Category: David Highton

A view along Radbourne Walk

As an allotment holder on the Northfields site I have an interest in this.  The Northfields allotments are now self-managed – by the Ealing Dean Allotment Society (EDAS)  – and it needs support to get a grant to make a little hidden gem of green space called Radbourne Walk even better!  Radbourne Walk is the name now given to the footpath that runs along the back of the allotments parallel to Northfield Ave. If you’ve walked down it in the past 12 months or so I hope you’ll have noticed  some changes with weeds cleared, poppies and other wildflowers giving a splash of colour in spring and summer.  This work was all done by volunteers and organised by EDAS. It now wants to make Radbourne Walk even better by putting in a new surface to replace the current rutted, muddy one and installing low-level solar lighting. They also want to plant new trees and fill in the gaps on the hedge with native species such as hawthorn, buckthorn, spindle, hazel and elder plus dogwood, dog rose and more which are ideal for wildlife.

EDAS wants to apply for a grant from the Council’s share of the Capital Clean Up Fund. Your help is needed for them to have a chance of success getting a grant. All you need to do is visit their website and leave a mesage of support. The more support they get the more likely they are to get a grant. Here’s just one message of support so far:

‘Many families use this as their ‘country walk’ at the weekends. I think this work would definitely raise the standard of this forgotten footpath, for everyone’

You can find out much more about Radbourne Walk here.

Thank you for your support.

 

I remember being told that for an area to thrive it needs good schools.  A few weeks ago I drove past St John’s Primary School in Felix Road and a banner caught my eye.  The banner proudly declared the school had a ‘good’ rating from its recent Ofsted report. So, I thought I’d ask the school about it and here is their reply:

‘Staff and pupils at St John’s Primary are celebrating a very positive report by Ofsted following an Inspection on the 1st and 2nd of July 2014. The school was inspected under Ofsted’s more rigorous framework for inspections during the two days, where the inspectors observed lessons, interviewed staff, governors, children and parents. The school secured a judgement of “Good” in all four categories including achievement, teaching and learning, leadership and management and behaviour and safety. “We are proud our Ofsted Report which recognises sustained improvements and has judged it to be good in all areas.” said Head Teacher, Marilyn Borlase.’
Highlights in the report include the comments that:
‘Behaviour is good and this is greatly valued by the pupils and their parents. Pupils say that they always feel safe in school’

‘Teaching is good. Teachers use information about pupils’ progress to plan work which challenges them well’

‘The school is a happy and lively community’

‘Teachers manage their classes well and very good use is made of additional adults to help all pupils do their best work’

Ofsted 2014

Congratulations to Marilyn Borlase, all her teachers and team at St John’s.

In case you want to check on the Ofsted rating for any other local school you can start here and follow the links to the particular school you want.

Out of interest I checked other local primary schools and all had ‘good’ ratings from their last Ofsted report  – Drayton Green, Fielding and Oaklands. Also,  Elthorne Park High School, on the back of its recent GCSE results, is the most improved high school in Ealing over the past two years. Congratulations to them too.

I think without doubt that West Ealing Neighbours has had more questions about street drinking and 24-hours off-licences than anything else since we were set up eight years ago.  For West Ealing, the single biggest cause for concern is probably having two 24-hour off licences within  almost 100 metres of one another and right by Dean Gardens. The Council’s draft policy recognises the problems caused by the availability of alcohol and the impact this has on street drinking but the key question is will anything be done about it?

The Council’s presumption seems to have been to grant nearly all alcohol licence applications regardless of how many off-licences are already in an area.  The draft policy talks about Cumulative Impact Areas where granting any new alcohol licences could make matters worse and the Council being able to refuse any new applications on this basis. West Ealing high street would surely be such an area and this new policy would be of some help in stopping the spread of off-licences.  The best way to get something done is to make your views heard.  By all means tell us what you think – is there a problem and what can and should be done about it?  But also, have a look at the Council’s draft policy and complete their online questionnaire 

It’s taken a while for the fit-out to be finished but Abu Zaad is now open.  I think it’s the third of its kind with one in Shepherd’s Bush and one in Edgware Road.  Has anyone tried it yet as it would be great to hear people’s views?

I saw this story on the Ealing Today website  whereby a man was seen cutting branches off a street tree in Perivale. He was seen, reported, charged with, and found guilty of, criminal damage and then fined £2,400.  I have to say that’s a pretty hefty fine but I was pleasantly surprised that the Council took the vandalism seriously.  Similar vandalism has happened near us in a street in West Ealing.  I don’t think anyone saw it happen but it’s worth knowing that if there’s sufficient evidence the Council will take action.

As with West Ealing, Central Ealing has a neighbourhood forum. The Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum is working on a plan for the centre of Ealing Broadway. They want to hear from as many people as possible about the issues and options that could be covered in their plan for the area. To help them with their planning they have put a survey online   Please do take a few minutes to complete it and give your views on the issues and options.  There’s a bit of background to the Forum and its work below:

‘The Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum was set up in 2012 to give local people and businesses a voice in changing our town for the better. It brings together residents, community groups, businesses and other key stakeholders, aiming to make Ealing a vital, thriving and sustainable centre. Under the Localism Act, the Forum has the power to create a local plan. This means that all of us can have a greater say in how our area should change and develop over time, whether we live, work, shop or study here. It can affect where shops, offices, housing and community facilities should be, and how they should look and feel. A neighbourhood plan is mainly about how land should be used and developed. Its policies can influence decisions on future planning applications. But in putting it together, the Forum can also stimulate projects which help to build a stronger, more inclusive community.

To create the change we want to see in Ealing, CENF is creating a Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Forum (local residents and businesses working together) is overseeing the delivery of the Plan.  Everyone can take part.  It’s free to all who live, work, study or just visit here to join and to contribute ideas.  The Forum wants to hear from you now.  We’ve just launched our second round of discussions, called “Issues & Options”, on what should be covered in our Plan. Do have a look at the choices we have set out under a number of topic heads.  You may think we’ve missed some obvious things, or have got the wrong idea about what people want.  Let us know, so that we can consider all ideas before the next stage of policy development.’

You can keep up to date with the Forum and its work by signing up as a member of the Forum at http://eepurl.com/p8405, or visit their website, and follow them on Facebook/CentralEalingForum or Twitter @EalingForum.