We have been and continue to be central in providing the voice of rationality in relation to local planning and redevelopment. We have worked closely with the Council to develop and then implement its Licensing Strategy. We are now working closely with the police to help implement it and monitor its impact, particularly in relation to late night licensing. We continue to review the regular stream of local Planning Applications that the Council receive - for single dwellings, shops, site redevelopments, advertising etc. We are also represented on the Ealing Green and Ealing Town Centre Conservation Panel whose area overlaps with Walpole.
We are recognised as supporting sensible improvements in our area but resist the more self-centred, developer-led plans, both large and small, that are becoming commonplace.
Sadly, given the way that planning and licensing works, we are regularly forced to object to applications. It is rare that an application is presented in advance to solicit opinions of local residents and stakeholders, but there are some examples and we have always helped to improve the outcome.
- We were one of the founding members of both Save Ealing's Streets - fighting the proposed imposition of a tram on the Uxbridge Road - and Save Ealing's Centre - resisting the over-development of Ealing's Town Centre, most notably centred on a 42 storey block of flats; this work continues to the present day, faced with a plan to redevelop the 'Arcadia Site' with low-quality featureless buildings
- We have successfully objected to numerous development applications, resulting in them being sensibly modified. Typically these are put forward by owners who simply want to use their properties as cash-cows with no consideration for their neighbours or the locality
- We have been consulted by owners and developers on some proposals (both planning and licensing) - and in each case we have worked jointly to produce an outcome that meets everyone's aspirations without undue compromise