Forum Topic

Oaks

have jst read this on FRONT PAGEIs this really what Ealing council thinks we think is coming our way?? 'Waitrose and Much needed homes' High rise and maybe not Waitrose more like it certainly not adverse to getting the standard of the Poor quality oaks shopping centre improved.. pity the plan will not do this! the 'small group has one more fan'.....'' "Ealing Council is disappointed to hear that parties acting on behalf of the Oaks Action Group are seeking a judicial review of the council's decision to grant planning permission for the Oaks development."Before granting planning permission, detailed consideration was given to the potential impact upon local residents and the immediate area. We have every confidence that the planning decision was made properly and are disappointed that a small group of residents are trying to prevent the transformation of the very poor quality Oaks shopping centre into a Waitrose and much needed new homes."

Jane Willingale ● 4523d18 Comments

Julian Bell, Labour leader of Ealing Council and the man personally in charge of regeneration, insists that the Council will sell the Churchfield Road car park it owns to the Oaks developer. Without the Council’s car park the Oaks development cannot proceed. Local Conservatives have opposed the Oaks development from the start. If the Conservatives take control of the Council in May and the car park has not been sold, we will stop the sale until a better development is proposed for the Oaks.All the Labour councillors on the Planning Committee supported it, including East Acton councillor Kate Crawford. All the Conservative councillors voted against it on good planning grounds. The council can stop this scheme today by refusing to sell the car park. Labour is letting down Acton.We want to see development of the Oaks that is sympathetic to its surroundings and is supported by Acton residents. The only chance of stopping Labour’s crazy scheme is to vote for a Conservative council on 22nd May.

Phil Taylor ● 4523d

Phil, stop using this thread as an electioneering platform. Unless the conservatives can guarantee they will stop the sale of the car park, which they can't, these promises are meaningless and just sound like cynical vote-grabbing. If I voted for you or the liberals and then the sale went through anyway, what would your response be?

Anne Brown ● 4523d

yes  phil not  good

John Kennedy ● 4523d

Ann,I don't see why I shouldn't give my point of view.  There is an election coming up.  If now isn't the time for politics when is?  There is no reason why we can't stop the sale if it hasn't gone through.  The Oaks scheme is not some scheme imposed on Acton by developers, it is a joint venture between ARC and the council.  The scheme can only proceed if the council sells the car park.  We have written to ARC to tell them we will not proceed with the sale if we are elected.  The facts of this case are quite clear.  If Julian Bell wants to force through the sale of the car park days before the election I think Acton voters should be aware.  The same Julian Bell reckons that it is a good use of your money to buy a new car park for Southall for £2.5 million.  I guess the capital receipt from Acton's car park will be about the same!

Phil Taylor ● 4523d

A small building has just been demolished on the car park site, next to Hooper's Mews, so it looks rather like another step forward for the developers!

Jean F Fernandez ● 4523d

Yup - the sadly missed Abadan barbers has been reduced to rubble.Its where you could go and have a haircut at a knock-down price with friendly staff and watch Iranian football in the background. They once offered me a half-price on account of my baldness saying I only have "half a head". Bastards.Fortunately - its moved to the shop next to Morrisons.

Richard Grange ● 4522d

We can now be pretty sure that the proposed sale of the car park won't go through as quickly as the current administration would have preferred. If you want something different, then you will get your chance to say so on May 22nd.

Maire Lowe ● 4522d

Stick it to 'em Maire & Phil, for the sake of a more acceptable Oaks!Labour's stance on The Oaks and Hansons Concrete Plant is completely unfathomable to me, do they have a Political Death Wish??!!!

Rosco White ● 4522d

Election flyer from labour ward councillors arrived today - and it says that the Oaks car park has been sold.

Paul Webster ● 4500d

Paul,Yes.  Julian Bell pushed through the transaction 8 days before the election.

Phil Taylor ● 4500d

Was it mentioned here and I missed it?

Paul Webster ● 4500d

Just found it in the hustings thread.

Paul Webster ● 4500d

Last night we had Labour councillors round arguing rather absurdly that the Oaks was the Tories fault (sort-of)  on the basis that Boris hadnt opposed it. They then tried to the claim that because  the sale of the car park has gone through there was nothing anyone could do about it any more so we all might as well vote Labour. The actual position appears to be more subtleThe Judicial Review now appears a serious prospect with proper grounds to believe the decision could be overturned - regardless of the sale of the car parkMost interestingly - a Tory council could still choose not to oppose the judicial review , thus bringing the matter swiftly to an end.Having spoken to a number of local people informally - it is clear that people of all political persuasions are still very cross about the Oaks.And many are ready to use their vote on this issue - even if it means  "holding their noses" when it comes to choosing a party.

Richard Grange ● 4500d

The car park has been sold, so Tory claims that they can halt the Oaks are completely hollow. There is absolutely no point voting Tory because of this planning decision - which had to be approved because it met planning rules, a fact confirmed by the way it was waved through by the London mayor and the government. Acton Central's Labour councillors - who were not in favour of this private sector project -  are determined to hold the Oaks developer to its pledges and to make sure the second phase of the project is more satisfactory than the first. Vote on the big issues tomorrow - Labour's strong record in maintaining council services in the face of Tory cuts - and ignore Tory claims that they would have blocked it if they were in power, something their record in Ealing shows to be pure mischief-making. They didn't block such schemes in the past, they can't block the Oaks now, and they wouldn't block such schemes in the future if we are foolish enough to elect them tomorrow.

Robert John Anderson ● 4500d

Hi Robert,Thank you for categorically proving my point.As I said - the Labour argument seems to be - "You are totally stuffed over the Oaks decision, so you might as well vote Labour again"Er .....Moreover, why, should voters trust Labour to "make sure the second phase of the project is more satisfactory than the first"?, given what it did over the Oaks.I am not personally that interested in different party ideologies. But like most people, I do care when political parties appear to thumb their nose in the face of the people they claim to represent.

Richard Grange ● 4500d

Thanks Richard. Oh and Robert is wrong. Several options remain open should you the voters decide to give us the opportunity.You should remember the the Oaks protest is resident led. Many of you came to the pubic demonstrations and public meetings. All that is happening is that the election is giving you the chance to demand a rethink on the Oaks. We have promised to do everything in our power to do what you ask. Let no one, not even Robert, tell you how to vote.

Maire Lowe ● 4500d

Here is how the neighbouring Tory council in Hammersmith & Fulham is ignoring residents' views about a much much bigger and more destructive development: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2014/may/21/hammersmith-and-fulham-tory-failings-in-one-place?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Robert John Anderson ● 4500d

Hi JohnLooks bad - and I suspect in Hammersmith I would be equally cross about what the council is doing.But that is Hammersmith and this is Acton - and in Acton with have had a lousy building dumped on us by a Labour adminsitration.It is a interesting trend - pointed out recently in the Evening Standard, but obviously not picked up by some local politicians - that in local elections in London, people are increasingly voting on issues of council competence, democractic accountability etc and not along ideological lines.

Richard Grange ● 4500d