Forum Topic

Arcadia development

Don't know about anyone else, but Ealing really, really needs a department store. The loss of Bentalls, Sanders, Beales over the years has been incredibly detrimental to Ealing as a shopping area. Before now one had to go to Oxford Street or Brent Cross, but now Westfield, I suppose, is our nearest opportunity.It's a great shame some retailer like John Lewis couldn't have bought out the whole Arcadia centre. Do we really need a bigger McDonalds, a bigger TKMaxx? Competition for Tesco, mind you, in the shape of Morrisons, is a good thing, but I fear parking will be a huge issue.

Judy Jaafar ● 4754d14 Comments

I think that's a good idea, I already am involved in Brentford where my business is located and it is also where I went to school and almost live permanently.But Ealing is the  home town, where my family are all located. One side for 5 generations. So issues are close to us.

Michael Brandt ● 4749d

Michael,You make some good points.To be fair to me I said that Benson Elliot invited 26 community groups who collectively represent the interests of 10,000 residents.Thanks to the 2011 Localism Act, concerned local residents and local businesses can get together and form Neighbourhood Forums. These forums can create the spatial plan for a neighbourhood which when it's overcome examination and referendum(s) will be the legal spatial plan for that neighbourhood.Luckilly for you and your 18 family members in central Ealing the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum has just been designated by local government. The next meeting of this forum is next Tuesday (2 April) at 6:00pm at the College at Ealing Green. It's an open meeting and everyone who lives or works in central Ealing is welcome to attend. If you plan to bring a group of people it might be sensible to contact the CENF Secretary Tony Miller at tony@miller.nameAs someone who has been Vice Chair of West Ealing Neighbours for 6 years and Chair of West Ealing Centre Neighbourhood Forum for around a year, I have to admit that community engagement is hard to do well.Michael if you have some ideas on how to carry out more successful community engagement, especially on a shoe string, I'm sure me and lots of others would love to hear about it.www.westealingneighbours.org.ukwww.wecnf.wordpress.com

Eric Alan Leach ● 4749d

No one I know in Ealing (and as my home town it's quite a few), even knew about Arcadia changing hands let alone changing it about.I can't believe they consulted 10,000. Not one of the 18 members of my family, all of whom live well within a mile of Ealing broadway, had received any contact and one is even the acting chair of a residents association.Did they just consult groups claiming to represent 10.000 people? That would be more practicable.That said, personally, the Arcadia plans are pretty underwhelming on what could have been.It will only be a Morrisons Lite not a proper Morrisons like in Acton. Even the Brentford Morrisons is smallish and carries a random range of  stock.There will still only be one large supermarket, Tesco's and that's a bit of a duff one at that.A John Lewis homestore ( their version of a mini store) in Ealing or particularly West Ealing would be a huge boost. There's not much left for retail now that internet shopping is so well established.  I think they (JL) missed a few opportunities in an area that would almost guarantee them a good flow of continuous trade. West Ealing really would be completely finished if it were not for WaitroseWith several applications for betting shops going in for South Ealing and NorthfieldsThe revival of the small independent shop and decent local parades looks pretty much doomed.Ealing is not good for the weekly provisions shop. It's expensive to park and too far away to lug many bags.The new store is aimed at single and young couple flat dwellers who work and just make daily purchases.

Michael Brandt ● 4749d

Well they all bring jobs to the area which is very much needed. Although I would never eat mcdonald’s there are plenty of people that do, and if you watch them there is an art to eating Mcdonalds which made me laugh I first noticed it in Germany you have to put your chips in the lid of the burger box which I suppose gives you easier access to them then you remove the pickle which I am told is the only thing with flavour, I’m not really sure what you do from there as I couldn’t stop laughing.  Morrisons apparently is a good supermarket and TK Maxx has a very good client base my wife loves the handbags and I find the shoes and wallets are quite cheap the rest they can keep. My only worry is where will Cargo and Mothercare relocate I don’t have small children myself but I realise a Mothercare store is needed in the area.

Tony Maxey ● 4749d

Wow.R.GilA handful of posters say they don't like the new Arcadia plans and that constitutes a wholesale rejection by Ealing residents does it?As one of the 'ring leaders' of the residents who killed of the 40/26 storey Glenkerrin monster outside Ealing Broadway Station I do have lots of experience of non involvement by property developers.The 10,000 residents represented in these plan making sessions include groups like the Central Ealing Residents Group, Ealing Civic Society, Walpole Residents Association, Hanwell Community Forum, Boston Manor Residents Association, Kingsdown Residents Association, local Conservation Area panel members, Ealing Arts + Leisure and of course the group you seem to hate, WEN. Many of the smaller existing Arcadia retailers appear to be struggling and have struggled for some time.So..do you advocate continuing with retail centres which are clearly failing? Or do you, like me, look to intelligent retail-literate owners/developers/architects to repurpose places like Arcadia so that they become successful and sustainable?I can see you are confused.It's good to talk

Eric Alan Leach ● 4750d

I wish people would stop putting down West Ealing.  It's a good area overall with it's only let down for me being that section of the Uxbridge Road which seems to attract all the serious crime lately.  Hate walking through there at any time of day really... But anyway, I also don't see the point of a bigger McDonalds and currently cannot see the point of a Morrison's but a bigger TKMaxx will be good.

Daniele Price ● 4752d

Well it was always my understanding that John Lewis did not go to Westfield, White City because it thought it would just cannibalise custom from Brent Cross and Kingston and perhaps to a limited extent Oxford Street.Westfield, Stratford different scenario.But Ealing?

Philip Coe ● 4753d

No rumours, John Lewis is on its way

R Gill ● 4753d

Westfield has put in its planning application for expansion north up to the H&C line and always there is the rumour that John Lewis is "poised to sign" at Westfield.

Viv James ● 4753d

based  on the EalingToday forum, which is people from Ealing I cannot see or share the enthusiasm from what Benson Elliott have proposed So I guess the 10000 people must have not been from Ealingor as usual involvement this means internal/councillors for which  we all know have no idea about the local community Also an Org og such as WEN which is all about the community sits back long with 10000 and applauds the move and is happy to see the 20+ retailers go out of business?boy am I confused!

R Gill ● 4753d

Raj is almost right.John Lewis announced some years ago that its coverage of the region in which Ealing sits is sufficient.Raj shouldn't be so sniffy about Waitrose West Ealing. It's one of Waitrose's most profitable supermarkets.As for the re-purposing of the old Arcadia Centre, the new owners (Benson Elliot) met with representatives of over 10,000 Ealing residents soon after buying up the lease. At this and a subsequent meeting their architect shared their early ideas about what to do with the old Arcadia Centre and invited questions and comments. This is a stunning example of community engagement during the formative stages of plan making.I for one have every confidence in the way they are going about sharing ideas with the local community about how the rest of the 4 acre site might be developed.

Eric Alan Leach ● 4753d

if this was  Twiter I would use the hastag #deludedJohn Lewis, seriously??Its  surprise we have Waitrose in Ealing, let alone West Ealingso no more wild stories please

R Gill ● 4754d

John Lewis would be AWESOME and would have such a positive impact on Ealing as a whole

Bud Richards ● 4754d

Is there going to be a Morrisons??I agree. We really need a department store. I shopped in Beales regularly. It's loss has increased my online shopping as there are some things you just can't find in Ealing.I see that Mego is closing. The clothes shop in Broadway Centre hasn't been open long, and was a great addition. This are definitely getting worse.

Simon Bell ● 4754d