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Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith has challenged Brentford’s proposal for a new community stadium at Lionel Road, describing the associated residential developments as “low quality”.

Goldsmith – who’s home constituency Richmond Park – has organised a meeting to try and rally local residents against the scheme and to “grill the developers” this coming Monday (30th September) at St Anne’s Church on Kew Green, starting at 7.30pm. Brentford FC supporters are welcome to attend, we believe, as it is a public meeting.

The MP is a renowned campaigned over environmental causes and – whilst accepting the case for developing the stadium overall – is particularly concerned about the visual impact of the housing tower blocks on Kew Gardens as well as congestion problems in the area.

Brian Burgess, director of Lionel Road Developments will be in attendance at the meeting and has countered that “Brentford FC is proud to have been a good neighbour to residents at Griffin Park for over 100 years and intends to continue in that vein over the next 100 years.”

In 2007 Goldsmith rallied local residents succesfully against proposals for a new Sainsbury’s store in Barnes – the shop was subsequently opened but with a revised planning permission.

Anyone driving down White Hart Lane in Barnes will notice that the shop has subsequently become quite popular with the locals, judging by the number of them carrying Sainsbury’s shopping bags. Hopefully we’ll see a number of similarly happy folk crossing Kew Bridge in 2016 wearing Brentford scarves on their way to Lionel Road.