Forum Topic

What should the new council's priorities be in Acton?

What would be your fantasy list of the top 5 areas that our shiny new councillors should be focussing on in Acton? Here are my ideas:1 - Better town planning (no more chicken shops and bookmakers please!)2 - Continued regeneration of the South Acton Estate3 - Utilising empty properties (putting pressure on landlords to open up some of the derelict shop fronts for community projects and penalising the owners of long-term empty buildings to prevent squatting)4 - Closer police monitoring of the market place and Woodlands park (including stricter enforcement of the controlled drinking zones and a clampdown on dealers)5 - Looking at how some Local Authority managed resources (Gunnersbury Park?) could be better managed by non-profit organisations or social enterprises.What would your priorities be?

Matthew Coulam ● 5973d19 Comments

1.Town Hall plan - don't just ditch it now.2. Keep up pressure and service levels on grafitti/cleaner streets/rubbish/recyclng3. Licensing of gambling and drinking establishments4. Street drinkers and other anti-social behaviour.

Sara Nathan ● 5973d

More Police with a severe, zero tolerence, crackdown on crime, particularly knife crime - backed up by a similarly motivated Judiciary.Because if yer dead, everything else pales into insignificance really ..........................

Rosco White ● 5973d

I hate to depress everyone but the next priority for Ealing Council is going to be cuts.Oh .... and defending Crossrail ....

Richard Grange ● 5973d

Good topic Matthew! I agree with your points but would also like to add a few more:GRAFITTI - everywhere I look. Let's hope positive action is taken to deal with this and put a stop to it once and for all. A £20 fine is not going to make a lot of difference. I don't know the answer but the vandals are laughing at the law!EMPTY HOMES - I totally agree with you Matthew, it encourages squatters, increases antisocial behaviour and blights the area. Boarded up properties seem to attract squatters, I wish the owners would DO somethng with these homes, let them out, pay a caretaker or let him live rent free so long as the place is cared for. Surely better than leaving it to deteriorate? Empty shops are another eyesore, surely the shops should be used for something, or at least maintain them!More Police on the streets to make people feel safer, not rushng about in cars or in the station doing paperwork.Do something with that ugly green box thing outside St Mary's Church. What an eyesore, it should never have been put there in the first place. It spoils the view entirely.Yes I am aware that it is used to store matket stalls etc but it is so awful to look at!Also I wonder when the Tram Depot will be developed, that has grafitti on the side wall for some time now. The grafitti team cleared it on numerous occasions but have probably given up now!Church Street, more improvement needed. Too many empty shops there and I think the same goes for Crown Street.Springfield Gardens, no refreshments available for users of the park. Some enterprising person with a vehicle offering refreshments might be an idea. Of course it would be up to the council to approve.I also hope the street cleaning and grafitti removal standards are maintained.Shops should not be permitted to dump their rubbish on the pavements.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5973d

Having recyling bins in housing association and local authority blocks of flats

Alice Jones ● 5973d

I hope the new Councillors are reading this.  Vlod Barchuk and Seemar Kumar did (Acton Central Tory Councillors).1.  Zero tolerance on street drinking, knife crime, drug dealing (rife) - I agree with Rosco (again!) and more Police out and about.2.  Better town planning (as Matthew says, no more bookmakers, drinking outlets, chicken shops, pound shops, etc) with a serious look at how to attract retailers to empty shops (huge reduction in the commercial fees they have to pay?)3.  Serious reform on alcohol sales (not sure this is borough lead but govt policy?  Either way someone needs to sober up.)4.  Replace our dangerous and sunken tarmac pavements with proper paving stones (this was muttered by the Council but never materialised for us).5.  CCTV in place in key streets like Crown Street, Churchfield Road, etc, as a permanent feature to deter all crime, from graffiti, littering, drug dealing, muggings, etc.I expect the graffiti and fly-tipping removal service that the Conservative Council put in place to remain because it works, is essential and has made a difference to our borough.  Anyone who dares remove this service is a buffoon.I could go on and on and probably will to the new Councillors, poor loves.

Angela White ● 5973d

I hope the new Councillors are reading this.  Vlod Barchuk and Seemar Kumar did (Acton Central Tory Councillors).1.  Zero tolerance on street drinking, knife crime, drug dealing (rife) - I agree with Rosco (again!) and more Police out and about.2.  Better town planning (as Matthew says, no more bookmakers, drinking outlets, chicken shops, pound shops, etc) with a serious look at how to attract retailers to empty shops (huge reduction in the commercial fees they have to pay?)3.  Serious reform on alcohol sales (not sure this is borough led but govt policy?  Either way someone needs to sober up.)4.  Replace our dangerous and sunken tarmac pavements with proper paving stones (this was muttered by the Council but never materialised for us).5.  CCTV in place in key streets like Crown Street, Churchfield Road, etc, as a permanent feature to deter all crime, from graffiti, littering, drug dealing, muggings, etc.I expect the graffiti and fly-tipping removal service that the Conservative Council put in place to remain because it works, is essential and has made a difference to our borough.  Anyone who dares remove this service is a buffoon.I could go on and on and probably will to the new Councillors, poor loves.

Angela White ● 5973d

Anyone have the new Councillors email addresses yet?

Angela White ● 5973d

Angela, I welcome your concerns but the LA is very limited in what it can do over planning law as to betting shops, fast food outlets, pound shops and alcohol sales. This is because of legislation from previous governments (I was going to blame the tories for betting shops but not 100% sure)As to empty shops, commercial rents are what they are, The council may be able to do deals on business rates but these are set by central Govt.Policing? limited council input unless they 'buy in' more resources as LBHF did for a time. Boris is cutting overall police numbers and I doubt the new Con-Dem administration will be splashing the cash.As for the rest I agree with you, but the reality is that LA's have little power over a lot of what we think important. Where we as residents have power is to make sure that their few resources are directed in areas we think important and are efficiently delivered, so carry on complaining and complimenting as appropriate. I did not buy the 'Big Society' but do believe in 'Active citizenship' keep going!

Iain Muir ● 5973d

Iain, don't you worry, we certainly will keep on complasining, or complimenting (as the case may be). We also care passionately about this area and will continue to make sure that when things go well we will say thank you but when things go badly we will speak up!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5973d

The Town Hall PlanNo doubt the new Labour Council will be taking a look at this project and take possibly different view.Can any of those on the 'resident committee' who were involved in the visits to other sites, have a view on the scheme from Labour Councillors?

Dee Cook ● 5973d

Iain you're right.....got carried away and it was late (plus had a stinking cold, excuses galore!)More focused now (and one of our Acton Central Councillors has been in touch with me already to introduce himself!), so here goes:1.  an end to the tarmac pavements some of our streets seem to have to live with2.  step up the checks on commercial outlets to make sure they have commercial waste licenses and if not, prosecute3.  step up envirocrime monitoring re fly-tipping and refuse management and fine offenders4.  Acton Park.....investment in the area outside the cafe, fencing it off, providing park benches and tables and making it free from dogs so that children can roam free, invest in another child play area which includes a sand pit and/or shallow paddling pool a la Ravenscourt Park, designating a large doggie area where dogs can be let loose (owners to clean up after of course, providing a "picnic area" with benches and tables on the opposite side of the park to the cafe.

Angela White ● 5972d

We have already contacted a Labour councillor to see what is going on - but I am not aware of any response yet.On betting shops - definitely recent changes...the legislation came in about four or five years ago.

Sara Nathan ● 5972d

The biggest obstacle to licensing has been Labour’s introduction of 24 hour opening hours, which puts the onus on local authority licensing committees to give reasons for refusing applications. The recently deceased Tory council used legislation to put a presumption against further alcohol licenses in Acton town centre, which is rather shutting the door after the horse has bolted but that's the best one can do. But licensing laws did not allow us even to levy extra fees for premises who stayed open until the wee small hours.

Vlod Barchuk ● 5972d

Lest anyone’s forgotten the leaflets distributed during the campaign here are the 5 ‘pledges’ Labour made.1. Action on crime with more uniformed officers in your area and CCTV in crime hotspots.2. A 24 hour hit squad of grimebusters to tackle litter, graffiti and dumped rubbish.3. Keep council tax low with a freeze in the first year. 4. A new partnership with business and housing associations to create jobs and build 3,000 new affordable homes.5. Invest in our local schools to improve standards and build quality new schools to give parents better choices.1 is not very specific; 1,2, 4 and 5 will cost money and take some squaring with 3.There were also 5 specific pledges on crime:1. A shift in priorities for CCTV away from parking enforcement and towards combating crime.2. Better street lighting on roads near busy public transport stops and stations to ensure people can feel safe walking home safe late at night. 3. Proper funding for community groups who work to combat domestic violence.4. Tackle chaotic families who wreck our local communities through family intervention projects to bring peace and quiet back to our streets.5. Transform Youth Clubs and invest in young people to get them off and into sport, social and creative activities, and give them the skills for the future.Re 1, Interesting to see which cameras are taken away from parking enforcement (the vans that visit Friary Rd or schools at opening and closing time? bus lanes – how long before motorists work that out?)2-5 are all nice but vague.

Vlod Barchuk ● 5972d

I like the crime four and five - but they require both commitment and investment and are hard work - also the lead time is quite long - so you have to have the schemes up and running for some years before you see a result in less youth crime and anti-social behaviour.In the meantime we spend over £100,000 a year to keep a boy in a young offenders' institution and over £200,000 for a year in a secure childrens' home - and 75% re-offend within a year of release. Total waste of money.Off to my second YOI in a week next Thursday!

Sara Nathan ● 5972d

I'd like to see more detail on the list that Vlod's given as it's a bit loose on specifics.  Why not use the monies captured from illegally parked cars/vans/lorries/bus lane misuse to finance the CCTV units needed to reduce crime?  Surely there's enough money coming in from fines, or could be?  Or vice versa.I'd like to add to my wish list for Acton:  investment by the new Council to work in partnership with estate/letting agents and landlords to ensure HMOs (houses in multiple occupancy) are correctly identified  and that landlords are held responsible for the state of their properties, the damage sometimes done by their tenants to the local area, which will include noise pollution, refuse and fly-tipping violations.  No more absent or invisible landlords.The PM used the word "responsibility" many times in his first speech as PM.  I think he could have also used the word "accountability".  I think if we were all made to take responsibility and be accountable, this country would be fantastic.  If we could make landlords more accountable and responsible in Acton, it would be a better place.

Angela White ● 5972d

.. don't forget, many of the offending landlords are Housing Associations - I can name two houses run by Housing Assocations whose frontages are a disgrace.

Dee Cook ● 5972d

.. don't forget, many of the offending landlords are Housing Associations - I can name two houses run by Housing Assocations whose frontages are a disgrace.

Dee Cook ● 5972d