Protest Against Colonial Drive Development

---

Ealing officials visit the controversial site

Over 100 campaigners against the Colonial Drive development near Bollo Lane attended a protest gathering yesterday (Saturday, May 12th) as Ealing planning officials visited the site.

Well-known actress Rula Lenska, attended as did writer/director Rebecca Frayn, along with members of the campaign group, Hoot (Hands Off Our Triangle), councillors, and campaigners and friends of the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve.

The proposal by Blackstone, the developer, for over 100 flats, up to eight storeys high, adjacent to the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve, is due to be discussed next Wednesday by the planning committee of Ealing Council.

A petition launched by Hoot (Hands Off Our Triangle), of over 1,000 signatures, was handed in last week to a senior Council officer by Cllr. Gary Malcolm.

The world-famous botanist David Bellamy, has come out against the development and written to Ealing Council on the matter.

Along with the supporters of Hoot, the three local Liberal Democrat councillors are against the development due to the potential damage to wildlife, as well as the likely negative impact on parking in local streets.

 Members of Ealing Council's planning committee were visiting the site to gauge the likely impacts of the proposed development. There will be a chance for residents to ask questions and raise points to the planning committee meeting.

Cllr. Malcolm said; “This development is finely balanced and having more than a hundred residents present really showed them that our nature reserve is too important to risk.

 

Councillors are shown the pond on the nature reserve

Anyone with questions can contact Councillor Andrew Steed by phone or email (andrew.steed@ealing.gov.uk or 07736 649664).

Campaigners against the development want the buffer zone between the development and the reserve to be no less than 15m and planted with native species, and the height of the buildings to be no more than the highest buildings on the present site and preferably in scale with the tallest trees in the woodland.

You can visit the HOOT Official Website here.

May 12, 2012