May's Council elections swept Labour back in to power. We wait with interest to hear more about the Labour council's priorities over the coming months. There are some vital decisions on the horizon for West Ealing. Plans for the Green Man Lane Estate are scheduled to go before the Council's planning committee in July. Proposals for the Lido Junction are due this summer.
We hope WEN will be able to engage in constructive discussion with the Council over these and other key local issues. WEN remains firmly committed to the belief that working in partnership with the Council can achieve far more than in opposition. We hope the new Council will take the same view and seek to work in partnership with all of the borough's many active residents groups.
An enthusiastic group of about 10 members regularly meet at 7:30pm in The Drayton pub on the last Tuesday of every month. The format of the meetings is relaxed, with whoever selected the book usually explaining why they chose a particular title, discussion follows naturally and tends to be inclusive of everyone in the group so that people feel free to say as much or as little as they like.
A few members have volunteered to write book reviews which were well received and published by EalingToday.co.uk: Lionel Shriver's ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin' and Nancy Horan's ‘Loving Frank'.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 25th May and the book is ‘The Siege of Krishnapur' by JG Farrell. New members are welcome, so just turn up or email Sarah Judic for more information at wenreadinggroup@live.co.uk Books can easily be obtained through West Ealing Library which gets a stock of each of the books in before each meeting and currently have both ‘The Seige of Krishnapur' and ‘The Pregnant Widow' in stock.
You can also check out the WEN Blog for information on the WEN web site.
On Tuesday 29th June the group will discuss ‘The Pregnant Widow' by Martin Amis.
| Hanwell Carnival on Saturday 19th June in Elthorne ParkCome and visit the WEN Abundance stall to buy some locally-produced, home-made jams and chutneys. Help us with our map of local fruit trees and bushes or volunteer to help our Abundance project by picking fruit. |
Bicycle Maintenance Lessons in Ealing
Following years of being asked for bicycle maintenance lessons in the borough Ealing Cycling Campaign have started regular sessions. We've run several very successful lessons already with very positive feedback so far. The introduction to bicycle maintenance aims to show people how to diagnose faults, remove the rear wheel and fix a puncture. Classes consist of up to 8 people and 2 trainers and there are several additional volunteers on hand to help out during the practical sessions.
Lessons are 10:00am till 2.00pm on the first Saturday of the month at the Greenford Resident's Association Hall, 18 Queens Avenue, Greenford. Full details at www.ealingbikehub.co.uk
Later in the year we hope we can launch a community workshop, either at the end of the lessons or as dedicated monthly session on a different day. People will be able to drop by and use our tools, buy spare parts and get help from us, we'll also promote our social rides and provide help and support to cyclists.
We are also happy to take unloved bikes off your hands so long as they don't need too much attention. We're also in touch with the police to take uncollected stolen bikes off their hands, we'll use for practice, to fix up to resell etc.
The formal launch of the lessons is nicely coupled with Ealing becoming a Biking Borough and a full programme of events over National Bike Week from 19th June till the 25th including social rides, information stalls and free bicycle safety checks. For full details see out website www.ealingcycling.org.uk See you at Waitrose on the 22nd May and 12th June at the West Ealing Farmers Market for our information stands.
Abundance is growing
Diane Gill who manages WEN's Abundance project writes ‘I held a very successful meeting a couple of weeks ago with various interested parties in our project. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways in which we could possibly help each other out and also to try and gain some commitment from the allotment representatives about securing any spare produce for us to either use in our jams and chutneys or to pass on to groups within West Ealing such as St John's soup kitchen. The reps that attended were very positive about the potential for spare produce and thought the best way of achieving this would be through targeted leafleting with a box for the produce to be placed in. I have enough rhubarb at present so let's so how we get on with our request later in the year for strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums and apples - to name a few!
WEN Abundance will be helping the ladies from Chiswick ,Sarah and Karen, with their Green Day stand on 13th June as part of Bedford Park Festival http://www.smaaa.org.uk/festival/index.html
West Ealing Abundance will have a stand along with West Ealing Neighbours at Hanwell carnival on 19th June. We will be asking for volunteers to pick fruit later on in the year as well as continue with our fruit mapping exercise for the local area. Check out the locations so far via WEN's website http://www.westealingneighbours.org.uk/abundanceMap.html
We will also be selling some of our jams and chutneys.
Other events are planned later.
Green Man Lane design needs changing
Two recent reports have raised questions about the plans for developing the Green Man Lane Estate. The first is a report from the Greater London Authority which queries a number of elements in Rydon/A2Dominion's plans for the Green Man Lane Estate. Whilst broadly supportive of the plans, the GLA report lists a number of elements that do not yet comply with the London Plan. These include:
- More information is needed on the proposed enterprise units
- Whilst the level of affordable housing is acceptable, more information is needed on the tenure split and the provision of social rented family accommodation. The GLA asks for a viability assessment to justify the proposed mix, especially the provision of family housing
- There are significant concerns over the massing and treatment of the buildings along Singapore Road (currently planned to be 8-storeys)
- More work is needed on aspects of the transport and parking plans.
Concerns have also been expressed in a report by CABE (the government's advisors on architecture, urban design and public space). Their concerns include:
- The height of the buildings along Singapore Road and that they all look too similar
- Lack of clear definition between public and private space
- More thought is needed on the phasing of the development and consistency of architecture and materials.
As a result of these two reports, the builders Rydon are now re-working plans to lower the height of the buildings bordering Singapore Road from their current 8-storeys. The new plans for this phase 1 work will have to go out again for public consultation with the aim of meeting a mid-July deadline for a decision by the Council's Planning Committee.
Lido Junction plans due soon
We understand from the Council that the consultant's report on the whole north-south route from Argyle Road in the north across the Lido Junction and south down Northfield Avenue is due this summer.
WEN has campaigned for nearly four years for improved pedestrian safety at the Lido Junction . In September 2009 we published a detailed report with specific recommendations on how to improve pedestrian safety in and around this junction. We eagerly await this new report in the hope that this dangerous crossing will at last be tackled.
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Ealing Transition: An introduction to permaculture on Thursday 20th May at St Mary's Church, St Mary's Road, Ealing. Meeting starts at 7.30pm.Come and hear how permaculture can help create a more sustainable ways of living. Full details atwww.ealingtransition.org.uk |
Using empty shop windows
For some months WEN has been talking to the Council about ideas to make use of the many empty shop windows in West Ealing. We've put forward ideas such as using the windows as ‘galleries' for displays of historic photos of West Ealing or displays of the work of local artists.
We realise landlords will be concerned about allowing people in to their property so we have made sure our ideas are simple and quick and easy to set up. We're very pleased that the Council wants to pursue these and other ideas by appointing a specialist company to look at opportunities to use some empty shops for local community activities.
A report is due in to the Council by the end of May, so watch our website for developments.
Thanks to Eric Leach
We owe thanks to Eric Leach who has been the driving force behind and main contributor to this newsletter since its birth almost four years ago.
Eric's decided to step down from his role as newsletter editor and relax a little more. I'm sure you'll all join us in thanking him for producing such stimulating and readable newsletters. I only hope we can continue to maintain the high standards he set.
With the future of the Empire Cinema mired in dispute, Pitshanger Pictures has stepped in to fill the void. Its next films are on Saturday May 22nd and include award-winning An Education with up and coming Carey Mulligan in a starring role.
Also being shown in the late night slot is the Spanish language fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth.
Venue: St Barnabas Millennium Hall, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1QG
www.barnabites.org/PitshangerPics.asp
Who, what, where and WEN
WEN exists to try and improve the quality of life for West Ealing residents, workers and visitors. Membership is free and available to anyone in the West Ealing community, irrespective of background, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex orientation, political orientation or gender.
WEN was formed in November 2005. The group is run by volunteer local residents, who are elected annually by WEN members. The group's Management Committee - which meets up once a month - is made up of:
Chair: David Highton
Secretary: Diane Gill
Treasurer: Andrew Cazalet
Vice-Chair: Eric Leach
Without Portfolio:
- Gill Adams
- Allison Franklin
- Sally Greenbrook
- Sarah Judic
- Chris Gilson
- Nick Greenhalgh
Tel: 020 8621 5411
Email: westealingneighbours@gmail.com
Web Site: www.westealingneighbours.org.uk
WEN blog: www.westealingneighbours.org.uk/WEN-blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/WENeighbours
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124290860921562
Postal Address: 32 Regina Road, London W13 9EF
Copyright: West Ealing Neighbours, 2010
