Buying my eggs from Tony this morning he told me he’s on TV tonight – Epic Win on BBC1 at 5.25pm. His challenge is to use his feet to identify different types of meat! Can he do it? We’ll find out tonight. Good luck Tony.
Council helps riot-hit West Ealing traders
I attended a meeting of local traders last night at St James Church called by the Council to help those traders affected by recent the looting and destruction. It was well organised, well thought through and well attended not just by West Ealing traders but also by traders from South Ealing.
Council leader Julian Bell introduced the meeting and said over £100,000 had been paid out so far in the £1200 grants to affected shops and businesses across Ealing. He also talked about West Ealing being somewhat overlooked in the reporting of the looting and damage of that night. He gave a powerful description of the CCTV images of the determination of the looters to break into Seba Electronics and other shuttered premises. He said he has also asked the Borough Commander that the large screen just put up in Ealing Broadway displaying images of the rioters to help identify them be moved to West Ealing when possible.
The heart of the meeting was a mixture of Council staff and independent advisors talking about some of the key isues of concern to traders. Aileen Jones , Head of Planning Services, looked at any planning issues that might arise from traders changing their shop fronts to put in new shutters (Council leader Julian Bell said think about toughened glass – Sainsbury’s in West Ealing survived because the looters couldn’t break through its toughened glass front windows). There was useful information from an insurance expert on claims made under the Riot Damages Act of 1886 under which the Metropolitan Police may be liable to pay some of the costs involved. This one is a bit tricky because the Act is old and simply talks of loss and it’s not clear if that is just physical loss of goods and property but also loss of trading income if a shop has to shut for repairs etc.
Paul Dunn of the Community Safety team gave a very good overview of their work going round talking to the local traders and residents affected. He told of some residents of the sheltered accommodation just off the high street packing their suitcases for fear of having to be evacuated if the shops were set alight. His talk gave a very moving insight in to just how far the impact of the looting and destruction reached in to our community and what he and his team have been doing to alleviate people’s concerns and come to terms with what happened that night.
The final presentation was by Michael Sylvester, chair of the West Ealing traders group (WEB) and myself as chair of West Ealing Neighbours. Michael urged all the West Ealing traders to come to the next WEB meeting on Monday 5th September 6.30pm at St James Church. By working together local traders can have a more powerful voice and be more effective in working with the Council right across a range of important matters. I followed Michael and gave a brief run down of the plans for West Ealing Family Day on Saturday 24th September and how WEN will do all it can to encourage its members and all other residents to shop locally.
David Highton
Property Developers are Ecstatic about New Planning Proposals. I Wonder Why?
Along with the draft Localism Bill, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) promises to simplify planning law and empower residents to have more say in how land is used in their own neighbourhoods. All very laudable intentions. However all of this draft legislation is based upon and biased towards economic growth. In the NPPF there is a presumption in favour of development. Development in Ealing, as we all know, means demolition and new build (mostly of private sale flats)
Growth is stalled in the UK and none of us really believe experts who tell us that economic growth is just around the corner. So do the plans facilitate us all making the best use of what we’ve got? Oh no. With 1.8 million people on Council Housing lists throughout the country one might expect that the new draft plan to directly address this social housing shortfall – but a sadly it doesn’t.
You can make your own mind up about these new national plans and submit your feedback at:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuildings/draftframework
Also Eric Leach has his own colourful slant on the proposals which you can view here.
Come and see local artist David Stokes at OPEN’s contemporary gallery tonight and until 30th August
Local artist, David Stokes an abstract impressionist, launches a one man show at the OPEN contemporary gallery tonight (Friday 19th August) from 6-9pm and then Monday to Saturday 11am – 5pm.
The show features ‘Violet’ from the 2008 series alongside more recent work referencing the countryside close to his home and places he has visited. The show runs until 30 August 2011.
David Stokes has lived and worked in Ealing for twenty five years and has a studio in Norwood Green. He studied Art and Design at Stafford College of Art and Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic.
OPEN Ealing is at 113 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 5TL (opposite the fire station). Telephone 020 8579 5558.
Supt Andy Rowell breaks down over Ealing Riots
At tonight’s special Council meeting myself, Gill and Allison witnessed Superintendent Andy Rowell, Borough Commander tell his side of the story…
Many questions have been asked about Police presence on the night of the riots and there have been criticisms too. What many people wouldn’t have even contemplated is that there were only 35 officers in Ealing Broadway on the night of the riots. Pleas for more assistance via the Resourcing Centre were met with ‘no resources are available’. Having already sent 37 of his specially trained officers to alternative London locations Supt Andy Rowell was unable to retrieve them to handle the ensuing riots on his own patch.
Supt Andy Rowell broke down when he re-told how the events of the night played out and how his officers were severely outnumbered attempting to deal with around 200 rioters in Bond Street alone. No riot shields, no helmets, no special uniform – nothing.
After listening to this compelling account of the Ealing riots spontaneous applause broke out amongst the chamber and for those of us sitting watching the live video link.
#hEALING – Riot Aftermath Fundraiser for Ealing
A fundraising event has been organised is being held on Friday 26th August as the New Inn, 62 St Mary’s Road, W5 5EX with all monies raised going to the Richard Mannington Bowes Relief Fund.
It all kicks off at 1pm and goes on until 11pm.
More details can be found on their Facebook page http://t.co/mFMJtMC
Anti-riot cup cakes, pizza and a mural – OPEN Ealing helps restore a little community spirit
OPEN Ealing’s Jack Jones and friends spent part of Saturday painting a mural on the shutters boarding up the boarded up baby e shop on Ealing Green
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‘ Yesterday we took to the streets to help reconstruct our community that has been rocked by this weeks events. I turned up at Baby e with a bag full of paints and we all set to work.
We were later unexpectedly joined by “bake for a better britain” who had made some amazing anti riot cup cakes and they did a great job of providing a happy atmosphere and conversation to the public while we busied ourselves with pots of paint and composition tweaking.
The pizza place next door even came out with pizza for everyone, which was equally amazing as the cup cakes. We had set up paper for the public to draw on, and who left many encouraging messages of support. thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to support us. For the first time in a while, I’ve been proud to say I am from Ealing.
You can read the full story and see the photos taken during the day at http://openealing.com/wordpress/
David Highton
All quiet on the West Ealing front
After the prayer meeting on Ealing Green we had an early dinner in Carluccio’s. I booked a table knowing my son would be most upset if it was too busy. For the first time in the 7 years I have lived in Ealing the place was practically empty. And remained so until we left around 8.30pm. Walking back to West Ealing along Mattock Lane we stopped off to look at the preparations for the Shri Kanagathurkkai Amman Temple chariot festival tomorrow. We then carried on along the Uxbridge Road home – West Ealing was like a ghost town, incredibly depressing to see.
Let’s please support Ealing and the local traders however we can, they need us more than ever.
Ways to respond to riots in Ealing and West Ealing
1. There’s a vigil tonight at 6pm on Ealing Green organised by Ealing Churches
2. Healing service at St James’s (back of Sainsbury’s) West Ealing Sunday (Aug 14, tomorrow) at 10.30. Come whatever your beliefs or religion to show solidarity with West Ealing community.
3. Special meeting at Council (Ealing Town Hall) to discuss riots plus minute’s silence for Richard Mannington Bowes.
Note, also this page on council website about how people can access support post-riots (well done, Ealing Council).
Police presence in West Ealing still strong
On my way home from work last night and on my way to work this morning I have seen a strong Police presence along West Ealing Broadway and funnily enough hardly any drinkers..
