Forum Topic

Large Empty Properties - Why???

On the corner of Madeley Road and Gunnersbury Avenue a number of very large homes have been left empty and boarded up for many years now.With talk of housing shortages it does seem strange that nothing has been done to bring these houses back into use.Does anyone know who owns these houses? How can they be just left to get into this state of disrepair?

Jean F Fernandez ● 4976d20 Comments

Mark, There was a huge property which was owned by a Housing Association who had to rehouse the residents leaving the property empty. This problem was due to the fact that the Housing Association let the place fall into a state of disrepair and it was unsafe in the end.They left the place unoccupied and boarded up for some time. We had the problem with squatters, vagrants, fly tipping, rats, theft of lead from the roof. Still the place was owned by the Housing Association and becoming more of an eyesore by the day.In the end I guess the Association become so fed up with all the neighbours harassing them that finally the house went to auction and is now back in use.It takes everyone to get together to make things happen. It also takes patience, but in the end these empty properties can be repaired and provide much needed homes.I cannot understand how those properties can have remain unloved and neglected for all these years. They are a blight on the landscape and I am sure they would also devalue the price of houses in the locality.Perhaps the council should do a CPO in some cases?

Jean F Fernandez ● 4969d

Im a director of a vacant property security company And a lOt these houses have been sold to developers Then local people object to plans so developer often Then gives up house to bank then they sit around For months even years In Ealing alone I have 6 over 1.5m pound houses sitting empty

Mark Ryan ● 4970d

I believe an association owns the two properties on Madeley Road and the two large properties on Hanger Lane. They wanted to demolish all four but that was not accepted. I understand planning permission was granted to refurbish the two properties on Madeley Road, and demolish the two on hanger land and then re-build them.I'm not sure what the property numbers are, 96? maybe but if you know you could check here http://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet

Rachel W ● 4973d

It looks as though the Tunnel under the Common was finally scrapped in 1995.

Charles Campbell ● 4973d

TB scrapped the plans to widen the A40 because widening roads tends to lead to more cars using it and then needing widening some more, and a neverending cycle starts.... The NCR plans were scrapped pretty much around the time I moved to Ealing, 19 years ago, well before TB.

Barbara Karayi ● 4973d

The new bridge nearest to the common is narrow, but the old bridge is still alongside so that could be replaced at some time, although I think there was a problem with existing services. The bridge closest to Hanger Hill appears wide enough for two lanes of traffic in each direction, even if pedestrians have to be moved to footbridges on either side of the main bridge.

Chris Bell ● 4974d

I have been told that the area on either side of the road over Hanger Hill is owned by the Church of England, and they refuse to sell or to allow any changes.

Chris Bell ● 4974d

I was just about to mention that. A staggering waste of money and housing. Good job we aren't short of either, eh!

Tony Sleep ● 4974d

Re  the Common had finally been approved            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      you may be right, what I remember was the trees and potential problem with their roots?. The Common area is not too bad, it is the N C above the junction with the Uxbridge Road where it gets awkward, all the way to the non giratory system, right slow crawl and even joining from side roads. But sometimes I think to myself, so what, just one  of the " joys " of living in a heavily populated area. If everything went smoothly, could be boring?.

Tony Price ● 4974d

As I remember it, the tunnel under the Common had finally been approved after many years of consultation by the Gov't just before the elections. The road was to re-connect to the NC at Baronsmead. Gunnersbury Avenue (the single lane section) was to be limited access only.  When TB got elected, the party canceled many of the scheduled road improvements and, in particular, new roads. The two houses on Elm Avenue (1&2) which were owned by TFL for this purpose have only been relatively recently sold to a housing association.

Charles Campbell ● 4974d

A similar story to the A40 Western Avenue where people were literally dragged from their houses, which were then wrecked to deter squatters, and within days the plans for an underpass at East Acton and flyovers over much of the rest as far as Allan Way, North Acton were replaced by the current deliberate width restriction plus wilderness alongside, a dangerous road layout at Gypsy Corner, with semi-permanent traffic chaos and the highest pollution levels in London. Thank you Ken.

Chris Bell ● 4974d

Re  What an awful waste!                  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    exactly, and doesn't  do much to enhance the " neighbourhood ". The land surrounding the houses is an extreme eyesore.  Someone somewhere is responsible, question is who and why.

Tony Price ● 4975d

These empty properties would be worth a fortune to someone if and when they were done up and used once again.What an awful waste!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4975d

Message: Re  when there were plans to widen the North circular          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    that is true but it all comes apart  with the  bridge  over the railway just up the road which I don't think can  be widened or there is some hitch?. As for the tunnel under the Common (  I remember it being when we had that useless MP George Young ) that was knocked on the head  because  it would interfere with the trees along the side of the Common/N Circular.

Tony Price ● 4975d

I vaguely remember a planning application in the last few years by a housing association to pull the whole row up the NCR to woodville road down and build low cost housing in its place. Not sure what happened to it. One of the houses in that row is / was lived in for a while, and one had a fire.

Barbara Karayi ● 4975d

It's not as if the north circular is anyone's dream location.

Susan Kelly ● 4975d

Quite agree why are they still empty? They have been empty for over 25 years now.

Jaz Brown ● 4975d

Well Department for Transport should perhaps get their act together and bring these once lovely properties back into use, or as suggested sell them off to developers.The longer they are left empty the harder it will be to restore them!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4976d

That's my understanding too. Surely the logical thing would be to do them up and sell them, or sell them as projects to developers.

Susan Kelly ● 4976d

I believe the department for Transport owns these, bought when there were plans to widen the North circular. There were plans to tunnel under Ealing Common! I've lived in Ealing for 19 years now and they've been in this condition since then, very sad.

Barbara Karayi ● 4976d