Massive 'Stop The Towers' Protest In Ealing
Huge turn out urging Council to halt its current high-rise planning path
(Protest on steps of Town Hall - all photos courtesy Roger Green)
Hundreds of people turned out to call on Ealing Council to 'Stop The Towers' in protest over the proliferation of high rise developments being given planning permission in the borough.
Despite the wet weather conditions an estimated 200-300 residents joined together to show opposition to a variety of proposed developments.
The 'Stop The Towers' movement was originally focussed on the planned high-rise blocks for Hastings and Manor Road in West Ealing, however it has now grown to take in the whole borough.
Some of the campaigning residents group created red block images illustrating the density and scale of the tall buildings, which they say is totally out of keeping with the 'Queen of Suburbs' and is destroying Ealing.
Protesting outside the full Ealing Council meeting (Tuesday 25 February) many residents held banners and chanted ' Stop The Towers' and 'Ealing isn't listening' urging Councillors to change what they see as their current pro-development tack.
Such was the strength of feeling on show locals compared it to when Ealing joined forces in 2005 to object to the proposed West London tram scheme.
Justine Sullivan who is one of the originators of the group said, ''We had Representatives from Southall, Hanwell, West Acton residents, North Acton, Perivale, Friary Park as well as active Ealing residents groups DCA, Five Roads, GRASS, CERA, Ealing Civic Society, Save Victoria Hall, Stop The Towers, Save Gurnell and Ealing Matters all joining forces under one Stop The Towers Ealing group.
"Members from Extinction Rebellion and the Green party also attended expressing their concerns at the environmental impact the over development will have on our borough.
''People were saying it was the largest protest they’d ever seen outside the town hall, which was great considering it had been raining and it was a very cold night. We need to get the message over to the council that we feel that Ealing’s Not Listening to the concerns of its own residents. People are upset and people are very angry. Their concerns are not heard and the council seem to be giving every high rise development the green light.''
The group have set up a website Stop The Towers and will continue to protest until they feel the Council is listening.
( photo courtesy Justine Sullivan)
Following the decision to approve the tallest building in the borough - the 55 storey Portal Towers in Acton a spokesperson told Ealing Today, “North Acton sits within the Old Oak Common Mayoral Development Corporation, and considering its proximity to transport infrastructure has been identified as an area that has the ability to accommodate significant housing growth.
''Tall buildings are an increasing trend across London’s skyline, as demand for new homes continues to increase across the capital. With continued constraint on the supply of new land, and not enough government funding for affordable house building at the scale required, Ealing like all authorities is reliant on the private sector to deliver the majority of new homes within the borough.
“Ealing’s Planning Committee gave consent to a number of schemes brought forward by private developers on Wednesday. We continue to seek the maximum levels of affordable homes that the London Plan and National Planning Policy Framework allows for.”
We have requested a statement about the protest from the council and will update
February 26, 2020