Ealing Council are looking to tackle declining employment opportunities, encourage 20-minute neighbourhoods and more in its Ealing Town Local Plan. 

The Local Plan Regulation 19 is a 'key' document for Ealing Council that will help shape growth and development in the borough. 

It sets out the plan, priorities and framework for future developments across Ealing. 

The Local Plan covers the period 2024-2039 and is reviewed every five years. 

Each of the seven towns in Ealing has its own neighbourhood plans within the wider borough and London plan.

Ealing Town's Local Plan reviews which areas of Ealing need regenerating to tackle the climate crisis, inequality and growth in the area.

Ealing Council says the Ealing Town Local Plan will promote 20-minute neighbourhoods, 50% affordable housing, create new jobs and take a 'robust' approach to tall building designs. 

Since 2015, the number of jobs in Ealing has fallen by three percent and the number of businesses in the area has only grown by two percent, despite it being the biggest town in the borough. 

Steve Barton, Strategic Planning Manager for Ealing Council said during a public webinar on 15 March that: "Ealing town also has a strong historic and existing cluster of West London's cultural and creative businesses with specialisms things like music venues, recording studios and dance studios together with the long-established institutions in Ealing town. 

"These businesses provide the opportunity to focus and attract new investment into Ealing town to diversify the current offer, building the night-time economy, and celebrating existing local culture." 

There are 25 development sites in the Ealing Town Local Plan the council are looking to redevelop or are already developing. 

Some include: Gurnell Leisure Centre, Perceval House and Ealing Police Station. 

Ealing is the largest town in the borough consisting of several

neighbourhoods (credit: Cesar Medina).

During the webinar, Barton also addressed how the council will look to deal with vacant shop fronts in Ealing. 

Barton said: "We've done a number of town centre health checks, which shows a mixed performance across the various town centre.  

"When you ally that with the survey data we got back, particularly at Shaping Ealing, there's clearly a demand for a better, more diverse range of goods and services being provided to be provided locally. 

"But of course, that has to be, you know, we have to take into account viability. 

"We can't mandate, you know, a local supermarket in every single centre, even if we aspire to do so." 

The planning manager also confirmed that Ealing Council is seeking to hire more than one conservation officer into the planning team. 

Ealing Town's Local Plan does not cover the whole of Ealing ward as there is already another project covering North Acton and Old Oak (The Old Oak and Park Royale Development Corporation) which has a separate plan for those areas. 

Still in the draft stages, the implementation of the Local Plan is expected by summer of 2025. 

The Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation period runs from Wednesday, 28 February until 10 April 2024. 

All representations must be made by 6pm on Wednesday, 10 April 2024. 

We want to provide Ealing with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.