Forum Topic

ARK Soane Secondary School former Acton College site

This evening and again on Saturday an open day with the developers who want to create a new 1200 place school, and 100 new homes that will rise 12 stories high.The main entrance will be on Gunnersbury Lane where the entrance to Ealing Acton College currently is. I raised concerns that with the narrow foot paths on Gunnersbury Lane 1000 children entering and exiting is a traffic disaster just waiting to happen, the proximity of two other secondary schools nearby will add to the unsociable behaviour residents endure, and that the scheme is unsympathetic to local conservation. Plans are being submitted before the end of the year, read next week, and with Ealing Council's propensity for ill thought through plans that cast aside local needs for council tax revenues,  this will be on our doorstep in 2019, the current target date. Please visit the exhibition. Everyone there is super enthusiastic but when I explained I live opposite the site even they empathised and understood my concerns. They need to hear your concerns too and also need Ealing to for once listen to Actonians.

Karim Ladak ● 3099d5 Comments

This looks like it's already a done deal.  It's on the Ark website as opening in 2019.

Debbie Carmichael ● 3086d

Acton High is on Gunnersbury Lane and that doesn't cause much of an issue with drop offs although not many kids called 'Hugo and Jemmima' there. Very few parents bring their kids to school once they reach secondary school age so I think you are overstating the problem.

Mark Evans ● 3086d

I think you arebeing a bit narrow minded and self interested. You live in London not the Gobi desert, space is at a premium and  theres a need for another senior school as, in case you hadn't noticed several primary schools have been built or are being built and are full of kids. Where do you think they should go?Yes the car thing needs addressing, there are always selfish people only interested  in themselves and their 'jemima' as you say but you don't not build a school because someone might get in their car. Or is it only ok to drive round Acton if you're not dropping off kids?

Tony Mansell ● 3095d

Hi Xialmo, I'm not disputing needs for additional school places, but I am concerned about the location of the main entrance to the school on Gunnersbury Lane. The pavement on this part of the road is quite restricted and no where near as wide as the pavement by Acton High or Twyford. There is a bend in the road and cars, buses, and lorries frequently hurtle by. 1200 children will exit and enter the school from here and are bound to spill onto the road. To give you some perspective if someone passes by with a buggy you need to step aside.ARK assure me that they discourage children being dropped off in cars but cannot realistically stop this. Gunnersbury Lane is a busy A road and since the new traffic scheme in Acton even busier. Parents travelling from Chiswick or even the Poets corner targeted catchments will no doubt want to drop Hugo and Jemmima to school.

Karim Ladak ● 3096d

Currently Acton lacks choice of a good school.Twyford, although a great school cannot be described as a local one. It's admission policy excludes a significant number of the local population.Acton high on the other hand is just not fit for purpose. Although I understand your concerns I think the educational needs of children should be paramount.

Xalimo Afrah ● 3097d