Forum Topic

Ealing Broadway Centre - but not in the rain

The new owners of Ealing Broadway Centre have put in a planning application to remove the canopies around the open area in the middle. They say  this will "improve the appearance, functionality and vitality of the square... ensuring that the space provides a lighter and more attractive environment for visitors to enjoy. The proposal will not, therefore, have any impact upon local amenity..." . I regard keeping dry when it's raining while I shop as a big local amenity. The proposal seems designed to put people off shopping there. If you think it's as daft as I do, object before it's too late. Go to http://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=169172  The documentation is clear as mud to my untrained eye, but that's what they're proposing.

Christine Gratus ● 4320d15 Comments

https://www.facebook.com/ealingbroadwayshopping?ref=stream&hc_location=timelineWell I was up there on Thursday and the beach was just a promise!  It looks good now.

Philippa Bond ● 4286d

Wereldhave, a private Dutch company acquired the Centre from L&G a few years ago. Last year Wereldhave wound up its operations in the UK and sold on the property portfolio to British Land.  As British Land is one of the biggest and successful quoted property companies in the UK one would assume it has the confidence, professionalism, ideas and funding to turn the Centre round.

Philip Coe ● 4286d

Agreed Christine.As a matter of interest, who owns the EBSC now?  It used to be Legal & General - I also remember it was opened a couple of decades ago by The Queen - it must be a fairly important shopping centre therefore(or not?).

Gerry Tan ● 4286d

Antony, Philippa and Gerry are all correct - but I do feel encouraged by the fact that the new owners seem to be listening in a way that the old ones never did. And they're doing a good job in filling all the units (even though I would really like to see a few more useful shops and few less selling cheap clothes) and making it an attractive place to visit - Ealing Beach is great!

Christine Gratus ● 4286d

When the present rain canopies were first installed, there were leaks in a couple of places and it took quite some time before they were made watertight.

Gerry Tan ● 4286d

Architects do think about these things but Clients often do not want know about them or think about/do anything about them.  There are too many unthought through executive decisions being made.

Philippa Bond ● 4286d

Those canopies are better at keeping the sun off than the rain, but look a lot better than the perspex curved ones originally fitted, which went opaque and looked tatty within a few short years.But like so many glass structures, they look great when new, but no-one, especially the architects, ever seem to factor in long term cleaning costs or indeed even consider how they will accessed safely and easily to enable regular cleaning.

Anthony Waller ● 4287d

plan to remove canopies has been withdrawn.

Paul Gibson ● 4287d

so if it rains why not walk in a bit further to protect yourself?the canopy does look dated IMO

Ron Gill ● 4306d

Makes you wonder why they didn't put the benches under the threatened canopies in the first place, dunnit?

Susan Kelly ● 4309d

I don't understand what is proposed about canopies and rainfall protection. I know that after a short rain shower, the benches in the central square remain wet and unusable - I do wish the many attendants and cleaners who seem to be ever present would wipe them dry after a sudden rain shower, so allowing shoppers the amenity of dry benches.

Gerry Tan ● 4310d

So what's the true motivation - saving on cleaning costs?(It's irrelevant to me anyway as I haven't been there for nearly twenty years - it has nothing to offer me.)

Tony Colliver ● 4319d

The proposal to remove the canopies is daft!

Maria W Pogroszewska ● 4319d

Have told the Council so.

Susan Kelly ● 4320d

What a stupid idea!

Susan Kelly ● 4320d