Ealing Town Centre Plans To Be Reviewed
New owners British Land to look at ways of ' growing value' from the site
News that a second public inquiry over redevelopment plans for Ealing Town Centre has been cancelled at the last minute has been welcolmed.
The Planning Inspector had been due to start an inquiry into the controversial proposals but informed Save Ealing’s Centre (SEC) on Friday (5th May) that the application had been withdrawn and the inquiry no longer necessary because British Land had now bought the site.
Prospective Parlaimentary Candidate (PPC) for Ealing Central and Acton (ECA), Rupa Huq said, '' I welcome this news and have put my money where my mouth is on this and planning more widely. I put in a strongly worded written objection to this development which went before the planning committee. I’ve written extensively on urban development issues and addressed Ealing Civic Society on it. From my maiden speech onwards I said that I would fight for the preservation of the suburban character of Ealing and in this parliament I have a chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group for London's planning and the built environment.
''There has been a bonfire of planning laws under the Tory government which has led to a relaxation of these developer-led planning applications which take fail to consider the needs of the local community and the character of their environment. If re-elected on June the 8th I will continue to fight for the preservation of the suburban character of Ealing Central and Acton.”
Liberal Democrat PPC for ECA Jon Ball said, '' I am delighted that British Land have withdrawn this wholly inappropriate application. As a councillor, I voted against this scheme. Historic England’s assessment of the scheme’s impact on Central Ealing contained the most damning comments I’ve seen from them on any scheme, and I’ve been on the Planning Committee since 2002.
''Ealing Council's planning system fails miserably when it comes to major schemes. Planning officers are too close to the Council's regeneration function to stand up to major developers and the Labour councillors are too supine to overturn bad officer recommendations in major schemes.
''If elected as the local MP, I would use my position to press British Land to come forward with new proposals that will retain and enhance the Victorian heritage of our town centre rather than destroying it.''
Conservative PPC for ECA, Joy Morrissey said: '' I welcome the fact that the planning application has been withdrawn because that development would have ripped the architectural heart out of Ealing. I hope that when new development plans are brought forward they will respect Ealing's architectural heritage.''
In a statement British Land said they will now '' fully evaluate opportunities to grow value in conjunction with key stakeholders, including Ealing Council.''
10 May 2017
