Forum Topic

West Ealing - Crossrail etc

Did anyone go to the public meeting at the Drayton on 22 April? I really wanted to go but was unable to and I really would like to find out about the proposals. Thanks

Jean Heaphy ● 4357d11 Comments

"The Conservatives are to blame"Ben, the facts don't agree with your viewpoint:" Between 1979 and 1996 the total building for houses by local authorities and by registered social landlords was 913,690, while  from 1997 to 2008 building totalled a significantly lower 290,750.Given that the last Conservative Government was in power for 18 years and the DCLG figures only cover Labour’s first 11 years it is worth looking at the average building under each Government.Again the figures back up Mr Hunt. Between 1979 and 1996 an average of 50,761 new homes in the social housing sector were built, compared to 24,299 from 1997-2008."https://fullfact.org/factchecks/labours_social_housing_record-1455The trend during the Thatcher years was to build less social housing, but Labour continued the decline at a time when they decided to boost the population through an overly relaxed, some would say reckless, attitude to immigration.I don't think it's stated enough that when Right To Buy was introduced our population level was expected to remain constant, or indeed fall a little. Giving less well off people a chance to own their own home was a just thing to do, particularly as it didn't reduce the overall housing stock.

John Walker ● 4356d

The rate of house building isn't the real root cause. The real root cause for housing pressure has been the significant increase in population that has far outstripped government estimates or the ability to build new homes, schools etc. to keep up. The population grew by more than 3 million people in 10 years largely due to migration - when those families started to have children the pressure on local housing, hospitals etc simply became too great. Irrespective of the government in power, building 1 to 1.5 million additional new homes (over the rate required to satisfy existing demand) in a period of little over 5 years was never going to be achievable.More evidence of the same - London has now reached the population size that Crossrail intended to service in 2024, and by then will be nearly 1.5m more people than 20 years ago.

Chris Martin ● 4356d

The answer: 30 years of house-building failure by both Left and Right. Only 140,000 houses a year have been built under the Coalition. The Right to Buy scheme, which Maggie was responsible for, used the proceeds to pay down debts rather than reinvest in house-building. Brown recognised the problem – after becoming PM, he pledged  to build 240,000 homes a year by 2016; we are only now building 20,000 homes. The Help to Buy scheme tackles demand when supply is the real problem. Prices have shot through the roof, because no one wants to have new housing built around them.The inertia on house-building is stopping millions from getting on the housing ladder. Tactically, I decided not to put a higher figure (I was going to start with 50%) on the stamp duty levy in the belief that someone was going to raise it! Thanks for going higher, Gerry, proving that there is some support and sympathy for my idea.

Ben Owen ● 4356d

Approximately where Drayton Road and Manor Road meet.

Ben Owen ● 4357d

Thanks Ben.Any idea where on Manor Road the new station entrance will be if not at the apex of Argyle Road/Manor Road?Jean

Jean Heaphy ● 4357d

Ben, I can't quite see how the conservatives are to blame as this seems to ignore the two key facts which are that the buy to let boom started under Labour and was then fuelled by one of Gordon Brown's first acts as Chancellor when he started to tax dividends paid into pension schemes. That resulted in the mass closure of many final salary schemes and has significantly impacted on people's ability to build up "money purchase" pots. The boom in 2nd properties as a form of investment is a direct consequence of Labour knackering private sector pension schemes.

Chris Martin ● 4357d

An interesting point-of-view Ben. I warm to your idea of and extra levy of stamp duty on those who have a second home which is an investment(not a home to live in). But why make it only 25% - make it at least 50%, which should be 'ring-fenced' for more affordable housing(for youngsters just starting). That should concentrate their minds! I wonder if this idea will ever transpire into reality?

Gerry Tan ● 4357d

Yes, Crossrail will inflate house prices, in the same way that Sands End, in Fulham, has seen a big rise in house prices because there are now Boris bike docking stations installed for people to cycle to the underground station, or the Sloane Poney on Parsons Green (aka The White Heart). Seriously. People pay more for convenient transport links.James's story is a wonderful example of our housing crisis. People are investing in property and not living in them. Landlords don't care to do too much work on the flats / houses that they are renting out knowing full well that there is a generation of nine million renters queuing up to rent it from them - even where there is "needs work" doing to it.  Homes should be homes and not seen as an investment. One idea of mine, which is getting more and more backing from people that I mention it to, is for anybody selling a second home should incur the current stamp duty charge + a 25% levy. This in itself won't put  people off from buying second homes (in the same way that people drive just as much, but pay more for it), but provided the taxation is ring fenced it will put more money into building more AFFRODABLE housing. 250,000 new homes a year will be needed for the foreseeable future, which is something like one million affordable homes needed over the next parliament. That is just not going to happen.The Conservatives are to blame. (Colm Costello, remember our lovely chat in the Co-op!). Cameron will be the first Conservative prime minister since 1945 to preside over a fall in house-building, and as a consequence a corresponding drop in Tory votes, since home-owners are more likely to favour the Conservatives than those who rent. God, Cameron, God! (A word he favours right now).I strongly believe that whichever party makes housing more affordable will stand the best chance of winning the election. Renters are going to have a huge say in the outcome of local and general elections since their political opinions will float from connstituency to constituency whereas home owners, with their political opinions, will remain far more static in (not moving from Ealing, say).

Ben Owen ● 4357d

Gerry,i have just sold a 1 bedroom investment flat (needs work) within 5 minutes walk to west Ealing station,sold within 48 hours of being on the market and £98.000 above asking price of £325.000.I will have a 2 bed flat in the same building (where i currently live) to sell in July and estate agent has estimated an asking price of £425.000. With these high prices i have to sell up and retire early,so good bye Ealing and hello Eastbourne.

James Beach ● 4357d

Do you think that its a good investment to buy a property near a station where Cross Rail will operate in the next decade? Will such property increase in value much more than other locations in Ealing? Whatya think?

Gerry Tan ● 4357d

Yes I did Jean.The following notes are copied from an email that I sent to cycling buddies, so don't be surprised to find that they are focused on cycling. Well attended meeting. Congratulations to Eric Leach for organising and chairing it. Nick O'Donnell from Ealing Council was also in attendance.Waste from the construction work will possibly be reused to form a sight and sound barrier to the railway line for the benefit of residents in Manor Road. (This was a response to a question from a Manor Road resident).The steel girders that currently fence off the railway line would be replaced by black 'park' railings.>Current design for W.Ealing station is it to be situated on >Manor Road, but they are looking at another option of having the >entrance at the apex of Manor Road / Argyle Road. There will be only >one entrance. Access to every platform will be step free. >>Cycle >parking provision initially been designed to hold 100 bikes in one >shelter to the right of the station. I suggested to Stuart Croucher, an >Urban Designer with Crossrail that this WA nowhere >near going to be enough, and in answer to my question he first of all >agreed to look at increasing it to double stacking on one side, before >a little bit more persuasion that to accomodate his forecasted >passenger numbers it might make better sense to install double stacking >on both sides. This would hold up to 500 bikes. >>The junction of Manor >Road / Argyle Road & Drayton Green Road / The Avenue would have a red >shade of tarmac to give drivers a lightbulb moment to slow down for >cyclists and wandering pedestrians. Cycle provison on the road so far >is only to have a painted bicycle in the middle of the lane. When it >was put to him by someone else that this was not good enough, he >accepted to try and improve the design. He didn't realise that the area >was a cycle route.>>They would take away the island at the junction of >Hastings Road / Alexandria Road / Drayton Green Road. He observed that >very few pedestrians use it, so what is the point of having it?>>Their >might be a lay-by for northbound buses to stop outside the station by >using the full width of the current building and the pavement outside >the station. TfL don't like lay-by's because it inevitably delays buses >trying to move into moving traffic. In which case, they would re-jig >the bus stops.>>I asked him about Jacob's Ladder (the footbridge to the >west of West Ealing station). The bridge would be kept and the >environment made safer. Would it be step free or have a gutter for >bicycles? Nothing planned in as present, but he will go back to the >drawing board when he noted that the bridge connects two primary >schools.>>Construction will begin early next year and completed by >early 2017. TfL will give Crossrail a £30m budget in case anything is >missed from their design, which would be available for four years. >Ealing will also be given a £1.5m budget to fund further improvements >after this time.

Ben Owen ● 4357d