According to the Ealing today website Chignell Place in West Ealing is cordoned off by police.
Chignell Place is an odd little cul-de-sac off the Uxbridge Road. In Kensington, Knightsbidge or Mayfair a little dead-end street like this would be prime property whereas in West Ealing it has a bit of a suspect history. I can remember it once had a night club and a rather good Caribbean restaurant. Now it has some cafes and other small businessses. It has, and has had for a long time, an edgy feel to it and I know many people who quite simply won’t go there as they don’t feel safe. I can remember going there a few years ago to count the number of shops for a WEN survey and in no time at all someone was out an at my side asking what I was doing and why. There have been stories of traffic wardens being afraid to go there to enforce parking rules and even of yellow lines on the road being painted out.
More news when we have it.
UPDATE Tuesday 20th January
The police made six drug-related arrests and found quite large quantities of the now-illegal drug khat. The police said the raid was carried out as a a result of community concerns over drug dealing and anti-social behaviour. This is certainly true as I have been to various meetings over the past few years where exactly these problems have been raised, particularly over Chignell Place. There have also been complaints about drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in and around St James Ave directly across the road from Chignell Place, so this police action is welcome news. In the long run we need to find a way to make the pedestrianised area at the top of St James Ave more well used by locals as it’s a dead space at the moment and consequently attracts drug dealers because they won’t be disturbed by people walking by. WEN has tried to do something with this space, including a monthly craft market, but we never managed to find a way to succeed. I know the West Ealing Business Improvement District team is working on an idea for St James Ave, so I hope sooner rather than later something will come to fruition that changes the nature of this area and gives us a good reon to go there and make use of it.
More details on the Ealing Today website
As welcome as this drugs raid is, what has been needed in Chignell Place for many years are changes to make the place sustainably safe and accessible to all.
It almost certainly does not help it being a cul de sac. Making the road a through road to the current and then the new mosque would help. Making it primarily a pedestrian precinct with strict delivery vehicle delivery times is also worth considering.
With three business premises raided for drugs maybe some new different replacement businesses setting up there could help too.