Forum Topic

Fourteen Storey Tower on Bollo Lane

This will be an absolute eyesore I really agree but I'm sorry to say we have no chance resisting.  The 9 storey monstrosity being built at the end of Churchfield Road (the one gorgeous quaint local shopping street in Acton) is going ahead - it will be absolutely vile seeing this at the end of what is a pretty road full of independent shops, cafes and restaurants.It is all out of our hands I'm afraid.Young, trendy architects with not an ounce of sympathetic design get their teeth into these projects - must everywhere we look be modern high rise??!!

Amanda Hyde ● 3331d30 Comments

Is it a fact only people with their own property complain, maybe worried about the value dropping although cannot see that happening and some flats are more expensive than the houses, also they may not like to be overlooked which don't bother me as feel safer if overlooked but everyone is different and impossible to please everyone.  Some of the high rise are also not terribly pleasant to look at which may be a factor.

Janice Evans ● 3317d

Agree Gary. Everyone endlessly moans about any sort of change and development in the area. Just build it. It's cycle...Build new homes attracts more people to the areaThey want more shops and better ammenitiesShops improve to cater for the more diverse clienteleOverall area improvesIt's called gentrification it's happening quit the moaning and complainingIf most people on this forum had there way we'd have the tower blocks back, no change on the high street and stuck back in the 1900's.

Nathan Macrides ● 3317d

Its like a Daily Mash headline. 'no more property development here say people who already have their own property.' Possibly even a baby boomer with a house they had the luck to buy when prices were crazy low but would never downsize as its further to their favourite bakery and anyway they need the spare bedroomS for when family come to stay once a year.rant rant rant but true true true

Tony Mansell ● 3317d

Agree totally, that actual building looks quite nice I thought, more like it and bit lower maybe.

Janice Evans ● 3322d

Must add I've not stayed in that area for a few years now, but suppose lots of you who comment are not from that actual area so don't feel I shouldn't comment.

Janice Evans ● 3322d

That's about the management of them not a reason why they shouldn't be built, so I say let's bring in the bulldozers ASAP and start building it and giving people good quality homes whilst make sure the management contract is tight enough to avoid rats and rubbish.

Gary Sinclair ● 3322d

Our flat was at The Vale it was lovely inside, we had no problems then with rubbish or keeping the building clean and I loved living there, started life in Osborne Road living with my grandparents in the cottages, a lot of them were pulled down which was a shame and they move into the Flats in Osborne Road and Bollo Lane where I spent a lot of time over many years so know the area well and wouldn't try to explain anything I knew nothing about.  Anyhow they never had the problems that arise now and cannot work out why or what was done differently then, I know they were all happy living in them, but don't remember lots of rubbish or rats around then.

Janice Evans ● 3322d

And Gary I'm only bringing attention to the reason people object to this type of build as you seem unaware, don't think anyone has blame the Council but want the Architects to submit plans that eliminate these problems. a lot of us have live in the flats believe it or not.

Janice Evans ● 3322d

I do think Bollo Lane could benefit with some good quality taller blocks.

James Feth ● 3322d

Would be nice if these things were sorted before the build, some blocks are having terrible problems with rat infestation.

Janice Evans ● 3322d

So why is it that these buildings seems to be being designed with not enough bin space and management?  Can't we do better?  What happens in other capital cities?

Philippa Bond ● 3322d

Me too

Janice Evans ● 3323d

Lol Bob u make me chuckle

John Kennedy ● 3323d

Agree with Tony, reading some comments on here from the know alls with an opinion on everything, you'd think the Council does no due diligence what so ever and just casually says "oh yeah, go ahead fine by us" whereas the developers have to infact submit a mass of documentation and evidence including environmental impact and needs assessments. I know this area well and its impact on other residents is absolutely minimal. 100% behind Pocket Homes and not interested at all in what smug home owners living elsewhere have to say.

Gary Sinclair ● 3323d

The postal service is really going downhill nowadays.

Bob Little ● 3323d

Rats have also  entered homes by getting through the letterbox!

Janice Evans ● 3323d

Rubbish brings rats they can climb walls, chew through brickwork enter the flats via the balcony or windows its no joke for the people living in them either.

Janice Evans ● 3323d

People want change for the better not worse,  everyone realises we need more homes, why not get it right.

Janice Evans ● 3323d

So we don't build places to live because we may have some future  problems with bins?? What the...?! It needs to be managed properly but that's not a reason not to do it. Insist on enough bin cupboards, insist on underground parking, insist the site is properly managed long term, ideally by the tenants as a cooperative. Try and be constructive if you have a problem or you'll just sound like an old fuddy duddy moaning about anything and everything that changes.

Tony Mansell ● 3323d

When residents oppose a building its mostly because of the eventual problems that accompany it, these problems are never dealt with once the building is up  so they try to stop the actual build.

Janice Evans ● 3323d

Exactly Kim, there were always blocks of flats in Osborne Road and Bollo Lane after the war, must they they were rather nice inside, but the lifts were a different story and would ask the people who design these buildings to add some loos to the ground floor for visitors and the residents who seem unable to wait until they reach their flat.

Janice Evans ● 3323d

And school places and surgeries. Most existing residents don't have a problem with new homes but with the lack of planning for the needs of communities and the subsequent stress imposed on the existing infrastructure.

Kim Rugg ● 3323d

It's not always just the building Tony its what arrives with it like the overflowing rubbish and the extra parking, the actual building don't look as unsightly as others and if they get the refuge sorted and adequate parking people wouldn't complain.

Janice Evans ● 3323d

Its an ongoing theme Gary. Im alright jack and oh don't spoil my view...Of er the sky a mile away in the case of the tall building in Brentford...complainants all from Chiswick of course. Its not unique to round here though, theres Nimby's everywhere saying im not a Nimby but this is too much. YAWN - go live in A Suffolk village if you don't like change. London doesn't stop for you.

Tony Mansell ● 3324d

Sorry i thought the previous post was referring to another development at the end of churchfield road (park end) and not the oaks work that is currently being done now.

Nathan Macrides ● 3329d

Good for pocket homes, the current space is a dump, and I bet most who protest on here are home owners themselves.

Gary Sinclair ● 3329d

Nathan, you haven't missed the Oaks debacle?It's a nine storey horror to be built on Churchfield Road by the churchyard - work has started. Completely out of scale with the rest of the road and with very little regard given to the impact on local residents, traffic and amenities - none of which is good.Local protest was supposed to be bought off by the promise of a Waitress - which naturally enough was withdrawn fairly soon after planning permission was granted (as the campaigners against said it would be)Now there is supposed to be a Lidl and an M&S Simply food on the ground floor.It has no other perceptible merit.

Sara Nathan ● 3329d

Young, trendy architects are only doing the bidding of Council officers and councillors who spend too much time discussing regeneration with suits at property development conferences in the South of France (check out MIPIM if you've not heard of it).

Vlod Barchuk ● 3330d

What's the churchfield rd development? Do you have a link?

Nathan Macrides ● 3331d

This is the application that was approved yesterday.https://pam.ealing.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=ODUZYFJM08U00

Paul Webster ● 3331d