Forum Topic

Ealing Council Wall of Silence and Transparency

For the past 4 months, I and other residents have been asking Ealing Council, our Northfield Councillors and even our MP some very basic questions on the proposed Elthorne Park High School Street proposal and Consolidation Order. Where are the full details of the Elthorne Park School Street Order? Why can’t we see the “independent” HUP Initiatives consultant report? Why were ANPR cameras installed before the consultation closed? Was the June 2025 Consolidation Order, which revoked 35 School Street schemes in one sweep, even lawful? Why are FOI requests and Regulation 21 information requests being ignored or withheld? Yet no one will replyThe Wall of Silence after 4 months of chasing: 1)The Council won’t disclose FOI ignored and withheld. After a formal complaint to the ICO they are in contact with Ealing Council to ensure that they comply with their legal obligations. This would not be happening if the Council had been transparent and had followed the law.  2)Councillors won’t engageNot one reply from our three Northfield Councillors, or from Cabinet Members, or from the Council Leader Peter Mason.3)The MP won’t intervene with the governance and transparency issues, saying they are “for the Council to answer"This wall of silence undermines democracy in Ealing. If you share these concerns about transparency and accountability, please add your voice. Silence should never be the Council’s default response to constituents.✍️ Please sign and share the petition: https://chng.it/zgxxtHG8mc to demand Fair School Streets in Ealing – Demand Data, Consultation, Accountability and Transparency. This petition is for all Ealing residents — whether you support or oppose School Streets — who believe public policy must be:TransparentEvidence-basedLawfulOpen to challenge and scrutinyWe all want safe streets for children. But these schemes must follow due process, statutory consultation rules, and legal accountability standards — and right now, there is credible concern those standards are not being met, especially when ANPR cameras are installed before the consultation even closed!Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Mary Mulvey ● 110d138 Comments

Thank you for posting part of our objection. The full objection reads as follows which is based on documented facts and case law. Dear Ealing Traffic Notices Team,I am writing to formally object to the proposed School Street scheme for Elthorne Park High School (EPHS) under TMO Ref: P040-25 as advertised in The Gazette 9 July 2025.I object on the following legal and evidential grounds:1. Consultation Lacked Transparency and Fair ProcessThe consultation process breached basic legal standards. Under the Gunning Principles, consultations must:• Be open-minded at the start• Provide enough evidence for intelligent response• Allow enough time• Consider all responses fairlyNone of these were met. The consultation material was generic and pre-determined. Key traffic and safety data was withheld until just 4 days before the consultation closed. Critical stakeholders (like New Level Academy and the Wellmeadow Road Allotment holders) were not contacted properly, and public events lacked clear information and were poorly attended (confirmed by FOI 25-0795).2. Data Does Not Justify This SchemeThe Council’s own data shows:• Currently 92% of students walk or use public transport• Westlea Road has low traffic and high compliance with the 20mph limit• Wellmeadow Road has low traffic and high compliance with 20mph limit• No current traffic monitoring on either Southdown Avenue or Boston Vale• There have been zero recorded pedestrian injuries on affected roads• No current air quality monitoring is in place within the proposed School Street zone• High-risk roads like Boston Road (with over 88,000 cars weekly and widespread speeding) are not included. Traffic will be knowingly displaced to this more hazardous route making it inherently unsafe for all. There is no reasonable basis to close Westlea Road or any of the roads in the proposed zone when the real world data shows it is already safe and quiet.3. No Alternatives Were ConsideredEaling Council admitted no alternative solutions were explored (confirmed on the online presentation 6/5/25 and the FOI 25-0795). This includes:• Using some or all of the school’s eight existing pedestrian gates through Elthorne Park• Implementing zebra crossings or supervised drop-off zones• Introducing staggered start times or safe walking routes via the parkThis omission constitutes a breach of public law duty to consider proportionate and reasonable alternatives.4. The Council Has Refused to Publish the Consultant Report (Hup Initiatives)The Council has so far failed to publish the evaluation report for this scheme, despite repeated public requests. A consultation cannot be lawful or fair if the evidence is withheld from public view.5. The School’s Layout Makes This Scheme UnnecessaryEPHS is not like a primary school. It serves 1,500 students aged 11–19 who are independent travellers. The school already has:• A safe walking route through Elthorne Park• Multiple alternative access points• A strong track record without needing road closuresThere is no legal or safety basis to impose a School Street here.6. Installation of Enforcement Cameras During Consultation Breaches Public LawDespite the consultation being open until 30 July 2025, the Council has already installed ANPR enforcement cameras on Boston Road, one next to the traffic lights opposite Westlea Road and one outside the Post Office opposite Wellmeadow Road.This strongly suggests predetermination, breaching:• Gunning Principle 1: Consultation must be at a formative stage• Gunning Principle 4: Responses must be genuinely considered• Wednesbury unreasonableness: Acting irrationally by implementing before considering lawful objectionsThe installation of enforcement infrastructure while the scheme is under live consultation undermines the legality and fairness of the entire process.7. The Scheme May Be Added to the Consolidation Order Without Due ProcessThe Council has recently grouped 35 School Streets into one Consolidated Traffic Order, which:• Prevents individual schemes from being challenged• Avoids scheme-by-scheme consultation• Hides legal and data issues under a single OrderElthorne Park must not be included in this Consolidation without full, separate consultation and scrutiny.SummaryThis scheme lacks:• Legal compliance• Transparent evidence• Local support• Justification based on risk or dataI strongly object to this scheme and request that Ealing Council:• Withdraw the proposal• Disclose all evidence and reports immediately• The installation of the enforcement infrastructure to be paused pending outcome• Elthorne Park to be excluded from the Consolidation Order until reviewed lawfully• Respect residents’ right to object under public law

Mary Mulvey ● 83d

Sadly you have failed to answer the question. The petition is based on facts and case law not subjective feelings. It is calling for fair, lawful consultations.Here's what it actually says:Fair School Streets in Ealing – Demand Data, Consultation & AccountabilityThis petition is for all Ealing residents — whether you support or oppose School Streets — who believe public policy must be:TransparentEvidence-basedLawfulOpen to scrutinyA Message for Supporters Across the UK:Even if you don’t live in Ealing, your signature sets a national precedent: communities everywhere deserve transparency, proper evidence, and fair decision-making in local policy.We all want safe streets for children. But schemes like School Streets must follow the law, proper consultation rules, and democratic accountability. Right now, serious concerns exist that these standards are not being met. ⚠️ Core ConcernsConsultation packs sent to every school are predetermined, identical copy-and-paste documents, ignoring local context. They state the School Street goes ahead unless there is a “compelling reason” not to, dismissing concerns like inconvenience, displaced traffic, or parking.Real-world, site-specific data is withheld, ignoring the Department for Transport guidance, which requires schemes to be underpinned by transparent baseline evidence such as traffic counts, vehicle speeds, parking surveys, air quality, road safety, and displacement monitoring.Viable alternatives — like zebra crossings, staggered start times, or different gates — are rejected without proper feasibility studies.Residents are forced to chase basic facts through repeated Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.Consultant evaluations are not published or shared with affected communities.Objections are dismissed with generic, templated responses.ANPR cameras are installed before statutory consultations closePCN fines are based on “academic” council dates, not actual school dates, resulting in fines when schools are closed.A new Consolidation Order groups 35 School Streets together, preventing individual consultation, legal challenge, or proper oversight.These issues raise serious questions about whether School Streets are being implemented lawfully, fairly, and transparently. 🛡️ Historical ContextIn 2021, Ealing’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee examined previous traffic schemes (like Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) and found:Pre-determined outcomesLack of transparencyInadequate consultationPoor communicationFailure to consult materially affected partiesThe Council promised to learn from these mistakes — but many of the same problems persist in the current School Streets programme. ⛔ The Consolidation OrderOn 12 June 2025, Ealing Council passes a legal order bundling 35 School Streets together, which:Blocks meaningful, school-by-school consultationPrevents residents from legally challenging individual schemesShields flawed processes from oversightThis undermines democratic checks and balances. 🔹 Our DemandsWe call on Ealing Council to:Suspend any School Street scheme where consultation, evidence, or due process is not followedPublish all site-specific data and consultant reports for active and proposed schemesRe-engage all affected stakeholders in a meaningful and transparent wayImplement the 2021 Scrutiny Committee recommendations and  Government Guidance (DfT/Active Travel England, Nov 2024, School Streets: how to set up and manage a scheme) in fullReview and reverse the Consolidation Order, restoring individual scheme oversightEnsure all future schemes are lawful, transparent, and accountable🖊 Sign now to demand that Ealing Council stop blanket schemes, release full data, and consult communities fairly — before any more decisions are locked in without proper scrutiny.This petition is submitted by residents in good faith, as part of their democratic right to request transparency and lawful governance from public authorities.

Mary Mulvey ● 83d

Oh dear, someone has got their panties in a twist, eh Paul.There you go, projecting your beliefs rather than listening or reading facts and argument.There are a number of things that show you don’t have the first understanding of consultation or how it is supposed to work.Firstly, there is no data showing accidents involving schoolchildren from Elthorne in that area. Classic council tactic. Just say it’s ’reducing risk’, even though the risk might be negligible. It’s the Aldred approach and one proven to be fundamentally flawed.Secondly, the council is proposing a scheme which hasn’t been properly consulted with residents. There’s no certainty on several points, not least dates of operation. There’s case law on this from earlier this year, when a south London LTN was ordered to be removed because consultation was flawed.Thirdly, you might find there is support for school streets but only when there’s a need demonstrated for them and that certainly criteria are met. Not applicable here, or indeed in other examples.Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Ever thought that you might be in the minority?If you want a nice quiet road for James Jr to play in, send him to Occupation Lane where Ealing council has spent a fortune turning it into a playground, complete with sandpits. Perfect for your son and you. They even went to the trouble with of clearing the leaves a couple of days ago, something they don’t bother with on roads that people live on and use.Meanwhile I suggest you change your nappy and brush up on your consultation revision.

Simon Hayes ● 83d