Forum Topic

Think Local Shop Local

We are blessed with some great local shopping areas, buzzing with life, with cafe's, restaurants, independent shops and businesses, libraries, and open spaces: areas such as Northfields Avenue, The Avenue and Pitshanger Lane in Ealing, Churchfield Road in Acton, Leeland Road Farmers Market in west Ealing, Acton Market, Bond Street in central Ealing, South Road and King Street in Southall, the Broadway in Hanwell, Greenford Broadway, to name just a few.However we all know how tough the times there have been recently and, if we are to believe the pundits, it will be a while before things improve.Meanwhile Ealing's Conservative Council has been working hard to support local businesses and traders in every town right across the Borough: Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale, Southall and west Ealing.We are spending many millions of pounds to support shops and traders improve their marketing, merchandising and shop fronts; improving the street environment with new pavements, more hanging baskets, removal of clutter; and generally tidying up our towns.  This all helps to make shopping locally a more pleasant experience, as we are all more likely to shop locally if the environment is pleasurable.As part of this support, Ealing Council is suspending all charges for off-street parking for every weekend in January.  This is a huge boost and has been welcomed by the business and traders' associations.To weather this storm every one of our independent traders needs all the support they can get.  Support from us all. Of course there is a need for the big multiples, but very often the local independent traders offer a great service.  So I would like to start a campaign to shop locally and use local services.   I would like to encourage us to think local, spend local. We all have experiences of how local independent shops, traders and businesses have provided magnificent service and great value for money.  Let's share those experiences, through EalingToday, and support our local neighbourhood shops and businesses.Councillor David MillicanRepresenting Northfield WardCabinet Member for Regeneration and TransportMembers Room, Ealing Town Hall

David Millican ● 6327d93 Comments

Ah Marie - I don't live in Greenford and am a long way off retirement. Do the Americans know what they are getting when you arrive?

F Stone ● 5223d

How perceptive of you-moving on to a better way of life ( and better shops!!) in the USA...hope you live on into happy retirement in the shanty town of Greenford.....

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5223d

Move????

F Stone ● 5223d

Sorry,shouldhave been posted once....but yes you are right....really hate Greenford shops ....

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5227d

Wow! Given three identical posts you must really dislike shopping in Greenford.

Nigel Brooks ● 5227d

Don't know where you shop locally but shops in Greenford are diabolical.... Unless you have a need for lots of vegetables and plastic boxes!! When I came to this area there were some very good retail outlets.. But alas area has grossly deteriorated and not a pleasant place to browse...

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5227d

Don't know where you shop locally but shops in Greenford are diabolical.... Unless you have a need for lots of vegetables and plastic boxes!! When I came to this area there were some very good retail outlets.. But alas area has grossly deteriorated and not a pleasant place to browse...

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5227d

Don't know where you shop locally but shops in Greenford are diabolical.... Unless you have a need for lots of vegetables and plastic boxes!! When I came to this area there were some very good retail outlets.. But alas area has grossly deteriorated and not a pleasant place to browse...

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5227d

Is the Shop Local scheme still running ?

Roberta Stark ● 5228d

Whoops! I am sorry, I was trying to send an a copy of my post to Cllr Millican, but ended up posting here instead. Still, "Shopping Local" is ans relevant as it was three years.Sorry,Will.

William J Malmet ● 5228d

Topic: South Ealing Gas Leak Scandal Posted by: William J MalmetDate/Time: 11/01/12 16:53:00Cllr Millican posts warn us of yet more gas-leak-related work on the South Ealing Road soon. This is pretty much a sham by Transco who have over the past twenty years failed to cure the root of the problem as anyone who travels, lives, or works on the South Ealing Road between Saint Mary's Church and the Thames knows. The root cause of this is one of the oldest "grid" gas mains in the country a 24inch monster of a "medium pressure" gas main deeply buried and very old and crumbling. It used to connect the old gas works in Brentford to Ealing Broadway via South Ealing. It is falling apart and Transco does not want to replace it because of the projected cost. This is why you will see the same patches of road being dug up time and again and manhole covers lifted to vent the gas. The truth is that the work that is seen to be done is yellow plastic pipes leading to customers and the second shallower cast iron gas main (six to eith inches) and "low pressure" which is nearer the road surface. This is largely cosmetic and is more concerned with venting the ducts belonging to the telecoms phone companies. If enough concrete is poured in on top then the gas get diverted elsewhere.There is one point just south of the bus stop opposite South Ealing tube station where there is occasionally a smell of gas and which gets dug up every couple of years. The problem is this Victorian antique which needs to be replaces.I would expect continued regular disruption for the next few decades on the South Ealing road until the gas main collapses completely.Will.P.S. The "medium pressure" gas main is made of cast iron which "adsorbs" gas becoming more brittle as it gets older. The heavy road traffic on the South Ealing Road will introduce microfractures in the brittle pipe.

William J Malmet ● 5228d

David: thank you for your investigation and result.I suppose now we must wonder why these bags were in the UK - frustrated export order perhaps?

Alan Brainsby ● 6208d

This posting made me curious. Yesterday, I finally remembered to ask Percy who is  usually on this stall and he explained that the supplier of these potatoes, who is in Southall, only had these plastic bags available when he packed these potatoes.  So, somewhat confusingly, you'll be relieved to know these potatoes never left our shores!

David Highton ● 6208d

How bizarre !!!

Penny Crocker ● 6220d

Today, Thursday, at the greengrocery stall opposite Luckhurst's in Melbourne Avenue W13 was, as usual, a good deal on potatoes.These, in caption, were £2-50 for a 10kg bag. The clear plastic bags were not unusual except for their markings.The bags were printed in Spanish and declared the contents (potatoes) were packed in the Canary Islands. Reasonable enough that the workforce there are skilled in packing tomatoes.However, towards the bottom of the bag were the words - Origen- Reino Unido, which in loose translation indicates that the potatoes were the produce of the United Kingdom.I hope the potatoes enjoyed their trip!

Alan Brainsby ● 6221d

I must agree wholeheartedly. I always try to shop locally in both the Avenue for newspapers, ironmongery & general groceries, chemist- a great pity about the closure of our local post office as we now need to go to Pitshanger Lane or into deepest West Ealing.The local butchers in the Avenue is long gone & we resort to Richardsons or the butcher as well as the fishmonger in Pitshanger Lane. I know the "majors" such as Waitrose have a role to play, but it is KILLING local stores!!!

Peter Russell-Smith ● 6240d

The article by Toby Young is reproduced on www.ActonW3.com.http://www.actonw3.com/info/contoby05.htmIt shows quite starkly the contrast between Cllr Millican's rhetoric and the reality of the way Council policy impacts on local business. Vanilla cafe was a real asset to Churchfield Road and always seemed vibrant and busy when I visited. There is no doubt that Council policy was a contributory factor to it closing. Toby Young may be overstating the case when he says Churchfield Road will turn into Detroit but the renaissance of Churchfield Road which has been ongoing for the last 4 or 5 years looks like it will be stopped in its tracks by these stealth taxes.

Andy Jones ● 6249d

If one includes Acton there were plenty of jobs there in the 1950s/1960s.By area Acton was the most industrialized place in the UK after Birmingham.Why did those employers leave?Perhaps the Council should invite Prospero de Mulder Ltd to set up shop in the borough!!! But only on the eastern side of North Circular Road.http://www.pdm-group.co.uk/ for what they do.

Alan Brainsby ● 6251d

Exactly what I am advocating, Graham.You may wish to look at the Councillors website

George Knox ● 6251d

I would hope councillors create no more local jobs. There are too many bums on public sector seats funded by our tax. What they can try and do is attract employers to the borough.

Graham Weeks ● 6251d

Ealing needs creative leadership which brings us new employment and new wealth...Difficult when the borough is filling up with the unemployable.Anyway this forum, like the roads, would be clogged up with comments about the amount of traffic and lack of parking.Perhaps the employable could be trammed in.

Alan Brainsby ● 6251d

"Not sure how Cllr Millican can create jobs,".These are the recent very words of Councillor Gibb the Deputy Leader of the Council - a man who would be a local Tory MP.In my opinion this lame duck statement is astonishing.Ealing needs creative leadership which brings us new employment and new wealth.Are these two people Messrs Cannes or Messrs Cann't?

George Knox ● 6251d

Toby Young in the Evening Standard was very interesting on this subject. He was talking about Acton but the same presumably replies for Ealing - smaller businesses being driven out of existence by draconian enforcement of parking measures. In one case he got a ticket because the parking enforcement van had taken up the stop and shop space and he'd had to make a temporary stop in a loading bay.

Paul Cavanagh ● 6251d

Driving through West Ealing shows how the decimation has affected the place. In fact very little traffic. so maybe people will find other things to do apart from shop!!

Peter Chadburn ● 6261d

I wouIdn't caII Greenford town centre a great shopping area .AII the money being spent is a waste when aII we have is tacky 'pIastic'shops which sprawI across the pavements,too many greengrocers which stay open aII night into the earIy morning etc.The whoIe area is more Iike a third worId market pIace,or a ghetto.Not a decent shop in sight.There needs to be a compIete revamp of the area and some decent shops to serve the IocaI indiginous residents.It used to be a pIeasant pIace to shop but now there is a feeIing of being in a foreign country instead of a traditionaI British town seIIing traditionaI British everyday merchandise..Bring back the shops we used to know and Iove........

Marie Anne OConnell ● 6262d

Question about the free parking in January........Did it make any difference to shopping levels in Ealing Broadway?  We used it 3 times........wondered if it was successful?

Penny Crocker ● 6263d

I didn't see the Standard article Sara but he did write much the same thing on ActonW3.com a while back. I entirely agree with him about the Oaks, the value there is amazing and I can't say I've ever noticed a lack of quality compared to stuff from more expensive places. Earphones are the best - the amount we lose I have to get them from there or I'd be bust.

Andy Jones ● 6271d

...or even its own area.Well we have one or two - did you see Toby Young this week in the Standard extolling the virtues of the 99p store in the Oaks?

Sara Nathan ● 6272d

Your own personal circumstances may mean a car is not necessary for you but for many others not owning one would be impractical. The Council have reduced the amount of parking available locally and enforced regulations so draconianly that people using cars on their shopping trips will have tended to shop less at our local High Streets.Acton retains some accessible and cheap centrally located car parks so probably hasn't been as badly hit but lacks the quality of shops to attract people from other areas.

Andy Jones ● 6272d

I live in Northfields and try to support the local shops as much as possible. I avoid shopping in the larger supermarkets and only go into the smaller Tesco on Northfield Ave when absolutely necessary. I do not have a car and never have any problems buying what I need locally and carrying it home. I am very independent but have managed without a car all my life. I don't actually understand why people need them. The only complaint I have about shopping locally is that a couple of the shops at the lower end of Northfield Ave really are in a poor state. I don't understand how they pass a health & safety investigation. I can therefore understand why some people prefer to shop in seemingly more hygenic supermarkets. However, the majority of shops in the avenue are superb and offer everything anyone could want - all at reasonable prices (especially if you take into account the cost of car insurance, tax & petrol).

Faith Wardle ● 6272d

Think Local Shop Local and oops Park Local. What is the Council's regeneration strategy?For West Ealing I find it helpful to think of "our" shops as a shopping mall with two car parks one set to the north of the Uxbridge Road and one to the south. Would it benefit the mall if the set to the north were removed?On Saturday I saw plans well past the "formative stage" that showed the proposals for the Green Man Estate which effectively removed this parking.My question, "Is the regeneration team concerned with holistic regeneration or do they simply draw up briefs to generate income?" Where is the stakeholder debate?Just before Christmas Cllr Millican spoke publicly about regenerating West Ealing with particular reference to Melbourne Ave and Deans Gardens. All the talk was about buskers and flashy paving attracting shoppers to west Ealing. Did he know  at that time there were plans afoot to remove almost half the parking in West Ealing?My feeling is that you may need some very famous "buskers" to compensate shoppers for the loss of so many parking spaces. Is Madonna bookable in two year's time?

Arthur Breens ● 6273d

http://www.ealing.gov.uk/ealing3/export/sites/ealingweb/services/council/committees/agendas_minutes_reports/council/20may2008-15may2009/_16_december_2008/written_questions_and_answers_16_dec_08.docI refer you to Written Questions and Answers dated 16 December 08 (Question No. 20) which tells us that the Council claims to have paid over 88% of payments of invoices for all suppliers, regardless of size, within 3 months (that is for the month of November). No mention was made of additional interest being paid for late payment. The reality is that the Council cannot tell us how it is managing its finances, or whether its capital expenditure is at variance with its capital budget for controllable reasons or for reasons beyond its control. Perhaps the taxpayer is suffering as well as the traders.

George Knox ● 6285d

The Gazette has an item this week (Friday's edition) in which in reports on a report by the Local Government Chronicle showing that it is the worst in the country at paying its invoices on time. They paid only 59% within 30 days against an average of 89%Excuses about the bedding down of a new system are trotted out but that was implemented in November 2007 and as at December 2008 they were stil only paying 61% within 30 days.Many of the businesses impacted by this shoddy practice will be local ones. This seems another example of how the rhetoric from the Council on the matter of support for local businesses is very different from the reality.

Andy Jones ● 6287d

Councillor MillicanI am glad that we have something to celebrate about a small amount of help for local businesses, and I am pleased you have highlighted this.But you have not answered my points.In short the Council is not sufficiently meeting the UDP for business development needs, and the Council as you say is going to do more but you wiil not or cannot tell us what that is, and possibly you are not using public consultation processes widely enough to establish what the community wants. Please do us the courtesy of dealing with some obviously to all of us difficult points as well as the easy points.Thank you

George Knox ● 6294d

Do you not think that the events of this week have demonstrated another benefit of employing people from the local area to work with the Council? Many services ground to a halt because staff weren't able to travel in. Could you explain how the council ensures that the proportion of local people working for the Council is as high as possible?

Andy Jones ● 6298d

Robert: You have certainly picked up on the essence of my original posting.  All I wanted to do was encourage readers of this site to think local, and so shop at some of the local shops, which provide good service at good value for money.Ealing Council has committed many millions of pounds to start the regeneration of our town centres.  It is only a start and there is still much to be done.  You have highlighted some of the work in west Ealing, which is part of that programme.As an example Hanwell is looking better now that the clock tower has been renovated, the street lamp columns replaced, some of the paving replaced, and some of the shop fronts improved.  All with Council money.

David Millican ● 6298d

Tony,I`m left wondering if the Leeland cafes could make more of hot or big breakfast offers especially during this colder weather - with better artwork displayed prominently in the windows or front doors.Returning to Melbourne Avenue town square I can confirm, David, that improved council servicing has rescued it from its squalid chewing gum and litter strewn appearance in recent months and I still look twice to make sure! Another good sign is the Sainsburys refurbishment and upgrade and they have upped their game and jerked out of stagnation. The current street stalls keep their areas clean although I still feel one or two vehicles shouldn`t be parked up in the pedestrian area after unloading but notice the fruit and veg stall is blameless. Another plus is that the Walpole SNT police are getting to grips with street drinkers which many residents have found offputting not to mention sleeping in the library flowerbed.A minus is the street begging which has arrived in West Ealing in recent years, some of it aggressive and needs tackling.With regard to car parking its true many of us can stagger along with a carrierbag or two or use a bicycle for regular supplies but may simply drive off some distance for a larger shop/items because the stop and shop provision isn`t adequate or long enough in duration. I had my eyes opened when my now returned New Zealander neighbours did their weekly shop at Sainsbury`s Richmond where they weren`t hindered by any of the points I`ve mentioned - which also supports Sheila`s examples.So I`m optimistic that arresting years of service decline together with the town centre scheme and more local SNT policing will restore civic pride and lead to a better shopping experience.

Robert Darke ● 6299d

Looking after our local economy is one of the most important issues to affect our lifestyle present and future.It is shocking to see how many shops have closed in Ealing, West Ealing and Hanwell since Christmas.One of the bigger LOCAL influencers of policy to tackle some of these problems is Councillor Millican, by virtue of his position in the Council.New business means more wealth to the economy.Please respond by telling us how the Council is adapting further than it has so far. We need to hear from you, especially as you started this thread.

George Knox ● 6300d

Thank you Alan.I notice that when councillors are challenged by inconvenient information they have an intermittent tendency to go silent. While I am all for seeing our local shops and services thrive especially now, it is disappointing that Councillor Millican has not responded to my last thread. Why is that?

George Knox ● 6308d

On Radio 4 this morning Rodney Bickerstaff (spelling??)and Will Hutton were agreeing about how awful public sector pay was in UK the 1970s.We have now gone full circle and public sector pay right now is obscenely high.Full marks to Obama in the USA for freezing White House employees' pay. That's the least that should happen now and in the future to local, regional and national government Officers' and elected Members' remunerations in this country.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6312d

"I started this correspondence to celebrate some of the excellent local shops and businesses and encourage residents to use them. Can we get back to that, rather than discussing the salaries and job opportunities of the Council. "You can talk about whatever you like although it would be better if you could answer some of the questions I addressed to you on issues such as local procurement policies and increasing the proportion of residents who work for the Council. These are not irrelevant to the discussion you started. The Council could encourage residents to use local businesses by setting an example and doing it themselves. Local businesses would benefit the salaries that the Council paid remained in the borough.

Andy Jones ● 6313d

George, you are exactly right.

Alan Brainsby ● 6313d

Are we really so blessed by so called vibrant Ealing?Shops are closing, stock is reducing, variety is less, most shops actually are or have become pretty boring because of the goods which they sell, few shops (with a few notable exceptions) provide experienced and good service or interesting products. So whether Ealing is made a more pleasurable place to visit as you claim and hope for, is largely irrelevant because I don’t want to buy the rubbish which is found in so many shops. I can get on a bus or tube and go to Richmond Kingston or Central London all of which offer much more pleasurable and interesting places than much of Ealing, as well as things I would like to buy. I am glad that parking is to be free for January at week ends. But for heavens sake – just January. It should be for the whole year. So to claim January as a success new idea just about sums up the Council’s attitude – it has not got a clue. It’s rather like the diminutive reduction in VAT which has been so universally dismissed. Most shopkeepers I speak to complain about the parking regime. So do many residents. It seems that most Councillors trot out an ostrich attitude whenever challenged about parking regimes. Until councillors acquire a can do Obama attitude and reduce the still overly draconian approach to parking ON A MAJOR SCALE our shopkeepers will struggle, or go under and be replaced by yet another Pound shop (which late in the day I realise are sometimes ripping poor people off like the gas companies). Recent substantial evidence of this asinine negativity was seen when the council approved the 2 developments in Central Ealing. Insufficient parking and insufficient business space. Some of the new parking policy is pretty mad as well.As I see it, it is a quite largely a matter of planning. Apparently Ealing is broadly on target to meet its stated housing needs, but way off in meeting its needs to provide more work, and so more wealth. This is because insufficient attention has been given to long term planning for lots of new commercial and industrial workplaces in the borough on a big scale. Until we get those wealth generators, dormitory Ealing will get by on a wing and a prayer for decades to come. How many more times does it need to be stated that the setting up of new businesses attract people - and not the other way round by establishing people in new residential dormitories?So come on Councillor Millican - think big. Ask the shopkeepers and large or small businesses what cash they need to expand and broaden their trade and give your millions to them rather than spend money on hanging baskets and promotions. Otherwise we will won’t have any decent shops at all, and will end up not much better than Dalston Hackney.

George Knox ● 6314d

Especially with an over-sized pushchair stopped outside.Are blue badge holders allowed to park there, I wonder?Part of the road is marked as a cycle lane.

Alan Brainsby ● 6315d

Yes, together the tree and coming out more than one metre could make it very awkward to get by some times.

David Highton ● 6315d

I thought that shop had reduced its "overhang". I'm pleased the tree wasn't removed instead.

Alan Brainsby ● 6315d

Diane's right about the Council taking action against those shops that stray beyond their one metre.  I've noticed that Ealing Show Market, almost on the corner of Uxbridge Rd and Leeland Rd, has also reduced its outside stalls to the one metre allowed - after a series of Council warnings.  So, at last, some improvements.

David Highton ● 6315d

Alan re the overspill, certainly in West Ealing the Council are onto these shops.  At one of our public meetings we had a representaive from the Council explain the process to us (very long and complicated) Cudi supermarket has been prosecuted for the very same although they have now applied for a 24 hour hour alcohol licence for the second time (West Ealing Neighbours objected to the first one but were unaware of the second one)in an area that has too many shops selling the stuff already. It still remains a problem though and especially noticeable for people like me that have to push a buggy past these shops - sometimes I am almost in the road.

Diane Gill ● 6315d

Tony L , thank you for your reply.I agree entirely with your comments.The advantage of  a council "marked" scheme would probably demonstrate the fact that THE Council has done its job in investigating and licensing premises. I would say that its a bit a**e about face but unfortunately...I must say I have doubts over certain establishments on Uxbridge Road/West Ealing Broadway. Those whose wares spill out onto what are obviously the public footways, well beyond the metre or so deep frontage that may well belong to the premises. Why the council hasn't addressed that problem is anyone's guess.Best regards for your comments, Alan B

Alan Brainsby ● 6316d

I hear where you are coming from Mr. Brainsby.But my take on it is that shopkeepers should not need to be awarded anything for working within the law, but should be prosecuted for NOT working within the law.Have we lowered our standards to the extent that the natural assumption is that shopkeepers don't work within the law? I hope not.There is a scheme being piloted in London right now called "Scores on the Doors", backed by the Food Standards Agency where ALL food premises will be ranked on a star basis and the results posted on a national database/website.It's taking some time to implement but it is set to go national next. My response to it is still the same, you are either within the law or outside of it, if you are outside of it, you should be shut down.There should not be a degree of how far you are within the law.Having a hotel/restaurant style is different because they are not awarded by councils.With the explosion of take away food premises Environmental Health Officers are kept very busy and should not have to try and find the extra time required to offer their opinion as to how far within the law a food business is. You're legal, or you're not, simple.

Tony Luckhurst ● 6316d

Here's an idea.A "Council Quality Assured" scheme whereby the council awards shops, large and small, a plate/sticker etc demonstrating that the premises meet all requirements in law such as public health, food handling and storage, functioning fire alarms, no illegal employees etc, and any other relevant requirements.I realize there might be some difficulty in implementation as there may be a need for the Council to put its own house in order.But one can be optimistic...

Alan Brainsby ● 6317d

Councillor, this is an open public forum and unless the Ealing Today Moderator takes exception to a 'reply' then that reply continues to exist.As with verbal dialogues there are few rules in digital dialogues.As you choose to participate on this forum in an official capacity then repliers may well take the opportunity to question you on transport and regeneration policies and strategies within Ealing which you appear to be responsible for. As a Council Cabinet member you no doubt have a say in all Council strategies - so raising any Council issue with you will have some validity. Think of it as a digital Councillor Surgery.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6317d

I started this correspondence to celebrate some of the excellent local shops and businesses and encourage residents to use them.Can we get back to that, rather than discussing the salaries and job opportunities of the Council.

David Millican ● 6317d

I do think salaries in the public sector have become excessive particularly in the present environment and considering the generous pension arrangements that go with them. There has been a clear trend where I work for at least a year for people to move to the public sector for increased pay, shorter hours and much better benefits. It would be hypocritical of me to say that I would not do the same if the right opportunity presented itself. However, I get the impression with Ealing and a lot of other councils the jobs go to 'insiders' with a background in the public sector and they take few from elsewhere. There is a significant and growing number of people living in the local area who have excellent qualifications are looking for work and would do a superb job but the Council doesn't seem to be interest. There is just one job in the Ealing Gazette today from the Council - a head teacher for a Sikh school. The vast majority of jobs must never appear in the local press.

Andy Jones ● 6318d

How right you are Andy. I know of Council Officers who live in the Mole Valley and another who lives just outside Goring! There are also plenty of the Officers who don't actually work for the Council but work for contractors. Mouchel Parkman, for example, have a lot of contractors working in Perceval House who we all think are Council employees. And, of course, the contactors' costs doesn't figure in the £300+ million annual Council employees' salary bill.And talking about Council salaries, this week's Evening Standard tell us that Ealing's CEO Darra Singh earned £220,000 in 2007/8; 15 Ealing executives earned over £100,000/year; and Ealing ranks 8th out of the 32 London boroughs in the highest paid local authority 'troughing' list.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6320d

Another related issue is employment practice. I get the impression that a substantial proportion of the people who work in the Council don't actually live in the borough. This perhaps might explain why their concern for the economic welfare of local traders is not perhaps what it should be. I never see many Council jobs advertised locally which is anomalous given that they must be by far the biggest employer in the borough. Presumably most of jobs are put in the Guardian Society section but with a recession coming there must be a large number of local people who haven't worked in the public sector before who would be keen to work for the Council.If an effort was made to recruit more local residents this would mean that Council staff would be more committed to the welfare of the borough, more aware that the money they spend comes out of the pockets of taxpayers and there would be a huge environmental benefit of reduced travel.

Andy Jones ● 6320d

Unfortunately I'm not a "viable local provider" because I don't sell halal meat, which seems to be part of the qualifying criteria for supplying council institutions. Sorry if I keep on moaning on here, I'm really not like this in real life... ;0)

Tony Luckhurst ● 6322d

When is the Council going to stop the sprawl of shops' wares over the public pavements in West Ealing?

Alan Brainsby ● 6322d

Thank you Cllr. for your substantive reply.I'm sure you are just as aware as I am that the standard response of any local trader to your comments would be that the most important thing that the Council can do is reduce the tax burden (which would include parking enforcement) and that a well maintained street scene is the minimum expectation for the large contribution that they make to the rates.I appreciate that a Council must always go for best value and as Tony Luckhurst has pointed out nobody is looking for special favours. My observation is that locally owned and managed businesses are often substantially better run than their remotely owned counterparts. Therefore it would make good businesses sense for the Council to always first consider if there was a viable local provider in the first instance. I take it from what you say that this is not done as a matter of course.

Andy Jones ● 6322d

Andy, Thanks for your response.  I'm sure we are all on the same side.  All we want is for good quality local businesses to thrive. You will recall from my initial posting that I am encouraging all local residents to shop locally.  I would not suggest for a minute that everyone goes to Ealing.  There are some great shops, businesses and restaurants in Acton and I'm sure that the local traders in Acton are grateful for your custom.My original posting was to highlight some of the excellent local shops and traders who operate throughout the borough.  I specifically made the point that one should support those businesses who provide good service at good value for money. Clearly Ealing Council sources many services and products locally.  However as a council tax payer you would expect Ealing Council to obtain best value.  Clearly suppliers need to have the capacity to meet the requirements of a large organisation, such as a borough council.  This is quite a different business proposition than suppplying local people.There is a clear parking policy.  If you park illegally you'll get a ticket.  You specifically mention charity shops.  You will appreciate that you cannot make exceptions for blocking the traffic when you are visiting a charity shop versus blocking the traffic when you are visiting another kind of shop.  I drop off my "jumble" at the Salvation Army Charity shop, near where I live in Leeland Road, west Ealing, and park in the nearby car park to do so.I am disappointed that you view the spending of multiple millions of pounds, supporting our town centres, as rhetoric.  You might call the upgrading of pavements, installing Christmas trees, hanging baskets, promoting shop front improvements, assisting with visual merchandising as cosmetic.  But most of us are more likely to visit a local town centre or go into a particular shop if it is attractive and inviting.As I say, I am sure that we are all on the same side.  All we want is for good quality local businesses to thrive and flourish.

David Millican ● 6322d

A start regarding passenger pickup/setdown and delivery drops seems to have been made at Ealing Broadway station area.However enforcement of the 5 minute period seems incredibly lax to the point of non-existent.The Council would also do well to extend the two parking bays on the Haven Green diagonal to four as there are often vehicles parked either side of the two bays.

Alan Brainsby ● 6322d

Andy makes some good points here.In a sense the ideal for shopping is the bus/train/foot. but the reality is different and so when delivery/pick up is like a lottery in getting parking tickets then the area suffers. How many people have had tickets whilst dropping off stuff at Charity shops. The Council must apply some clear thinking to all aspects. Whilst the revenue may be useful it just drives people away.

Peter Chadburn ● 6322d

It is a very good idea to suspend parking charges at weekends - why not continue doing it for the foreseeable future? Everybody hates paying parking charges, and I visited the Farmers market and did a bit of shopping in West Ealing last Saturday because of the suspension of parking charges. I found the market cheaper than Richmond market.  The parking cash saved is not a great deal of money, but enough to buy some nice sausages from Luckhursts; and perhaps more importantly,I could relax and not worry about being late back to the car! I have had two tickets in Singapore Road open car park for being a few minutes late - and it has left a bad taste about shopping  in that area. We have a good range of shops with free parking - Kew Retail Park, Tescos, Waitrose etc.(and now Westfield on Sundays!) so why would anyone risk a fine. If the Council introduce free parking at weekends, it would bring people back into Ealing to shop.

S. D. Brock ● 6322d

I would tend to shop in Acton rather than Ealing for most things. A decade or so ago I would have tended to visit Ealing both to shop and eat more often but have long since ceased to do so. The main reason is probably difficulty in parking but the attractiveness of the shops and restaurants is also a factor. Speaking to owners of local businesses they say that parking issues have hit their revenue hard over the last few years. This is not only due to loss of custom but because of fines they have picked up themselves or had to pay for their customers, difficulties getting deliveries and problems with loading goods when purchased. There is no getting around the fact that parking enforcement has been a tax by the Council on local economic activity.It could be argued that if there was an offsetting benefit of the money taken out of the economy for local businesses then this might be worth it. Cllr Millican didn't respond to my question about local procurement which I would suggest confirms the suspicion that the proportion of the Council's spending which goes to local businesses is negligible and there is no policy for boosting it. Cllr. Millican accuses Eric of having 'little faith to support local businesses'. It is quite clear that actually Eric has little faith in the Council to support local businesses because he recognises that thus far what we have seen has been cosmetic measures, rhetoric and an attempt to shift the responsibility onto others rather than coherent policies that will work.

Andy Jones ● 6322d

Hear hear Tony - I quite agree with you. We should only shop local if it is worth it. Poor customer service, poor product range and other shopping criteria should be remembered. Some how cutting parking charges to encourage people to not drive further afield seems odd. Parking is already free for me and many other people who either cycle or use public transport. Granted I would not stuggle on a bus with a 42" plasma, but frankly I don't see buying one of those doing a massive boost to the bottom line of Ealing.In fact as a resident I seem to be loosing money from parking fees/fines that are not going to be charged

Norma Harrison ● 6324d

I like your thinking Robert, I looked into the possibilities of trading on the market myself. After all, I sell meat from farms much more local than Shepton Mallet. I sell lamb from Mansfield farm in Uxbridge and beef from Rowley farm in Slough, helps keep my carbon-greenwelly-footprint in check. Unfortunately these fantastic farmers' produce is not allowed to be sold by me on the  farmers market, according to London "farmers" mkt (ltd) guidelines...groan..In fact the market commandant told my son to "move well away from the area" when he was handing out leaflets on the Uxbridge Road. Leaflets promoting Howard Blackwell's amazing free range turkeys and geese. (Howard has a small farm in Coggeshall, Essex and I sell his produce for him every Christmas). Not good for enough for Tricia Grice, who runs the show. The arrogance shown towards local shops is a disgrace.How would you like for instance, to be running a cafe and struggling with all the overheads involved, complying with food safety laws, only to have a trader stump up outside your front door and start cooking sausages and bacon in the gutter, during the peak trading hours of the whole week! It's gut wrenching for these people, I know these people, these same local cafes support my business by buying from me.(I've heard the arguments for the farmers market bringing people to the area, ask the local traders what they think.)Moving along...On the plus side also.. When I moved to Melbourne Ave from The Uxbridge Road, (the shop Peacocks now occupy), I made a list of all of the things that I considered bad for business.Like you, I noticed street drinkers and uncollected refuse, along with graffiti, poor paving and lighting, aggressive beggars and drug dealing, people sleeping rough, the annoying habit some people have of emptying their food waste outside the shop for pigeons to eat,(still happens daily) etcetera etcetera.Melbourne ave has really changed for the better over the last few years and i'm grateful to all of the council staff that have helped make the change.I'm really thrilled about the proposed changes for "The Square". I'm hoping to secure the freehold of my shop soon and I'm hoping to be able to give the shop an overdue facelift once the streetworks are completed. I'm committed to West Ealing.Exciting times ahead! Sod the farmers market!! Ha!!

Tony Luckhurst ● 6325d

Eric I did point our our website on this thread very early on!

Diane Gill ● 6325d

Greenford Broadway (or should it be "Great Greenford" re its post office's name) is certainly looking much improved.Well done, Ealing Council!

Alan Brainsby ● 6325d

I'm not being negative Councillor Millican - I'm trying to be realistic.You'll see at www.westealingneighbours.org.uk WEN has created a forum for anyone to supply a review of a West Ealing shop or restaurant. We've had some very healthy traffic on our WEN forum and many traders have received much praise which can only help their businesses. Ealing Today as pointed out provides a similar pan-Ealing service.Ealing Council turns over around £1 billion every year. You have access to considerable funding to 'enable' successful local retailing. Some detailed new, bespoke retail research in Ealing might be a good place to start.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6325d

Andy,  I am sorry if you felt that I was lecturing you.  My intent was to encourage the EalingToday web site to increase its support for local businesses.  It is not for me to tell them how to do this. I completely agree with you that this Government has jacked up the taxes we pay.  You will appreciate that business rates are not set by Ealing Council, but are set nationally.Each year since, we were elected in 2006, this Conservative Council has increased the element of the Council tax, which we do control, by less than the rate of inflation, hence reducing it in real terms.This Council is committed to improving the street scape in which we shop.  Its not a magic bullet, but it might just encourage us to shop in some of the fine local shopping areasCllr David Millican

David Millican ● 6325d

Have you seen the EalingToday service directory? http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=services&page=geronimo.htm On this area of the website subscribers can add their feedback and local businesses can add their details for free

Charlie Canniff ● 6325d

Alan, thanks for this. The "millions of pounds" is indeed "millions of pounds".Ealing Council is totally committed to supporting all the town centres across the borough

David Millican ● 6325d

Tony, thanks for your comments about competition from the Farmer's Market.  As I put in my initial posting, I totally agree with you that we should only support those local businesses that provide excellent customer service with good value for money.Ealing Council has responsibility for each of the many towns in our borough.  So you will have noted, from my initial posting, that I made a point of picking out one positive trading area in each of the towns.  For west Ealing I picked out the Farmer's Market, and I did not mean to exclude you.  As you will recall from the recent public meeting you attended, Ealing Council is committed to upgrading the area where you trade and and turning it into more of a Town Square

David Millican ● 6325d

Parking is always an issue.  So thanks for raising this. To help out, Ealing Council is suspending parking charges for all off-street car parks for each weekend in January.Local traders have told me that they think this is a good idea.  I hope it helps drum up business for Leeland Road's Farmers market each Saturday in January.See you there tomorrow!

David Millican ● 6325d

I'm very disappointed with your negative attitude, Eric.  I'm sorry you appear to have little faith to support your local businessesIf you recall from my initial posting, I asked this Website to promote local businesses.We have to start somewhere.

David Millican ● 6325d

Ealing Council has committed to upgrade Melbourne Ave in West Ealing.  Indeed we held a public meeting on this before Christmas attended by 40+ local peopleCllr David Millican

David Millican ● 6325d

I`m wondering if Tony might turn the tables by taking a Leeland Road stall and making contact with some of the new shoppers with the advantages of referral to or backup from his shop?On the plus side I`ve noticed that Melbourne Ave Square (library, Sainsbury`s etc) which had become disappointingly seedy, looked filthy with overflowing bins and offputting street drinkers with pedestrian-baulking vans is looking a lot healthier: doubly important for shoppers about to buy food!

Robert Darke ● 6325d

The farmers' market debate is an interesting one. If the market brings new shoppers to the area or helps retain ones that would otherwise have taken their total spend away, then it might indeed help the local economy. Some of Acton's traders were pretty suspicious but I think there has been a general increase in trade in shops and cafes: Morrisons certainly has done well by selling all those things you can't get at the market...one of the market stalls - jewelry, not produce has opened a shop now just yards away and even the Cafes: Vanilla and the like are busier on a Saturday than they used to be. Fairly evenly balanced I would think.

Sara Nathan ● 6325d

Local politicians exhorting citizens to shop locally is about as likely of success as Prime Minister Brown exhorting banks to lend money. These exortations, however laudable they might be, will fall on deaf ears. Citizens will do what suits them, when and where best at the time.I'm just about to have a meeting with two other people who live locally, close to the centre of West Ealing. We're meeting up at Costa Coffee because it's convenient for all of us , good service, comfortable, warm and the coffee and snacks are good quality - but admittedly not cheap.Utility is key to why, where and when people shop.Also putting lipstick on a pig still doesn't disguise that fact that it's a pig.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6325d

Very interesting thoughts about the Farmers Market. hopefully if local councillors are adding to the stuff here then they are also reading what is posted. Public Transport is great for most needs but you can not take large items i.e. 42" TV on a Bus and so Parking could be something to help our shops. But removing unnesacery parking restrictions would be a start!!

Peter Chadburn ● 6325d

Of these "millions of pounds" spent on tarting up shopping centres what percentage has been spent on locally sourced materials and what percentage of jobs were obtained by UK nationals?If the answer is b*gg*r all I wouldn't be surprised.

Alan Brainsby ● 6326d

As a local shopkeeper, I welcome Mr. Millican's sentiments.But realistically, the main reason I would like my customers to visit me is because..The quality is better than my competitorsThe prices are keener than my competitorsThe service is more personal than my competitorsThe goods are sourced more thoughtfully than my competitorsWe are able to offer greater knowledge and advice than my competitors..and so on..I would hate to think that my customers only visited me out of a sense of duty or sympathy, that just wouldn't do.Also, while I am at the computor I note Mr Millican, how you only mention the "farmers" market(ltd.) in West Ealing. When are people going to see through the kings new clothes and acknowledge that this is just a sideshow paid for by the council to tick a few boxes and in no way is ever sustainable in a real world economy. How is supporting out of town market traders that employ out of town workers that take their earnings out of town, ever going to help the local economy.The money that is paid in rates to the council by the local shops is then used to fund the opposition that will ultimately destroy the ratepayer in the local shops! It's nuts!Also the "farmers" market (ltd.) make a huge deal out of "cutting out the middlemen". These, I presume then, are the same middlemen that have driven up quality and driven down prices through centuries and generations of being experts in their field. I know plenty of farmers, not many know much about meat. Learn to trust your local experts.I know these comments will not be popular, but sometimes the truth hurts.Did this qualify as a rant? i feel better getting a couple of things off my chest anyway. I've got loads more to say but I've been on my feet in the shop since 6.30am and I'm getting sleepy now.Goodnight and happy new year to all the local shoppers and shopkeepers.English lamb is really expensive this week (all going to france) so avoid it, but the outdoor pork is cracking quality and good value.Tony LuckhurstA. J. Luckhurst & Sons (Proper Butchers)

Tony Luckhurst ● 6326d

Eric, I think you have rather missed the target here. It cannot be anything but good that Councillors engage with the public in any way. The problem I had with Cllr. Millican's post that he seems to believe he has the right to lecture us on the support of local businesses when one of the greatest scourges for small and medium sized enterprise in Ealing in recent years has been the Council itself. Higher business rates assessments and parking enforcement for revenue not better traffic flow have been a major contributor to the decline of central Ealing. West Ealing I know less well but I imagine there has been a similar environment there.Millions of pounds may have been spent on improving the street scene of local shopping areas but the Cllr. should acknowledge that those millions came partly from the businesses themselves who would have possible preferred the tangible benefit of keeping some of their profit as opposed to the intangible benefit of slightly smarter streets.It has not needed a recession to teach me that locally owned and managed businesses are often better run and more community minded that larger national chains and I have always given them my custom in preference. Perhaps rather than giving us a homily the Councillor could tell us specific ways in which Ealing Council is managing procurement to make sure that as large of the proportion of money as possible raised from residents and business in the borough stays in the borough.

Andy Jones ● 6326d

Hardly 'clogging it up'.

Susan Kelly ● 6326d

Perhaps the initiative should come from the Council in the form of a list of emporia for each of the shopping areas- EB, South Ealing Road, Greenford Avenue, etc.After all the Council has licensed for use, and is collecting rates from all these establishments. Hasn't it, isn't it?

Alan Brainsby ● 6326d

Why is it not appropriate? It's of local interest, by a local representative and there is no compulsion to visit or respond. Seems to me sensible for those assocaited with the council to get maximum publicity/discusion for matters of local interest for minimum cost. Don't we all benefit that way?

Sara Nathan ● 6326d

David,As well meaning as your post no doubt is, the Council spends over £3 million/year on publicity, which includes a self congratulatory Council web site Home page; the full colour, monthly 'Around Ealing' 137,000 copies; full colour posters on the exterior walls of our local government offices; and full colour banners hanging from lampposts on the Uxbridge Road.Do you also need to clog up this public forum with Council propaganda? It really is not appropriate.

Eric Alan Leach ● 6326d

We sort of do it in Acton on the Churchfield Community Association Website - but not as effectively or anything like

Sara Nathan ● 6326d

That's a great initative that West Ealing Neighbours should promote local businesses and just what I had in mind.  We need to replicate that around the borough.Maybe this EalingToday website could do something

David Millican ● 6326d

Penny, Business rates are set nationally.  I'm afraid that Ealing Council has no influence on themI know that they are a huge issue to local businesses

David Millican ● 6326d

David I am sure you are aware that West Ealing Neighbours excellent website (www.westealingneighbours.org.uk) has a Forum that was specifically designed for recommending mainly independent businesses in the West Ealing area.  It is up to date and informative with the purpose being exactly as you describe - to ensure we shop locally.Diane GillWEN Committee Member

Diane Gill ● 6327d

The efforts are good, especially free parking....excellent. However, if there's anything you can do to reduce rates (don't knoiw if you can) that would also help !

Penny Crocker ● 6327d