Regeneration project: Brentford

Brentford has received £226,000 from Round One and £1m from Round Two of the Outer London Fund, matched by £620,000 from Hounslow Council, to create an inviting and stimulating town centre that is more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists. Public spaces along a 1km route between Brentford High Street and the Great West Road are being brought to life through improvements to landscaping, art and lighting and cultural events. These will all help attract visitors and increase spend in the town centre. There is also a focus on improving important public spaces like Market Place on the High Street and canal-side sheds north of the town centre.

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Animating places

Two recognisable but neglected barge sheds straddling the Grand Union Canal in Brentford are being refurbished to celebrate area’s industrial heritage. The sheds have stood empty for years and the towpath is badly lit and uninviting. Funding will help give both sheds new wooden cladding decorated with an impressive cut-out pattern featuring natural forms that reflect the riverside, by artist Simon Periton. Dynamic lighting will help turn the sheds into sculptural and artistic landmarks, and bring the surrounding space back to life. The sheds will become a beacon attracting visitors along the canal from the north and south to the towpath.

Hosting events

An ambitious local events programme is complementing physical changes to Brentford’s town centre and bringing the community together. Perhaps the most stunning event so far has been a new laser sculpture switched on by former Mayor of London Boris Johnson. It was created by French artist Félicie d'Estienne d'Orves for the International Festival of Digital Arts 2012, hosted by local arts centre Watermans. This dramatic symbol for the area projects light into the sky that can be seen across Brentford. The Brentford High Street Steering Group has also been given seed funding to re-establish a regular town centre food market.

Public spaces

Brentford’s Market Place is being redesigned by Kinnear Landscape Architects to make it a more active and treasured part of the high street. It is getting a new surface treatment combining existing York stone paving with compacted gravel and cobbles, while new timber benches will mean people can stay longer and enjoy the lively market place. New planting and a water feature are reconnecting the heart of the town with Brentford’s waterside location. Specially designed signage set into the pavement will mark the entrance to the space, instilling a sense of pride into this precious civic resource. Legible London signage is also helping to improve wayfinding across the town centre.

Building frontages

Shops on Brentford High Street, Half Acre and Boston Manor Road are being renovated in line with standards set out in a new design guide for the area. This guide has been distributed to all local shops to help them best plan their improvements. It offers direction under nine themes, from how to make the most of historic frontages and integrating security features, to providing shop forecourts and selecting appropriate materials.

Supporting business

The Canal and River Trust has granted a short license to Art in Unusual Spaces working with the Decorators to reanimate an empty shop close to Brentford’s Market Place as Brentford Works. The shop is an important link between the high street and the Market Place, but is currently a wasted opportunity. Brentford Works is offering a place on the high street for independent traders, social entrepreneurs and designer-makers to network and try out new business ideas – including cargo bike hire and bike repair training sessions. This will help encourage local start-ups and bring more people into the town centre.

Stewardship

The Mayor is supporting the Brentford High Street Steering Group, formed from local traders, residents and councillors. The group is working on short and medium term plans to improve the shopping experience in Brentford, and has used the community planning process to produce the Brentford High Street Community Vision. A project board made up of the Chief Executive Officer of the council, local landowners, Greater London Authority representatives and London Borough of Hounslow will oversee implementation of proposals.

Transport

Brentford is already a well-connected place with a number of cycle-friendly routes. Funding is being used for better facilities to help encourage an even greater cycling culture. New bicycle stands are being installed throughout the town centre and a public bicycle pump is being installed in the Market Place. The Thames and River Brent are important cycle routes for commuters and are benefitting from new wayfinding signs and enhanced lighting.

Shaping development

In March 2012 a major regeneration project to build 520 homes along the Grand Union Canal in Brentford was given planning permission. This will improve an area that’s been filled with derelict industrial buildings for years. Part of the project is major public space improvements including turning two empty barge sheds near the town centre into mixed-use buildings. Artist Simon Periton will apply a new cladding to both sheds, creating a lantern effect when lit from within. A series of events, in partnership with the developer, will help bring the site to life and prepare for its future use.

Preparing for change

Kinnear Landscape Architects and The Decorators have developed proposals for a ‘Moving High Street’, to suggest ways that bicycles and canal boats could be used to deliver food in and around Brentford. The strategy has support from the council who are looking for ways to fund the initiative alongside the physical works. First steps are already being made with Brentford Bikes testing out cargo bike hire for school runs and food delivery, and an ambitious celebratory event involving local schools in Summer 2014 led by Watermans Arts Centre. The Brentford High Street Steering Group has also held a number of special market events to test out the feasibility and desire for a regular market in Brentford.

Borough: Hounslow

Partners/client: LB Hounslow

Consultants: Kinnear Landscape Architects, Decorators, Thameside Enterprise, Simon Periton, Expedition Engineering, Félicie d'Estienne d'Orves, Designed by Good People

Funding: Mayor of London £1.2m, LB Hounslow £620,000