Forum Topic

NOT another (slum of the future short lifespan) block of flats PLEASE (Wickes site South Ealing)

As Ealing is beaten into mediocrity by the rise of profiteering property developers building huge blocks of ecologically unsustainable flats with short lifespans (20 or 30 years) that clash with the victorian architecture we muat ask questions about what is going to happen with the site that has just changed hands that has the Wickes store on it in South Ealing.God help us if the new owners of the Wickes site want to build a residential tower block there.On the other hand if the site was to become an Aldi, Lidl, or ASDA than that would address the social community necessities of South Ealing from the new developments on the south side of the A4 through to Ealing Broadway with its half-sized Tesco, Morrisons et al. However, like many stores in the high land cost and high rent area of W5 including the shopping centre the Wickes in South Ealing is not a full Wickes as it is just not large enough. It only carries about three-quarters of the product range, an 'Ealing-factor' where all our superstores are too small due to freeholder/land-owner greed and deficient planning policy so I don't hold out too much hope for something that is not a development combining overpriced small retail spaces (no doubt to be filled with yet more chicken shops, hairdressers and small convenience stores) with shoebox studio flats so expensive that they will only be crammed with groups of students to each room, so I guess an overpriced convenience store of sorts is the best that we can expect there in future.

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2634d12 Comments

Good point Mr Coe!I like the Trees Estate, the houses and maisonettes are all well built and the area is quite quiet. What is more, the Estate has survived the tower block building of the 60s and 70s unscathed. What additions have been made since the original houses have been relatively low rise with neither the Lidsay House or the Cherry Close sheltered flats exceeding four storeys in total.

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2632d

Village Park Estate sounds a little twee. And where is the village?

Philip Coe ● 2632d

Village Park Estate sounds a little twee. And where is the village?

Philip Coe ● 2632d

It is, I think, pretty obvious that anyone who has paid THAT much for that piece of land is going to do more than just keep the Wickes operating there. I thought that I would park the idea of a large food store early on as a possibility, you never know the "butterfly effect" might kick in and some interest might be generated. Wickes is pricey (it is the retail arm of Travis Perkins these days) and the trade do not rate the South Ealing branch, I bought a tin of gloss paint there a couple of years ago and it was so old it had dust ingrained in the lid and tool over a week to dry. The timber is poorly managed and the knotty, bent and warped stock is not disposed of (unlike Selco in Southall) and is just allowed to build up so most tradesman laugh and joke about getting a piece of straight timber from Wickes there. I also now that they do not keep more than half of Wickes overall range of builders ironmongery in the area of joist hangers, connectors.

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2632d

There were issues with Tesco opening up in the Ealing shopping centre as it was not certain that such a small store would be able to make money given the high rent, access and storage issues. Morrisons if you recall gave up before them and there had to be some kind of sweetheart deal to get a supermarket of any sort to stay in the shopping centre. The frozen food range is very limited, there are no clothes and other items. If you go to Tesco Extra in Osterley I reckon that you can save 20 per cent of your food bill over Ealing shopping centre due to the extended range with more mid-range, lower cost, and other items.

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2632d

Trees Estate is more generally used, though since half the council houses were sold of the property speculators have protested about the use of the designationa "Trees Estate" as "Village Park Estate" is more saleable. I continue to use "Trees Estate" as that is what it has been known as locally for the last fifty odd years, no Political Correctness HERE!

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2632d

I have heard that area (North-West of Gunnesbury Park) referred to as the Village Park Estate but with street names of Cedar Grove, Rowan Close, Ash Grove etc etc I think the Trees Estate is more apt and in popular use.

Philip Coe ● 2632d

Every reference for Tree Estate I see is for South Ealing Trees Estate (certainly on the Ealing counculs website), ie the estate that is north of Popes lane and roughly north west corner of the Gunnersbury Park.

Lee Page ● 2632d

Mark, when you say 'Trees Estate', do you mean the Syon Estate as it is often misnamed that?

Keith Iddon ● 2633d

I know how Tesco operates, thanks, and when you speak of convenience stores you seem to be confusing Tesco Metro with Tesco Express, which has a very limited range. Tesco Metro provides a good selection of day-to-day needs, with no reason to traipse over to the Tesco Extra in Osterley.Good luck with getting a full-size supermarket in South Ealing at the very time when places like Brentford are losing even the Morrison's they have.

Susan Kelly ● 2633d

Susan,A Tesco Metro is a conveniencs store version of the Tesco Supermarket, it only stocks a protion of the full Tesco range. If you go down to the Tesco on Gillette Corner you will a much larger range of products.As you say, the Co-op in South Ealing is useful, though it is positioned by the C-op as a convenience store and is franchised with the owner of the franchise able to set the prices. It is viewed as expensive by the residents of Cherry Close shletered house and Lindsay House sheltered housing further down the road and allows the Co-op in South Ealing to charge raised prices to its captive audience that cannot easily travel further.There is a need for a large supermarket to address the social needs of the community south of the Piccadilly Line which comprises the Trees Estate and the Grren Dragon Lane Estate and the Claypons estate not the mention the new developments  in the old Smithkline Beecham areas around flyover at the bottom of the South Ealing Road.Anyway, my immediate worry is the creation of some high-rise accommodation on that site, rather than some social justice for those who are paying twice the going price for Stilton at the Co-op and the littl Sainsubry's local

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2634d

The Tesco in Ealing is not 'half sized': it's a Metro and bigger than the ones in either Hammersmith or Richmond. I can almost always find what I need there.As for South Ealing, I find the Co-op useful, though stock control can be random on occsion, not to mention the posh butchers. Surely an Aldi or Lidl would damage the Co-op?With DIY stores closing down all over the place, I'd rather keep Wickes.

Susan Kelly ● 2634d