Category: Regeneration

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All very quiet as new hotel submits plans to increase it to 5 storeys

It’s been a little hard to keep track of the hotel plans but a new planning application has been submitted to increase it from 3 to 5 storeys and to 75 bedrooms. The hotel is planned to be a Holiday Inn Express. Local butcher Tony Luckhurst is still due to return to a groundfloor shop on his old site in Melbourne Avenue and the Betfred betting shop will still be on the ground floor at the front of the building.When Tony will be able to return looks to be an open question. What puzzles me is the stop/start nature of the building works.  I would have thought they would be cracking on with the work as quickly as possible but every now and then the site goes quiet and there’s no one to be seen. Maybe having to go back for permission to increase the size of the hotel is the reason for the delay but it would be good to see the work progressing on this important site.

 

 

 

 

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97p shop set to open in West Ealing

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I’ve been wondering what was happening to the old Miss London shop which has been empty for months. It occupies a prime site on the corner of the Uxbridge Road and Singapore Road. Now I know, it’s going to be a 97p shop and will sell alcohol along with its many other products.

We seem to be battling against a tide of betting shops, money lending shops and 99p or, in this case, 97p shops.  The West Ealing shopping centre needs a balance so that our high street isn’t simply defined by budget shopping.  Otherwise, a whole swathe of local residents have little reason to shop locally and their money goes out of the local economy. We need to find a way to strike a balance and I just don’t think it can be just left to market forces.

 

 

 

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Work starts again on new hotel in West Ealing

After weeks of inactivity work has started again on the new hotel at the corner of Melbourne Ave and the Uxbridge Road. Scaffolding is starting to go up. The delay has been down to the developers needing to carry out a detailed structural survey for Holiday Inn Express who are going to operate this hotel.  There will also be some changes to the plans with two more storeys at the front (Uxbridge Road) end to increase the number of rooms. I don’t know what the likely completion date will be but I can’t see Tony Luckhurst being back before Christmas.

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The new Morrisons Local in West Ealing opens on Thursday

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The old Blockbusters stood empty and forelorn for some months and then work on the new Morrisons Local started and  it’s progressed very quickly and will open at 9am on Thursday.  On the corner of St James Ave and the Uxbridge Road this supermarket should bring some much-needed footfall down this end of the high street and, hopefully, benefit the nearby shops.

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All quiet on the hotel front

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Another occasional update  on the new hotel in West Ealing – nothing’s happening. Having cracked on with the demolition it’s all been quiet for the last 10 days or so. I hope plans are still on schedule as I’m looking forward to Tony Luckhurst’s return in good time for Christmas.

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West Ealing Business Hub project to continue to next stage

West Ealing Hub Project Continues

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The West Ealing Hub Working Group has conducted a study to assess the feasibility of a coworking space in West Ealing over a three month period from April to July 2013. The study is now complete! Over 250 people input their ideas and comments to inform the final study. We would like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed.

 

Our research has shown that there is awareness in West Ealing that the area is changing. The hub idea was received with great enthusiasm, and many local people indicated that they would like to take an active part in developing an inspiring business coworking space on the high street.

 

We looked at various business models of coworking spaces and hubs all over London to find a model that would work best for West Ealing. The feasibility study found that there was a case to be made and a solid foundation to take forward the future enterprise.

 

A new operational group chaired by David Highton will be looking further into developing the right business model.

 

The West Ealing Hub Feasibility Study was supported by resources secured from Ealing Council’s High Street Innovation Fund and Riot Recovery funds.

West Ealing Hub Working Group

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Keep an eye on this space in Leeland Road

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The Santa Rita café (on the left) has been closed for a while and rumour has it that this site is to be redeveloped and flats built above. Not necessarily a bad thing but with local house prices climbing ever higher, partly driven by Crossrail, there is likely to be more and more of these infill-type developments.

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West Ealing hotel site update – just Dean’s wall left standing

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This is the first of an occasional series of updates on the progress of the new hotel in West Ealing. I took this photo at about 9.30 yesterday morning (Thursday 11th July). The site is almost fully demolished. The wall behind Dean’s flower stall is the only bit still standing. It’s only function seems to be to hold up his awning. He tells me his awning will be attached to the wooden hoarding when the wall finally comes down. I think they have to dig up all the concrete base next so they can start on the foundations.  That could prove a bit noisy so be warned.

Oh, and one more thing – there’s talk of possibly adding another storey to increase the number of hotel bedrooms. Whether this is serious  or not we shall see. There are questions about impact on light on O’Grady Court and other nearby buildings but it does seem to mean the developers or hotel chain see this as a sound commercial opportunity and are willing to invest in West Ealing.

 

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Your chance to help shape the future of the centre of West Ealing – come along to the Drayton Court on Tuesday at 6.45pm

West Ealing Neighbours is a big supporter of the new West Ealing Centre Neighbourhood Forum (WECNF).  WECNF became a designated public body on 27 March 2013. The forum is a collection of people who live, work or have an interest in the centre of West Ealing who are working together to create a 15 year plan for the area. WECNF operates under the auspices of the 2011 Localism Act.

The public launch and first Annual General Meeting of the forum starts at 6:45pm on Tuesday 18 June at the Drayton Court Hotel in The Avenue. A 12 person Management Committee will be elected at this meeting.

Everyone is welcome to attend the launch/AGM.

You can apply for forum membership and find our more about the forum here

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New 60-bedroom hotel in West Ealing gets go-ahead

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As this photo shows, work is already underway on the new hotel in West Ealing following agreement at last night’s (Wednesday 15th May) Planning Committee meeting. The plan is for a new 60-bedroom hotel on the corner of Melbourne Ave and the Uxbridge Road. The concerns about the traders at the top of Melbourne Ave and Luckhurst’s the butchers appear to have all been resolved.  You can read the background to this story here.