Examination of Ealing’s new Local Plan starts next Monday June 16.
Government Planning Inspectors to decide how developers will redevelop Ealing
This is the first of a series of daily blogs covering the first stage of the public examination of Ealing’s new Local Plan to be held in Perceval House in central Ealing starting at 12.00 pm on Monday 16 June 2025.
The main author and editor of the blogs is Eric Leach – for 20 years WEN’s Vice Chair. The public are welcome to attend. Only members of the public who submitted written comments on the plan and who asked (by 2 May 2025) to speak will be able to do so.
What is a Local Plan?
All Local Authorities are required to have an up-to-date Local Plan. Local Plans establish the framework for future development, guiding decisions on where and what can be built considering local needs and opportunities.
Ealing’s existing Plan is the oldest in London. Adopted by the Council in 2012 it covers the period 2011 to 2026. Taking over six years to produce, Ealing Council has published a new plan for the period 2024 – 2039.
What is the government’s examination of the new Local Plan about?
Two Planning Inspectors have been appointed by the Secretary of State to examine Ealing’s new Local Plan drafted last year. They will determine whether the plan it is legally compliant and ‘sound’. The key test is whether the it is consistent with national policy.
The main examination will run as two separate ‘blocks’. Next week’s block focuses on strategic issues. The daily programme is set out here, and the speakers and what they want to speak about are listed on a separate page. Some speakers will raise issues of concern to local people. Far more will be developers arguing they should be allowed a freer hand to develop their sites.
The second block will be in September. It will examine more local matters including tall buildings, heritage, town centres and individual sites. This will not take place in Perceval House but will be virtual and online.
The Community Infrastructure Levy examination
An earlier examination event was to have taken place on 4 June 2025, when the Planning Inspectors were to review Ealing Council’s draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). However, the event was cancelled at short notice. To fully comprehend this early disruption of proceedings, some background is needed.
Local Authority CILs are statutory developer taxes to fund infrastructure. Ealing Council is the only London Council which has so far failed to set up and implement its CIL. Berkeley Group, London’s largest home builder, has employed a heavyweight barrister to write to Ealing Council claiming its new CIL policy is illegal. Berkeley began developing the 88-acre Southall Gasworks site in 2017. It built 300 homes as part of its original plans to build 3,750 new homes. Berkeley then took a rest for a few years. In 2024 its development plan ballooned to 8,100 new homes. Part of Berkeley’s illegality claim is the fact that its original liability pre-CIL was £22 million. If Ealing’s draft CIL is implemented (and Berkeley builds all its planned new homes), Berkeley estimates its CIL liability will increase to £84 million.
More information
Ealing Council’s draft, new Local Plan 2024 – 2039 and associated documentation can be found at:
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201164/local_plan/3125/new_local_plan
The Planning Inspectors’ description of matters, issues and questions relating to Ealing’s draft Local Plan can be viewed at:
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/20547/miqs.pdf
The draft ‘indicative’ timetable/running order of the examination (already changed for 16 June) can be viewed at:
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/20542/timetable.pdf
Eric Leach is happy to answer questions and receive comments at:
13 June 2025 – Blog Issue 2
The latest line-up of external speakers at the examination looks a bit like a conference programme for residential property developers. New to the residential property development scene, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP – the Waitrose owner) feels the need to speak on each of four days next week! JLP recently won a heavily contested Planning Application to build 428 flats in tower blocks overlooking West Ealing Station. One wonders what other property development aspirations LLP has for Ealing. Other large residential property developers lined up to speak include Berkeley Homes (8,100 new home in Southall), Greystar (2,118 new homes in Greenford) and Luxgrove Capital Partners (531 new homes in West Ealing).
Resident-led questions/presentations scheduled to be delivered include those by Creffield Area Residents Association, Ealing Friends of the Earth, Ealing Matters, Old Oak Neighbourhood, Save Ealing Parks and Sue New.
It’s clearly a packed programme and just how 19 companies’ and individuals’ questions/ presentations/responses can be packed into Thursday 19 June will be interesting to see.
The Government Inspectors have already published over 400 detailed questions of their own to be put to Ealing Council. One wonders who Ealing Council will field to respond to all these questions?
The current (ever-developing) running order/line up of speakers can be found at:
http://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2071/running_order_for_hearing_sessions.pdf
— Current end of blog — More to come! —