Apparently this plan ‘will shape and guide the future development (of Ealing) and help ensure this is sustainable’. This plan is expected to become approved in 2024. (The current Ealing Local Plan – the oldest in London – was published in 2010).
Ealing Matters (a group of over 60 Ealing community and residents ‘organisations) has produced a 14-point checklist of broad areas of comment and objection
To view the whole draft plan go to: www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201164/local_plan
You have until 8 February 2023 to send your comments on the plan to the Council. Comments can be sent to localplan@ealing.gov.uk
Planning Committees do not have to follow the new plan. Ostensibly all Planning Applications are judged on the merits of the application. The Local Plan will offer ‘guidance’.
There is no dedicated section on West Ealing – not even on the centre of West Ealing. This is because the Council does not view West Ealing (W13) as a separate community – but part of Ealing (W5). This is strikingly perverse as both the centre of Ealing and the centre of West Ealing have recent Council approved Neighbourhood Plans.
There is no specific plan for West Ealing but what does exist are summary details of 14 development sites. All the sites are primarily residential sites. So the message here is that the development of West Ealing is primarily about enabling an increase in the population of West Ealing.
The details of these West Ealing development sites (EA14 to EA28) can be viewed on pages 174 to 203. There are no details given about density of development i.e. how many homes can be built on each site. Below is a list of the sites with small descriptors and some comments from me:
EA14 – Arden Road car park, W13 8RA. Residential and commercial. Already has an approved Planning Application. Height can be up to 21 storeys.
EA15 – 1-19 Broadway, Aviation & Pioneer Courts, W13 9AN. Pioneer Court is a fairly new co-ownership residential block. This seems like wanton destruction of existing modern flats. Residential and mixed use. Up to 13 stores.
EA16 – 66-86 Broadway, W13 0SY. A residential and mixed use scheme which is an extended version of the 2010 Local plan site. Up to 13 storeys.
EA17 – 59-65 Broadway (Lidl), W13 9BP. This sits with the rumour that Lidl will move its supermarket across the road to the current Wilko site (90 – 94 Broadway). Apparently Lidl owns the site on which Wilko sits. Residential and retail. Up to 8 storeys.
EA18 – Sainsbury’s and Library, 77-83 Broadway, W13 9BA. This site is somewhat different to the site in the 2010 Local Plan. It includes West Ealing Library and O’Grady Court (Sheltered accommodation). In the proposed use statement there is no explicit reference to a supermarket or a library. The open space which currently runs from Leeland Terrace to Broadway is part of the development site. The northern part of this is effectively West Ealing’s town square. There is no indication that this open space will be preserved. (Some/all? of EA18 site was purchased in recent years by a developer who specialises in hotel development). Up to 13 storeys.
EA19 – 1-10 Chignell Place and 112-126 Broadway. Up to 13 storeys. If this is a tower of 13 storeys it will tower over the rear of the West London Islamic Centre. Residential-led and mixed use.
EA20 – 99-115 Broadway, W13. this development includes the St James Court open space. It’s unclear whether the open space will be retained. Up to 12 storeys. Residential-led and mixed use.
EA21 – 130-140 Broadway. W13 0TL. Residential and mixed use. Up to 13 storeys.
EA22 – 131-141 Broadway. Mostly Kwik Fit. W13 9BE. Up to 6 storeys in height. Residential-led with retail.(see separate articel below for more details of the application for this site)
EA23 – Green Man Lane Estate (GMLE). W13 0RJ. This presumably is the last stage(s) of the development began with demolition in 2011. 714 homes were agreed in the Planning Permission of September 2010 – with completion scheduled for 2022. Now over 1,000 homes are being built with an actual final completion date of who knows when. Up to 13 storeys.
EA24 – 2 Alexandria Road (Waitrose). W13. The proposed use is ‘residential and community’. There is no mention of a new supermarket. Up to 13 storeys.
EA25 – ‘West Ealing Station Approach’ 44-54 Drayton Green Road and 41/42 Hastings Road. W13 8RY (Majestic, Halfords, plus parade of shops) Residential and community. Up to 13 storeys. The latest development intention if for 408 student flats
EA26 – 119 Gordon Road, Castle House. W13 8QD. This is the second stage of developing the old BT building. No reference to building heights. . Residential-led with some affordable workspace.
EA27 – Access House & T. Mohan, Manor Road. W13 0AS. No indication of building heights. The site plan shows Jacob’s Ladder (footbridge) but gives no indication of access to the bridge from the development site. Mixed use.
EA28 – Gurnell Leisure Centre. W13 0AL. ‘Leisure-led with enabling residential use’. No reference to building heights. The Council’s first attempt at this development failed at the Planning Application stage.
It’s surprising that these other sites are not included in the plan:
+ Orion Park, Northfield Avenue. W13 9SJ
+ The old Woolworths site at 96-102 Broadway. W13 0SY
+ The remaining phase(s) of the Sherwood Close Estate (recently, bizarrely christened ‘The Bowery’).
Eric Leach