Growing Anger as Ealing Broadway Forecourt Delays Continue
Work was supposed to be complete last year but will not finish until July
Peter King by unfinished work near Ealing Broadway station. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
May 24, 2023
Delays to building work at Ealing Broadway train station has faced harsh criticism from residents who have accused the Ealing Council of “wasting” taxpayers’ money. Frustrated resident Peter King has expressed his displeasure at the long-term work taking place on the forecourt of Ealing Broadway station – as well as other measures to improve the road and pavements which he says has been delayed by an “incompetent” council.
The work is part of Crossrail’s complementary measures which are funded by Transport for London. In 2015, Ealing Council was given £7.3 million to renovate and improve areas around five Elizabeth line stations: Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, Hanwell, Southall and West Ealing.
The money represented close to one-quarter of the total £28.5million pot made available for station improvements in London. However, the length of building works, which has caused some sections around Ealing Broadway to be hard to traverse, has infuriated residents like Mr King.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said, “It all started probably late last summer when Ealing Council put up signs around Haven Green saying there would be works going on there to improve the highway and that they were due to finish in December, but we are in May now and they are still not finished.”
“Given this is Ealing Council and Transport for London, who together are a shambles, I’m not really surprised but I’m a bit annoyed that as a council taxpayer. I’m paying money for Ealing Council to be inefficient,” he said.
The work which can be seen in planning documents on the council website shows several improvements to the area surrounding Ealing Broadway. This includes resurfacing the road outside the front of the station, an extension of the forecourt and reallocation of the bus stop, widening of the pavement that runs along either side of The Broadway, instalment of loading and drop off bays, the reconstruction of a pedestrian island towards the end of The Broadway and other additions.
The council denied back in 2021 that it was deprived of funds for the project by TfL after Boris Johnson’s then transport advisor, Andrew Gilligan, was angered by the decision to scrap most of the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in the borough.
However, the council has admitted there have been delays to the work more recently, which it now says is set to finish in July 2023. One of the reasons it gave for the extended work schedule is the lack of coordination between the council and utility companies.
Mr King says work on Haven Green has been disruptive and has meant that many who live in the area have been prevented from using the green space to its fullest extent due to parts being fenced off.
Parts of Haven Green have been fenced of for an extended period. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
In a letter to the Leader of Ealing Council Peter Mason, he wrote, “I am writing as a resident of Ealing who is concerned that the works, supposedly ending in December, are still ongoing, four and a half months later. Having seen the yellow sign in Haven Green that stated that works jointly run by Ealing council and TfL would finish in December last year, I was filled with dread.”
The infuriated resident says that due to the “gridlock” in the area around Ealing Broadway, he is inclined to avoid the spot when he’s driving.
Haven Green alongside The Broadway has seen a lot of activity to improve the area’s infrastructure over the past year, with work recently beginning on a cycle path on the other side of the green on Gordon Road.
A spokesperson for Ealing Council said, “The delays to the Crossrail project have unfortunately impacted on the best efforts of the council to reduce inconvenience for local residents and businesses by getting the surrounding roads, pavements and public realm completed.
“These are complex operations with multiple contingencies, as where possible the council also tries to coordinate with utility companies, which have their own programmes of work that the council has little control over.”
Rory Bennett - Local Democracy Reporter