New Developments

Working with businesses both large and small, we are energetically creating new and exciting leisure opportunities, tourist attractions, cafés, restaurants, trip boats and waterside businesses to enhance the experience of visitors to our waterways. One example of a leisure development area is Brentford Waterside.

Brentford Waterside

The waterways have played a vital role in the growth and prosperity of Brentford since Roman times, with Brentford Lock itself at the town's economic heart.However, following the decline in the waterborne freight industry and the closure of Brentford Depot in the late 1980s the use of the site frequently changed to support ad-hoc short term business requirements and played little part in the local economy.

Brentford Waterside has recently been revived through a partnership between British Waterways London, Charles Church and St George West London Ltd which has generated economic, environmental and social improvements, benefiting all sectors of the community. The waterways are once again acting as the catalyst for the town's regeneration.

Key improvements:

• 37 new permanent moorings (including five residential), British Waterways office and new boaters' facilities centre
• Improved towpaths and greater access for cyclists and pedestrians
• New office units, five new retail units plus a restaurant and bar
• The Grade II listed Toll House has been restored and is a mini museum featuring the original ledger deskwhere the toll keeper would gauge the weight and type of cargo carried on boats and record this by hand in the weighty ledgers
• New landscaping, planting and signage
• 400 new homes and a 140-bed hotel

British Waterways encourages local people to visit Brentford Lock and enjoy the waterside environment. In 2009 Brentford and Hanwell will be part of the British Waterways 'Yours to enjoy anytime' marketing campaign with leaflets being door dropped to around 100,000 households along with a timetable of summer events.

New Businesses

In 2008 we have helped 3 new businesses become established on our waterways.

Floating Thai Barbecue - every sunny Saturday throughout the summer 'Oliekop', a Dutch barge, in partnership with Project A, a new canal-side Thai Restaurant, sold Thai food from the roof of the boat on the canal near to Broadway Market.

Ice Cream Bike - During summer weekends and school holidays, we gave permission for a trike selling ice cream to trade from the towpath.

Kayak Taxi- During the summer one canoe company based at Paddington Basin/ Little Venice provided trips for the general public.