Forum Topic

Concrete blocks to replace wooden seats in Ealing town centre

Appalled to learn after speaking to one of the workmen in Ealing town centre that concrete blocks are to replace the lovely wooden seats .How insulting to the people of Ealing who have enjoyed the lovely wooden seats since the town centre opened .This mad scheme thought up by blokes working for British Land in central London who probably don't live in Ealing and won't be using the centre .We must not let them get away with this act of vandalism . Contact British Land here http://www.ealingbroadwayshopping.co.uk/ and your councillor and demand the lovely wooden seats are returned to the town centre .

Frank Walsh ● 3793d30 Comments

Good news: I saw today they have placed at least three (backless) benches outside Tesco-and therefore out of the rain.

Terry Freestone ● 3780d

Flower beds . Now there's a novelty. Soon be filled with  litter and on Mother's Day ! "  Where have all the flowers gone ? " A couple of small blossom trees would have been nicer.

Beryl Bashford ● 3783d

It's a pity the new seats are being places so that people will be sitting with their backs to the flower beds!

Susan Kelly ● 3783d

Oh dear. Would the funds not spread to that last bit of covering over Primark.? I too was hoping the lighting was temporary...Suppose we shall just  have to wait for the Square to be completed Certainly not a very inviting place for shopping in the winter at the mlment..... all dark and grey. I guess I am just a grumpy old lady.

Beryl Bashford ● 3783d

Oh dear. Would the funds not spread to that last bit of covering over Primark.? I too was hoping the lighting was temporary...Suppose we shall just  have to wait for the Square to be completed Certainly not a very inviting place for shopping in the winter at the mlment..... all dark and grey. I guess I am just a grumpy old lady.

Beryl Bashford ● 3783d

And the area between the now covered in area in front of Tesco and the corner where "Maple Moose" is.That was all covered before and I see no sign that it will be now.Also, are those lights strung high up over the town square really the permanent lighting? When I first saw them I thought that they must be just temporary for Christmas, but as I see no sign of any other lighting provision for the centre of the square, I think they must be it!

Dave Hawley ● 3783d

They are still in the process of putting up the covering/arcades.The only area that will remain uncovered (which was formerly covered) is that outside Primark.

Terry Freestone ● 3783d

Terry ,,that is splendid news. WOODEN BENCHES  and not nasty concrete slabs as we have been lead to believe . Perhaps the planners will have a change  of mind with regard to so little covered areas  around the square.

Beryl Bashford ● 3784d

I see they have started putting in...the new wooden seating.By the way, the original wooden benches (which were rather nice) were *replaced* some (10?)years ago by a different style.

Terry Freestone ● 3784d

I remember the fountains not looking very clean ie green and slimy and trying to avoid the spray from them.

Philippa Bond ● 3785d

Best not to judge until it is all finished?  The new owners, British Land, at least appear to be putting some money in to compete with the likes of Brent Cross, Westfield, Uxbridge, Kingston etc. Not that refurb is the only thing they need to get the tenant mix right. Surely 4 or 5 mobile phone shops is over the top.  After all you only visit them at end of the typical 24 month contract.

Philip Coe ● 3785d

But Dave,  they have not really done anything other than change the stone flags . Those strips of wood over the shop frontages  just look unfinished. The lovely benches will be replaced with concete ones . Oh dear. I rest my case . As you rightly say.. we all have our different taste and expectations. Expect I shall be dashing into Currys when it rains. They will even offer  me a seat. My PC has broken down many times ,  they know this old lady well now !!

Beryl Bashford ● 3785d

I actually quite like most of what they've done and are doing to the shopping centre, although it was never going to be to everybody's taste of course.I'm just surprised that the amount of shelter available in the open-air square is so much less than it was before.The path down the one side of the square that is still completely covered will get very crowded when it's raining!

Dave Hawley ● 3785d

Goodness me Dave.. I thought the side walks were unfinished No idea covers would not be put over those strats of wood. I am an artist and designer and to me the whole so called refurbishment is just what Prince Charles would call " A Carbuncle "  Yes tose water feaures were removed due to anti social behaviour. Litter ,vomit,  detergent  etc. No respect from some people

Beryl Bashford ● 3786d

I remember when someone put detergent into them.The resulting foam was quite spectacular!I have always assumed that was one of the reasons they were removed.I do think it's a backwards step that there isn't a covering over all the sides of the square now. There's only a continuous canopy on one side only, but I suppose that's better than their original proposal of no canopies at all!

Dave Hawley ● 3786d

Frank, have you emailed Lucy? She offered to show you what the new seats will look like. So what did she send you?As for the paving, I'm surprised the original lasted as long as it did. I found the shiny surface could be slippery in the rain.

Terry Freestone ● 3789d

There were two fountains either side of the stairs. They later painted the bottoms of the pools with bright coloured beasties. Then they were removed-about 10 years ago.

Terry Freestone ● 3789d

The original seats when the centre first opened were beautiful wooden antique type seats . Then they were replaced by the wooden seats which were still enjoyable . The latest I see is a load of massive concrete blocks in the centre courtesy of British land .As another poster said they've wasted all this money ripping up the square for no improvement, only to make it worse .Return our lovely wooden seats to the centre and stop insulting us with these concrete monstrosities .

Frank Walsh ● 3789d

Those ghastly bottles made into a tree shape were BLUE when in Ealing LOL !!

Beryl Bashford ● 3792d

Do you remember when the centre first opened there was a water fountain in the central covered atrium with seats around it? Or an I imagining it?

Paul Smythe ● 3792d

No ..never has been any cover.  None in the stores either not even M&S provide a seat any where . They usd to in the good old days. CURRYS in the Centre provide one if they are doing a fix on  your PC which often takes up to an hour. Older people do not want to wander off and window shop for an hour and they are so understanding about that.  I heard we are going to have two water features in the Square,with changing lights !! Could be just a rumour.

Beryl Bashford ● 3792d

BUT are all the seats out in the open? Is there anywhere to sit when it rains????????????????????????

Paul Smythe ● 3792d

Ha ha - that plastic bottle Christmas tree was a talking point around the world.  When it was in Southall? the bottles were pink.

Philippa Bond ● 3792d

ha ha, urban farmers!

Peter Yale ● 3792d

These development people seem to be in love with concrete. All that money spent on ripping up the perfectly good paving in the Shopping Centre Square just to be replaced with a fancy patterned one. I do so hope we can have the  statue and the wooden benches/seats replaced . I really can not see that the Square is going to be much different from before in spite of the vast amount of money being spent on it. Will it be finished in time for the Christmas tree to be set up ?  Maybe we are going to have a tree made from  plastic bottles to brighten it up.

Beryl Bashford ● 3792d

Lucy ThomasWhy can't you just give us back the lovely wooden seats that were in the centre ?This new arrangement is not an improvement but making things worse . Why won't you listen to the people who use the centre every day and not some design guys in Central London who don't live in Ealing and probably won't ever use the centre .

Frank Walsh ● 3792d

Are any of the seats going to be out of the rain, or are they all outside?

Paul Smythe ● 3793d

I wonder if we'll see a big rise in the cases of Chalfonts in the borough?

Keith Iddon ● 3793d

I do hope the seating is not just benches which provide not back support and prevent people and children falling backwards, or bashing into the people sitting the other way.Some designs are atrocious.

Mark Kehoe ● 3793d

Hi Frank,The stone blocks currently being installed in Town Square are flower beds and although the base of the new seating will be the same stone, there will be wooden seating placed on top. There will be the same amount of seating in Town Square as there previously was. We hope you'll see some positive changes in Town Square over the next 2 weeks, now that the refurbishment works are nearing completion. We will soon be adding the seating as well as new plants and putting back the family statue. In the meantime, I can share an image of what Town Square will look if you email us at info@ealingbroadwayshopping.co.uk. Thank you.

Lucy Thomas ● 3793d