Author: David

Christina Fox from the Northfields Allotments writes:

Some of you might know the unloved pathway between the Northfield Avenue allotments and the gardens of Loveday Road. You can see it on the google map here

We’ve* recently discovered that the pathway belongs to the allotments, which was a bit of a surprise.  So we have decided to adopt it and try and tidy it up.

The short term plan is to clear the mud off the tarmac path, sow wildflowers and build a loggery for the stag beetles (which have been spotted on the allotments). We have made a start and you can see what we’ve already done here

The long term plan for the pathway – which we have named Radbourne Walk – is to manage it as a wildlife corridor. We also want ot make it a pleasant place for people too. So if you use it as a short cut or take the dog for a walk we hope you’ll find it a pleasant place to be and actually walk along with a spring in your step as you enjoy the flowers. 😉

You can find out more about what inspired us and what our plans are – here

If you are up for a bit of volunteer gardening – you’d be very welcome – even if you only spare us an hour.

The next session in on Saturday 1st  March. Our aim is to clean another section of path, we’ll also sow another wildflower meadow and create the first loggery for the stag beetles.

We will be working on the lower section near Occupation Road. If you would like to volunteer bring a garden fork, spade, rake or stiff broom.

We’ll meet on the footpath at 10am on Saturday 1st March for a quick briefing and then off we go. Do let us know if you are coming  (email  allotmentsw13@gmail.com )  – just so we can bring enough tea bags 😉

Christina Fox

Chair: Ealing Dean Allotment Society

* We are the newly formed Ealing Dean Allotment Society – set up to manage the allotments in Northfields Avenue on behalf on our landlord Pathways. All our members are plot holders at Northfields.

The aims of the Society are:
2.1           To provide a safe, secure, accessible and well-managed allotment site for the benefit of the Members of the Society (“the Members”)
2.2           To improve and enhance the allotments for the greater convenience and enjoyment of the Members
2.3           To be a good neighbour to the local community
2.4           To conserve the allotment as a green space in a built-up area and secure its long term use as allotment gardens and a haven for wildlife and its conservation
2.5           To contribute to healthy living through open-air physical activity and the cultivation of natural food produce, flowers and fruit trees
2.6           To foster community fellowship and social relationships between Members, irrespective of age, gender, faith, race, ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation.
2.7           To promote the art, science and practice of horticulture among Members and the wider community of Ealing.

Local Works are organising a public meeting on the Sustainable Communities Act.  Please come along and hear how to use the act to protect and promote local services, shops, trade and the environment in West London. There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and make comments – we want to involve you. Food and drink will also be provided.

Wednesday 19th February 7pm – 9pm

Telfer Room, Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, W5 2BY

Chair:   

Alex Runswick, Director, Unlock Democracy

Speakers:

Cllr Ranjit Dheer, Deputy Leader of Ealing Council

Nic Ferriday, Ealing Friends of the Earth

James Watson, Campaign for Real Ale, East London & City Branch

Steve Shaw, National Coordinator, Local Works

The Sustainable Communities Act has produced some great results for communities across the country. However many still do not know about its potential – government ministers have even described it as ‘Britain’s best kept secret’. Please get involved by coming along and help us get London’s councils involved too.

More information here

When we first moved to West Ealing in 1978 the main hotel in the area was the then Carnarvon on Ealing Common. My father remembers this hotel being a few Victorian houses joined together when he was staying there at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Staying there with is father, he tells the story of how the first job as soon as war was announced was to help sandbag the windows of the bar!

There was little change for decades after that. A new Carnarvon Hotel was built but not much else. Fast forward to the 21st century and there are now hotels springing up everywhere. What set me thinking about this was seeing that Dawley House, one of the office blocks on the Uxbridge Road between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing, looks likely to be demolished and become yet another hotel. The application mentions building a part 9, 10 and 12-storey building to house an 88-unit apartment hotel comprising 33 studio suites, 29 x 1-bedroom suites and 16 x 2-bedroom suites.

Thinking about it we will soon have the following hotels in the area:

• The Double Tree Hilton (once the Carnarvon)  at Ealing Common which has just been extensively upgraded
• The new boutique Hotel Xanadu in Bond Street
• The Travelodge on the Uxbridge Road
• The Premier Inn on the Uxbridge Road
• The new 100 or so bedroom hotel being built on the old TVU site next to the 250-foot under constructtion Apex block of flats on the Uxbridge Road
• The recently renovated Drayton Court Hotel which has gone back to being an hotel
• Best Western Maitrise apartment hotel on the Uxbridge Road in West Ealing
• The Holiday Inn Express which will one day be built in West Ealing on the corner of the Uxbridge Road and Melbourne Avenue

Then  I think I’m right that the Regus serviced office building opposite the fire station has put in for or even  been granted permission to become a hotel. Lastly, Dawley House looks set to be demolished and become an hotel, which is where this post started.

From what little I’ve heard, all the current hotels are doing well. I can understand that Crossrail is one of the drivers behind this ‘explosion’ in hotels. Assuming that the hotel owners’ research has shown there is a demand for all these hotel rooms then it’s got to be good for the area. I just hope it helps drive up the local economy as all these people coming to Ealing offer local restuarants, pubs, Questors and the (hopefully) new cinema/cultural site a fantastic opportunity to increase business which will benefit local residents as well as the hotel guests.

 

 

 

 

 

Loneliness? People so stretched we need a local food bank? General air of gloom? It’s January in the city…

We hear that good things happen, too, and they happen in West Ealing, maybe in your street, or near you, or even in your house.

We thought we’d put together an antidote for all of this gloom and collect what happens that’s good in West Ealing for the duration of 150 days (five months) from February 14th (cheesy, we know, but at least we’re not selling heart-shaped chocolate or satiny cards).

The project is partly inspired by some work by US social scientist Robert Putnam, and his great book ‘Bowling Alone’ (maybe worth a Google). It’s all about social capital – those little acts of community that make us stronger, and happier, together.

But mainly it’s about us, here, now in West Ealing – and we need you to help us.

So watch out for blog posts and invitations from February 14 onwards to join in in any way you like – with videos, pictures, essays or one-liners – so long as it’s true and observed in or near West Ealing and something that makes you feel good about living here. There will be categories/suggestions/examples to inspire you!

Who knows? West Ealing could turn out to be the happiest town in the city.

Ealing Council are looking to work with volunteers known as Neighbourhood Champions. As a Neighbourhood Champion Ealing Council aims  to provide you with proactive volunteering opportunities which help to deliver projects to improve your local neighbourhood. Whether you are interested in planting trees and the welfare of your local street trees or you are a regular park user who can report on matters related to green spaces, we welcome your interest and engagement. Our aim is to create a network of communities that can help neighbourhoods thrive.

We provide a robust reporting system which allows you to use a unique identification number to report environmental issues.  This can include fly-tipping, graffiti, lack of street cleansing, missed refuse collections and matters related to the Highway.

If you have expressed an interest in becoming a Tree Warden, we ask that you adopt a minimum of two street trees in your local area. The tree sites can either be at your suggestion or we can work with our Tree Manager to recommend locations. There are activities which you can carry out to help us improve the lifespan and health of trees:

–       Water the trees during very hot weather

–       Take part in the bi-annual tree audit

–       Request a protection status for trees of value

–       Take part in training held by Ealing Council in partnership with the Tree Council

–       Report on damaged, broken, dying or diseased trees

 

On February 8^th we are going to be extending the fruit orchard planted two years ago with more fruit trees and fruiting hedges.  This project will take place that morning  in Ravenor Park, Greenford and we are looking for volunteers to assist us with planting.  All equipment etc. will be supplied by us.  In previous years all volunteers have enjoyed a morning of camaraderie and volunteers come from all walks of life.  It is envisaged that we will being asking you to work with us for about two and a half hours 10.00 to 12.30.

Please can you email me at wyatts@ealing.gov.uk if you are interested in attending

John Stewart of HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) spoke at Hanwell Community Forum this week. He outlined the many and various changes that are likely to subject Ealing to more noise and air pollution from Heathrow.

– the interim report of the Airports Commission outlined 3 options for expanding airport capacity: two possible sites for a new runway at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. It is widely rumoured that Heathrow is the favoured option.  There will be a major campaign against Heathrow expansion over the coming 18 months.  The Airports Commission submits its final report in summer 2015 but the final decision about expansion will remain with the Government of the day.   

– a government consultation on night flights wanting to continue the current regime whereby flights can take off till 11.30pm and beyond. The hints at improvement given early last year have not materialised despite increasing evidence linking aircraft noise to coronary heart disease and other illness.

The deadline for responses is 31 January:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flights

– a proposal by Heathrow to remove westerly preference. Planes usually land into the wind. As the prevailing wind is westerly, this means Heathrow planes land over Hounslow and take-off over Windsor. The westerly preference rule means that this pattern is preserved for easterly winds with a speed of up to 5 knots so only strong easterly winds result in Ealing being overflown. If Heathrow’s proposal is accepted, the number of days on which Ealing is overflown will increase.

– Heathrow also intends to test out whether easterly preference should be exercised for night flights.This would mean that planes fly over Ealing when there is an easterly wind (as now) and when there is a light westerly wind.

As above, this would increase the number of nights that planes fly over Ealing.

If you have concerns about any or all of these changes:

– write to your councillors (Ealing Council has not been active in lobbying against Heathrow expansion), your MP and Heathrow (email: noise_complaints@heathrow.com)

– join HACAN which represents overflown communities: www.hacan.org.uk/