Working together to make West Ealing a better place for residents, businesses and visitors.
If you fancy a bit of escapism and family enteratinment then Around the World in Eighty Days at Questors Theatre could be just the ticket. I can just remember seeing the original 1956 film when it first came out! This is a musical version and is on at Questors from 13-16th March. Full details on the Questors website.
If you fancy a cup of coffee and a chat about anything West Ealing you’re very welcome to join us for a coffee this Saturday morning at Silva Cafe anytime between 11.30 and 12.30. The plans for a 60-bedroom hotel are likely to come up along with other changes and developments along the high street. If there’s anything you want to ask or need help with just drop in – we’d love to see you.
Building a 60-bedroom hotel on the corner of Melbourne Ave and the Uxbridge Road looks almost certain to mean that some of the traders there – flower stall, card stall – will have to move. The plans for the hotel show a floor to ceiling glass window going part way along the Melbourne Ave side of the hotel. As a result, the traders are fearful of their future. Where will they be moved to? There doesn’t look to be enough room on the hairdresser’s side of the road for them all to fit in. As a result, they have started up a petition against the planned hotel and you can easily find it at the flower stall.
West Ealing Neighbours is considering its response to the planned hotel. We recognise that this site needs redevelopment of some sort as it’s a bit of an eyesore but is this the best option for the high street? The sort of questions we are concerned about include:
Sadly, the reprieve for the West Ealing Blockbusters has been short. There is a large Closing Down sign now on their window. I’m sorry for everyone who works there and for the loss of what appears to be a profitable branch. It will leave a hole on our high street and it’s a challenge for us as a residents group and others to find a way to bring this part of West Ealing back to life.
Site of proposed new hotel
A planning application has been lodged to redevelop the eastern corner at the Uxbridge Road end of Melbourne Avenue. The proposed site covers the area from Luckhurst’s the butchers up to the Uxbridge Road and then above the currently empty corner site and above the new Brighthouse store. The existing first floor will be retained and two new storeys added. All the existing ground floor retail units will be retained, including the new Betfred betting shop which has an agreement to take the corner unit.
Illustration of new hotel (ignore the Ibis sign) Copyright Milan Babic Architects
There is a host of documents online about this application and I have only managed to skim them so far. There is some confusion in the documents as the official application is for a 60-bedroom Easy Hotel though at least one of the documents refers to a 70-bedroom Ibis Hotel. I can only assume the latter is an earlier version.
Easy Hotels are a franchise operation and are part of Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s business empire and, from their website, they offer hotel rooms from around £35 a night.
It’s quite extraordinary that after years of having hardly any hotels, Ealing and West Ealing now have a brand new Premier Inn and Travelodge within yards of one another plus the newly converted Drayton Court Hotel,the boutique Hotel Xanadu in Bond Street and the Best Western Maitrise Hotel in West Ealing. Is it all down to the likely impact of Crossrail?
I’m puzzled why such a major development for West Ealing has been delegated to officers for a decision rather than going to committee. This could be a very significant change for the centre of West Ealing. It may mean hotel supplies being delivered along Canberra Road and across Melbourne Ave. There is also no parking provision for hotel guests. A thriving hotel in the heart of West Ealing may well make a significant contribution to the local economy and help improve our high street. Even so, to my mind, this is a major development and ought to go to the full committee for a decision.
If you want to comment on this application you can do so online and the closing date is 22nd February.
Monday 11 February
7.30 – 9pm
at Ealing Centre for Independent Living Bayham Road, West Ealing W13 0TQ
Bollywood and London: how popular Hindi cinema views London and its inhabitants. Another talk in the series by Angela Ayton
Entrance: £5 including refreshments
Come and join us for coffee on Saturday morning 11.30 am at the Silva Cafe in West Ealing (opposite Kwik Fit). We’ve had our winter break and are starting up our coffee mornings on the first Saturday of the month again. The idea is for anyone to join us and contribute to our efforts for West Ealing or come and see if we can help you with any particular problem you have. On Saturday I know we’ll be talking about local policing and community safety, ideas to improve our high street, how to improve our monthly craft market, perhaps even the plans for the new mosque and more.
If you care about what happens to West Ealing you’re very welcome to join us.
This sounds interesting and a little challenging! ‘A journey of recovery to the heart of his grey matter following a traumatic head injury’. It’s a free event because the people involved in staging this would like your feedback so they can fine-tune it before it goes on tour.
In 2011, leading science communicator James Piercy suffered a traumatic head injury that made this question more pertinent than ever before. Join him as he shares his at times emotional journey. Find out just what we know about what is in our heads and the effect of brain damage via tales of the brain’s structure, MRI, monitoring and the effects of trauma.
It’s downstairs at the Drayton Court Hotel on Thursday 7th February starting at 3pm.
website www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk or blog http://whatsgoingoninhishead.wordpress.com/
The redevelopment of the Sherwood Close Estate just south of Dean Gardens is the second major housing development in the centre of West Ealing. Building on the Green Man Lane Estate is well under way and is due to last between 8 – 10 years. Work on Sherwood Close will start in 2014 and will last a similar length of time.
Back in October, the Council selected Affinity Sutton to redevelop the Sherwood Close Estate, just south of Dean Gardens, and said that there would be opportunities for local people to get involved with shaping the new estate. On Saturday, 2 February Affinity Sutton, their architects and the Council invite you to come along to a public exhibition where you will be able to meet the team, find out more about their proposals and let them know your views before they progress their plans and submit a formal planning application later in the year.
When: Saturday 2 February – drop in anytime between 11am and 2pm
Where: The Marquee next to Target House by Northfield Avenue
Refreshments will be provided
For more information contact Affinity Sutton on
0300 100 0303
This talk on Caravaggio is put on by OPEN Ealing on Monday 4th February 7.30 – 9.30pm. The talk is given by V&A guide Colin Lomas and is one of a series of highly entertaining talks by Colin. It’s being held at the Ealing Centre for Independent Living, 1 Bayham Road, W13 0TQ
£5 entry and illustrated notes provided
7.40 – 8.40 illustrated talk
8.40 – 9.30 refreshments & discussion
More information available from Colin Lomas – ring 07909 896541
