Stop the Towers cautiously welcomes the change of policy for local development, announced on Thursday 20th May by Peter Mason, the new leader of Ealing Council.
Stop the Towers has been actively talking with Peter for the past year and are pleased that the views of the thousands of local residents we represent are beginning to be heard.
As immediate evidence of this change of policy, we’re calling on Ealing Council as co-developer of the controversial Perceval House scheme to now unilaterally withdraw this from the planning process and confirm that the current scheme will not proceed.
This would be concrete evidence of a change of policy.
Stop the Towers will continue to campaign for appropriate, sustainable developments across Ealing. And will continue to hold the current council administration to account for its planning policies and decisions.
Announcement from Ealing Council:
Ealing Council’s new leader, Councillor Peter Mason, today (Thursday, 20 May) announced a new approach to development that will put community led development in the driving seat of regeneration.
This approach will ask more of developers, focusing on bringing back good jobs and employment for local people, re-greening neighbourhoods and maintaining genuinely affordable homes as the priority for any developer looking to build in Ealing.
As one of his first actions to reset the relationship with developers, Councillor Mason has written to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, asking him to work with Ealing to produce a new vision for the development of Southall, revoking the Opportunity Area Framework.
Councillor Mason said: “COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work forever. We’ve spent more time in our local areas than ever before; more of us are working from home and lots of us either want to keep it that way or to work more locally and flexibly. People are feeling more invested in the future of their neighbourhoods than ever before.
“Many people don’t feel in control of the areas they live in, and I want to change that. From now on, communities will be in the driving seat when it comes to regeneration in Ealing. Local communities need to lead the process of changing our borough, not developers.
“I want to ensure that local people know their council is on their side and to build an open, transparent and inclusive culture. That’s why I’m announcing steps to make interactions with developers more transparent.”
Extra measures announced, to be put in place by the new administration to make the council more open, transparent and inclusive, include:
- An immediate review of council policy on tall buildings, setting out where tall buildings are inappropriate in the borough
- Implementing town development plans, created with communities, setting out the vision and infrastructure needs of the borough’s seven towns
- Cease using the Ealing in London inward investment brand; encouraging green development and sustainable jobs and investment instead
- A publicly accessible register of any meetings between developers and councillors
- No Ealing councillor attendance at the MIPIM conference in France.
Cllr Shital Manro, cabinet member for good growth, said: “We have a long and proud history of industry and creativity in Ealing, and our borough should be a place where people can live and work in good, well-paying jobs. Space for jobs and employment will be at the heart of our new approach to regeneration.
“We look forward to starting a conversation with local people about what they want to see happen in their communities, and how we can shape the future of Ealing together.”