Working together to make West Ealing a better place for residents, businesses and visitors.
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Ealing is the last borough in London to implement a CIL, or rather try to. The levy’s purpose is to help the community afford to cope with the effects of large new developments – effects upon roads, bridges, schools, policing etc. This article relates a day in the government’s inspection of Ealing’s proposed CIL and the objections raised by various developers.
This might be viewed as a continuation of our 10 July 2025 article within the Local Plan blog.
New Ealing Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Government Examination
This examination took place at Perceval House, Ealing on Tuesday 5 August 2025. It was first scheduled to take place on 4 June 2025. However Ealing’s largest housing developer – Berkeley Homes – raised written objections to the draft proposals – so a new date was found to give time for LBE to gather together its response.
In its initial objection to the CIL proposals, Berkeley Homes said they first became involved with the old Gas Works site in Southall in 2014. This is not quite correct. National Grid had obtained outline planning consent to develop the site in September 2010. Berkeley then took over the project and gained a certificate of lawful development to proceed with it in 2013. Apart from its legal arguments, Berkeley is concerned that its CIL obligation could rise from its ’historic’ CIL bill of £22 million to one totalling £84 million. Berkeley plans to build 8,100 new homes on the old Gas Works site in Southall.
It is worth noting that had Berkeley got on with the job of developing the Gas Works site when it was granted planning permission 15 years ago, it would not be facing having to pay a CIL levy. But for all its claims to be building much needed new homes in the borough, by 2024 Berkeley had only managed to deliver 623 homes on the 88 acre site.
On 25 July 2025 Luxgrove Capital Partners (LCP) – ‘a real estate investment manager’ – entered the Ealing CIL fray. In a letter from Savills – ‘a global real estate service provider’ – representing LCP broadly echoed Berkeley’s concerns. ‘….the draft CIL Charging Schedule is not sufficiently justified and evidenced to ensure that it does not make development in the borough economically unviable, as envisioned by the Planning Act 2008’. LCP has interests in six up-market residential developments in Ealing.
Another objector to the levy is a charity which calls itself Christian Vision. Their written submission explains that Christian Vision is part of Lord Edmiston’s IM Group which owns the Sainsbury’s Superstore in West Ealing centre. It goes on to say that IM Properties has established itself as one of the UK’s largest privately owned investor developers’. IM’s owner Lord (Baron) Edmiston is a billionaire businessman and motor trade entrepreneur based in the West Midlands.
Before we get into the cut and thrust of the examination itself, it’s worth setting the scene for Ealing’s CIL.
The Local Authority CIL was introduced in 2008. Local Authorities (LAs) can use the CIL money for new facilities and community services which are needed to support new developments and the population they bring. These could be such things as transport, schools/colleges, medical/health services, sports and open spaces.
Ealing is the last Borough in London to be introducing this levy. LBE did publish plans to charge CIL in March 2015 and the Planning Inspectorate gave them the green light to do this in 2016. But for reasons that have never been satisfactorily explained, LBE never went on to adopt the levy. The up shot of this is that £millions which could have been raised and spent on infrastructure were never collected – and developers enjoyed a much easier ride in Ealing than they typically do in other parts of London.
Under the present proposals Ealing’s draft CIL highlights are:
Ealing Centre: £300/sqm
Rest of Ealing: £150/sqm
Student Housing £350/sqm
How does this compare with the other 32 London LAs? Well firstly pretty much all of London’s LAs have implemented their LA CILs – some of them 10 years ago! Some LAs have complex calculation formulae. However the following are current figures for residential development in other London boroughs:
Brent: £340/sqm
Hammersmith & Fulham: £100 – £400/sqm
Harrow: £187.11/sqm
Hillingdon: £156.73/sqm
Hounslow: £96 – £274/sqm
All LAs have to collect the Mayor of London’s CIL which for Ealing is set at £60/sqm. The Mayoral CIL was introduced in 2012.
To add to the possible confusion, Section 106 developer ‘taxes’ were introduced in 1990. S106 can be spent on affordable housing, transport, education, healthcare, green spaces and recreation, and community services.
In 2025/26 LBE estimates it will spend over £6 million in S106 contributions from developers. LBE also estimates it will collect between £60 million and £90 million in LA CIL by 2039.
The Examination
A bombshell burst before the start of the meeting. Will French of Ealing Matters asked if he could speak at the meeting. ‘No’ was the answer. Given the residents of Ealing are the clear major stakeholders in the town, this gagging order was inappropriate and just plain wrong.
Proceedings commenced just before 11am with the Government Inspector (ISP), Keith Holland, aiming his questions directly at Chris Wheaton and Nick Grant of Berkely Homes (BH). It became very clear very quickly the ISP had done his homework.
As per usual in Perceval House speakers were not encouraged to speak closely to the microphone. Both BH speakers could hardly be heard.
I’ve just chosen highlights that I could piece together from inaudible BH.
ISP repeatedly quoted data from Savills and expressed his annoyance more than once that Savills had not turned up at the meeting – although they had asked to attend.
ISP directly challenged BH ‘do you want Ealing to abandon its CIL?’
BH: ‘Yes’.
ISP: Surely BH must appreciate that Ealing needs infrastructure irrespective of its new draft Local Plan? In terms of development policies many of Ealing’s policies emanate from The London Plan – as do ones in other London boroughs?
BH: Inaudible.
ISP raised the following issues with BH – sales value, build costs, profit margins, abnormal costs, finance costs, and viability assessments.
ISP’s body language suggested BH’s answers were not impressing the ISP.
ISP punched holes in BH’s estimates of historic CIL costs and future (post Ealing CIL) costs
BH: ‘£22 million historic CIL costs.
ISP: No – you mean the Mayoral CIL – that’s £18 million
BH: new CIL would be £84 million.
ISP: No – around £60 million.
As to the 88 acre old Gas Works site in Southall:
ISP BH has stated it will not continue with development on the site if the Ealing CIL is approved.
Really’?
Goodness knows what verbiage came out of BH on that one
ISP: But all London boroughs have CILs – some more expensive than Ealing’s CIL proposals
BH at one point went on the attack:
‘LBE’s housing delivery record is a poor one’.
LBE tried to defend itself.
BH: Brent’s record is better’
LBE: A single supplier built 1,000s of homes surrounding Wembley Stadium’
More blunt BH: Why can’t the Green Quarter in Southall (site for 8,100 new BH homes) be zero CIL?’
ISP: Only two large sites in the whole of London are zero CIL.
BH: The Ealing site is a unique challenge
ISP: Explain what you mean by this
BH: ???
LBE’s contributions could mostly be heard, were terse and content rich.
ISP closed the hearing at 12:50pm – sparing any more embarrassment for BH.
My gut feeling is that Ealing’s draft CIL will be approved by the Government.
Eric Leach with input from Will French
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West Ealing Community Library (WECL) became a community managed library in July 2019. The aim of the celebration on Saturday 5th April was not only to give the community a fun day but also to encourage more local residents to volunteer as friends to help run and develop the library as a vital facility for all the local community.
Cllr. Yvonne Johnson, Mayor of Ealing attended and supported West Ealing Community Library party in Melbourne Avenue on Saturday 5th April 2025. She formally unveiled the Jessica Huntley and Eric Huntley’s self-portrait drawings on the library windows proudly greeting everyone who goes into the library. These drawings represent the Huntley Legacy. Eric Huntley, Ealing’s elder political reformer, campaigner, activist and co-founder of Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications, danced to the music of the Akindread band. Local councillors who supported the event included, Cllr. Polly Knewstub and Cllr. Grace Quansah. There were singers and spoken word performers, a DJ, story tellers, face-painting and puppet shows all participated in the vibrant party. Volunteers from the action group signed up over 100 local residents to volunteer to become a Friend of the library.
Catherine FitzGibbon, leader of library’s action group, explained: “We need to sign up many local friends as we’ll always need new support, new energy and new input. We have created a small action group with six of us. As it’s a community library, we need to have a community with whom it dialogues.”
The library’s action group is run solely by volunteers with Catherine FitzGibbon and a team of over 20 other volunteers taking on all the tasks and responsibilities needed to keep the library open. As it currently stands, this action group has no formal status but will probably become the library’s Steering Group once the lease is signed by West Ealing Community CIC as the not-for-profit group with overall responsibility for the library.
A volunteer at this library expresses how she supports WECL Friends. Paula, volunteers one shift a week to help out. In addition, she runs an English class once a week.
Paula said: “Originally asylum seekers needed help with their English conversation but now these classes are for all in need.”
Paula added: “It’s more of a community hub, than being about books. We help people with benefit claims, computer skills, filling out forms and just having someone to chat to.”
The more people who volunteer to help in the library the more the library can offer the community in terms of longer opening hours and more activities and events. Currently the library opens 10am till 5pm Tuesday to Friday and a plan is being drawn up to trial Saturday opening from 10am-2pm.
Cllr. Grace Quansah represents the Walpole ward, where this community library is based and has lived in Hanwell since 1968.
Cllr. Grace said: “As well as volunteers, we need helpers for workshops to offer advice and facilitate the needs of the community. This can all happen through discussions. It’s a two way process.”
Cllr. Grace adds: “We, as a community, want stability. We want to bring the rich multicultural community into this library, where everyone feels valued and is enshrined in this WECL Friends project.”
WECL welcomed large population of crowds from the local community, at the party. Library users gave their views and suggestions on what they want. Some requests were, weekend opening hours, homework club, arts and crafts clubs and book launches.
Following discussions with other community-led libraries, Catherine shares her thoughts about volunteering at WECL:
“Its quite hard to find people who are willing to volunteer at the weekends or in the evenings. Even to stay open in the day you need about 6-8 volunteers for every hour you’re open.”
Paula talks about the future of WECL: “I would like this library to continue as it’s an important resource. It will be lovely to have more local primary schools bringing children in once or twice a month to choose books and to see what they can do here.
“At the moment, we need funding for all these ideas. We’re hoping to take this project to Ealing Council to say this is worth investing in.”
The Worshipful Mayor concluded and supported everyone’s views: “We should have more of this. It’s good that the community can run these things themselves so we don’t lose them.”
West Ealing Community Library would love to have more volunteers. Anyone wishing to regularly help out can come into West Ealing Community Library on Melbourne Avenue and speak to the Volunteer Coordinators – Samantha Stotland (present most mornings) and Ian Harries (present most afternoons).
You can also keep up to date with events, special invites and have your say in the library’s future by becoming a Friend.
Smriti Gopal
Further evidence of the level of frustration with the anti-social behaviour and drug related problems in West Ealing is captured in this petition calling for action by the police and council. Full details of the petition which has already been signed by over 170 can be found here.
This is a West Ealing wide problem and one we’ve looked at recently both in our last public meeting and in an article on this site. We will be
At the end of our public meeting on 24th October 2024, a number of people raised concerns about not feeling safe in West Ealing. We decided to follow up on this to see how widespread these concerns were. We set up an online survey which ran for a month, finishing on 20th February. We also commissioned a journalist, Smriti Gopal, to investigate this topic in more depth.
The results of the online survey are available to view here. It is important to point out that the respondents chose to complete the survey i.e. it was self-selecting, so it should not be taken as an opinion poll. Even so, the results clearly indicate a high level of concern about anti-social behaviour and that people are feeling less safe in West Ealing than a year ago.
Lastly, in this brief introduction, it is worth pointing out that West Ealing is home to Ealing Magistrates’ Court, the Probation Office and RISE (the addiction treatment agency). This inevitably means more people with a history of anti-social behaviour coming to West Ealing.
In addition to the above mentioned online survey, we have been speaking to many residents anonymously about the incidents that they witnessed and to better understand their concerns and find ways of how the community can come together and improve safety for everyone. To help us get as full a picture as possible, we also spoke to some local agencies offering help and support. This included the local police, the team at Solace, a West Ealing based mental health resource centre providing a support network to the residents in the Ealing borough and some local pharmacies. We were not able to get a response from RISE.
The centre of West Ealing is covered by two wards – Walpole and Hanwell Broadway. We spoke to Patrick Chapman, Chair of the quarterly Walpole ward police meetings where local residents can raise their concerns with the ward police team. He explained the priorities and goals for the Walpole ward. “Antisocial behaviour is right at the top of our priorities including drugs which is another high priority and street drinking – all equally important. Drugs and antisocial behaviour are major issues in society these days. We ask the police to focus on particular locations within the ward which are major hot spots.”
He added, “Antisocial behaviour sadly is an endemic problem in society. Police are doing their best with their work. If the police are warned and told about these problems, police will patrol the area to try to solve the problem. Maybe we, as residents, can change the pattern how the police work to make a positive impact. Walpole ward is getting more police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO). We are getting more staff on the police team than before. This means that they will be able to patrol more and help all of us in the area to keep a lid on antisocial behaviour.”
Inspector Lee Ballard heads up the Neighbourhood Policing team covering West Ealing. He attended the most recent Walpole panel meeting in February (next on is 20th May). He agreed with Mr Chapman’s comments and went on to say, “My team and I are committed to being highly visible and present on the streets of West Ealing to deter crime and tackle our local issues and concerns through community-based policing.”
We had a wide range of comments from residents about how anti-social behaviour affected them:
“There have been alleged murders in Dean Gardens and I don’t feel safe to go through West Ealing anymore, especially at night time. Because of this, I now do my shopping online.”
“Antisocial behaviour makes me feel fearful when walking on the streets in west Ealing. I now might walk less and drive more or drive elsewhere to do my shopping and errands.”
“Walking through Dean Gardens used to be a shortcut for me. I don’t walk down this route anymore, especially at night because of the following alleged incidents – there are a group of men just sitting on the bench in the night and one doesn’t know what their intentions are. Sometimes they are alcoholics drinking and one of them had a kitchen vegetable knife with them. The guy started chasing a passer-by around the park with the knife. There have been rapes in this park and because of all these crimes, we’ll be looking to move out of West Ealing.”
“I’m not actually keen on walking down Melbourne Avenue after everything is shut. While the supermarket is open it’s not that bad. Also, the hotel around the corner has been open which sheds a bit of light. Generally, this a very poorly lit stretch and certainly once the supermarket starts shutting, in the evening, I don’t really like walking down here because there can be people allegedly hanging around and loitering that area and this hanging around has got worse, this past year. It doesn’t feel that safe.”
Inspector Lee Ballard addressed the concern of safety, “If anyone felt unsafe they can download the Street Safe app and use it to report issues anonymously, where you felt unsafe in public places and explain why; the app would identify the hotspots.”
Melbourne Avenue, Mattock Lane and Radbourne Walk are some of the major hot spots which the police are currently focusing on for the priority of drugs and antisocial behaviour. PS Katie Weston from the Metropolitan Police, also attended the last Walpole ward panel meeting. She said, “There has been a significant increase in street drinking and drug use since December. I’ve managed to obtain some extra resources from other areas and they have been patrolling the area around St. John’s and Melbourne Avenue more frequently. The police were trying to move people on and they have issued Community Protection Warning (CPWs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) to individuals but many of these individuals do not care and carry on regardless. The police have made a number of arrests recently, one of whom was on a recall to prison and several of them have been referred to Ealing RISE, the borough’s addiction treatment agency.”
West Ealing Neighbours was particularly concerned about how women and young girls felt about their personal safety as this concern was the starting point for our survey and this article. Caitlin from the Press Office department of the Met Police provided us with a statement about this, she stated, “Ealing Safer Neighbourhoods is committed to delivering the strongest ever Neighbourhoods policing in the area to protect and serve all our local community. Tackling violence against women and young girls remains a significant priority for the Metropolitan Police Service as a whole.”
Returning to our online survey, we asked – “Do you feel less safe, than a year ago?” Results showed 221 residents said “yes” they feel less safe than a year ago and 64 residents said “no” they don’t feel less safe than a year ago. The comments from residents described what they felt was an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour. Many mentions were made of seeing individuals hanging around for drugs and drug dealing and leaving evidence behind on the street such as cans of Nitrous Oxide more commonly known as laughing gas – a recreational drug.
But this is not the only drug that is used. Along with the use of drugs, crack and heroin, individuals use methadone, a class A drug on prescription, as a maintenance therapy to combat the use of heroin. Drug addicts frequent two particular pharmacies in West Ealing specifically for methadone, Mattock Lane Pharmacy on St. John’s Parade and Grosvenor Pharmacy on the Broadway. Many residents are concerned, that because drug addicts and dealers go here, it attracts more of these groups of people here, leaving residents feeling very unsafe.
Being on drugs does not always mean an individual is an addict. It might also be that the individual is going through some difficult mental health moments in their life, which ends up making them struggling to cope with everyday life.
A member at Solace’s mental health resource centre, based in West Ealing, explained that “Losing my children, triggered my mental health condition. I fell under the mental health service 29 years ago after some horrific things and ended up in hospital quite a lot. I did some dangerous things to myself which at the time I did not acknowledge but it was just the trauma I was in at the time with my mental health. A social worker brought me to Solace 20 years ago. Mirna and the team have been a massive support to me and helped me through my mental health problems. We have well-being groups here. It’s about talking to one another and understanding each other about what has helped them. It helps when someone has gone through similar experiences who share how to become a better person. It helped me make a positive difference to myself and to others. I’m back in touch with my children now.”
After hearing about this, we followed up with Catherine Bingham, Senior Recovery Worker at Solace, to gain a deeper understanding. She said, “We assist patients from all over the Ealing borough. We help patients who have been going in and out of hospital for several years. When patients come to us here, in a safe environment, we encourage them to talk to us to understand their conditions so that patients can feel connected, especially with other people who also might have the same condition. For example, sometimes people are in a difficult situation but it’s the strength that people find when they get support from us. We learn about them and this helps us to quickly spot identifiers of someone’s mental health, so that we can address their condition before it escalates.
Also, patients get support through peer support to help raise awareness about their conditions. Sometimes there are moments where patients need further clinical support and medicine so we refer them to clinicians. If a patient doesn’t have anyone to help them, it’s for them to go to their GP who will have a social prescriber or a mental health person at their surgery. So they’ll need to use a computer to get a referral. The mental health professional will contact us to deal with the referral form. Our slogan is, together accepting difference. We’ve had the good fortune of getting refreshed funding from both the Ealing council and the west London Mental Health Trust. We had Deirdre Costigan, Labour MP, for Ealing and Southall come to Solace on 6th December 2024 so we have the funding to go forward.”
Finally, we asked Cllr. Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council’s Cabinet member for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour for her views on the current situation.
She said: “We’ve been actively engaging with the Hanwell and West Ealing community and recently held a meeting in Hanwell, with residents and MP Deirdre Costigan, to discuss tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Ealing Council has been liaising closely with the Hanwell Broadway and Walpole Safer Neighbourhoods teams-(local policing teams). We have been sharing information provided to us by residents to guide their patrols, discussing individuals/addresses that are coming to our attention and they can explore enforcement action.
“As well as coordinating with them, Ealing Council’s safer communities team has arranged for Parkguard, our private security contractors, to begin attending specific areas within West Ealing including St John’s Church, Leeland Road, Melbourne Avenue and Uxbridge Road, in addition to their regular patrols of Ealing Council’s estates and parks. The team will carry out daily, high visibility, patrols to gather intelligence around these areas and will address issues of antisocial behaviour. When this is not being addressed Parkguard will request police assistance. In addition, Ealing Council has arranged for regular CCTV patrols of those areas and will alert the police to any incidents and share stills/footage.”
Where to get help
Reporting a crime
Metropolitan Police
If it is an emergency call 999
Non-emergencies call 101
Report online at https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/how-to-report-a-crime
Crimestoppers
You can report anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ They will pass on the information.
Mental Health
Solace Centre
The borough’s daily out-of-hours mental health resource centre. Clients need to be referred through a number of agencies. See their website for more details – https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk/our-services/adult/mental-health-services/solace-centre
Ealing Safe Space
A service for anyone, including carers, who feel they are reaching crisis point. More details on their website – https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk/our-services/adult/mental-health-services/safe-spaces
Safety Concerns
StreetSafe is a service from the police that allows you to report anonymously concerns such as poorly lit streets, vandalism as well as occasions when you feel unsafe due to being followed or verbally abused. Their website is https://www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe/
Homelessness
StreetLink is a service linking people sleeping rough to local services. You can report a rough sleeper on their website https://thestreetlink.org.uk/
Addiction
RISE is the borough’s service to help people who want to cut down or stop their use of drugs and alcohol. Details of their services are on their website – https://www.changegrowlive.org/service/ealing-rise/west-ealing
Fly-tipping
The Love Clean Streets app allows you to report environmental issues such as fly-tipping and potholes to Ealing Council – https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201230/my_account/2263/love_clean_streets/
Smriti Gopal
Around 150 residents packed into the Ballroom at The Drayton Court Hotel at 7:30pm. WEN Vice Chair Eric Leach chaired the meeting. Four Ealing Council Councillors attended – Councillors Quansah, Driscoll, Knewstub and Manro. The latter two sit on Ealing Council’s Cabinet.
West Ealing Community Library (WECL)
Catherine Fitzgibbon, who is leading the Library project, explained that the West Ealing Community CIC (of which David Highton is a Director) is negotiating with Ealing Council to replace Open Ealing (and prior to that Ealing & Hounslow Voluntary Services) as library leaseholders. WECL is run entirely by volunteers and is currently open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm. WECL Friends was recently established and more volunteers are needed. Contact info@wecl.org.uk. All residents were invited to an Open Day at the library on Saturday 5 April 2025 – which will feature music, poetry, story telling, puppet shows and face painting.
Feeling Safe in West Ealing
Kofi Nyamah, Ealing Council’s Community Engagement Manager discussed the Council’s Your Voice, Your Town (YVYT) and Town Teams initiatives. Up to £9 million of Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent based on Town team’s recommendations 2025 – 2039. The main subject of residents’ concerned revealed by YVYT research in 2014 was ‘feeling safe’.
Awful crime figures for Central West Ealing were announced at the meeting for January 2025:
All Reported Crime: 324 incidents
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB): 135 incidents
Violent and Sex Crimes: 53 incidents
These monthly figures were worse than any month in 2024.
Resident Dave Randles derived these figures from the Crime Maps at www.police.uk
David Highton, WEN Chair, announced the results of a WEN ‘feeling safe’ survey of WEN members. It was small sample size (230 – 273 replies) but the results are very sobering:
Q1 Is ASB in West Ealing a concern for you?
A1 Yes: 94.14% No: 5.86%
Q2 Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood?
A2 Yes: 23.94% No: 76.06%
Q3 Do you feel less safe than a year ago?
A3 Yes: 78.13% No: 21.88%
Q4 Have you been directly affected by ASB in the past 12 months?
A4 Yes: 72.41% No: 27.59%
Q5 Did you report it to the Police?
Yes: 29.13% No: 70.87%
The Police Sargeant in charge of West Ealing centre spoke about what actions the Police had taken recently. He also pointed out his slim resources and re-iterated the need for residents to report every incident to the Police. The audience showed its appreciation for the Police efforts.
Lammas Park & East Lodge
Exposurebox videos of digging up the park and e.coli in the park were shown.
The number of objections to the East Lodge Planning Application has exceeded 3,100. In the chair’s experience of 20 years examining Planning Applications, this number is the highest number ever recorded.
The Building Preservation Notice for East Lodge has now been granted. This gives 6 month’s protection from demolition. Council efforts to have East Lodge Listed by Historic England are still being pursued by the Council. A Listing would, theoretically, protect the Lodge in perpetuity.
WEN has recently discovered that a London-wide consortium of all London Boroughs, TfL, Thames Water, Thames Flood Officers and the Environment Agency is behind the digging up of Dean Gardens, Lammas Park and more recently Belvue Park in Northolt. They are implementing a ‘Sustainable Drainage Action Plan (LoSUDS)’.
Waitrose Development
A decision by the Planning Inspector is awaited. The Council thinks this will happen imminently but Justine Sullivan of Stop the Towers said it might take some time.
Gurnell Leisure Centre Development
The GLA Stage 2 response to the Council approved Planning Application criticised building on a floodplain and on MOL, the footprint and height and only 35% affordable on public land but….decided to leave the decision to Ealing Council. The £100m housing development will be carried out by an external contractor – probably Wilmot Dixon.
Sherwood Close Development
Residents’ champion Antonia Moutsopoulou detailed safety, security, ASB, maintenance and Clarion Housing problems. Councillor Quansah volunteered to meet Antonia on site and help her deal with residents’ problems.
Dean Gardens Development
Since Henry – the builders – went bust in June 2023 the two unfinished tower blocks have not attracted a new builder to deal with the problem and complete the development. It’s thought if/when a new builder is engaged the blocks may have to be demolished and the Planning Application process begun all over again.
Old Woolworths Building Site , 96 – 102 Broadway West Ealing
New proposals for an apartment hotel with 268 suites has been proposed. See BroadwayEaling.site for details and how to comment. The frontage of the proposed 9 storey building elegantly mimics the frontage of the 1922 Woolworths building.
St Mary’s Cathedral
A wonderful repurposing of the St James Church, which has not been in use for years. The opening of the Assyrian Church of the East Cathedral on 15 February 2025 was attended by 500 people from all over the world. WEN is building up good relations with the Cathedral management.
Green Spaces and WEN Abundance
Green Spaces is a local community initiative for co-ordinating volunteers to recover and re-present small green spaces (westealinggreenspaces.org). Abundance is on ongoing WEN project which involves harvesting fruit in public places and, with permission, in private gardens. The fruit is turned into jams, chutneys and cordial. Both projects are volunteer based and more volunteers are needed.
The public meeting ended at 9:00pm.
The new Lidl store in West Ealing opens its doors on Thursday 20th February.
Sainsbury’s will close an hour earlier at 9pm Monday to Saturday from Monday 3rd March. Is this a result of an increase in business rates and employer national insurance making that last hour from 9-10pm uneconomic?
An area in West Ealing south from Sainsbury’s in Melbourne Ave has been cordoned off by the police following a serious incident last night. It’s not clear exactly where the incident was and what happened but it must be serious for such a large area to be cordoned off. Roads closed include Melbourne Ave, Regina Road, St James Ave, Adelaide rd, St Kilda Road and Oaklands Road.
Tuesday 10.15am
Update 1pm
According to the MyLondon news website a man was stabbed and killed in the Oaklands Road area of Hanwell last night
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