Join the Central Acton Neighbourhood Forum

Look around Acton at the hoardings, the cranes, the building sites, and scaffolding.

Such a lot of activity; buildings are springing up, and repairs and regeneration are happening all around. And that's just from existing developments. What about those yet to hit the planners' desk, or awaiting planning permission?

But who is responsible for all this? Who sanctions these new developments? Who decides what they will look like or what facilities they will have? What about local traffic, and other infrastructure needs? What about existing local residents? 

Local planning can seem like a dark art but the process is clearly laid out. Councils are required to develop Local Plans which determine the outlook for development in their area. These are drawn up in conjunction with the Mayor of London's London Plan, which covers London's strategic development. All proposed development is then considered with reference to these Plans.

Go to the Ealing Council website and you will see, under "planning policy", a number of  Local Plans, including those covering "Core Strategy", "Development Sites", "Development Management Policy" and more. Any new development proposal in Ealing will be considered to see how and if it fits in with these plans.

But where do you come in? With all these plans determining the shape, size and nature of new developments, and their related matters, how can you, a local resident, make your views known? And will you be listened to?

The answer to that question lies in Neighbourhood Forums and a Neighbourhood Plan.

A Neighbourhood Forum is a body, empowered by law, which gives people in that neighbourhood a voice in their community when it comes to services, buildings, traffic, and social interaction. It is a body that not only listens to residents’ concerns, but reflects those concerns to the Council. What is the right height for buildings in the area? Where does traffic flow need improvement? All these, and many other issues.

Having listened to the local community, a Neighbourhood Forum must then produce a Neighbourhood Plan, which incorporates residents’ concerns and views, into a policy document. This document sits alongside the Council’s Local Plans and, when new developments are proposed, the Council must pay heed not only to their own plans, but to the Neighbourhood Plan also.

Central Acton has such a  Neighbourhood Forum: CANForum.

CANForum is the body responsible for gathering the views of Central Acton residents and then presenting them, in the form of a Neighbourhood Plan, to Ealing Council. The Council must then take note of what the Neighbourhood Plan has identified as local preferences. CANForum covers the area bounded by Gibbon Road, Foster Road, Glendun Road and  Western Avenue. There is plenty going on in this area, including Crossrail, the Friary Park development, and, no doubt, many other as yet unannounced projects and developments.

If you live in this area, we would urge you to visit the CANForum website (www.CANForum.org) and, if you would like, to make your views known. Tell us what you think about Acton. What needs improving, what facilities do we need?  What do you most like about the area, what least? Development wise, tell us what buildings you think are great? How tall is tall for new developments? What else is on your mind?

Our neighbourhood is important to us all; let’s now come together to have a real say in how it develops.

Alan Kasket

4th July 2017