Forum Topic

Redevelopment of the Kings Arms Pub on the Vale

The deadline for comments on the planning application to demolish the Kings Arms and replace it with a block containing 50 flats is approaching.I hadn't realised that permission had been granted for this last July and this is just a variation on the original application to reduce the affordable housing component. It's a shame to lose the pub and I can't imagine allotment holders are going to be too pleased with the loss of light but the new homes are to be welcomed.http://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=176162

Alan Fairclough ● 4209d19 Comments

what we need in this part of Acton is a medical centre, a new primary school, (non free, academy, church variety)what that area does not need is more developers affordable flats which no one can afford

Diana Oneill ● 4167d

Please tell me which one so I can blast them

Diana Oneill ● 4167d

Yes, another example of crazy immigration policy. This morning I had to wait at a traffic light by Acton park on my bike as immigrants were pressing the pedestrian crossing button then crossing when it went green. Decent, honest hardworking citizens were caught up in this, theres just too many people crossing the road, if we build more pedestrian crossings they will just be flooded with more people crossing.

Antony OBrien ● 4173d

They had another crew working again this morning saw them around 11am no drilling this time though just some hammering! Feel sorry for local residents if they ignore the rules & work bank holiday friday & sunday cannot see them following the daily limits on drilling can you!

Peter M Jones ● 4175d

Whatever Nigel Farage tells you this is not the case.Firstly, let's deal with the myth that foreigners are buying up new housing stock and leaving it empty. This is simply not true. A report made to a Commons Housing Select Committee a couple of years ago showed that the void rate on foreign owned property was exactly the same as that for domestically owned. Ask yourself - is it really credible given rents in London that anyone would leave a property vacant for more than they would have to.The current restrictions on bank mortgage lending has made it very difficult for first time buyers to fund the purchase of a new property and domestic buy-to-let lending has also been severely constrained. This has meant that a lot of new developments are very dependent on selling to foreign investors for their viability. The key point here is that foreign capital is coming into this country to create new homes - you can't twist that into being a bad thing. Foreign investment in London property leads to increased supply and is a safety valve on rising prices.On immigration and housing prices, are you seriously saying that Bulgarians and Romanians are snapping up these properties. Their impact on the housing market is highly over-estimated as predominantly they are room sharing in cramped accommodation and make very little impact on demand for housing.Much of London's rising population growth is due to domestic migration from within the country attracted by the relative economic success of the area.Prices in Acton are rising mainly because transport improvements are reducing the commute time to the City of London and increasing demand from people who work there. In the micro-market of W3 increased supply in the area probably won't serve to depress prices but in a London context every extra unit will serve to help put a lid on price rises.

Alan Fairclough ● 4176d

Considerate developers (NOT) are working here right now. Small crew drilling yesterday morning & again this morning as I passed by around 8-8.30am putting fence posts in so they can put up boards next & close the site off.

Peter M Jones ● 4176d

Isn't not having enough homes to do with no replacement of social housing stock after the right to buy sell-offs, combined with not enough new build - at no stage has any recent government come anywhere near its target. Plus the foreign investors who buy in large quantity and leave the properties empty.Every single apartment at the huge development at West Hampstead - for example - has sold off plan, which demonstrates what a shortage we seem to have (doesnt mean I am in favbour of 20 storey towers in Friary Park however!) e

Sara Nathan ● 4188d

Alan, This part of Acton is already over flowing with thousands of new residents in the last few years it does not need anymore it needs decent shops. Tesco Metro is not exactly a decent shop neither is the Sainsbury in Churchfield Road which seems to stack cheap booze floor to ceiling instead of decent food!New affordable homes yes I agree those are needed ugently but this is not that type of development if you think otherwise then you are living in another reality!Acton Vale has had thousands of new residents from the large Bromyard Avenue development(s) as well as across the road in Emlyn Road W12 but on the border to Acton Vale.The fact we do not have enough housing is nothing to do with not building enough its everything to do with an EU governed immigration & labour policy causing an artificial housing bubble which will go away eventually when we leave the EU rule!If you built 10m new homes in London tomorrow they would attract 20m new residents from overseas & or foreign buy to let investors.

Peter M Jones ● 4188d

Peter, you might be right about the price but the lower end is below the average for a London property. Whether the person who lives in it is a renter or an owner occupier it will still be their home and therefore they will become part of the local community. There is a Tesco Metro just down the road and a Sainsbury's not far away on Churchfield Road so a supermarket here would have been superfluous as well as hurting the business of established independent businesses in the area. New homes are of much more value to the local community and society in general - the fact that they are so expensive is because we aren't building enough of them.

Alan Fairclough ● 4188d

Alan,Directly opposite a nice park with a health club 2 min walk away as well as strong transport links in this part of london is going to be between £400-600k each mark. They have underground parking spaces as part of the plans.The old run down 4 bed flats on the council estate sell for around £465-485K right now so a new build is going to be more especially opposite a nice park surrounded by trees.Your not a buy to let investor are you? As this site will benefit those & anyone with the ability to buy outright or get a £400-600k mortgage as I said originally not affordable to most & of little benefit to the local community (unlike the planned supermarket which lost out to this development).

Peter M Jones ● 4188d

Peter, most people's definition of luxury flats would not include those set to be built on the King's Arms site. The will be situated at a busy road junction probably with no parking and no tube station near by. They will probably sell for a price below the average for a property in London.When you say the flats will not benefit anyone in the immediate area you are forgetting the people for which they will become their new home.

Alan Fairclough ● 4188d

These will be luxury flats beyond the financial reach of many acton residents...... The original plan was for a supermarket (Sainsbury's I believe) but the council awarded the planning permission for luxury flats instead which will not benefit anyone in the immediate area (which is already heavily over populated due to 100s of new homes being built in the last 3-4 years in the vale area).

Peter M Jones ● 4192d

Pubs are key target sites for developers across London. They are worth more as flats than as business concerns.Someone was recently joking about the impossibility of buying a pint in Chelsea.The Chatsworth was / is under threat of demolition. The Kings Arms obviously is and there may be others. I objected to the Chatsworth demolition on the basis that its actually quite an attractive old building - about to have a lego-style box with balconies parachuted on top of it.

Richard Grange ● 4206d

I've just objected. I feel so sad that we are losing so many historic buildings. Acton will lose its charm at this rate. Isn't this the 3rd pub to be earmarked for flats in the last 6 months?

Zoe Archer ● 4206d

I think our Labour council are "Labour" when they want to be.And not when it doesn't suit them.

Richard Grange ● 4206d

At the final planning meeting about the Oaks, a Labour councillor said, "We don't want more social housing - it creates social problems!".Yes, a Labour councillor said this.  I was gobsmacked.

Adam Kimmel ● 4206d

Affordable to who, when are we going to build some social housing?

Diana Oneill ● 4206d

I don't know the rationale for the reduction in 'affordable' housing Chris. If you feel strongly about it check out the link and make a comment to the Council.Personally I am sceptical that affordable housing arrangements in their current form provide any real social benefit. Affordable rent and affordable purchase properties no longer seem to go to people on very low incomes and the way they are allocated is very opaque. If these requirements were scrapped London may get closer to its housebuilding targets, reducing upward pressure on house prices thus benefitting all.

Alan Fairclough ● 4208d

"reduce the affordable housing component" - WHY?? Surely it should be increased, not reduced. Grr. I thought it was going to become a Sainsburys - which would almost be preferable.

Chris Hurley ● 4209d