Long Wait for CPZ on Stanley Gardens and Walpole Way Ends
Politics requires perseverance says Councillor Andrew Steed
CPZ SG now operational
Councillors all wish they could accomplish things quickly. Residents also hope that their requests can be resolved as soon as possible. Sometimes this is just not possible, for a variety of reasons. The problem could be lack of finance, the need for consultation, long waiting lists. Local authorities are by nature cautious beasts and tend to take time to implement.
So, my fellow Liberal Democrat Southfield Ward Councillors and I are delighted that after approximately eleven years the new Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for Stanley Gardens and Warple Way is now operational.
The saga started before I was elected: I recall visiting a resident and being shown how the roads were permanently blocked with cars parked bumper to bumper. Some cars never seemed to move. Part of the problem was that the area was surrounded by CPZs, so the only free parking was on these two roads.
In addition, eleven years ago there was little residential on Stanley Gardens and Warple Way, historically, there were lots of light industry and small businesses that had links with the BBC at White City for example.
This has changed over the years and most of the buildings have now been converted - with more to follow. Changes in national planning rules have hastened this development as 'change of use' has become easier to process.
We had been able to make use of Ward Forum funds in 2015 and paid for a consultation exercise that too few participated in to warrant changes. Most recently, the necessary changes were secured.
It has still taken a long time, too long to be honest, but finally the new signage went up and CPZ SG was up and running last month.
In many ways the story is illustrative of the changes in Acton: a small piece of social history, with residential taking the place of small businesses that had provided significant local employment.
Liberal Democrats say that Ealing Council has effectively ceased distributing budgets to Ward Forums.
So, to respond to the requests of residents and fund solutions is more difficult. Both developments are detrimental.
Councillor Andrew Steed - Southfield ward
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
March 11, 2021