NEWS
Spot your local gems
Nominate your favourite buildings in the Borough to help protect them from demolition.
The Society wishes to ensure that local buildings of architectural or historical interest are identified and protected from unsympathetic redevelopment before they are affected by planning applications which may envisage their demolition. We would particularly like to hear of individual buildings which may so far be unrecognised and unprotected in any way. A catalogue of buildings which are already listed is available here. You may wish to check it before you nominate your own favourite local gem. You can also help us by displaying a poster about our campaign. Further information about how to a nominate building is available here. Nominations should be sent to the Secretary at info@ealingcivicsociety.org.
Last Updated 9/2011
Improving Gunnersbury
Work continues on preparing bids for funding for Gunnersbury Park and Museum. Ealing and Hounslow Councils are currently talking with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) about applying for a Heritage Grant and a Parks for People bid early in 2012. Experience gained from the recent successful bid for funding for Walpole Park is proving particularly useful and a number of surveys and consultation events are being organised to ensure that local people are involved in the future of the park and museum. There are also taster events and workshops to assess demand for various activities based around the museum. Consultants have been engaged to ensure that this work fits within the requirements of the HLF. Look out for opportunities to feed in your views and to get involved. Email Gunnersbury@ealing.gov.uk to be updated on the progress of the bids.
Last Updated 9/2011
Cinema developments
The Council has decided to give Empire cinemas one last chance to proceed
with the development prior to initiating compulsory purchase procedures in October. The chief executive of Empire Cinemas, Justin Ribbons, accepted an invitation to appear before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in late July. He said that the latest delay was caused by the fact that they wanted to incorporate an IMAX screen into the development which they believed only needed a non-material amendment to the existing planning permission but this was disputed by the Council who considered that a new application was necessary. It was left that Empire and the Council would have a further meeting to try to resolve the disagreement.
Last Updated 8/2011
Ealing damaged
In common with all who live in and care about Ealing, we were shocked by the recent vandalism and damage to the town centre. The Council acted with commendable speed over the short-term clear up but it will take time to heal the scars. The Government, Mayor Johnson and London councils need to act together to ensure that there is no repetition of events which have proved to be so threatening to the both moral and physical fabric of our society. Our concern also has to be that in repairing the damage, such as to the shop window of the nationally listed chemist shop in Haven Green and the locally listed parade of shops in Ealing Green which could so easily have been totally destroyed, we preserve the attraction of Ealing and do not retreat into a fortress of shutters and bars.
Last Updated 8/2011
New station listings
West Acton and Perivale are two of 16 London Underground stations in the Borough that have recently been listed Grade II bringing the total of statutory listed stations in Ealing to nine. The stations were built to designs by Brian Lewis, chief architect to the Great Western Railway, and opened in 1940 and 1947 respectively as part of the London Transport New Works programme dating from 1935.
Photo: © Grange85
Last Updated 7/2011
Our latest plaque unveiled
Fred Perry, the 1936 British Wimbledon Tennis Champion, was celebrated on 16 June when an Ealing Civic Society Plaque was unveiled at the Brentham Club. Roger Draper, Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association, and John Gallagher, Ealing's mayor, are pictured. See our Plaques pages for more information.
Photo: © Tom Doran
Last Updated 6/2011
Question mark over Arcadia
Ireland's National Asset Management Company (NAMA - the so-called Irish 'bad' bank) has requested that administrators should be appointed for Irish developer Glenkerrin's UK properties, including the Arcadia site in Ealing. This means that the site would be placed on the market, possibly at a below market value price. We will of course keep a close eye on developments which could give rise to new plans emerging for the site, including Villiers House over the station which has been vacant for some years.
Last Updated 6/2011
Demolition of 51 Drayton Green
The Society has been unable to save 51 Drayton Green from demolition despite last minute attempts to seek its local listing. Demolition began at the end of March. Built at the turn of the 19th century, it was originally St Magdalena's home for ‘fallen women’. It had been derelict for the last ten years or so and is now owned by a housing association that wishes to build flats and houses on the site. As the building is one of the few of character around Drayton Green, the Society sought its statutory listing last year but this was unfortunately refused. However, during its assessment, English Heritage discovered that the chapel (in separate church ownership) was an early building designed by Sir Ninian Comper, the well-known church architect, and was listed grade II.
Together with West Ealing Neighbours we have since been trying to get the home ‘locally listed’ in order to give it some limited protection.
Last Updated 5/2011
Westel House (32 Uxbridge Road)
This 1960s Richard Seifert building was subject to a planning application which involved demolition and the building of a 9 storey hotel, 2 tall residential blocks (up to 21 storeys) and a block of 9 storey affordable housing behind. In response to criticism the plans have since been amended to remove 2 storeys from the rear of the tallest twin blocks and to change the fenestration. Despite these changes, we still think that the development is too high and overbearing upon the neighbouring area, in particular the town centre conservation area. Despite our best efforts the planning committee passed the application at its meeting in April. It has recently been approved by the GLA and the Secretary of State has refused to call the application in for determination so the development will now go ahead. More information can be found at the No 32 Uxbridgeroad website.
Last Updated 5/2011
Local Development Framework
 A major consultation exercise on the Local Development Framework (LDF) which is intended to guide development in Ealing for the years up to 2026 was carried out in late 2010. The LDF consists of a suite of plans and other documents, and the Society has submitted comments and objections on each one. More information can be obtained from Ealing Council website.
Ex-Empire cinema
 Building activity at the cinema site started just before Christmas when unsightly piles of rubble from the demolition were levelled. But our excitement was quickly deflated when we learned that Empire Cinemas were planning to build a temporary car park rather than start building work for the new cinema complex which received revised planning consent in autumn 2010. The new scheme is similar to the previous one except that some of the screens are smaller to allow more cafe and other concession areas to be built. Happily, the Council stepped in to prevent construction of the car park and the latest public statement from Empire says that they plan to start work on the complex later this year. But then they said that in 2009, and in 2010...
Empire Photo: ©
Kevin R Boyd Last Updated 3/2011
Acton Town Hall site
 A report to progress new facilities on the Acton Town Hall site was approved by Ealing Council’s Cabinet in November 2010. The proposals include a 25m swimming pool, training pool, fitness suite, community facilities, library, day-care facilities and satellite office space for Adults, Children’s and Families services. The Town Hall, swimming baths chimney and existing library are Grade II listed and it is proposed to adapt these to alternative uses. The swimming baths and the Kings Rooms fronting the High Street - which are only locally listed - would be demolished with the exception of the facade to the high street.
The proposals also cover the Priory Community Centre (locally listed) and this site would be sold for housing unless it is needed for school use. The Passmore Edwards Library fronting High Street/Winchester Street would be sold subject to planning permission for retail or restaurant use. Community facilities and a library would be housed in the Town Hall extension on the High Street, which has two floors, including the assembly hall with a stage for events. The old Town Hall would be sold for conversion to flats.
Our current concerns are the possible loss of the assembly hall, especially if a mezzanine floor were inserted, the limited amount of community space to be shared with a new library, and the sale and conversion of the town hall offices for flats. This would leave the former Acton Council chamber - probably the most attractive room in the building - isolated without a suitable community use. The King's rooms with their interesting facade still have some original features on the first floor worth retaining.
Last Updated 3/2011
51 Drayton Green, West Ealing
 Built at the turn of the 19th century, this was originally St Magdalena's home for ‘fallen women’. It has been derelict for the last ten years or so and is now owned by a housing association that wishes to demolish it to build flats and houses on the site. As the building is one of the few of character around Drayton Green, the Society sought its statutory listing last year but this was unfortunately refused. However, during its assessment, English Heritage discovered that the chapel (in separate church ownership) was an early building designed by Sir Ninian Cooper, the well-known church architect, and was listed grade II.
Together with West Ealing Neighbours we have since been trying to get the home ‘locally listed’ in order to give it some limited protection, but the Council has been very slow in doing anything, despite the active involvement of a local ward councillor. At long last, the Council has agreed to put forward the building for local listing at the meeting of its Regulatory Committee in April but in the meantime the building remains threatened with imminent demolition.
Last Updated 3/2011
Hanger Lane houses
 Genesis Homes withdrew their previous planning application in 2009 to demolish three houses in Hanger Lane and two in Madeley Road. Instead, they consulted the Society and local residents in 2010 over a revised plan which would include retention of the Madeley Road houses (with extensions at the rear) and rebuilding the Hanger Lane houses in a form which would largely replicate the existing frontages, again with rear extensions. A new house would be built in Hanger Lane at the rear of 85 Madeley Road in a form which would again replicate the existing frontages. A new planning application has been submitted in March 2011 and the proposals appear to be a great improvement on the original.
Last Updated 3/2011
St Mary's Square lighting
 St Mary's Square has no street lighting other than that from nearby street lamps in St Mary's Road. The society has proposed that one of the surplus cast-iron columns from elsewhere in Ealing should be restored and reinstalled at this location with a Victorian lantern. The cost will be met by the local Ward Forum. The end result will be similar to the restored columns in Hanwell (see photo).
Last Updated 3/2011
Pitzhanger Manor and Walpole Park
 The council plans the restoration and improvement of the manor house, gardens and Walpole Park, restoring and interpreting historic links and features. A consultation exercise on detailed proposals for the park was held early in 2011. The council submitted a successful round one application to the Parks for People programme managed by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in 2009 and a round two bid for the park is expected to be submitted later in 2011. A separate round one application to the HLF for the house was made in November 2010.
Last Updated 3/2011
And the winner is...
 John Perryn School, a new pathfinder school in Acton, won the 2010 ECS Annual Award at a presentation ceremony at Ealing Town Hall on 4 November. The Ealing Gazette People’s Prize was awarded to the new Sixth Form Centre at Notting Hill and Ealing High School. Jubilee Gardens Health Centre and Library, and Northolt Leisure Centre were both Commended. See our Awards pages for more information.
Photo: © Tom Doran
Last Updated 3/2011
Westel House (32 Uxbridge Road)
The current owners of Westel House (Frogmore), which has been empty for around four years, have been consulting residents groups and others about their latest ideas for redevelopment of the site to provide a hotel, affordable housing and private apartments in three blocks, the highest of which would be nearly 20 storeys tall (compared with 16 in the existing). We are concerned about the impact of this block upon the neighbouring properties in Craven Road and have said that we dislike the proposed chisel shaped design of the tallest block. More information can be found at the No 32 Uxbridgeroad website.
Last Updated 3/2011
Ex-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. Empire Cinemas have recently submitted a planning application to enable them to reduce the amount of area devoted to cinema screens and increase that for restaurants and a wine bar from around 10% to over 40%. The number of screens would remain the same (16) but the capacity of some will be sharply reduced (e.g. the smallest would now hold only 56 patrons). We have objected to the loss of circulation and community space that these changes would involve and to the proposed increase in the number of restaurants etc given that Ealing is already over-provided with such outlets.
Empire Photo: ©
Kevin R Boyd
Last Updated 3/2011
Dickens Yard
Work has got underway behind the town hall following demolition of the Annex. Numbers 2-12 New Broadway are due to be demolished shortly to make way for a temporary sales office containing mockups of the proposed apartments in the development. The old fire station in Longfield Avenue will also be converted into a temporary sales office. Construction is expected to take place from the west side of the site starting with a block intended for older people. It is unlikely that any of the retail units will open for another five years. The site is already being marketed by St George.
Last Updated 11/2010
Dickens Yard
The application for a judicial review was heard at a preliminary High Court hearing in early July. Unfortunately, the judge found that there were no grounds for a review, although he did grant leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal. He did not accept that insufficient account had been taken by the planning committee of the impact of the development upon conservation areas or on the listed Town Hall. Nor did he consider that the departures of the development from the original design brief for the site were sufficient to justify judicial review. In doing so, he accepted the council's argument that subsequent changes to the London Plan justified the departures. Although the applicant (Tony Elley - a member of Save Ealing’s Centre) is entitled to appeal, he has decided not to pursue his case further and SEC has insufficient resources to take it over.
We still think that the plans represent too dense a development which could potentially harm both the setting of the listed Town Hall and Christ the Saviour Church - a view shared by English Heritage. But now that the legal hurdles have been cleared St George are free to move forward with the development. Already there are signs of renewed activity with the recent closure of the main car park. We and SEC will be checking closely the way in which the scheme proceeds to ensure that it is built in accordance with the permitted plans.
Last Updated 09/2010
Ex-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. There has been some movement on the future of this site. It seems as if the recession has taken its toll on the original plans of Empire Cinemas (owned by an Irish cinema chain) and work was stopped in its tracks following demolition of all but the façade in early 2009. The Council, to its credit, has served a ‘completion notice’ on Empire Cinemas but it is not clear whether this will force their hand. In any case the notice is just the start of what could be a lengthy legal process. Ultimately the Council could buy the site by compulsory purchase if Empire Cinemas do not proceed but it is not clear where the money would come from. There are unconfirmed rumours that Empire are trying to sell the site to another operator. We would support this if it enabled the proposed cinema development to go ahead.
Empire Photo: ©
Kevin R Boyd
Last Updated 09/2010
Arcadia
 The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, refused planning permission for the Arcadia development in December 29. In doing so, he upheld the recommendation of his planning inspector, David Richards, following the public inquiry held in June and July 2009 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. The result shows that 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 still awaiting Glenkerrin's response to their defeat at last year's Planning Inquiry but it is understood that they have replaced their architects. It could be well into the year before any revised plans emerge. We have told them and Ealing Council that we are prepared to work with all the interested parties to try to find an acceptable solution.
Last Updated 08/2010
Dickens Yard
 Save Ealing's Centre (SEC) has been considering pursuing judicial review of the decision of the planning committee to grant planning permission to this development. Click here for latest information on the progress of the review. In the meantime, demolition of the old Annex building behind the town hall has been completed.
Last Updated 05/2010
Haven Green
 Earlier this year, a local resident formally submitted a proposal to Ealing Council for Haven Green to be designated as a village green. This would provide it with greater protection than it currently enjoys as common land under Victorian legislation. As it is required to do so, the Council duly advertised the application, and we understand that over 50 letters of support were received from local residents.
There were only two letters against – from the Council itself. One was from the Council’s own executive director of regeneration and housing, arguing that such status would affect its plans for increasing the number of bus stops and taxi stands on the Green; the other from the head of parks, objecting on grounds of a legal technicality.
The Council can itself decide what to do next: it could set up a committee to rule on the proposal, or it could institute an independent public inquiry. We strongly take the view that Ealing Council should not determine the application itself as it is potentially conflicted: it should instead call for a Public Inquiry held by an independent planning inspector, answerable only to the Secretary of State.
Last Updated 05/2010
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 on our Awards page.
Last Updated 05/2010
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
Last Updated 05/2010
Dickens Yard
The go-ahead from the Mayor for redevelopment of Dickens Yard, behind the Town Hall, was issued in October 2009. The decision was held up for some months over issues relating to on-site renewable energy generation but these have been resolved. Ealing Council have now reached agreement with St George about the terms of the legal agreement, including the sum of money they would receive for the site as well as the section 106 funding, and planning permission was granted in late November 2009. Demolition of "the Village" temporary office has been completed and the Annex building is currently being demolished. The stables block is due to be incorporated into the new development initially as a sales office. Save Ealing's Centre, to which the society is affiliated, is currently considering mounting a legal challenge against the Council for granting planning permission. More information can be found at http://www.saveealingscentre.com
Last Updated 02/2010
Central Ealing Developments
 The Arcadia public inquiry closed on Thursday 9 July having run for three weeks. The Planning Inspectorate has indicated that the final decision, to be taken by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, is due on or before 7 December (although this timetable is not set in stone).
A decision is expected shortly from the Mayor on Dickens Yard, behind the Town Hall. The decision has been held up for some months over issues relating to on-site renewable energy generation but it is believed that these are close to being resolved. Demolition of the Annex office block is expected to start shortly and be completed before the end of the year.
The former Empire Cinema site remains cleared except for the facade with its supporting scaffolding. 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. A revised planning application is due to be lodged in the autumn. No start date for work has been given.
Last Updated 09/2009
Public Inquiry for Arcadia
The latest threat to the centre of Ealing comes from proposals from Glenkerrin to redevelop the Arcadia site along with those for a “bus gyratory” on Haven Green. Although a more modest block of 26 storeys has replaced the 41 storey tower, its proposed “blocky” design is rather reminiscent of the 1960s. Other changes to the remaining blocks are less radical and the development would still remain a high density residential one over the railway lines with no supporting infrastructure such as expanded health or schooling facilities, let alone leisure or culture attractions which would benefit the town centre as a whole. The application for the development (but not the bus scheme) was approved by Ealing’s Planning Committee on 17 December and subsequently by the Mayor in January 2009. However, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has called the application in for determination (an unusual step). This means that the application was the subject of a local public inquiry which ran for three weeks from 23 June 2009. Sir Peter Hall’s address to the inquiry is available here as a PDF download, and more information on the inquiry is available at Save Ealing’s Centre’s website.
Last Updated 09/2009
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