membership or Joining Fees!

WELLBEING

Various Massage TreatmentsPregnancy Massages

Reflexology - Aromatherapy Acupuncture - Hypnotherapy

Chiropractic - Osteopathy Craniosacral Therapy

Homeopathy - NutritionFacials - Body Treatments

MOTHER & BABY

Pregnancy Yoga Hypnobirthing

Breathe to a Better Birth Labour & Birth Workshop

Mum & Baby Yoga Post Natal Pilates

Baby Massage Baby & Child First Aid

FITNESS

Hatha Yoga Iyengar Yoga

Teen Yoga Dynamic Hatha Yoga

Yoga Nidra Lotte Berk Method

Ballet for Adults Pilates

EARTHLIFE WELLBEING & FITNESS

Special September Offer* for Kew Bridge Residents: 15 % OFF a 60, 75 or 90 min

Massage, Reflexology or Facial.

* 1 per person

And Then There Were AitFollowing the KBOA AGM in April, there were no

fewer than 16 putative members of the committee. That quickly reduced to 12. Following a series of

resignations (it’s a sorry story), this was, at the last count, down to eight.

Watermans Brentfordwww.watermans.org.uk

September Swallows & AmazonsSee website No Home Movie Julieta The Secret Life of Pets The Angry Birds Movie Hell or High Water David Brent:Life on the Road The Childhood of a Leader The Blue Room The Café Society Ingrid Bergman in her own Words Captain Fantastic The Clan Outdoor: Purple Rain Outdoor: Titanic

15 & 26 Sept NT Encore : The Deep Blue Sea28 Sept RSC Live : Cymbeline12 Oct RSC Live : King Lear

River Weekender 201616-18 Sept Weekend festival of the arts to celebrate life by & on the the river4 & 8 Sept Free Guided Walk Olympic Studios Barneswww.olympiccinema.co.uk

September Swallows & Amazons See website Pete’s Dragon Julieta David Brent: Life on the Road The BFG Café Society Whale Rider Finding Dory Jason Bourne The Sad and Beautiful World of Sparklehorse The Shallows Wiener-Dog

11 Sept One More Time with Feeling Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds18 Sept Olympic Comedy Sesssions Edinburgh Festival Special22 Sept NT Live: The Threepenny Opera29 Sept Olympic Live Session Joel Fisk & Jon Amor

Richmond Theatre8 - 17 Sept The Dresser (Ronald Harwood) Ken Stott & Reece Shearsmith20 - 24 Sept The Woman in Black (Susan Hill)27 Sept - 1 Oct A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)3 - 8 Oct Relatively Speaking (Alan Ayckbourn) Robertt Powell & Liza Goddard14, 15 Oct Stick Man (Julia & Donaldson & Axel Scheffler)7 - 22 Oct A Room with a View (E M Forster) Felicity Kendall24 - 29 Oct Stepping Out (Richard Harris) Amanda Holden & Tamsin Outhwaite

Orange Tree Theatre, Richmondwww.orangetreetheatre.co.uk

8 Sept - 8 Oct Jess and Joe Forever (Zoe Cooper)13 Oct - 19 Nov Blue Heart (Caryl Churchill)

Puppet Theatre Bargenear 87 Petersham Road, Richmondwww.puppetbarge.com

3, 9, 10, 16, 17, Brer Rabbit visits Africa23, 24, 30 Sept01 Oct The Ancient Mariner

The Tabard Theatre, Chiswickwww.tabardweb.co.uk

5-26 Sept Broken Strings with Steven Arnold & Linda Clark

Kew Gardens Kew the Movies7 Sept Mean Girls8 Sept Labyrinth

Richmond Runfest18 Sept London’s most exclusive 10K race

Write on Kew A Literary Festival now enjoying its second year22-24 Sept Robert Harris, Alan Johnson, Rick Stein, Tracy Chevalier, A S Byatt, Frank Gardner, Fay Weldon and many others

Handmade at Kew www.kew.org/handmade6-9 Oct International Contemporary Craft Event The Hive28 & 29 Oct Live concert - Performance of ONE, the soundscape from the Hive

Richmond Park

Walks1 Oct Sheen Gate Car Park 10amFridays Informal Birdwatching Walks Pen Ponds Car Park Coffee Kiosk 9.302, 11 & 30 Sept Isabella Plantation Garden Walks Inside Garden Gate from Broomfield Hill Car Park