Forum Topic

Improving areas of Ealing

Which area of our borough is improving fastest of all? In other words, in which area(s) would you like to see your children or grandchildren think or consider living?

Gerry Tan ● 4814d12 Comments

I have noticed that the area around Perivale Central Line station and Horsenden Hill has much improved in recent years. There was an ugly depot spoiling the neighbourhood there by the Perivale Wood Nature Reserve, it has now been replaced by a rather nice looking residential development. Not surprisingly a cosy little cafe sprung up almost immediately across the road and the local library will soon reopen following what appears to be an extensive refurbishment. Altogether a much more civilised way of borrowing a book, on the way back from a walk around the Hill on a Saturday afternoon as opposed to fighting against the crowds at the Ealing Central library. So a well deserved thumbs up there from me.

Tom Carroll ● 4808d

Crossrail at Southall, Hanwell, Acton, West Ealing and Ealing Broadway will all have somewhat different impacts I suggest.New hotels in the centre of Ealing are long overdue. They would have appeared anyway at some time as Heathrow Hotels are like being on the moon and central London hotels are very expensive. Still no big hotel to hold a big wedding though.No five star restaurants anywhere in Ealing. Clearly all the 'coffee cafes' can't survive.

Eric Alan Leach ● 4812d

There's the rub Susan.Hounslow council are stubbornly silent on the provision of new school and hospital places and gp's for surgeries.Despite having a couple of thousand + flats erected over the last 7 or so years and plans for another 3,000 or so.That's an increase in the population of about 7-8000 and it is only  a small place.Never mind the massive increase in council tax receipts that all this construction work will bring.

Keith Iddon ● 4812d

Does that mean that no new school places are being provided for the developments in Brentford, Keith? In many great cities of the world it's normal for people to raise families in flats.

Susan Kelly ● 4812d

Yes Keith, there will be more and more flats and condominiums(or should it be condominia?), built in Ealing now. Its not a bad thing imo - I've watched great cities develop this way(Singapore, New York and Dubai as examples). I suppose we'll all have to get used to it.

Gerry Tan ● 4812d

Thanks Eric for your thoughtful reply to my question - I quite like being known for "unbridled enthusiasm"; though my immediate family think of me as a curious curmudgeonly old f-rt.I still can't help feeling that Crossrail is gonna change Ealing considerably(for the better). I may be wrong, but it gives me a good feeling. I have noticed that there are many more restaurants, hotels and coffee cafes in Ealing - always a good sign in a neighbourhood.

Gerry Tan ● 4812d

Flats will be the future and families will end up living on the fringes of London,thus changing the nature of an area to some degree.With flats,the occupiers are what is called 'more transient' I believe and as they will very probably not have kids to go to local schools will make less 'investment' in the local community, generally speaking. We are seeing it happening in Brentford in spades.There are plans for a couple of thousand new flats,no houses.

Keith Iddon ● 4812d

This is a good spatial planning question.But here you go again Gerry with your unbridled enthusiasm. Crossrail has probably already resulted in over 700 flats being built over the last 7 years within 10/15 minutes walk from West Ealing Station (one of the stations destined for a new Crossrail service/Station by 2019). This represents a change but not necessarily an improvement. Improvements normally stem from improved local services or the creation of new local services.We are told that it's illegal for residents to even view the latest plans for the five new Crosssrail Stations in Ealing. Allied to that Crossrail and London Borough of Ealing (LBE) have only just begun looking at what infrastructure changes might have to be made around the stations. Maybe soon Crossrail and LBE will involve local residents, local businesses and community groups in discussing how Crossrail might improve and not degrade local stakeholders' quality of life. Probably the answer to your question is that planned changes to  parts of Acton might result in improvements there but the people who enjoy those changes will not the folks living there now. Those folks will be shipped out elsewhere. These 'infrastructure events' as you call them Gerry will be less to do with Crossrail and more to do with Acton's proximity to central London.

Eric Alan Leach ● 4812d

No Tom, this ain't a trick question. I've heard that Cross Rail and other infrastructure events will change certain areas of our borough quite considerably. I was just wondering which districts would be most affected, thats all. I'd imagine areas very adjacent to existing railway stations would be favourably changed - I don't know really. Any views?

Gerry Tan ● 4812d

You may find that roads that previously had homes with families in them,once those families move out of London as has happened increasingly will have the houses converted into 2 or 3 flats,thus changing the demograph of the road and increasing by a considerable amount the number of cars in the street.This is happening all over London.

Keith Iddon ● 4813d

Is this a trick question ? Only a small proportion of even relatively well-off families, not to mention first time buyers, will be able to afford a property in Ealing very soon, if the below article is anything to go by.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/mortgages/9827253/Families-face-75pc-cut-in-mortgage-borrowing-limit.html

Tom Carroll ● 4813d

I'd still like one of those new villas in Mattock Lane if I win the lottery tomorrow. Walk to central Ealing through the park, or Waitrose just up the road. Pop over to the Questors for a bit of culture or coffee and cake ...

Susan Kelly ● 4813d