Building a 60-bedroom hotel on the corner of Melbourne Ave and the Uxbridge Road looks almost certain to mean that some of the traders there – flower stall, card stall – will have to move. The plans for the hotel show a floor to ceiling glass window going part way along the Melbourne Ave side of the hotel. As a result, the traders are fearful of their future. Where will they be moved to? There doesn’t look to be enough room on the hairdresser’s side of the road for them all to fit in. As a result, they have started up a petition against the planned hotel and you can easily find it at the flower stall.
West Ealing Neighbours is considering its response to the planned hotel. We recognise that this site needs redevelopment of some sort as it’s a bit of an eyesore but is this the best option for the high street? The sort of questions we are concerned about include:
- Do we need another hotel? There are two budget ones half a mile down the road – Premier Inn and Travelodge – plus the revamped Drayton Court Hotel by West Ealing station.
- It’s not likely to create all that much new employment for such a central high street site.
- There is no car park planned. Admittedly, most guests will probably come by public transport but will that bring extra pressure on the nearby roads which are currently CPZ free but getting more and more heavily parked up.
- It will mean more lorries crossing Melbourne Ave to access the rear delivery bays and do we want this? Some years back we proposed that a new access road go through part of the library car park. This was turned down because the mobile library bus was parked there overnight. The bus has now gone so we come back to the idea of lorries delivering to Lidl’s and the other shops by this new route and not across the mainly pedestrianised Melbourne Ave.
- Luckhurst’s the butchers will have to close for at least 6 months whilst the building work takes place. Tony Luckhurst runs one of the few traditional butchers left in the area. Will he re-open?
I am against this proposal and the effect it will have on local businesses.
No car park but “Admittedly, most guests will probably come by public transport “. Well few of them will be coming by public transport on a Sunday – or even late at night during the week – unless something is done about the lack of service at West Ealing train station!
Rather than a petition against investment in our high street, how about a petition about the rubbish train service to West Ealing?
We need a petition to save the local business. The train service may be an issue but this is a bigger one. How can a local independent butcher close for 6 months? It is crazy. Surely WEN should be out there helping both Tony and Dean with the petition? I am more than happy to give up some of my time to this and I am sure others will. I cannot believe who would pass this hotel planning knowing what impact it may on local businesses who have traded in this spot for many years. I am also sure if a meeting was hosted by WEN about this many people would turn up.
There’s been quite a lot going on but not always ‘visible’. There was a very good meeting of the West Ealing Centre Neighbourhood Forum last night where the hotel was discussed in some detail. A number of the traders were there as were residents of O’Grady Court. It was interesting to hear the view of the O’Grady Court residents who are firmly opposed to the plan as it will mean a lot more noise at unsocial hours from delivery lorries along Canberra Road plus more concerns about pedestrain safety from more lorries coming along Canberra Road and crossing Melbourne Ave so close to Sainsbury’s front door. . They are also concerned about loss of light and having to view the hotel’s back wall from their windows.
The traders are obviously worried as there is not enough space in that part of Melbourne Ave for them all to fit in if they have to move. No one from the Council or developer has been in touch with them before or since the application went in. A group of them are going to se the licensing officer at the Council today about their position and what may happen to them.
The traders’ petition is gaining many signatures and the residents of O’Grady Court are going to put in their own petition.
From what I understand, the WECNF will put in a series of concerns and questions. Ealing Civic Society will raise some objections. WEN will also put in its concerns.
In adition, both Eric and I have had a number of conversations to advise Dean and the other traders and talked to Tony about his position and having to close down for at least 6 months. We’ve also raised our concerns with our Walpole Ward councillors.
So, there’s quite a lot going on and we must meet the 22nd Feb deadline so time is tight. There may well be occasions later when we can come back to this depending on the outcome of the planning application.
This is Madness what on earth does West Ealing need a Hotel for when half a mile away is the Premier Inn and Travelodge just recently built and there is also a Hotel in the high street already.
We have had stalls for generations in West Ealing and a lot of our Shops have gone and have not been replaced with Brand Names therefore this is all that is left and once a thriving Town it’s about time someone reminded the Council that you already have huge amounts of Building and Regeneration Work going on that is going to have a huge input of more families and they will benefit from Deans Flower Stall and Luckhurst Butchers and also Victors Fruit and Veg Stall . Also the upheaval to OGrady Court will be a disaster as well as Shoppers trying to get into Sainsburys this is Planning Gone Mad and also where is the Consultation to the Community [very silent from L.B.Ealing]
David I am writing a piece on this for Ealing today. can you contact me so i can get a quote from you? thx viv
Hi Viv
I have noticed in your Ealing Today article you have incorrectly quoted David Highton as David Higham.
@Diane. “The train service may be an issue but this is a bigger one.” Really? Try telling that to the residents who use West Ealing and Hanwell stations and stations to South Greenford, who have just had their evening services cut and have no service at all on Sundays (when their stations are closed). For them this is a big issue. How about WEN doing something about this too?
As regards development in West Ealing high street, surely any proposals should be looked at positively. Whilst West Ealing still boasts some fine period buildings, the corner in question (with the red brick monstrosity behind it) wouldn’t be harmed by some smart redevelopment. Indeed this could provide much needed income to the high street, bringing in hotel guests with money to spend on staples, evening meals and entertainment. If we’re lucky some of the jobs created may even go to existing West Ealing residents.
Sorry Dave I just don’t agree with you on the hotel front. We need the RIGHT sort of development, not just ANY sort of development. I have travelled on the train to West Ealing in my time but I am saying this is a different issue we are discussing. Eric with WECNF IS tackling the station issues as well as a million of other things – I assume your being kept up to date by attending these meetings?
There seem to be too many negatives with this proposal – impact on neighbouring residents and businesses go against it. We can’t afford to lose some of our well-known traders who add to the character of the area and the interests of residents living in an already busy area shouldn’t be ignored.
But I don’t see why another hotel should not be considered in an agreeable context. It looks like the sort of place I may have stayed at in the suburbs of a European city. Sure there are other hotels but they are more expensive. So long as a low budget hotel has a high turnover of guests and doesn’t get used as a hostel, that should be good for local businesses as the guests would be more likely to get their provisions in West Ealing before heading off to do the tourist thing in London town. It just needs to be in the right place – above Poundland, perhaps, keeping the Woolworths facade.
Sorry, Diane, that was meant to be a general comment, not a reply to you! 🙂
Indirectly related, current trading across the country is affected by the current recession. Those who can have set up as e-commerce sites, this is where technology takes us. Even if it’s a short term solution, it’s a solution. Able & Cole are a first class example of online trading. I’ve added them because some see an issue with foodstuffs being sold over the Internet. Many with forward vision have done this successfuly, perhaps local business need some guidance over how to go about this.
As for the hotel, I trust that if a decision has been made to build this that logic and forward thinking has been a part of the process. I hope that if it goes ahead, that neighbouring residents see the light.
The face of the high street is ‘dying’, I’m sad in a sense to say this. But that’s due to memories, we can all be resisitant to change, but the days of Woolworth’s and Wimpy bars are gone. Maybe one day it will all change back, but in the meantime I’d like to make a point:
YOU WANT WEST EALING ON THE MAP?
I’ve seen this come up before in various places, that West Ealing is an area that need to be acknowledged for a town in itself, rather than an extension of Ealing central.
What do hotels do (apart from housing homeless on short term basis)?
If West Ealing is going to be ‘on the map’ in a bigger way, arts and entertainment will certainly help. But if and when folks do come from afar to see the awesome delights of West Ealing, where will they stay?
(Abstract thought largely I know, but I do. It’s good to step out of the box)
‘West Ealing on the map’ – I don’t really know what is meant by this statement.
I’d certainly like the centre of West Ealing to offer a wide range of shops and services that local residents want to use. I’d like the traders to have sustainable, profitable businesses. This is proving difficult to achieve all over England. For example, the £100,000 Government grant funded Mary Portas High Street revitalisation initiative in Margate has collapsed.
As for attracting and accommodating visitors this would be good if it’s done in a way that doesn’t disrupt or kill off aspects of the centre that most people like and want. Surely a compromise can be reached whereby Ibis Hotels get a workable hotel and local residents and traders are happy with the design and operating arrangements of the new hotel.
With the scaffolding going up around this site, does anybody know if the planning application has been approved and the renovations are commencing?