The riverside walkway at Brentford Dock has been blocked off by gates for five years
Hounslow Council is taking legal action to force a landowner to open up public access to a much-loved walking route along Brentford Dock.
The council has issued a legal order to add the estate’s riverside path, which has been restricted by gates installed by the landowner since 2021, to the borough’s public rights of way map. The order does not immediately establish the route as a definitive public right of way but is intended as the first step in a process to ensure the route is made accessible to the wider public.
The decision follows a detailed assessment of an application submitted on behalf of resident group Brentford Walks and other evidence, including historical records and from the landowner relating to public use of pathways at Brentford Dock.
Following consideration of the application, consultation with the landowner and all available evidence, the council’s position is that the perimeter route around Brentford Dock has been used by the public for many years and has over time become a public right of way.
The local authority says that insufficient evidence was provided in relation to other routes included in the application by Brentford Walks so its legal order only applies to the path at Brentford Dock. The order, when confirmed, will set out the specific route over which the council considers the public will have the right to walk.
The matter will now enter a formal statutory consultation and publicity period lasting at least 42 days. During this time, anyone with an interest in the application will have the opportunity to make representations or objections.
If no objections are received, the council is likely to confirm the order. If objections are submitted, the decision will be referred to the Secretary of State.
Commenting on the decision, Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Public Realm at Hounslow Council, said: “Hounslow’s rivers and canals are among the defining features of our borough and treasured assets for our communities.
“The path alongside the Thames at Brentford Dock has in recent times been largely gated off to public access by the landowner. Today, following the application submitted on behalf of resident group Brentford Walks, and lengthy and detailed assessment of all available evidence, we believe that the perimeter path around Brentford should be recognised as a public right of way.”
Why did access become restricted?
This is the latest development in a four-year dispute over access at Brentford Dock. In 2020, Brentford Dock Ltd installed gates and security patrols to restrict public entry, arguing that the land was private and that anti-social behaviour had increased.
Campaigners from Brentford Walks argued that the riverside had been publicly accessible for decades. The group gathered decades of legal and testimonial evidence showing continuous public usage of the path.
The council has previously attempted to have the gates removed. They first went up in 2021 with further gating added in 2024. In January 2023, Hounslow Council gave notice of consideration of issuing an immediate Article 4 Direction (A4D) to remove the permitted development rights for the erection of gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure outside, specifically within Brentford Dock.
During the consultation period for the A4D, 222 residents opposed the direction, with 105 supporting it. A significant number of objections raised concerns over the legality of the direction, legal and moral concerns over its imposition on private land and the cost and implications of the direction on dock residents.
Those supporting the direction argued that there was a concern of introducing “gated communities” to the borough, with others arguing for the importance of allowing access to the riverside for mental health and heritage reasons.
Hounslow Council ultimately withdrew the proposed A4D over legal and procedural issues. Three years later, the council is satisfied it has met the legal threshold to challenge the gates erected in the estate.
It is expected that Brentford Dock Ltd will challenge the proposals, meaning that the decision is likely to end up on the desk of the Secretary of State. Brentford Dock Ltd has been contacted for comment.
To take part in the public consultation and share your views, email [email protected]
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