Forum Topic

LAMMAS PARK “DRAINAGE” PROJECT IS NOW A WETLAND!!

https://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=ealammassuds011.htmWatch Cllr Paul Driscoll’s video trying to sell the shambles of a drainage project that had devastated Lammas Park as a “Wetland” It is beyond belief that something that was supposed to reduce flooding now causes all the paths to become flooded and the “playing field” is now a waterlogged bog full of rubble and stones.Use your votes wisely!

Sharon Bewley ● 25d26 Comments

S'funny......... I know they say "birds of feather" and all that but - I've only met ONE person who was vaguely in favour of this conversion of Lammas into a swamp. She was what you'd call an environmentalist.Her views changed with the unhealthy water and the realisation of how this is actually a sop to Developers via a Thames Water and Liebour to allow huge tower blocks and cheap developments to keep destroying the eco-system. With the whisper that the fence will actually be up for another YEAR she's also realising her kids won't be gamboling through the lush undergrowth like a scene from Little House on the Prairie anytime soon.Now I accept those in favour of everything their favourite party of choice may do will have a polar opposite view. They will likewise have "birds of a feather" around them.... but forget all that and actually go down to Lammas and see for yourself this disaster. There is zero justification and, as documented by many, the surface water in the park is worse and now exists where it never did previously, usable areas of the park vastly reduced and the locals have lost an amenity.Facts for all to see.

Colin Goodman ● 5d

Thanks for the advice Ben. If it came from anyone worthwhile it might be worth taking but as it’s from you, it’s not.You clearly don’t read anything on here other than you own comments and those of you tiny echo chamber. The OP on this thread isn’t by me, is it? But it spells out what a lot of people are thinking on here and elsewhere.As for facts, you being very ignorant is clearly one. When presented with statistics and other evidence you choose to ignore or dismiss it. Perhaps it’s you who needs to be educated, old chap.

Simon Hayes ● 6d

Simon - are you a door knob in disguise? Can you quantify what 'lots of people' really means in number terms? Do you know who all these people are personally, or are you guessing at a number to form your opinion?I do not believe there is a single local authority or parish in this country that you would be happy to live in. You challenge policy for the sake if it, just to make a headline for yourself, which switches people off. There is Simon again, we all say, ranting and raving in his own childish way, ignore him, he is like this all the time, LOTS of councillors and readers say! Councillors laugh at your puerile comments, like I am sure (as opposed to being certain) most of us do. You need to change tact because what you are doing is not working. You can start by understanding the difference between what is an opinion and what is a fact. I will help you by sharing that there is a crucial difference. Next, go to a finishing school where you can learn some basic English manners. Finally, a top tip so please keep it to yourself. Did you know that it is easier to change from within than it is by being on the outside? Why not move to a new chapter and stand as a Councillor this May? The reward for you is that you get the chance to shout your mouth off in the chamber - and you can see your objections overturned first hand. Surely too tempting to resist, no?

Ben Owen ● 6d

There you go again Ben, or lame brain as your acquaintances doubtless call you. Making assumptions without any evidence.Are you that much of a moron that you can’t understand that there are very many reasons why questioning authority is the right thing to do? Probably, because you appear to lack any capacity for thinking. Have you not noticed that there are a lot of people unhappy with what Ealing council is doing? You, of course, could piss off at any time to Beijing or Moscow, were your kowtowing would be more appropriate.I don’t hate Ealing. I just dislike arsewipes who think they know how to save the planet by dictating lifestyles to tens of thousands of people. Now take your meds and get to bed.

Simon Hayes ● 6d

Simon, you hate Ealing. More than 20 years you have incessantly mocked or criticised whatever political party is in control. You detest Labour. Why don't you do yourself a favour and move to Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea or Hillingdon? A toffy Conservative Council will welcome you, you will stop moaning and everyone will be happy. Or if you want to get out of London you could move to Essex, Norfolk or Suffolk.

Ben Owen ● 6d

If you want to identify the chief culprit in all this, look no further than failed art teacher turned enviro-mentalist, the cabinet member for climate change. He has overseen the spending of a fortune on vanity projects like Lammas (note his claim of only one fifth of the money spent on that was from the council, that’s still almost £200,000).Other ridiculous ideas put into practice: Occupation Lane as some sort of play area for under fives. The only beneficiaries are the drug dealers from the local estate who now have an easier escape route from plod (when he can be bothered to turn up).£200,000 spent on unnecessary pavement widening at the E2 bus stopOn Windjill Road. Only used by e-bike delivery muppets to swerve round any bus stopped there, endangering passengers alighting or boarding and any other pedestrian.School streets being implemented on roads that have no relationship with the schools they are meant to be protecting, and ignoring the wishes of the majority of residents in the areas affected. To sideline democracy further they introduced a borough wide traffic order that can see such streets introduced without consultation.The latest wheeze to allocate more kerb space to cycling infrastructure despite most residents of Ealing not owning a bike, let alone using one.This bunch of Labour grifters are entirely responsible for the degradation of the borough. They have had 16 years of effectively unopposed power, yet nothing is better for most people.Remember how they told us government cuts were the cause of services closing or being reduced? Yet there has been enough cash around to award themselves two huge allowance increases since 2022. And they say council tax needs to go up again to cover shortfalls. Presumably the shortfall required to pay Chief Executive Tony Clement £240,000 a year (plus pension and benefits). He doesn’t even turn up to chair council meetings for that money!Labour will be canvassing you for the next few months. Boasting about their track record yet strangely silent when pushed on things as there’s nothing to boast about. They have had their time.Vote wisely on May 7.

Simon Hayes ● 6d

Pretty much all of older parts of Ealing have had minimal if any proper infrastructural maintenance for nearing 50 years.Street tree roots,  proper tree pruning,  Paving, kerbstones,  drain gulleys, soakaways are in an appalling state of neglect.  Badly placed sign posts and clutter. Bike shelters now a harbour for vermin and again not swept out or cleaned.  Maintenance is never factored in or if it is not overseen to any degree of satisfactory.Repairs are sub standard with blobs of Tar which being lightweight simply allow tree roots to lift, splitting the surface within weeks. Pure folly.When works are carried out it's to a third rate standard. Several examples from the last 12  months.Replacement of gutter drain covers in a South Ealing Street.  Replacing cast grates that are less than 20 years old, Why?Replacements installed up to 2 inches higher than the gutter fall.All gulleys and kerbs were built to have a slight fall towards the gutter or a soaraway and pavements the same from boundary to the kerb.I note that many have been relaid level.The worst though is the widened pavements at the E2/3 Bus Stop between Julien Road and  Wellington Road.  The extensively relaid pavement is level towards properties leaving a pool of water too deep to walk through. The extended bit falls the wrong  way causing rainwater to run across the pavement and soaking properties in heavy rain.  But the fall to the gutter drain is also compromised so the kerbside pools resulting in isolated passengers who have to stand on the outer edge of the pavement get soaked by even the bus slowly pulling up. Again, the drain grate is higher then the now impeded fall of does not do its job and drain the water. Needless to say, kids on bikes take delight in riding through this soaking passengers who are mainly elderly.  Mount Carmel kids are terrible for this with parents not taking responsibility.  I did this myself once and word got the the then headmistress - Woe betide that experience.  Probably why I am so aware of failings such as this.Culmington Road is also another mess up. One would have thought that the mess up of 20+ years ago would have been corrected but no it is now worse.The black ice of a few weeks ago with anything with wheels or shoes on were in peril.  But it too is now a quagmire and dangerous with fallen and surplus Lime Bikes blocking the whole of the footway and riders collecting or returning riding along the pavement in all directions.How is that safer?How much did all this cost?Who approved without pragmatic understanding?Why are pragmatic details and potential problems not presented to both residents or elected councillors - (most of who think shelves are put up by apps in any case.)And why is it not overseen and faults corrected?As for Lammas Park/ Just walked through, areas with dozens of fissures and pools in a part that I cannot recall seeing in any bad weather period ever over nearing 50 years of walking through it daily since primary school.Scandalous vandalism and even worse that they have cynically used 'climate and wilding' to justify it.  Tarnishes the huge amounts of real work that has been done elsewhere, mainly by volunteers over many decades.

Raymond Havelock ● 7d

These comments threw up a huge topic:All Local Authorities must have Development Plans but there's no requirement for maintenance plans.One might view development as the first phase of maintenance.For much of our personal lives, our homes and our towns' infrastructure need maintenance not development. My house for example took just 7 months to build in 1929 and the house been maintained (and modified) over and over again for 97 years.

Eric Alan Leach ● 9d

Same in pear tree park.Loads of trees planted 6 months ago, not a thing done.Mostly died

Peter Yale ● 12d

Trees are good but it would be useful to know the species, as that affects the growth rate to full maturity. Environmental factors also affect that and another scorching summer will make survival very difficult unless the council has an ongoing care plan in place. When they did a big tree planting session in Blondin Park a few years ago about two thirds died from neglect.

Simon Hayes ● 12d

About a dozen semi-mature saplings being planted today.The irony of some perfectly healthy trees being felled for this disaster being replaced by these is not lost.....I'm good with trees. They might soak up some of the new surface water that was never there before.

Colin Goodman ● 12d

Front page new story "Lammas Park Drainage Scheme Hailed as 'New Wetlands'"I'm not that hot on literature and anguage but even I can see this story has been written by an A.I scan of forum posts.

Colin Goodman ● 24d

Don’t forget that this is a council that’s gone very quiet over Heathrow expansion, which will at a stroke negate all the pissy efforts made to cut carbon emissions in the borough.Why is the council quiet on this when other London Labour types have voiced opposition? The answer lies with council leader Peter Mason. This is from the Commonplace website, the company he worked for in 2020:‘ Commonplace, the digital planning and infrastructure engagement specialists have hired Peter Mason, who goes back in-house to strengthen the company’s business development, communications and public affairs.With a background in campaigns and public policy, Peter’s recent projects include helping secure the development consent order for Heathrow expansion, as well as crisis management of nationally reported events.’

Simon Hayes ● 24d

Todays new story on homepage is "Higher Temperature Strategy" which will be another bit of greenwashing BSThis line jumped out:-"Researchers identified a number of factors that make one area more socially vulnerable to higher temperatures. For example, areas with fewer green spaces, areas with more high-rise buildings"How will they spin that? Actively rmeoving accessible green spaces and waving through more high rise developments.Riddle me that Cllr Dismal

Colin Goodman ● 24d

Thanks Paul James for reminding us of of how the first Lammas swampStarted Starred at the North end of the park in 2015.  Despite the landscaping nothing has improved there - it is still a watery big with a non native invasive species of grass now taking it over, rendering that area of the park also as unusable.  At one point it was also full of sewage due to the connection to rainwater drains and then had to be pumped out 3 days by Thames water.  This is not an attractive or useful addition to the park and serves no purpose since the pipe has been disconnected for over a year. 

Sharon Bewley ● 25d

From 2015.https://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=ealammasswamp001.htm

Paul James ● 25d

Unfortunately the opposite is true, Peter. Under the terms of the planning consent Lammas Park will require more intensive management to ensure the ‘wetland habitats’ are being properly maintained. Any required works will be more involved than simple grass cutting and hedge trimming and thus cost more.There’s a requirement for annual inspections for the first five years to ensure compliance, although who will do these inspections is a mystery. Perhaps LBE will mark its own homework, as is its wont.There’s been no indication how health and safety requirements will be implemented. Removal of the current temporary fences will see access to the deep and steep sided excavations for any park user, including young children and dogs. The RoSPA recommendations were paltry (removing the gate on the kids playground adjacent to the ‘ponds’) and don’t seem to have taken into account the risks associated with potentially deep water in a public park. And it’s not likexWalpole, where the water isn’t in a very deep hole.Still, when an accident happens it won’t be Dismal Driscoll’s fault.Time for change on May 7.

Simon Hayes ● 25d

I haven’t been to see this yet, easier to use Pear Tree park.That has a so called wetlands on one side & a properly kept park on the other.This is used for football & cricket.I can’t comment on Lammas but imagine it’s a cost cutting exercise, to save on hedge cutting, grass cutting etc.Nearly all parks now are less & less maintained

Peter Yale ● 25d

AND educate your Local Liebore Lemming, for it is they, in clueless droves, who keep returning these Gross Incompetents.Mind you, if they're on a cushty Benefits Package and/or have a Vested Interest, it will be impossible to sway them. 😉

Rosco White ● 25d

Dismal will simply obfuscate as well as denying any involvement.Time to get rid in May.VOTE WISELY

N V Brooks ● 25d

One thing the new SuDs will not be is a 'wetland'. Anyone familiar with the planning process for this farrago will know that it was never the intention to create such a habitat. These ditches were to catch occasional floodwater.What Dismal, who somehow fails to convince anyone with a shred of common sense whenever he opens his mouth, does not understand is what a wetland is. A muddy puddle in a park is not one, despite the huge amount of rain we've had in recent months.Once the weather warms up and we get a prolonged dry spell those wetland plants and animals he loves will die, as has happened in other wetland habitats in the UK, including ones that were specifically designed to be such habitats.Perhaps of more concern for Dismal Driscoll should be the presence of Parrots Feather plants (Myriophyllum aquaticum) in the swales to the north of the park. This is a highly invasive non-native species and if it spreads it can cause, among other things, flooding!This plant was identified in the belated habitat management and monitoring report belatedly commissioned by the council last year, some years after the original planning application was put in and approved.One thing is certain, given Ealing Council's record of managing anything there will be minimal management of this new wetland. It will be a weed infested bog in winter and a desolate dustbowl in summer.Well done Cllr Paul Driscoll. It's all on you.

Simon Hayes ● 25d

Agree 💯percent.It’s a shame Ealing Council don’t apply the law to themselves

Sharon Bewley ● 25d

We have a lovely Council.  🤣

Rosco White ● 25d

I'll say it again......... surely this is a change of use and as such has to be applied for?!?!Who in their right mind would be in favour of losing a public piece of flat land used as a community immunity for decades and decades?As you say USE YOUR VOTE WISELY IN MAY

Colin Goodman ● 25d

For anyone thinking of going to the Ealing Labour Facebook page and commenting on Driscoll’s video, please be aware that a number of comments posted with the the truth about this project have already been deleted and the commnters blocked.  So much for this Labour Councils claimed “transparencyResidents are supposed to blindly believe their spin and lies.

Sharon Bewley ● 25d

If you have been directly affected by the damage done to Lammas ParkAnd wished to be part of a Save Lammas Park WhatsApp Group, please use the message function on this forum to contact me.Please be aware that any new members of the group will be closely vetted prior to joining.  Genuine local residents and Save Lammas ParkSupporters only please. Fans of this disastrous project will not be joined.

Sharon Bewley ● 25d