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NEWS RELEASES
For immediate release

PR 5.02 -4 December 2007

SEC demands less spin and more substance

Following the public meeting organised by Save Ealing’s Centre (SEC), where over 350 people attended and heard presentations by SEC and Sean O’Gorman from Glenkerrin, Nick Woolven, Chairman of SEC said,

“The recent public meeting in Ealing Town Hall called to discuss Glenkerrin’s ‘Leaf Development’ is proof enough that Ealing residents see through the sizzle and spin that Glenkerrin are peddling.”

“Yes, Ealing needs regeneration and development, but under the covers this proposal will not give Ealing anything it really needs for the next generation to inherit, save a dense overdeveloped centre dominated by a wholly inappropriate mega-block.

“Glenkerrin clearly fancy themselves as doing the Council's job, announcing their role as ‘leading the strategic redevelopment in Ealing’. Whoever heard of a commercial organisation adopting such a philanthropic approach?

“Glenkerrin are evidently now wriggling to overcome the serious criticisms levelled at them by CABE - hoping to brush the residents (who are the major stakeholders) to one side. This is profiteering at the expense of the public realm.

“SEC and its advisors consider the application by Glenkerrin is seriously premature bearing in mind not only the CABE report findings but also the need to take into account the Tibbalds’ report, which we understand to be imminent. This should help the Council overcome its lack of a current Town Centre development strategy, its policy for tall buildings, its integrated policy for transportation and its policy for appropriate levels of affordable housing.

“All these policies need to be in place before any decision can be even considered and I would urge all residents to write to the Council before the 14th December to make their views clear. Ealing deserves better!”

ENDS

PR 4.02/ 20 November 2007

Chronic or Iconic — Town Planning or Town Cramming?
SEC Calls PUBLIC MEETING on 27th November

A public meeting has been called by Save Ealing’s Centre, SEC, – the alliance representing over 20 local residents’ associations – on Tuesday 27 November at 8pm in Ealing Town Hall to debate with developers Glenkerrin, their detailed proposals for the redevelopment of Ealing’s town centre.

Topics to be covered will include:

Schooling
Health Facilities
Public Transport
Traffic and Parking
Shopping and Leisure
Impact on Conservation Areas
Size and Scale of Development 

Nick Woolven, chairman of SEC, said: “I need to make it clear that Save Ealing’s Centre are not saying the late-80s Arcadia Centre should be saved – it is woefully inadequate and unattractive for a town centre like ours. Nor do we oppose Fosters as a firm. It is just that the package on offer is ill-thought-out – a view amply endorsed by the recent CABE report.

“The architects Foster + Partners are capable of world-class architecture, but this design proposal (by Foster and two other firms of architects) has been ‘parachuted’ into the site, with no feeling for the town centre at all.

“There seems to be little tangible community benefit in the proposals, negligible apparent attempt to improve transport links, particularly to Ealing Broadway station – now that Crossrail has the go ahead. There is no adequate suggestion of how the 4.2-acre site will be serviced for deliveries and rubbish. It is a fatal attack on the common land of Haven Green.

“Until they own the whole site and have sorted out the track issues with Railtrack, their proposals are totally premature and could lead to the site being sterilised or being built piecemeal.

“Ealing deserves fine new architecture – which Fosters could produce – but it does not need such a mega tower, or the design thinking and the three other towers that go with it. Ealing should not be the place where architects and developers pursue their macho dreams of towers. We are also worried that Glenkerrin presumptuously say they want to “transform” the “Queen of the Suburbs”, when careful and thought-through regeneration is what is needed.

“Next week’s public meeting is a chance for all Ealing residents to come and voice their opinions directly to Glenkerrin, who will hopefully begin to understand our concerns, in an effort to produce the best for Ealing, as there are no second chances with a development of this size, scope and magnitude.”

ENDS

PR 3.02/ 13 November 2007 

FINDINGS IN CABE REPORT ADD WEIGHT TO EALING RESIDENTS’ CALL FOR A “FUNDAMENTAL RETHINK”
OVER ARCADIA DEVELOPMENT

Anxious residents and members of the Save Ealing’s Centre Alliance (SEC), saw their concerns about the controversial Arcadia redevelopment confirmed in a report published, last week, by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). Issues that have been raising alarm among the SEC’s 20 residents’ associations were highlighted in the new review, adding weight to SEC’s call for Ealing Council to seriously review the planning application as being overdevelopment and wholly inappropriate in the centre of Ealing’s conservation areas.

SEC’s concerns that the scale and design of the site are not in keeping with the rest of Ealing are mirrored by CABE’s comments on urban design and the principle of the tall buildings included in the proposals. CABE states: “We are not yet convinced that their impact has been assessed in relation to the broader townscape. If constructed, a tall building in this location would be a radical departure from the predominantly suburban character of Ealing.”

Also reflecting SEC’s concerns that there does not seem to be any joined up thinking about the overall scheme, how it fits into other plans for Ealing or how it will affect the existing infrastructure, the report continues, “We are aware that Ealing is a town on the verge of significant development pressure but there seems to be no vision in place for the nature of this transformation.” The report goes on to say “we are not yet convinced that the scheme works together as a whole ... thinking needs to be applied to the whole project as a totality and until then we would not be able to give the scheme our support.”

SEC is also alarmed at Ealing Council’s lack of a tall buildings policy, something that the report warns about if Ealing is to avoid being transformed into an area full of high rise properties in the future, “Development of the nature of this scheme may set a precedent for further developments of similar intensity and height in the area. We urge the local authority to develop a tall buildings policy now, which should include ‘mid height’ blocks as these have every bit as much impact as individual towers, to ensure that developments of this scale conform to a specific vision for the future of Ealing rather than driving the agenda.”

Believing that the existing plans represent town cramming rather than town planning, the SEC’s views are also supported by CABE’s notes on the dense residential aspects of the plans, “We sense that an approach that creates separate buildings, rather than a single mega block and that possibly re-distributes some of the development could be more successful. Overall, in our view, this area of the scheme is demonstrably struggling to accommodate this quantum of development at a satisfactory quality of internal and external spaces and requires a fundamental rethink.”

The report goes on to highlight the inferior design of the smaller tower blocks, which have been produced by a different team of architects. “Our main reservation about the urban design of this scheme relates to the three finger blocks to the northern part of the site, bridging over the railway line. …The relationship between the three rising fingers and the tall tower is uncomfortable; there is no logic to their individual heights and it is disappointing that their design has not been reconfigured to work more convincingly with the tower.”

Also echoing the SEC’s observations about inadequate parking facilities and the extra volume of visitors to the site, the report observes, “Balancing the requirements of vehicles and pedestrians will be an interesting challenge in the detailed design of this space.”

Welcoming the comments, Nick Woolven, Chairman of the SEC, said “We are urging Ealing Council to take CABE’s report on board. We agree with CABE that a “fundamental rethink” is required to deliver a more balanced quality of buildings on the site, with more thought given to transport problems and with a design more sympathetic to the character of Ealing. We are in favour of regeneration but we want to ensure that we get what’s right for Ealing. In the view of the residents we represent, that is not what the current plans offer.”

ENDS

PR 2.03f – 30th October 2007

Save Ealing’s Centre – “Only the best will do”
The Alliance grows and starts to fight the current proposals

Save Ealing’s Centre has now grown to more than 20 Community Groups. SEC firmly supports the regeneration of Ealing Town Centre, but the proposals submitted by Glenkerrin are not what Ealing needs. The process of lobbying has now begun, against the deadline of 14th December for responses to Ealing Council Planning Department.

SEC is adopting the strap line “Only the best will do” in order to ensure that everyone understands the Alliance’s stance. Already there is considerable hype in public, but with little factual information. SEC has had a team of local people with relevant professional experience pore over the Glenkerrin plans to establish the facts and how, in particular, the planning application responds to the Council’s original UDP brief. SEC will shortly be circulating a guidance paper to all local residents to explain the facts and to encourage them to respond to Council’s Notification of Planning letter dated 3rd October. In parallel SEC will be launching its new website to allow greater opportunity for informed debate.

Nick Woolven, SEC Chairman, said: “The Planning Application is a portfolio of massive documents and has been difficult for the public to access, particularly at weekends, though the Council are trying to improve this situation. It has taken our team days to study and assess it thoroughly. Our work has uncovered a number of serious planning issues. We now need to explain all this to our local residents so that they can engage with the planning process, which is highly formal and structured.”

“This is not regeneration; it is simply overdevelopment creating a high density, high cost residential enclave with a fitness centre and some new aspirational retail outlets on the side. Where are all the new facilities that are being trumpeted? This is a disproportionate plan that will destroy Ealing’s heart.”

ENDS

 PR 1.05 27 October 07

Save Ealing’s Centre – New Alliance formed to fight proposals

In response to the development proposals submitted by Glenkerrin UK for the rebuilding of a key part of central Ealing — the 1.7 hectare (4.2 acres) site currently occupied by the Arcadia shopping centre and neighbouring land between Ealing Broadway and Haven Green — community groups have formed a new alliance “Save Ealing’s Centre”. SEC will provide a focus and lobby for those who agree that a redevelopment on this scale will destroy the heart of Ealing and put nothing suitable back in its place.

SEC firmly agrees that Ealing Town Centre needs redevelopment and that it deserves fine new architecture. However, a development of this size, involving 704 new apartments, additional office space and retail capacity, spread over four massive blocks, including The Leaf, cannot be sustained within the current or planned future local infrastructure (particularly schools, health services, transport access and neighbourhood spaces). It offers nothing tangible to the community and is totally out of keeping with the long established architectural nature of Ealing.

“Ealing needs redevelopment, but what Glenkerrin are proposing is overdevelopment, way beyond the planning brief set out by Ealing Council”, said Nick Woolven, Chairman SEC. “Ealing is not the place for developers and architects, however famous, to pursue iconic dreams — this is not the right solution to Ealing’s needs. We have positive suggestions that should achieve a solution that meets all stakeholder needs.”

“We welcome all those who oppose this disproportionate plan that will destroy Ealing’s heart. Over 20 residents’ associations have already committed their support and the launch of the website will enable all individuals to give their views on Ealing’s needs.”

ENDS