Category: West Ealing

Barely a couple of miles away from West Ealing, Watermans Arts Centre has occupied its riverfront site in Brentford for over 30-years.  It is now looking to re-locate and make a step change in what it’s able to offer and create an artistic and social hub for West London. To achieve this ambition it needs to raise £6 million – no small task.  It needs our help in supporting their efforts.  Their press release says:

‘If you would like to see a world-class artistic programme, a community hub like no other in West London and an independently run social enterprise investing back into the community, please join our campaign for a World Class Watermans and share your support and comments.

Please write to us or post on social media stating your support or point of view:

Email us at WorldClass@watermans.org.uk

Post on social media using the hashtag #WorldClassWatermans @WatermansArts ‘

You can read the full release via this link
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The Solace Centre is Ealing’s only drop-in centre for people who have experienced mental ill health. It is now in purpose built premises in Bowman’s Close. It is well worth knowing this facility exists and all credit to its users, the Council and others who decided to re-build it rather than close it.

Saturday 9th September 1-9pm in Dean Gardens

Music line-up

13:00  Ealing Rock Choir

13:30  Chasing Deer:  an exciting and energetic three piece with a fun pop/rock band style.  Think Beatles, Bowie and Lumineers. They perform a mix of original material and classic cover songs

14:15  Mariachi Las Adelitas:  Mariachi musicians will stroll around Dean Gardens to entertain while the next band sets up on stage

14:30 James Knight Trio:  Led by saxophonist James who has played alongside Kylie Minoque, Kirsty Macoll and many more, this trio play quality funk.

15:15  Mariachi Las Adelitas: as above

15:30 TJ Johnson and The Preachers:  Expect a blistering set influenced by Chicago Blues, Johnny Guitar Watson style Funk and Hendrix style RnB.

16:30  Mariachi Las Adelitas: as above

16:45  Born of the Sun:  Heavy Blues Rockers and the children of the generation that witnessed the birth of the British Blues Explosion at the Ealing Club in the 60s. Musically educated on their parents STONES & WHO records, the Ealing born power trio unleash gutsy sonic flare, fused with lyrical tales of lands of rising suns

17:30  Mariachi Las Adelitas:  as above

17:45  Scarlet Kite:    An acoustic band big on folk and blues.  They bring strong harmonies interwoven with an uplifting, melodic wall of sound.  They produce punchy guitar rhythms, fine finger-picking, solid piano bases, a soaring fiddle and an ethereal flute, packing masses of spell-binding atmosphere.

18:15 King Buster Blues Band:   Described as the hypotenuse of blues, King Buster play their melodic catchy songs around a blues format with two drummers, lap steel, harmonica and guitars to soothe the soul then get you on the dance floor.

19:00 DJ set

19:15 Namvula Rennie: Her Scottish & Zambian Roots have helped inspire her song writing, tracks that combine African and Jazz influences are propelled to audiences with accomplished musicians

20:00 Ramon Goose:  An English guitarist, singer and producer known for his work with the West African Blues Project.

21:00 End

Full details of the SoundBite Festival are here

West Ealing Centre Neighbourghood Forum (WECNF) has launched a petition to save the old Woolworths art deco facade from demolition as part of a planned redevelopment of the site by A2Dominion housing asociation.  WECNF has produced a spatial plan for the centre of West Ealing which includes a list of key heritage buildings/features it wishes to see preserved. The Woolworths facade is on this list.

You can read more about this story on this blog

You can sign their petition via their website.  

 

 

I’m sure you all know this little piece of green on the corner by Sainsbury’s. It is home to dozens of pigeons, frequently covered in bits of bread and, sometimes, black bags of dumped rubbish.  It seems such a shame that it’s become an eyesore. What can we do to make it look better? If we can come up with some ideas WEN can put them to the Council and talk to them about these ideas.

I’ve heard a few ideas suggested such as cycle racks, artwork/sculpture and flowers, herbs and  shrubs (that can withstand the pigeons). I’m sure there are lots of other possibilities. Could you please spare just a few minutes to give us your ideas and comments so we can put these to the council. I can’t guarantee what the Council will decide but I’m confident we can put some really good ideas to them.

Pease email your ideas to us at westealingneighbours@gmail.com

Many thanks for your help.

Local housing association A2Dominion revealed its plans for the old Woolworths site in West Ealing at a public exhibition last Saturday.  Key points in their plans include:

• 118 homes with 35% affordable (of the affordable homes 60% will be affordable rent and 40% shared ownership)
• 11 storeys at front on Uxbridge Rd and 15 at the back on Singapore Rd
• The art-deco facade will go as it is in poor repair and very restricting on how the new building could be designed making in financially unviable
• the facade on to the Uxbridge Rd will compliment the proposed next door BHS site development
• No parking but 172 cycle spaces
• retail outlets retained on ground floor

A2Dominion is already developing the nearby Green Man Lanes Estate and the next door site, the old BHS building, is awaiting development with up to 135 homes.

A2Dominion want to hear your views on their plans. The detailed plans and how to have your say are on their website.  February 2020 – this website no longer works.

Ealing Council is looking for views on of introducing a regular market in Northfield Ave – on the pavement between Kingsdown Ave and Elers Rd. There’s been a series of monthly pilot markets to test this idea with the last to be held in August. If you have any thoughts then there’s an online consultation form with more information where you can give your views. Closing date is 31st May.

West Ealing residents have voted by a large majority for a CPZ in the area south from Uxbridge Rd down to Leighton Rd and across from Northfield Ave to Grosvenor Rd and Seward Rd.  With just over 600 votes cast some 64% were in favour of introducing a CPZ. Full street by street details will soon be available on the Council’s website.

Next week’s public enquiry in to the planning application for 9-42 The Broadway has been cancelled following the last minute sale of the site by Benson Elliott to British Land.   Consequently, the planning application has been withdrawn.

 

Reflections on the Inquiry Cancellation

I would dearly love to tell you that the land owner Benson Elliot got cold feet at the last minute – realising it would lose – and withdrew its Planning Application. However the reason for the withdrawal /cancellation is apparently much more prosaic. It’s all about money. Seemingly on 5 May 2017 British Land (BL) finalised the purchase of 9-42 The Broadway from Benson Elliot (BE). This led to BE withdrawing its planning Application. No doubt in the fullness of time British Land will come up with its own design and submit its own Planning Application. All this is so very late in the day. It was on 11 January 2017 that ‘Co-Star’ leaked that BE wanted to sell and BL wanted to buy!

So all the massive volunteer work carried out by SEC – especially Will French – and Ealing Civic Society (ECS) and local Conservation Area Panels will go to waste. Goodness knows whether SEC’s barrister and Historic England’s barrister will be able to recoup their fees from BE. It would be very cruel if the £29,433 raised by SEC from local residents has to pay for barrister’s fees relating to a non-event.

The awful prospect of this cycle of ownership change, Planning Application, Application granting, objections, SoS call-in and Public Inquiry happening all over again is entirely possible.

Ealing Council is ultimately to blame for this ten year long Arcadia/9-42 The Broadway fiasco. The Council has never really in recent years got a grip on creating, managing and maintaining a coherent town centre plan. The Council has also done little to help and much to hinder the creation of a Central Ealing Neighbourhood Plan. The Council is seemingly been happy to let landowners and developers do what they want to.

Eric Leach

6 May 2017