Council Says Local Plan Survey Will Shape Acton's Future

Document will provide outline for development over next 15 years

CGI of the scheme from the developer with approved tower in middle

December 1, 2022

The council has begun a consultation on its new draft local plan which it says is a chance for residents to have their say on the way the borough and their town are shaped over the next 15 years.

It sets out the way the borough’s seven town centres may develop including housing, transport and climate impact. The new Local Plan covers all of the borough except the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) area, which has its own Local Plan.

Acton is described in the draft plan as one of the borough’s most diverse towns with several different centres. The economic opportunities for the area are stressed due to its location next to the regeneration zone at Old Oak and Park Royal and the arrival of the new High Speed 2 terminus in the area by 2030.

The area generally is categorised as well placed to capitalised on good communication links include roads and seven rail and tube stations.

It is also home to a Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) that aims to support artists and new creative businesses to find affordable workspace within the borough.

The plan states that there is significant planned investment in infrastructure to accommodate high levels of development, particularly within its town centres and industrial areas where higher density employment uses will be encouraged. The council aims to maximise economic opportunities in the area
through the Elizabeth Line arrival at Acton Main Line Station and the future interchange at Old Oak Common HS2 station.

Acton’s Industrial Base (with specialisms in food, manufacturing, wholesale, transport, and storage) will be supported and improved through development and intensification of appropriate industrial sites.

Despite these advantages, there remains deep deprivation next to areas of affluence. To tackle this, the plan envisages the building of more ‘genuinely affordable’ housing, particularly in Acton Central, South Acton and East Acton.

Earlier surveys have shown that people in Acton area are concerned about affordable homes, the way their area is changing, air quality, and lack of dedicated walking and cycling routes.

The plan pledges to take steps to retain and strengthen Acton’s identity including conserving and improving the historic core at Acton Town Centre through measures such as creating a Heritage Action Zone.

Acton Town Centre and East Acton Neighbourhood Centre will be ‘improved through new mixed-use development, addressing high vacancy rates in retail units through ‘meanwhile uses’ and pop-ups, and Acton Town will be improved and conserved as a historic centre.

A new neighbourhood centre at Acton Main Line Station with improvements to green spaces at Friary Park promised.

The residential led regeneration at South Acton is set to continue and with provision to safeguard and intensify appropriate industrial sites.

The plan wants to see 20-minute neighbourhoods implemented in Acton where residents can meet day-to-day needs within a 20-minute walk from their homes. This includes shopping facilities, leisure activities, access to schools, local health services such as GP practices and ideally places of work.

More connectivity between parks and green spaces is planned with the creation of a wildlife corridor along unused Transport for London and National Rail land, and greening along the A40 and Uxbridge Road, with more simplified road layouts, and more pavement space with improved crossings.
The plan, which covers the whole of the borough, is divided into four main parts

— A spatial strategy that sets an overall vision for the towns and how this will be delivered.
— A collection of seven town plans which explains how these will be delivered in different neighbourhoods, including 118 development sites or places where there is potential for new development.
— A set of development management policies that will help guide the determination of planning applications either supplementing existing London Plan policies or setting a new local policy.
— A policies map that illustrates any site-specific policies in map form.

The local plan must operate within the overall context of the London Plan which sets out a framework for how London will develop in the future and is part of Ealing’s Development Plan.

The consultation runs from 30 November 2022 to 25 January 2023. Once the consultation has closed, the feedback will be used to inform a revised version of the plan.

The draft new Local Plan has been formed by the results of the Shaping Ealing survey, which the council claims is one of the borough’s biggest ever public listening consultations, which were published in September 2022. More than 10,600 people and businesses took part and gave their thoughts on local facilities and communities.

You can watch a video introducing the plan.

Read a summary of the draft new Local Plan

You can also make an appointment to view a paper copy of the consultation document at Perceval House, Ealing by emailing localplan@ealing.gov.uk.

There are a number of ways in which you can comment on the draft new Local Plan. If you wish to comment on the full document, read the online version of the draft new Local Plan. Within the document there are links highlighted in yellow question boxes. These links will take you to specific questions for you to answer in a series of online surveys. You can answer as many or as few questions as you wish.

Other ways to comment on the draft new Local Plan include emailing localplan@ealing.gov.uk or giving more detailed comments using this online form. You can also send a letter by post to Steve Barton, strategic planning team, Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, London, W5 2HL.

In addition, you can read the full draft Local Plan at your local library and fill in a comment form which can be placed in the secure box provided.

You can also complete a short survey asking for your feedback. To do so, the council says you will either need to have read a summary of the draft new Local Plan or the full draft new Local Plan.

This survey should only take around six or seven minutes to complete and gives you an opportunity to comment on things most important to you and your area. You do not need to complete all questions.

Throughout the eight-week consultation period, a series of consultation events will be held throughout the borough where you can find out more about the draft plan and share your views.