Council Seeks Views on New Live West Ealing Proposals
Part of £8.6 million scheme aiming to make area safer and healthier
Leeland Terrace to be made one way by Dean Gardens. Picture: Ealing Council
February 29, 2024
Ealing Council is currently holding a consultation about, Live West Ealing (LWE) , a programme of changes to streets in the West Ealing area.
They are part of the £8.6million West Ealing Liveable Neighbourhood scheme funded by Transport for London (TfL) which was originally proposed before the pandemic and previously consulted on in 2018 and 2019.
The council says the current plans have been shaped by earlier feedback from the local community and they aim to help make streets more attractive, healthy and safe. Details of the proposals can be seen here.
The changes will be centred around Broadway and adjacent streets and include making roads one way to allow for more contraflow cycle lanes, build outs of pavements to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians, continuous footways across side road junctions, new and improved crossings over Broadway and raised tables. The proposals also include more public art, seating, better lighting and trees and greening including Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS) to reduce flood risk.
There would be a new crossing on Broadway in line with St James’ Avenue and other crossings would be relocated closer to side roads with raised tables at side junctions. There would be no parking and loading on Broadway with loading taking place on side streets.
Visualisation of new look for Green Man Passage. Picture: Ealing Council
At Lido Junction advance stop lines would be introduced for cyclists with an early release signal for cyclists at the western and eastern arms of the junctions. The footway would be built out and the island at the southwest corner would be removed.
Dean Gardens was originally part of the scheme but the current plan only includes improvements to the cycle lane through it with a 3 metre wide shared use path to be installed connecting with Leeland Terrace and a new entrance. Leeland Terrace would be made one way southbound with formalised inset parking and market pitches. There would be a contraflow cycle lane on the south side of the road. There would be a reduction of three parking spaces with the remaining eleven to be made ‘Stop and Shop Plus’ (30 minutes free and 2 hours paid. A new access point to Sainsbury’s would be provided with a raised table at the junction.
Singapore Road would be made one way westbound with a segregated eastbound cycle lane on the north side. This would result in a reduction of 24 parking spaces with wider footways. 20 remaining parking bays would be converted to Stop and Shop.
A reorientation of Witham Road Car Park is proposed with a reduction of the number of parking spaces by 5 and a new public space to the south. Green Man passage would be resurfaced and gain improved lighting, greenery and artwork as would the path to the railway bridge by Manor Road. A new green area by Jacob’s Ladder would be added reducing parking spaces by two.
On St James’ Avenue the supermarket car park entrance would be located to the southern end and the road would be pedestrianised between Canberra Road and Leeland Terrace.
Public art would be placed on the undercroft by West Ealing Library and at other locations on Melbourne Avenue.
Walsingham Road would be converted to one way southbound with raised tables and continuous footways at junctions. Bedford Road would have a contraflow cycle lane leading south to Broadway.
There has been a mixed response to these proposals with local resident groups accusing the council of being slow to share them. 150 residents met to discuss issues in the area in a meeting organised by West Ealing Neighbours (WEN) on 15 February but council officers only briefly referred to the Live West Ealing plan yet two days later leaflets were being distributed about the scheme.
Eric Leach of WEN said, “Although WEN were consulted on the pre-Covid LWE proposals, these new proposals are significantly different. The fact that LWE did not consult with WEN in formulating these plans is disgraceful. WEN is 20 years old and the only pan-W13 residents’ group.”
He raised concerns about the impact of the loss of parking space and new loading restrictions on local businesses and said no parking restrictions on Broadway would only work if there was proper enforcement.
He described the plans as a waste of money and suggested they were drawn up by ‘the cycle lobby’ but urged residents to take their time in answering the 65 questions in the survey.
He added, “If £8.6 million is available to improve West Ealing, my priority would be the regular maintenance of the public realm and transport infrastructure already in place. My next priority would be a new bridge, lifts, secure lighting and CCTV for Jacob’s Ladder. Next I’d allocate funds to mend pavements and provide many benches on roads radiating out of W13 centre. If the elderly are being encouraged to walk, provide adequate public seating for short rest periods.”
WEN says the area has other problems that need higher priority
An engagement event has already been held at West Ealing Library and another one is taking place on Saturday 16 March at the same venue from 11am to 2pm. If you have additional accessibility needs and are interested in attending an accessibility workshop on Monday 4 March, email livewestealing@ealing.gov.uk for more information. Council staff will also be handing out flyers and running pop-up stalls around the area over the next 5 weeks. There is also a postbox with comment cards in West Ealing Library, along with some paper copies of the survey. The council will also be aiming to engage with students at local primary schools and directly with businesses. The deadline to reply to the survey on the proposals is 31 March.
Once the consultation exercise is complete, Ealing Council will present final plans to TfL to allow the available funding to be drawn down.
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