Forum Topic

Things to improve Ealing?

What are the things that would improve Ealing?

Gerry Tan ● 4117d38 Comments

Real bugbear of mine Gerry - Phone Zombies. Some woman at Ealing Broaddway was walking up the step looking into her phone, and fell into my crotch.... Then looked at me as if it was my fault!

Tom Clifford ● 4114d

Thirty year mortgages are the norm in the USA.Allied to that - a home "owner" can simply hand the keys to the bank and walk away if they want.

Tony Colliver ● 4114d

Agree, there seem to be many more chicken and kebab shops inEaling nowadays.Another trait I've noticed is that people seem to be in a great hurry now and lack time and/or consideration to hold open a door to a shop for the elderly and those who have walking sticks and have impaired walking or sight. And too many don't look where they are walking but stare intently at their mobiles.

Gerry Tan ● 4114d

Less 'Chicken' & betting shops. Cleaner streets, improved road surfaces.

Lee Page ● 4114d

Who's sneering? The housing market is the most vicious of the lot because the asset you have bought is also your home.To be in negative equity must be dreadful but the returns are not guaranteed and anyone who buys anything takes an element of risk.I know many people, including myself, who could afford to buy their own home at the time of purchase. I won't argue with your estimate but it wouldn't surprise me if that figure hasn't always been high, tho' not as high as now granted.

Keith Iddon ● 4114d

Really tough one, isn't it? Like most people I think, our House in Ealing is pretty much the only asset (is it that?) we have. We're assuming that when we have to retire that we will sell it and downsize and the equity released will provide us with a pension top-up. We can't afford to stay in Ealing (or at least in our modest house). Given that London prices will undoubtedly stay out front of the rest of the country for many more years, we're probably on a reasonably safe assumption. If the price falls, it doesn't matter too much to us because everything else will fall in relation to it - BUT - we aren't in negative equity. I really can't see this situation coming to an end in the near future so the only answer is to build more. And not just flats - we need houses too.

Penny Crocker ● 4114d

I think you`re confusing the arguments here. Keith was (I think!) agreeing that although a house shouldn`t been seen purely as an asset to make money, that in part all owners do see it this way too - and hence why no-one would want to sell for less than they bought it.I`m guessing the 22,000 people in negative equity would also like to sell their house for more than they bought it.

Tom Clifford ● 4114d

Keith, you ask if I could name anyone who would sell their house for less than it cost them. I don't know anyone personally who would. However, it might (not) come as a shock to know that there are still 22, 000 people in negative equity. While the number of homeowners in negative equity is rapidly falling, it is still miserable for those who are sneered at for owning a house which hasn't increased in value. My ask is more potent; how many people do you personally know who could afford to buy the house that they are living in? It is estimated that 85% of the entire nation couldn't. Which position affects more people?

Ben Owen ● 4114d

Fair do's, and I do think of my house as a home but be honest who would want to sell the house they bought for less than it cost them? If you can name anyone I would be surprised.

Keith Iddon ● 4114d

We should be thinking of houses as homes rather than as an INVESTMENT!Funny thing is that I went along to Hanwell's Community Forum last night.  First item on the agenda discussed the planning application at 3-7 Uxbridge Road, on the corner of Shirley Gardens,  (where the funeral directors used to be). The proposal is to convert three houses into flats. There were complaints from a few local residents about the number of dwellings proposed, which highlights the dichotomy between people commentating on the housing crisis and not wanting new housing built in their own back yard. Onto a separate subject, I hope that more businesses sign up to the marvellous Ealing Privilege Card scheme.  It incentivises residents to support local businesses by retailers offering 10% discount to their customers. Customers pay £20 per year to join.

Ben Owen ● 4114d

In don't think of my house as an asset Paul but as somewhere for me and mine to live but that we own .Whichever way you argue it and I'm sure you can find a plethora of ways, it is an asset that can appreciate or depreciate according to prevailing influences of supply and demand etc.

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

That you think of houses as assets I think is indicative of the attitude of a great many, and part of the reason the housing market is so ridiculous.

Paul James ● 4115d

The principle's the same.

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

It's not quite the same though, other assets are pretty much optional, somewhere to live is not.

Paul James ● 4115d

It's the same with any asset...jewelry, bonds etc. or anything which may appreciate or depreciate.Unless you sell them to realise the profit it's all on paper.

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

That's true Paul - I'd never thought of the worth of a house like that before - such an obvious truth.

Gerry Tan ● 4115d

Houses aren't really worth anything though, unless you sell them and don't buy another...

Paul James ● 4115d

It has ever been thus, but now it is moreso. For eg: my Dad didn't buy a house until he was nigh on 50. Your argument that it would be the grandkids who inherit is idealised and not always the case.

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

The inherit argument doesn't really work as most children will have grown up and will need a family home for their children before inheritance kicks in...Also inheritance highlights again the problem for those people currently frozen out - with no recourse to bank of (in this case) dead mum and dad.

Donald Manley ● 4115d

But your children would hardly benefit if the house they inherit from you is worth so much less. It is hard to offer a logical and real solution that suits all in such a surreal area as house prices versus house values.

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

> would you want your house to be worth £100 k less?As a home owner I'd be happy with that if it gave my children a better chance in the future.Or more importantly gave other children from a less well off background a chance.  Plus high house prices and endless mortgages (i.e. 35, 50, 200 years - whatever is needed to keep that bubble going) benefit no one but the banks.  Agree on supply side - but current prices in Ealing will price out everyone soon bar bankers and overseas 'investors'.

Donald Manley ● 4115d

"1 - more time allowed at traffic lights "green man" signal crossings. Tens seconds is quite inadequate for those with impaired walking(like myself)"I've long thought that more flexibility is required.I think the amber should flash with the green for about 10 secs after around 7 secs of red meaning that you can proceed if the crossing is clear of pedestrians.The problem with long red lights is that they due add to congestion and aren't always necessary. Sometimes a nipper will cross in just a few seconds.

John Walker ● 4115d

A noble idea Gerry but one which would be very hard to achieve( would you want your house to be worth £100 k less?). Overseas investors is only one( albeit a big one) of the reasons why property is so expensive. The main problem imo is a lack of supply of available housing stock and the lack of supply of mortgages to many.It might be better for the young to be able to take on 30 or 35 yer mortgages to make home ownership more affordable, but who would lend under those conditions?

Keith Iddon ● 4115d

Bit difficult to improve the housing situation in Ealing without a wider national solution. But totally agree. As a advice case worker, our work but be 60% solved if it didn't involve housing and housing benefit problems.

Barbara Karayi ● 4115d

Another thought to improve things would be to try to bring house prices down so that first-time younger buyers may enter the property market, instead of those who are super-rich and those developers who invest in ever increasing prices(quite often overseas investors), thus keeping property prices ridiculously high.

Gerry Tan ● 4115d

Pavements - agree with Gerry. The badly cut-up, pot holed and generally uneven stretch along the south side of Pitshanger Lane eastwards from Princes Gardens (recently repaved when in a far better condition) would be a start. Representations to our local politicians of both main parties have failed to produce the required result.

Martin C. Harris ● 4116d

Just asking question.... IF motorcyslists were in bus lanes (and assuming they`re not breaking the speedlimit) is it reallly undertaking if they go past you? Buses and taxis do this as its a completely seperate lane I thought?Can someone clarify..? :O)

Tom Clifford ● 4116d

Yes, I think our roads should be shared by as many as possible, provided everyone drives with care obeying the driving codes at all times.

Gerry Tan ● 4116d

I don't see why cyclists and motorcycles can't share a bus lane. There's plenty of room. It seems to work in Islington and there are an awful lot of cyclists there. Of course motorbikes should not undertake you or enter the advance stop junction in much the same way as cyclists should not jump red lights or ride on the pavement. I don't think poor conduct by a few should dictate one scheme or another.

Jim McCauley ● 4116d

Correction..69% had no problems?

Keith Iddon ● 4116d

So 61% had no problems?

Keith Iddon ● 4116d

Motor bikes allowed in bus lanes? This would only be a backward step. In Bristol, a survey of cyclists found that 31% of cyclists had experienced problems with motorbikes in bus lanes, leading Bristol City Council to conclude it had a measurable effect on cyclists and the numbers cycling.Frequently,  cycling along the Euston Road I'm undertaken by motorbikes going faster than the speed limit since the lanes are empty of cars.  Why would I want that to happen in Ealing? It will be the start of a 'slippery slope'. Next up will be allowing motor bikes to stop in advanced stop boxes that are designated for BICYCLES only.

Ben Owen ● 4116d

I agree with everyone's suggestions. I would also add 1) An incentive to smaller shop keepers to open 'one-off' shops in Ealing Broadway

Penny Crocker ● 4116d

I wholeheartedly agree with the things suggested by Andy, Barbara, Jim and Nigel and would add three of my own suggestions, which are:1 - more time allowed at traffic lights "green man" signal crossings. Tens seconds is quite inadequate for those with impaired walking(like myself), and2 - less signs in narrower pavements outside shops advertising the goods inside the shop, which tend to impede pedestrians by cluttering the pavement, and3 - uneven pavements which can trip-up unsuspecting pedestrians(like the badly uneven and broken pavement along The Green W5(between Angela Malick's and the Oxfam bookshop).

Gerry Tan ● 4116d

Safer routes for cyclists along with a 100% clampdown on mobile use in cars.Affordable housing for those providing essential services.Far less street 'furniture' and reduce the clutter.100% clampdown on street drinking of alcohol.

Nigel Brooks ● 4116d

Allow motorcycles into bus lanes

Jim McCauley ● 4116d

Bring back Bentalls. Clean parks (eg Haven Green) and empty public bins. Less bumpy road surfaces (I am a cyclist).

Barbara Karayi ● 4117d

a cinema would be a start :)

Andy Vaughan ● 4117d