In recent weeks Hounslow Council have been promoting an exhibition on the future of Hounslow town centre this weekend, inviting the public to view plans/ideas.

The press release is here: www.hounslowtw3.net/its-my-town-centre-and-i-want.html

As I couldn't make it on Saturday, today I went down to the Treaty Centre just after 11.30am. The press release says "The two day event will take place outside the Treaty Centre".

There was nothing outside the Treaty Centre. The person on the information desk on the library ground floor didn't know anything about it. One of security guards in the shopping centre suggested it was on the first floor of the library, which it wasn't.

After 30 mins I gave up finding it. Maybe I'm being thick, but can anyone tell me where this exhibition was supposed to be?

Hi Knightmare,

You were a week too early!

It's this coming Sat & Sun, 27th & 28th.

Okay thanks! I'm off to bang my head against something.

I made a visit to the exhibition this morning which was held inside by BB's Coffee amidst the hullabaloo of the Treaty Centre's 21st birthday celebrations.

I spoke with one of the EADW members of staff (they are the council's consultants) who was very receptive although I did get into a bit of a moan. :-O

I told her about this site and she said she'd pay a visit so let's hope someone from the team will decide to use these forums as an alternative channel for discussion as they can be more dynamic and responsive than simply writing your ideas on a postcard.

Unfortunately I can't offer £100 in Debenhams vouchers as an incentive unless Debenhams or someone else would like to make an offer!

Anyway, the exhibition consisted mainly of ideas on how the town centre should grow. i.e. should there be offices here (along the Staines/Bath Roads)? Should the area around Kingsley road become a "Local Zone"? Should the town centre be designed as a long straight line along the High Street or be more founded?

So no definite plans for more shops, leisure etc just more ideas. I asked about Phase 2 of the Blenheim Centre and no real answers there. My fear is that with the financial crisis and unless a developer can find funds easily (like Tesco) nothing more major is going to be built for another 5 years at least, certainly nothing speculative that won't have major anchor tenants.

A final point. The plan is for a business zone between the Staines & Bath Roads but owners of the offices at 141-149 Staines Road have just been given the go ahead to convert them to flats!

planning.hounslow.gov.uk/planningv2/Plan...trCASENO=P/2008/2797

They were also doing sessions in the Paul Robeson theatre which consisted of an introduction by a Hounslow councillor and a presentation by EADW followed by a Q&A session.