Here Be Dragons

GreenDragonLane fantasy football league

The beautiful game is back, the new football season approaches and GreenDragonLane has formed a league at The Times online fantasy football site for the coming season. This is the biggest and best fantasy football league out there, if you want to join in the GreenDragonLane league click here to request an invitation from The Dragon.

Eco village week 5 – building a hexyurt

Anne & Alan Keen win squatter court bid

Married Labour MPs Ann and Alan Keen have won a court hearing to take their “main” home back from squatters.

A judge at Brentford County Court granted the couple an Interim Possession Order at a civil hearing.

It comes as the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner confirmed the pair are facing a probe over the property.
Under Commons rules, they should have spent most of their nights there but it emerged last month that it had not been lived in for up to a year.

The squatters, who entered the empty property on 26 June, will have 24 hours to vacate the terraced property once the notice has been served.

Another positive Times piece about the Eco Village

The Times today carried an opinion piece by Richard Morrison extolling the fact that “Britain is still full of people who refuse to lie down and let Big Business – or, even worse, Big Government – crush them.”
Read the full article here.

Brentford activism outbreak continues,”Squatters occupy the empty Brentford home of MPs Anne & Alan Keen”

Guido Fawkes is reporting that Activists have moved into the vacant Brentford home of Labour MP couple Anne and Alan Keen, also known as “Mr and Mrs Expenses”, who were recently caught up in the MPs expenses row for allegedly claiming for two second homes. More images here.

Who would believe that sleepy old Brentford is now rapidly transforming into activist central?

Reports that quote the Keens as “not being keen on this action” are to be discounted, as any voter in Brentford or Ealing will tell you, the chances of the Keens responding meaningfully to any communications are vanishingly small.

The Daily Mail reported their combined expense claim of £313,714 in the last financial year here.

This comes just days after Hounslow Council began proceedings to repossess their Brentford home as reported by The Independent here.

Bloody Brentford. I love you.

Article in The Times today “Squatters take over land to set up ‘eco-village’ near Kew Gardens”

Broadly sympathetic article in today’s edition of The Times, online version here.

Would be perhaps useful if The Times were to look into potential abuses of the planning process whereby the developers, St George West London, submitted a revised application earlier this year where modifications to their previous application were minimal but had the effect of nullifying objections made to the earlier application and where the Brentford and Isleworth Local Planning Committee approved the revised plans in May despite the Affordable Housing element of the development being reduced to zero, and, curiously, without those who had made valid objections to the modified application being notified of or invited to attend said meeting and thus denied their right to voice their objections in person.

New Eco Village Video

Courtesy of Calvin Jones.

Eco Village/Brentford Community Garden Open Weekend

An open weekend will take place on Sat 21st & Sun 22nd June with activities including face painting, music, picnic area and children’s workshops.

Some activity from St. George PLC, the developers who own the site, notices have gone up round the site warning to keep out as the site is dangerous and entering could result in personal injury.

Not sure if this is advisory or a threat along the lines of “we will break your legs”. What fun.

Eco Village update

On Wednesday evening the dwellers at the Kew Bridge development site/eco village visited their neighbors in Green Dragon Lane to distribute a rather nice leaflet setting out their achievements so far and their hopes for the future.

An invitation to a public meeting at 7:00pm on Thursday 18th at the eco village was extended to all.

So refreshing to meet such pleasant and committed young people, wishing them success in their endeavors.

Kew Bridge Development update

At a meeting of the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee (Planning) held on Thursday, 14 May 2009 at  7:30 pm at the Brentford Free Church, Boston Manor Road, Brentford the decision was made “Recommendations Approved”. The next step is referral to Sustainable Development Committee, next meeting 6 July 2009.

As an objector to the proposal I would have expected notification and an opportunity to make an objection in person at these proceedings. Alas not.

Has anyone else noticed that the proposal for the development has changed from providing a substantial affordable housing element to offering zero affordable housing?

Don’t the councils own guidelines preclude any large scale development without an affordable housing element?

I smell fish, I smell rats, who exactly has got at whom?

Perhaps it’s not only MP’s and their expenses claims that require further public scrutiny. Scandalous.

Whistleblowers please use the contact link at the top of the page or the feedback button to the right to anonymously share the details.

Planning decision pdf available here.