Hounslow Council Reverses Bench Orientation Amid Public Feedback

Hounslow Council bows to pressure to turn benches around to face the other way at new Grove park ‘piazza’.

Locals have viewed the installation of new benches at the Grove Park ‘piazza’ with bafflement, as they have been installed facing the row of shops, and there has been some hilarity in the chemist, Busby’s, which would have come under particular scrutiny from members of the public sitting there.

Contrary to popular opinion, the benches have not been put in the wrong way round by a dozy council. They were always intended to face this way so people sitting there wouldn’t be looking out at the traffic.

The original idea was to smarten up the area by creating a partly pedestrianised piazza. The benches were initially designed to be attached to raised planters facing the shops so people sitting there would not just be looking at the adjacent parked cars.

There have been so many comments to Hounslow Council about the benches facing ‘the wrong way’ that it has now committed to changing them round to face the other way, so they will now face the road, greenery and Old Station House pub, which is itself being redeveloped.