Dear Stop The Towers,
I have been unequivocal about my opposition to the Towers and am a signed-up member to the Stop The Towers movement in addition to attending evening meetings on the subject.
The Labour Council is, in my view, completely out of touch with local feeling and the plans are completely unsuitable.
I am amazed that the two developers have been given any encouragement whatsoever for what seems such gross over-development.
At the heart of the Council’s defence seems to be a reliance on the ‘draft’ London plan that Sadiq Khan, Labour’s London Mayor, is promoting on the basis it takes away the traditional density measures. These measures are there for a reason – to prevent gross, over-development.
Yet, the local Labour council are using this as a means to defend this type of development and have recently voted through some other gross over-development sites in Friary Park, W3. These plans include one tower of 22 stories and one of 24 stories, a destruction of Ealing’s skyline and a very negative precedent for the Borough.
I will be using all the leverage I can at national level to ensure Ealing only has suitable development. Our mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, recently visited West Ealing and made clear to residents that the Conservative policy is to encourage build on the outer edges of London, on periphery development sites.
It’s not what developers want to hear as they want to build to achieve more £ per sq ft for their finished product in sought-after areas like Ealing.
It is, though, the most coherent strategy to protect the quality of Ealing and the quality of life for current and future residents.
I can assure all those behind the Stop The Tower movement that Conservative MPs, councillors and candidates in the region will absolutely hold the Labour Council to account. If the Council does not uphold the integrity of the planning process for such monstrous proposed developments we will not hesitate to call their decisions in for questioning to The Secretary of State.
I, like all Conservative candidates running locally, are completely against this type of over-development and you can all be assured we will do all we can to promote sustainable and appropriate development in the Borough of Ealing.
With best wishes,
JULIAN GALLANT
Conservative Candidate Ealing Central and Acton 2019