NEWS ARCHIVE

Dickens Yard Proposal goes in front of the Mayor

The Dickens Yard planning application was passed by the Council's planning committee on 5 November despite the objections of a large number of Ealing's residents and heavy criticism from the Government's heritage and design advisers, English Heritage and the Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). However, it is still not too late to continue to influence the process. The application has still to be approved by the Mayor of London and it is not too late to write to him. Full details on how to do this may be found at Save Ealing's Centre's website.

Last Updated 02/2009

Arcadia Redevelopment

Ealing’s Planning Committee approved the Arcadia application at its meeting on 17 December. The Chairman of the Society, Robert Gurd, said: “this is very disappointing because the committee has now passed two major housing developments in the centre of Ealing, both of which are out of keeping with the conservation areas in which they sit and neither of which delivers much-needed infrastructure improvements which all the new residents living in the developments will need. However, both plans have yet to be approved by the Mayor and we will be asking for them to be called in for determination by the Secretary of State given their major impact on the centre of Ealing.” On a happier note, the committee turned down Glenkerrin’s proposals for a bus interchange on Haven Green. More details on the Planning Committee meeting can be found here.

Last Updated 02/2009

Changes to Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre

Major changes to the Uxbridge Road frontage of the Centre have recently been approved by  Ealing Council Planning Committee despite opposition from the Society. Crystal House lies between the main square of the shopping centre and the Uxbridge Road (opposite WH Smiths), with six shops below. The red brick frontage will be removed and replaced with glass walls. Two extra floors will be added, and the block will be extended on three sides. The Society objected because the site lies within the Ealing Town Centre Conservation Area, and the Broadway Centre is a locally listed building designed to fit in with the local Victorian and Edwardian architecture.  We feel that this development will spoil the consistency of the Centre and overshadow shoppers on the main road.

Last Updated 01/2009

Licensing: can you help?

The Society needs someone who can represent us at the Council’s licensing panels so that we can help to ensure that residents’ needs are considered. If you have an interest in this subject, would be able to attend the hearings (one or two per month, during the day), and can talk persuasively, we would like to hear from you.  Ideally we need someone with legal or licensing knowledge but it's not essential and we would brief and support you. If you feel you can contribute to the Society in this way, do please get in touch with us.

Last Updated 01/2009

Ealing’s Antique Lampposts Saved

For once, we have some good news to report on the conservation front. The leader of the Council, Jason Stacey, recently reported that nearly £0.5m would be found to refurbish Ealing’s traditional gas lighting columns. We have to thank Save Ealing’s Antique Lampposts (SEAL) for this success.

The Society was very pleased to be associated with this initiative, which demonstrates that local people with local knowledge can bring about change with a well-researched and persistent campaign. A lot of work needs to be done before the plans reach fruition, not least because most of the columns have not been touched, even painted, for at least 20 years (although the one shown here is one of a number in South Ealing that have recently been very attractively improved, on the initiative of local residents).

The Council’s announcement was linked with the formation of a ‘heritage quarter’ in the south Ealing/Northfields area with, at its heart, the Grade I listed Pitzhanger Manor, which itself would receive a grant of £2.8m for much needed refurbishment, together with £0.3m to improve facilities in Walpole and Lammas parks. Also announced was a grant of £2m towards restoration of the Grade II listed Hanwell Community Centre, which is on the English Heritage Properties at Risk register.

Spring 2008

Hanger Lane Bridges

In another development, the long-running saga of the design of the replacement Hanger Lane bridges on the North Circular Road has now reached a satisfactory conclusion. You may recall that we, and local residents’ groups, have been in discussion with TfL about the scheme for over five years. We were most concerned about the unimaginative ‘engineered’ design that was emerging. We have now managed to persuade TfL to introduce more landscaping, to create a more colourful design of the parapets (picking up the red, white and green colours to be found in the neighbouring Ealing Village) and, most significantly of all, to find £10,000 for public art in the vicinity of the old retained bridges which will be part of the landscaped area. We hope to be involved in a public competition – to be run by Ealing Arts and Leisure – to choose a design in time for the completion of the bridge works, expected in 2011 (building work is due to start in autumn 2008).

Spring 2008

New (old) Maps of Ealing

New (old) maps of our area Many readers may be familiar with the ‘Godfrey Edition’ reproductions of old Ordnance Survey maps. Over 2000 titles have been issued in this series of OS maps of towns throughout Britain and Ireland. The maps are taken from the original 25” to the mile map and reproduced at about 15 inches to the mile. Ealing and surrounding areas have been well covered in recent years, and further editions are now being made available, including a version of Ealing in 1934, published this January, to complement the earlier 1894 reprint. They cover the same area – approximately a mile by a mile and a half, stretching from Church Road in Hanwell eastward to Ealing Broadway and Windsor Road; and from Cleveland Road and Castlebar Hill southward to Webster Gardens and Rathgar Avenue.

Copies of OS maps of the mid-1930s have also recently been published for other local areas:
    • South Ealing
    • South Acton & Gunnersbury Park
    • Ealing Common & West Acton
    • Park Royal & Hanger Hill
    • Chiswick & West Hammersmith
as well as many others further afield. In each case the new map complements an earlier edition, enabling exploration of how the areas have changed across the years. More details are available on the Godfrey website at www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk. A special series of local history talks on Mapping the 1930’s is in preparation, to be held in May and June at Ealing’s libraries.

Spring 2008