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The situation at Lammas would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. These works were done to form a sort of stormwater relief due to capacity issues following recent developments and planned developments In the locality (Dickens Yard, rear of Ealing Studios, opposite TVU etc, etc)They were stealthier through on the hush, done with little planning or engagement and rushed as they knew there’d be objections. However, I must admit, the level of local outrage has been nowhere near what it should be.The consequences of the above are that the Council failed to supervise correctly their own works which ended up on these contravening their own permission. No issue for them there as they’ll just reapply with added heights on the topographical layout. Sorted.But!!!! (And here’s the big issue)…. They are in a right pickle about the proximity of deep open water excavations next to dedicated children play area and alongside public thoroughfares. It’s rumoured the Contractor and Designers have been fully paid so no recourse there and the scheme has simply run out of cash with both sets of clowns ( Ealing Council and Thames Water) being skint. Those running Lammas Park are at an absolute loss as to what to do.The fallout is that us, the local residents and true owners of the park, have lost valuable open metropolitan land and may be faced with herras fencing for yet another year. It’s a sad fact that a park which has been enjoyed for generations is now lost forever.Also, and I can’t state this as fact, but it seems a business and community service has already been destroyed…… the fella who ran the coffee cart in the park is no longer there. Maybe he’s gone elsewhere? I hope so and good luck to him

Colin Goodman ● 120d

Not round Lammas Park though. The pictures used by the council to justify this scheme are displayed on boards attached to the fencing around the works. Mostly showing large puddles rather than flooding (and there is a massive difference between those two things). The pictures of Culmington Road would indicate the issue is more to do with blocked drains than anything sudden, catastrophic overland water flow.At acresudents meeting last year Cllr Gareth Shaw told those present that the works were designed to mitigate flooding in Junction Road, some half a mile to the south, under which a stream flows. There’s not been flooding there in living memory, although a burst water main did create a nice stream on the road the day after a hosepipe ban came into force.Clearly councillors are saying whatever comes into their heads, even if there’s not an ounce of truth in it.If you had been following this story Angela, you would know that the works weren’t well publicized beforehand and have dragged on way beyond the timescale originally envisioned, mainly because the contractors are incompetent and went beyond the planning consent given in 2023. A new application has seen a host of objections from residents living next to the park and those who are regular users of it.These are intrusive and unnecessary excavations, involving the loss of huge swathes of open parkland next to the children’s playground. Maybe you think a bit of road turned into a play area on Leighton Road is a compensation, but most don’t think it is.Most likely this is a sop to show how green the council is, considering it is about to embark on a massive building project on the Gurnell site, which is on a flood plain and regularly floods.But then Labour no longer think there is a climate emergency, hence the Heathrow decision.

Simon Hayes ● 121d