| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Whose quote this is about 'Around Ealing' | |
| Posted by: | Darren Barber | |
| Date/Time: | 14/04/09 14:35:00 |
| thanks Tony, I suppose the problem with my post is the unanswered question it poses. what started the decline of ABC1 investment in Ealing? Immigration, which I am assuming you are alluding to with the "racist bigots" tag, would not in itself create the decline if the ABC1 investment remained intact. Does anyone in the council read this? Do they have a view on which of the factors triggered the decline of Ealing town centre (does the council even recognise the decline?): 1. Immigration causing a change in environment leading to a change in resident behaviour? Not racist, just people moving to environments they are comfortable with. 2. Retail costs rising to an unacceptable level (rent, rates)? Greedy landlords? 3. Competition from Westfield or Kingston due to infrastructure investment far outstripping that provided for Ealing retailers. 4. The proposed new leaf development creating uncertainty for retailers to invest in existing retail outlets? I'd hope someone in the council monitors these changes with a view to positive action, rather than just allowing a spiral of decline. I'd like to add one more personal view, which is that Ealing will not survive as a pleasant environment while it serves as the gateway to the M4 and M40 for west London. Whoever decided the north circular should run that close to Ealing should be shot. It is idiocy to try and run the same volume of traffic being carried by 3 lanes near Brent Cross on only one lane through Ealing Common. Who thought that would ever work!?!? Ealing is very much in danger of becoming nothing more than a polluted, concrete reinforced service station attached to the side of busier and busier roads. The North Circ, A4 (Great West Rd), Uxbridge Road etc. Chiswick roundabout is so gridlocked these days, and backs up to the common, it won't be long till the common is destroyed to make way for better roads to carry more lorries and cars driving straight over Ealing, which is basically in the way. I suppose traffic could be another reason residents stopped using Ealing town centre. 10 years ago, I loved the green spaces of Ealing, now it is becoming a functional machine, with the council providing the operations of pushing cars through it, watching shops close, picking up litter (better than ever), effectively residing over a slow decline. When was the last time you remember someone REALLY investing properly in something to benefit Ealing's community or environment? |