Hounslow Council is consulting on the future of the borough’s four main town centres: Brentford, Chiswick, Feltham, and Hounslow.
The Council say their town centres have always been vibrant places with thriving shops and very few vacant units. However, the pandemic has resulted in a drop in customer footfall, impacting businesses and jobs caused by quickly changing resident habits, such as a move to online shopping, and different work patterns. They now want to reimagine the future of the town centres and to seek opportunities to:
- Increase domestic tourism
- Improve the variety of shops and businesses with retail, food and beverage, and leisure uses
- Adapt to, and mitigate climate change
- Support businesses to help them prosper and grow
- Deliver more housing
- Prioritise sustainable transport, such as walking and cycling
- Work with new digital tools
- Improve public amenities and services
- Work through partnerships and collaboration with community stakeholders
Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Strategy, Planning and Regeneration, said: “We want to make sure that our town centres are destinations of choice for the local communities they serve, and that they retain their own unique identities while continuing to support social and economic development for everyone in our borough.”
“As we all inevitably adapt to new patterns of living, due to many factors, including the shift to online shopping and the evolution of work patterns, now is a good time to provide input and comment to help guide the future of our town centres. These consultations will give an important insight as to what local people and businesses feel is needed.”
