Forum Topic

pavement improvements?

Despite the protracted work on the Woodville Road pavements, I was delighted to see signs of a continuous clean uniform level footway as good as that at the junction with Haven Green. On Friday, 4/4/14, I was horrified to see the unfinished segments of the pavements filled with TARMAC! creating yet another patchwork effect so popular with our highways contractors. I had suffered 5 separate days of closure to my driveway as they replaced slabs and blocks one at a time, but never expected to see such a hideous final result. 'Queen of the suburbs'? in your dreams!.

Anthony B Millier ● 4404d25 Comments

I have looked into the funding for Southall pavements and I can find no references to Crossrail in relation to the current projects. Where in the council committee minute archive can I find this? It appears to be 100% political.

Peter Mcleod ● 4402d

Why are none of the Southall councillor changes being written about in any of our local media - there is nothing on the getwestlondon web site, and nothing on the news section of this website?

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

Ok more help for you all.Southalls 3 labour councillors have left, at thge least forum they never mentioned they were leaving and now theyre 3 new candidates who came up on the official website just last week, with just 6 weeks to go, is this really enough to get a block vote, in theory definitely not, will they get all the landslide of votes, most definitely yesMy predications have come early. I should put a bet onClarifications about the car park, this was a request by traders 9not residents for a decade, each [party has failed to purchase the correct spot and now Mr Bell agrees its in the wrong place, I agree it should go but there is still a parking shortfall in Southall (more on weekends)

Ron Gill ● 4403d

Ron has convinced me that he is not a deluded troll. I think the Crossrail scenario merits further scrutiny, though I think the drum-beating and timing and emphasis is all political to do with Council Leader Bell's and MP Vivendra Sharma's re-election prospects in the local elections next month and the General Election a year hence.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

My own (prejudiced) analysis would put it this way: people with connection to political parties or a history with them will continue to vote for them (30% of the electorate), people who are disgusted by, or cannot take the unrepresentative way the political system operates (30%) probably won't vote. Another 30% probably vote in reaction to the administration: if they did a good job then we will vote for them again, if not we will vote in a new administration. 10% who are not engaged in any way by the system at the moment.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

And what, by any stretch of the most deluded imagination, would convince anyone that Southall is a 'destination' with or without Crossrail?Also how does 'Crossrail' justify the £2million+ spend on a car park nowhere near the station and which, you conveniently ignore, will never recoup the capital, let alone current, cost of building it.Life is perhaps too short to 'feed' deluded trolls.

Nigel Brooks ● 4403d

It has just occurred to me that in my discussions with various local Labour aparatchiks in light of Council Leader Bell's claims that Labour is holding to its manifesto promises in the case of Southall (some juxtaposition here) I have been clearly imformed that Labour is keeping to its manifesto promises regarding Southall, however, the people who I have spoken to remain silent on the topic of care, council tax benefit, disabled centres, which all come under the heading of services which Council Leader Bell also pledged to protect in the local Labour manifesto before the last local elections. Money has been found to honour the promise to prettify the stonework in Southall, yet money ha not been found to safeguard services. That is a POLITICAL decision regardless of WHERE the money is coming from and one has to wonder why Council Leader Bell is prioritising the stonework in Southall over the well-being, health, and even lives of a significant number of people. People or rocks? An interesting question.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

true, but much can be said about the Yorkstone paving in bond street and outside town hall, its all expensive at the end of the dayalso dont forget the works on longfield avenue, was that for the vote, yes, but only for dicken yards.Regardless what happens p[eopel will always vote the  same, and then complain on her, usual nonsense prevails

Ron Gill ● 4403d

also the improvements to southall go way past 2018-2019, definitely not on the election agenda, but on track for crossrail.

Ron Gill ● 4403d

I think that the deluded ones are the ones who think that the economy is improving and that things are getting better from the perspective of the quality of local governance. They are making judgements that fly in the face of evidence.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

Okay, I will look into the detail here. This is interesting. I am not deluded, I am prejudiced (I have pre-judged the situation on too little information or evidence). There is also a certain amount of inductive questioning.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

I do like deluded posters on here, who acxtuall have no idea what happens in there own area let alone boroughto repeat southall is being invested for Crossrail benefits as opposed to votelets look back and see what large sums of money has gone to southall since the last 3-4 elections anybody remember that far back?also a majority of the funding has been provided through TFL for the scheme in southall.

Ron Gill ● 4403d

Okay, point taken. Sorry. The way that this Council is run is enough to make Mother Teresa very angry. Faceless bureaucrats, unaccountable decisions, bun fights fit for teenagers in the council chamber between men (and women) who should know better. Laws ignore, the least well off marginalised, and GRANITE PAVING SLABS in Southall.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

Don't forget about the cut colour-matched granite slabs that cost twenty times more than a concrete one. I am sure that all the elderly, disabled, mentally ill, etc. sitting at home due to the closure of their respective day centres and care facilities can appreciate the quality of the product being used to refurbish Southall's pavements by MP Vivendra Sharma, and his personal salaried Parliamentary researcher and our caring Christian Council Leader Julian Bell.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

Hmm, replace perfectly good paving stones with new paving stones creating traffic chaos for months. provide a car park that nobody uses and which will never, repeat never, recoup the cost - so, if Labour will 'win in Southall' why waste the money that could be used in very many other 'tired' areas if it has nothing to do with party political flag waving just before an election?

Nigel Brooks ● 4403d

Hi Gerry1I hate to disappoint you, however Bond Street has been the victim on local politics and the gold rush for votes in Southall. The last Conservative administration re-furbished it and put in some circular tubs with round topiary balls growing in the pots. This was promptly ignored by this administration and the topiarised Buxus has been allowed to die through neglect and not replaced. The concrete tubs have become receptacles for cigarette butts. Net loss to community: the thousands of pounds to design, get, grow, plant the architectural plants, etc. Who gains?

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

bascially look at my other post, hope that helps your ignorant question :)

Ron Gill ● 4403d

Ron, just write in your normal English. We all know who you really are from your IP address. "Pidgin" is a poor disguise.

Peter Mcleod ● 4403d

I had you better than that Nigel,the southall is a block vote, improve it or not (lets say Not, as this is the first major investments it has in a decade) and still Labour will win in SOuthallso back to your argument, the case for investing isnt southal isnt to do with votesIts all profits from Crossrail

Ron Gill ● 4403d

The pavements and street furniture in Bond Street W5 are superb - so nice to have dead flat pavements beneath our aged feet.  I wish they'd do the same for the pavements between Angela Malik's new deli on The Green and along by Cote and Carluccios to the As Nature Intended shop - the pavements are dangerous, especially for elderly walking impaired folk. Come on dear Ealing Council, are you listening please?

Gerry Tan ● 4403d

Just look at the arguments and problems they are having in Hounslow now that the streetworks have all been contracted out.

Philippa Bond ● 4403d

Oh do come on. Do you honestly believe it is coincidental that, immediately prior to the local elections, there is significant investment in smartening up the safe Labour wards of Southall?I would love to see some of the neglected streets in central Ealing receiving the same level of investment, but, then again, save for the highly visible vanity projects like part-pedestrianizing Longfield Avenue that won't but this inept administration a single vote will it?

Nigel Brooks ● 4403d

a pretty poor argumentso continued investment in southall, do explainslabs gone to southall, doe explainelections boost for southall, do explaina one side, bias, ignorant view in my mind

Ron Gill ● 4403d

So now it will be easier for cyclists to ride on the footpath?...;-0

Keith Iddon ● 4404d

The slabs were probably take away for use in Southall in the high street refurbishment scheme bearing in mind the local elections in a month. A visit along the Southall high street is worthwhile to appreciate the bias towards Southall and away from other parts of Ealing: about half of the slabs being put down in the new traffic management and pavement scheme are NEW CUT GRANITE SLABS!!!

Peter Mcleod ● 4404d