Forum Topics

Labour Have Woken Up - I Wonder Why?

There was a knock on my door. A smiling Labour activist stood there, telling me how brilliantly things are going. They must have woken up, nearly nine months before an election.Clean, pristine streets? Crime free? Weed free? Don't worry and Just ignore the shoplifters and drug dealers we dodge daily. West Ealing, they say, is a shining example of regeneration. Yes, if your idea of regeneration is concrete towers blotting out the skyline.And the parks? A triumph, if you like "lakes" that look like industrial waste ponds.Meanwhile, nearly half our children’s centres are set to close or be repurposed, 12 out of 25 gone, cutting £11.8 million from services families depend on.But councillor perks? Untouchable. Remember the 23.8 percent basic allowance hike in 2022, quietly topped up each year for inflation. And council tax? Up around 20 percent in four years for a Band D.I will give them this: some new play areas and cycle paths. But set against the scale of decline elsewhere, they feel like crumbs from the table.Then there is the stunning derelict block near Dean Gardens, once meant to be a flagship development. The slogans on the hoardings still promise transformation. The reality is an empty shell, abandoned mid build, ghostly and still.And that is before even looking at their first year in government nationally. Gaza may dominate headlines, but when I am dodging shoplifters, drug dealers, and the risk of being poisoned in my own park, perhaps they could start fixing problems closer to home.I have voted for all parties before. But this time I will back whoever can stop another Labour candidate vanishing for four years, then reappearing with promises and leaflets.Four more years? Expect more towers, mouldy housing, rising rents, higher taxes, fewer services, crumbling streets, and yes, more 24/7 casinos (poor Hanwell — destined to follow West Ealing?) and music festivals.I know many will disagree. That is fine. It is called democracy. And yes, stupidly I did vote Labour last time. I regretted it, especially when 59 Labour councillors have been elected out of 70. That is not good for democracy or accountability. And let's face it, both have been in short supply in Ealing.Sigh. Double sigh. Vote wisely in May. PS: Produced by me, not AI.

Mark callan ● 1d5 Comments ● 4m

EAST LODGE LAMMAS PARK - DEMOLITION IMMINENT

Word reaches me that... as suspected... this building will disappear overnight any day now.A survey for demolition took place last week.All you lot with your eyes wide shut in defence of the swamps and defending Ealing Council will no doubt be in favour of this.Tragic how a park that was an open public amenity space for the local people is now nothing but a developers playground.When this is raised to the ground it'll be shame on all of you who have supported this utterly inpet and corrupt council.

Colin Goodman ● 2d13 Comments ● 1h

West Ealing Action Group

The future development and spending of considerable funds in West Ealing is to decided by this group. An Ealing officer called Connor McDonagh I presume is responsible for selecting its membership. At these sensitive times how has he included The West Ealing Islamic Centre and not St John's Church, The Hindu Temple in Chapel Road, The Salvation Army, The Assyrian Cathedral formerly St James's etc?  Neither has he included elected councillors. Who has given him this power to evade common sense and democracy?

Arthur Breens ● 3d5 Comments ● 20h

Council Tax and Public Parks

Due to the loss of Lammas Park I took the dogs to what used to be called Gunnersbury Park.It’s basically now a commercial entertainment site with loads of vehicles flying around at 20MPH+So Lammas is unusable Gunnersbury virtually unusable for a large (and nicest weather periods) chunk of the yearWalpole much the same as Gunnersbury as the festival site much much larger this yearTalk of areas of Elthorne being lostBoston Manor Park (I know that’s in Hounslow) has been a disaster zone for seven weeks When is it fraud that I’m paying Council Tax for a service (public amenity space) that I’m actually not able to use but it’s handed over to feather the nest of companies making money out of it?Queen of the Suburbs my wobbly backside!!

Colin Goodman ● 4d8 Comments ● 2d

Hanwell says NO to the slots

Thank you to the organisers of today’s rally at the clock tower, and to everyone who turned out to support it. For those who don’t know, there’s a plan to open a so-called “bingo hall” in the heart of our community but in reality, it’s a 24-hour slot casino.Many of us believe it’s wrong. It was fantastic to see so many local residents and representatives standing together against it.  It’s important we stand together to stop this. Once again, thank you to everyone taking part and fighting to protect our neighbourhood.  Please add your voice here: https://tinyurl.com/2hvz97w2

Mark callan ● 11d70 Comments ● 2d

Lime Bikes Banned in Hounslow — Should Ealing Do the Same?

This is my first post on this forum, so please be nice and on topic.I've read a lot of posts about many local issues and feel that now is the time to put my toe in the water, so to speak.Just saw the news that Hounslow Council has banned Lime bikes from operating in their borough, mainly due to problems with dumped bikes blocking pavements and creating hazards.Whatever your view on bikes, it’s hard to deny that these hire schemes haven’t been well managed. In parts of Ealing, they’re often left sprawled across pavements, outside shops, or across driveways — which clearly isn’t fair on pedestrians, pushchair users, or those with limited mobility.But they’re also promoted as a “green” transport option, and some people do rely on them to get to work or the station.Given what’s just happened in Hounslow, should Ealing consider doing the same — or is there a better way to deal with the problems without an outright ban?I’m genuinely curious what Ealing people think — I'm not looking for the usual “Cars vs Bikes” or political debate. I'm curious: are these bikes helping or harming our local streets, and what would a sensible approach look like here in Ealing?

Richard Price ● 4d7 Comments ● 4d

Mount Close development

A whopping 138 new homes are proposed on the Mount Close site (corner of Mount Avenue and Castlebar Road). These new homes come with precisely zero parking spaces and the developers are silent about how the local infrastructure might be upgraded to support this huge increase in resident numbers. Four of the proposed new buildings are six storeys high. Of course the developer claims that the only way to finance upgrades to the current estate is to build these new homes. But the site is ill-suited to this massive overdevelopment and the impact will be felt beyond the immediate area.The developer's website is here: https://mountcloseconsultation.co.uk/Comments on the proposals can be made here: https://pam.ealing.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=SYOKN7JMLD300

Elizabeth Howard ● 5d13 Comments ● 4d

Another one gone!

The Samrat in Pitshanger Lane has closed so I believe! No more take-aways for Peter Crouch and Prince William !! We are gradually losing all the restaurants in this neck of the woods.

Peter Tolhust ● 15d22 Comments ● 5d

Road safety

Are you interested in implementing schemes to make your roads safer? If so, are there any personal sacrifices that you would be willing to make for your loved ones to have a better chance of surviving a collision?

Ben Owen ● 53d127 Comments ● 6d

Who are the worst Ealing councillors?

There seems to be ever increasing dissatisfaction with our councillors across Ealing, concerns that they are self serving and ignore residents' wishes and priorities. Criticism of the local cabal of Labour councillors and MPs is increasing. So, who are the worst and why?

Steve Chilcott ● 101d22 Comments ● 6d

Boston Manor Park – Public Order Offences

As many of you will be aware, the “Paradise in the City” event in Boston Manor Park last night (Saturday 2 August) resulted in a significant outbreak of public disorder. Residents report that they observed drug dealing, drug taking and defecating on the pavement. Some experienced threatening and abusive behaviour by people leaving the event. All of this took place in the residential streets between Boston Manor Park and Northfields underground station between 10pm and midnight. Anyone wishing to report specific incidents can do so initially via the Metropolitan Police website:https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/

David Marshall ● 8d0 Comments ● 8d

What's your vision for Ealing?

Lot of complaining in this forum, not a lot of vision.What do you wish for Ealing in the decades to come?More of the same?Or something different?Do you want to be a consumer or a creator?

Charlotte Lester ● 114d45 Comments ● 8d

Council is to blame for flytipping epidemic

It was interesting to see Ealing launch a major crackdown on fly-tipping just after they were given permission by central government to significantly raise fines. I haven't seen any cases in the UK but other local authorities have grasped this opportunity with enthusiasm and started issuing PCNs to residents for fairly minor infractions. Catching serial fly tippers is always unlikely as they will know where the cameras are and how to avoid detection. However anyone hapless enough to have their traceable information in a flytip is going to be in trouble. Whether they actually were responsible in the first place is always going to be difficult and expensive to disprove. The videos of flytipping released so far seem to show fairly minor cases including one chap depositing a large box by a bin on Acton High Street presumably in the expectation that it would be collected when the bins were emptied. Like many people he probably weighed up the risk of doing this against a long round trip to Greenford. Previously he could have taken it the short hop to Stirling Road but now that is just holding the occasional cycling event and will never be accepting waste again. 

Gordon Southwell ● 26d31 Comments ● 8d

Elthorne Park Being Turned Into a Commercial Festival Site?

I was surprised to learn that Elthorne Park will soon host the PALOP Festival this July — a large-scale event that many local residents were unaware of until recently As you all know the  Park is a quiet, mainly residential green space, valued by families, dog-walkers, and the wider community. While Hanwell Carnival and the Hanwell Hootie bring noise and disruption, they are long-standing community events that we accept and enjoy.they are part of what makes Hanwell and our community special.The PALOP Festival, by contrast, is a commercial event with no local roots. It feels wrong that our park should be hired out in this way, with residents expected to tolerate the inevitable noise, litter, and disruption. Worse still, it risks setting a dangerous precedent.Once the door is opened to external festivals, how long before our public spaces become regular commercial venues?  Residents deserve a say before the character of our community is changed without our consent.If you agree, please make your feelings known to your local councillor — and remind them that they face elections next year.

Mark callan ● 104d28 Comments ● 10d

England through to the Euro's Final

Ealing's Chloe Kelly fires England into the Euros 2025 final!Brilliant!Not the first England player from Ealing but currently the most successful.

Dominik Klimowski ● 19d15 Comments ● 11d

stop and shop changing to shop+

Hello Do not believe a word of what the council says regarding the changes to the stop and shop parking to shop+. This is just a revenue raising exersise.Alex

Alex Gowans ● 12d1 Comments ● 12d

Problem with homepage?

I usually give most of the articles on the homepage  quick shufti but the one about the council meeting being asked to look into the HMO's won't open.Has anyone else found this please?

Keith Iddon ● 22d8 Comments ● 13d

Boston Road cycle lane

Apparently & finally, installation is starting in March.

David Greane ● 207d129 Comments ● 15d

NHS Healthcare Governance of Ealing to Become Much More 'Remote'

NHS healthcare governance up to June 2022 was carried out by the Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group (ECCG) based in Perceval House. In July 2022 this all changed - ECCG was closed down and a new regional body took over - the North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB). Now this ICB is now to be merged with the North Central London ICB.So in just 3 years we have moved from a local body managing our NHS affairs for 366,000 Ealing residents to a huge new merged ICB handling NHS healthcare in 13 Local Authorities with a combined population of 4.5 million.How can anybody describe this as progress?

Eric Alan Leach ● 16d0 Comments ● 16d