Forum Topic

Lammas park swimming/fishing lakes

i see that the pools are 1/2 full, , the sides are steep, and they are next to the children’s playground….I presume they will remain fenced off???

Nick Robinson ● 111d15 Comments

Thames Water has managed to get £3bn in loans to continue operating until next October. Whether Lammas Park is finished by then is anyone’s guess.Sadly it’s indicative of how things are done in this country now. Push things onto people with the cover-all caveat of ‘the common good’ and it usually makes things worse. The people who really know an area are those who live there, especially those who have lived there for a long time. Northfields has been an attractive area for decades, and Lammas Park was beloved by adults and children alike. Now it’s just a hideous mess, and nobody carries the can.I wonder if Sneaky Pete Mason will be claiming the credit for this masterpiece of planning, as he has with the farcical Pear Tree Park? I doubt it…

Simon Hayes ● 96d

The first park to be dug up because of alleged flooding was Dean Gardens. Apparently Thames Water paid for this. It seems a grant from Thames Water will pay for the major Lammas Park earth works/water works. Let's hope that is soon as Thames Water could soon go bust. It has debts of £15 billion. What a massive mistake it was for the Government in 1989 to privatise a State monopoly.

Eric Alan Leach ● 96d

The continuous contradictions and total avoidance of facts and communications indicate that this is far from satisfactory project.12 years on and the conservation area for Northfields which is widely supported and really needed to protect from overblown and aesthetically unharmonious developments, now more than ever, is still not rubber stamped and yet this  'scheme' which despite what the council says offered just a  "possible future proposal" for a scheme was NOT properly consulted to residents in most of the roads on the periphery of the park. Several residents meetings and no-one got any sort of communication.None of the rationale adds up.  Flood relief for an area down hill and towards the river has never been necessary and there is no history documented of any serious flooding other than that caused by neglect of clearing culverts, sewers and the ducted parts of the Radbourne.The information posted is fluffy and copywriter to appeal with illustrations that are projections for what it may look like in 35 years time - two generations away.As for safety in the park. It will never be a safe place again and probably a haven for vermin disease and nasty waterborne insects - all things that public health of the last 125 years staved to eliminate in urban dense districts and far less dense suburban districts.The fact that no-one behind this will step up to the residents and accept responsibility indicates that aside from the money, they know the risks but are deftly sidestepping responsibility.

Raymond Havelock ● 96d

Gareth Shaw is an idiot then. Did he say when there was last a flood in Junction Road? Not in living memory!The bottom of Windmill Road used to flood badly but that was down to the shocking state of the sewers. Since they were properly repaired some years back there hasn’t been a single flood incident on the road, despite the torrential downpours we get.It sounds like the council is making this up as they go along. They do that quite regularly with their pet projects, particularly when they know they are unpopular. Telling outright lies to residents isn’t a good look but they get away with it most of the time.

Simon Hayes ● 96d

The Lammas Park earthworks saga came up at the West Ealing Neighbours meeting on Thursday evening (October 24th).It's emerged that contractors have spread mounds of spoil around the edge of the park which are higher than allowed by the project's original planning permission.  Instead of compelling the contractors to put it right, the council is trying to cover up the shambles by quietly applying to itself for retrospective planning permission to approve the illegal spoil heaps.This is now being challenged by a group of local residents who simply want their park restored to something like its former state.  Because of the legal impasse, the project looks set to be put on hold until next spring, leaving most of the park in its current half-finished state and fenced off.Cllr Gareth Shaw was challenged by an angry parent about the proximity of the largest pond to the children's playground.He claimed the project was intended to prevent flooding not in the immediate area but in Junction Road, which is half a mile away and on the far side of the Piccadilly line!

Mark Percy ● 96d

There remains no proper independent impact assessment reports for A safety in a Public Park - particularly with not one but 2 children play areas near water, nothing on the environmental health impact that is toxic plants , biting insects stagnant water and animal faeces in water in an urban public domain.All the things that were considerations when the Victorians created public parks.Safe places amongst what was then an abundance of wild open space which by it's very nature is not really suitable for recreation in desnsley populated areas.Nor is there any impact assessment on the damage or potential damage to the existing mature trees, bordering residential properties and so on.Contrary to the Council PR. There has been no full consultation, no households were informed of the go ahead  and the only consultation was a 'possible project' The visual projections on the few posters which have not been updated show how it will look 35 years from now.The earthworks are flooding and moving and the land now seriously instable.Not one officer or councillor has made any response or issued any sound explanation part from a rather politically trendy faux statement.Sad thing is far too many only hear what they want to hear and do not realise that its a load of hokum with tightly questionable motives.It's taken over a decade to create the Northfields/South Ealing Conservation area and yet this virtue signalling project was rushed through in a matter of months. With nothing like the effort in meetings and consultations which drag on .

Raymond Havelock ● 106d

There was a flooding area there.

Philippa Bond ● 107d

When.not if, the Gurnell development and surrounding areas are inundated then the councillors who directed and approved the overdevelopment MUST be held personally accountable.This forum alone has given enough warnings.

N V Brooks ● 108d

This is why those making decisions in Ealing really need their heads examined:https://www.brentriverpark.org/proposed-gurnell-development-will-increase-flood-risk-and-encroach-on-protected-land/

Simon Hayes ● 108d

There was no flooding issue in that area. Those who live around Lammas Park can’t see the point of huge, expensive and quite unattractive earthworks. It’s also removed a sizeable portion of the grass area enjoyed by residents for years. No proper explanation given.Meanwhile the council is determined to build all over a flood plain at Gurnell, laughably saying it will ‘mitigate’ any potential for these ‘much needed new homes’ to be inundated with filthy water from the River Brent.Go figure.

Simon Hayes ● 108d

What does this mean? "a problem that’s not really there".

Paul James ● 108d

It'll be the same plan Liebore had ready when they came into Government.Nothing.    😂

Rosco White ● 109d

Nobody knew about it so it was a done deal when the work started. It seems the motto’open, honest and transparent’ doesn’t travel far from the Peter Mason book of platitudes.Going forward it’s hard to see how these ponds will be maintained, given the council’s ongoing neglect of parks and public buildings. Has anyone seen a plan?

Simon Hayes ● 109d

So here’s the thingGreat idea….. VANITY PROJECT ALERTLet’s do something to address a problem that’s not really there and spunk a load of doshFeed them a load of environmental BS and we can crack onLooks “ah maze ing” on the visuals Fast forward Do we have the money to fill them in when a kid drowns?What about the smell of stagnant water?Oh…. Don’t realise that sewer outfall might get cross contaminated I still cannot believe the local population of Northfields just shrugged their collective shoulders and allowed this to happen

Colin Goodman ● 109d

When will they ever be finished?

Simon Hayes ● 111d