WELCOME

Ealing Civic Society was established in 1967 when many of our founding members were closely involved with local residents’ associations in opposing the Council’s radical plans to re-develop the centre of Ealing. We are not connected with any political party or the Council.

We are working to preserve and improve our borough, in the following areas:
• Conservation
• Green spaces
• Licensing
• Design
• Heritage
• Planning
• Regeneration
• Streetscape
• Transport

ealing civic society plaque ARCADIA
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, has refused planning permission for the Arcadia development. In doing so, he upheld the recommendation of his planning inspector, David Richards, following the public inquiry held in June and July of this year at which the Civic Society, Save Ealing’s Centre and the central Ealing conservation panels, along with many other residents, gave evidence.
Naturally we are delighted with the Secretary of State's decision. Both the Secretary of State and the inspector agreed with English Heritage and the Society that the proposed development would be out of keeping with the scale and character of Ealing town centre, particularly its listed buildings and Haven Green. We will need to study the decision and the inspector’s report in detail but it shows all our efforts in opposing the application and appearing at the planning inquiry were fully justified. We are not against the principle of redevelopment of the Arcadia site but any new scheme has to be more appropriate to the character of Ealing so that it can still be called the "Queen of the Suburbs". We are prepared to work with all the interested parties to ensure this can be achieved.

EMPIRE CINEMA The former Empire Cinema site remains cleared except for the facade with its supporting scaffolding and an unsightly pile of rubble at the rear. According to Empire Cinemas, start on work on the new 16 screen cinema complex has been delayed because of internal design changes caused by the need to move to digital screening. No formal start date for work has been given but the Ealing Gazette suggested in November that building work could start in 2010 with completion in 2011. A picture history of the cinema (originally built in 1934 as the Forum Cinema) can be found here. Empire Photo: © Kevin R Boyd		MORRIS HOUSE AND ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL WIN AWARDS Stephen Sackur, the BBC presenter, gave the 2009 Civic Society awards to the Morris House in Acton and the new building at St Benedict’s School in Ealing. Read More.