Ealing (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Plans for 693 flats in five blocks up to 24 storeys in Ealing approved amid fierce debate over safety, overcrowding, and urban planning concerns.
A contentious residential development in West London has been authorized for its third phase, which has been extended to contain hundreds more dwellings than initially anticipated. There will be 1,345 new homes constructed in East Acton’s Friary Park development, an increase of 355.
The Acton Main Line station will be twelve blocks away from the project’s entirety. The planning committee of Ealing Council has approved the third phase, allowing work to start on five of the twelve tower blocks on the 1.13-hectare site.
There will be 148 “affordable” apartments out of the 693. Eighty of these will be designated for shared ownership, thirty-one for the London Affordable Rent program, and thirty-seven for social rent.
The campaign organization Cap the Towers, which includes TV host Sean Fletcher, has harshly criticized the plan. He has been using social media to advocate against the Friary Park development for a long time.
Towers should not exceed 14 stories, according to the Ealing Council’s new local plan, which was presented earlier this year. Although the local plan had no impact on the development’s early stages, Mr. Fletcher called it “a huge victory for all of us” in a YouTube video.
According to Mr. Fletcher and Cap the Towers, the third phase’s plans to reach 24 stories could not be approved; nevertheless, Wednesday’s decision means the 24-story tower will be constructed.
Directly addressing the councillors via video, Mr Fletcher said that if you vote for this, you will be seen as complicit in all this deception and lying… its density, in this one corner of the estate, is to be cramped into nearly 700 flats, more than the rest of the estate put together… the result is dangerous overcrowding.
There were a total of 152 objections left on Ealing Council’s websites by residents, compared to only one comment supporting the application. The Churchfield Community Association, a Central Acton residents association, called the development ‘overbearing and dominating’.
It said:
“When something this large is built it only makes things worse when it is both highly visible and not an inspiring design. They are blocks that could be anywhere.
They remain completely out of keeping with the local area. The new proposal for phase 3 makes things even worse than the previously consented plans by going even higher.”
There will be 70 studio apartments, 296 one-bedroom apartments, 310 two-bedroom apartments, 14 three-bedroom apartments, and 3 four-bedroom apartments in this phase.
With connected blocks rising up to 12 stories high, the tallest block will reach 24 stories, two stories higher than first anticipated.
The building of a community center has also been approved as part of the application. This will feature a huge hall, a cafe, a co-working space, and multipurpose space.
The 450 square meter area was co-designed with the current residents of Friary Park. Additionally, there will be a food bank store, a kitchen, and a gaming/podcast room.
Additionally, there is not as much public open space as is often needed for a development of this magnitude.
According to council officials, this has been acknowledged, and the developer will make a section 106 contribution of £350,000 to help offset this.
The development was approved by a unanimous vote of the council members. The plans will now be submitted for stage 2 approval to the GLA.
What are the main concerns of local residents about the new development in Ealing?
Locals concern that the influx of people brought about by new construction would strain public transportation, schools, hospitals, and other community services, resulting in a decline in accessibility and quality.
Parks, playgrounds, and other recreational spaces that locals cherish for leisure, welfare, and community cohesiveness are frequently replaced by developments. One common point of contention is the disappearance of trees and green areas.
High-density or large-scale developments may raise issues with overcrowding, alter the neighborhood’s character, and strain nearby amenities.
There is concern that new construction may diminish the property prices of current homeowners, impacting their wealth and well-being, particularly if it is poorly planned or seen as degrading the quality of the community.