The regeneration magazine of the London borough of Ealing/issue 03/spring ‘12 EALING IN LONDON
LONDON
“a must watch”
gambit: REmade in ealing Ealing: where creative industries thrive
- 5 new Crossrail stations - 18 minutes to the City - 8 miles from Heathrow - Over 100 major development sites - 7 town centres
www.ealinginlondon.com
issue 3 2012
- 13,000 businesses
Investing in Ealing’s future How will you be able to exploit TIF and business rate retention?
The A2Dominion Group is one of the country’s leading providers of high quality housing, with over 34,000 homes across London and southern England and thousands more in development.
How can you leverage localism to fund your developments?
The Group offers a wide range of housing options including affordable rented, temporary, student, key worker and care and support accommodation and services. We are also developing a large number of properties for outright sale and shared ownership through A2Dominion New Homes. In Ealing we have over 3,500 homes in management and employ 300 staff in the borough.
How can you best tap into private finance sources?
We are investing more than £100m in Ealing over the next five years to provide over 800 new homes, including the Green Man Lane regeneration project.
Find out more at www.a2dominion.co.uk. issue 2 2011
The answers to these and many other questions of funding and finance are at
SocInvest 12 Church House conference centre, 26 june 2012 n
n www.socinvest.co.uk
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editor: Siobhán Crozier Art Direction: Smallfury Designs Production editor: Rachael Schofield freelance editor: Sarah Herbert HeAd of business development: Paul Gussar prOduction assistant: Jeri Dumont Office manager: Sue Mapara subscriptions manager: Simon Maxwell Managing director: Toby Fox cover IMAGE: Courtesy Momentum Pictures, an Alliance Films Company IMAGES: John Sturrock, Ealing Council, SEGRO, Artem, Crossrail Ltd, Testify – Mark Joseph and John Barton, Aventis, Travelodge, Printed Word, A2Dominion, Churchill Insurance, Frogmore, Gunnersbury Park Museum, St George, HTA Architects, Whitbread Plc, Hotel 55, Berkeley First, Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images Printed by: Tradewinds
For Ealing Council Perceval House 14-16 Uxbridge Road Ealing W5 2HL
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Lower ground floor, 189 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840
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Subscriptions and feedback: go to www. earlinginlondonmagazine.com
A round up of news about what’s happening in the regeneration of Ealing A leading property expert calculates that Crossrail, with five Ealing stations, will attract residents and increase values in the borough
London Motorcycle Museum, Ealing’s hidden gem packed with treats for British bike fans Europe’s largest industrial estate draws diverse companies, with its great transport connections and skilled labour pool
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From film to fashion, Ealing is a thriving centre for talented, specialist businesses working in several creative sectors We summarise Ealing’s major development opportunities and look at regeneration projects under way around the borough
The transformation of a quiet suburb into a significant Asian market, attracting businesses from the sub-continent Coming soon to Ealing, a rental scheme for the cooler, small-wheeled, folding alternative
© 3Fox International Limited 2012. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited or Ealing Council.
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From chic boutique to no-fuss value, Ealing is meeting increasing demand for hotel rooms
issue three/spring ‘12
contents
Published by:
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update
news
the latest projects and initiatives that are adding to Ealing’s ongoing regeneration
Cash injection for Southall Southall is set for nearly £7 million of investment as part of a regeneration programme to ease traffic problems and create more job and training opportunities. The transformation will prepare Southall for changes resulting from the arrival of Crossrail in 2018. The funding, of more than £6.85 million, is made up of recently secured £4.35 million from the Mayor of London’s Regeneration Fund, local implementation plan funding from Transport for London (TfL) and council funds. Ealing Council has already approved the £4.5 million Southall Broadway Urban Realm project – a three-year initiative to improve the appearance and safety of the Broadway, revitalise the high street and create a more accessible public realm and improved shop fronts. Traffic flow along the Uxbridge Road corridor will be improved, pavements will be widened and loading and parking bays along the main road will be developed. To complement Southall’s existing wide range of eating offers, a new high quality restaurant will be established at the historic Southall Manor House, which will provide apprentice opportunities and train around 400 students annually. Ealing Council is working closely with the GLA and TfL to ensure that long-term planning and transport policies for Southall will encourage and facilitate its transformation. More detailed plans will be announced later in the year.
Top of the class The last two of Ealing’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects are nearing completion. In the total rebuild of Southall’s Dormers Wells High School, a maths and computer college and leading comprehensive for 11 to 19-year-olds, work has now moved to the interior of the building, with completion set for summer 2012. Over at Cardinal Wiseman School
in Greenford the last concrete blocks have been laid for a multimillion pound extension. The final Ealing BSF project, Cardinal Wiseman, is due to be completed by August 2012. The £24 million project involves new build, demolition and refurbishment to provide 150 more school places. Gym facilities will be doubled, and £1,450 invested per pupil in ICT. The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic High School is a voluntary aided, co-educational comprehensive school for 11 to 19-year-olds.
ealing in london
Going great Gunnersbury
South Acton Estate
Gunnersbury Park and Museum (above) could be renovated, if a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Parks for People is awarded. The aim is to refurbish Gunnersbury to enable the whole community to enjoy participating in its culture, heritage, wildlife, events and sport in a high-quality environment. It would conserve the park’s unique combination of buildings and landscape, removing them from the ‘Heritage at risk’ register, and refurbishing them for the long-term future. The museum is housed in Gunnersbury Park House, and charts Ealing and Hounslow’s history. It would be enhanced to promote a better understanding of local heritage. The 75-ha park is a Grade II* registered landscape of mature trees, open grass spaces and historic buildings including an orangery, ‘Princess Amelia’s’ bath house, gothic ruins and stables. Surveys and consultation events are being organised to engage local people’s input into the future of the museum.
The redevelopment of the South Acton estate is about to take a big step forward with the submission of a major outline planning application by Acton Gardens, a partnership between housing association L&Q and Countryside Homes, selected by Ealing Council and residents as development partner in 2010. The project team includes HTA Architects as masterplanners and lead architects; Alison Brooks Architects for character areas, energy consultants AECOM and Terence O’Rourke as planning consultants. Subject to approval, the masterplan
would see remaining homes at South Acton demolished and replaced with 2,400 new, mixed-tenure houses and flats across six character areas, with a new community hub and improved parks and open spaces, as well as improved links to the surrounding neighbourhoods and the centre of Acton Town. The scheme features sustainable measures, such as green and brown roofs, a localised CHP and bio-diverse planting. Since the signing of the development agreement, Acton Gardens has consulted widely on proposals for the future of the estate. A decision on the planning application is expected in May and if approved, the 11 phases of the scheme will be developed over the next 14 years.
issue three/spring ‘12
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Westel site for demolition
Home is where the art is… Construction has started on the former BBC costume depository, the Costume Store (pictured above) in North Acton. It will house 718 students of the University of the Arts London (UAL), and will be finished by September 2012. The Store has a direct connection on the Central line to UAL’s High Holborn information hub. The university plans also to use the Costume Store for teaching spaces, and to house a 24-hour ‘learning zone’ and an exhibition gallery, where students’ work can be displayed to the public. Developer Berkeley First has provided 7,000 student residence spaces over the past 15 years, for institutions including the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, Queen’s College Oxford and Kings College London.
New service satellites Ealing Council will establish new satellite service centres in Greenford (totalling 800sq m) and Southall (1,800sq m), providing modern office space and facilities for council services that need to be close to residents. The Greenford centre will be a new build, while Southall will involve the refurbishment of an existing office building. Both have now completed initial feasibility studies, and are entering concept design development, with the project team currently reviewing the detailed programmes for each site. The intended opening date is the end of March 2014.
Red Bee buzzes into Ealing Cross Media company Red Bee Media is moving out of BBC Broadcast Centre in White City to take 2,600sq m at Standard Life Investments and Neptune Development’s Ealing Cross development. Red Bee is also understood to have signed for a further 1,210sq m of space at Commercial Estates Group’s nearby Exchange Plaza where it already occupies around 650sq m.
Developer Frogmore has received planning permission from Ealing Council to demolish the outdated Westel House building in Ealing and replace it with a brand new hotel and residential development of ‘iconic’ design. The £57 million development will feature three buildings, the tallest of which will be 21 storeys, with a platform giving views of Ealing and London beyond. The scheme will incorporate 131 apartments, a nine-storey, four-star hotel, a children’s play area, car parking and a landscaped boulevard. Frogmore bought the site in 2006, and had originally intended to refurbish the Seifert-designed 1960s block.
UK’s e h t f o e m o H – g n li a E me e h c s n io t ra e n e g re t s Be
CAT029 - Jan 2012
*Winner of the 2011 First Time Buyers award for Best Urban Regeneration and the 2011 Affordable Home Ownership award for Best Regeneration scheme.
Caulfield Park Winner: 2011 First Time Buyers award and 2011 Affordable Home Ownership award A charitable housing association and Affordable Home Ownership provider of the year 2011
THE COSTUME STORE WILL BRING A VIBRANT NEW COMMUNITY TO NORTH ACTON, ADDING TO THE REGENERATION OF THE LOCAL AREA.
BERKELEY FIRST, PROUD TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EALING COUNCIL Berkeley First is delighted to be working in partnership with Ealing Council to deliver this exciting new development in North Acton. The high quality landmark building will be completed by Berkeley First in September 2012 for University of the Arts, London College of Fashion students. With a strong focus on sustainability the scheme has been designed to meet BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standards, will feature Photovoltaic Solar Panels, CHP, Green Roofs, and bathroom pods manufactured off site. In addition to its student apartments this architect designed scheme will also feature:
Computer generated image of the Costume Store, North Acton
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Public Art Gallery 24 hour Art Workshop Multi Use Games Area Sensory Garden Student Lounge
The ground floor of the building contains over 3,000 ft² of retail space which will significantly enhance the level of amenity in the local area. Berkeley First is a division of leading residential developer, the Berkeley Group and has delivered in excess of 7,000 new homes to London and the South East over the last two decades.
www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/berkeley-first
Computer generated image of the gallery at The Costume Store
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Ealing express Crossrail effectively brings Ealing much closer to central London. Property experts calculate the new railway is already stimulating developer and investor demand across Ealing, as Paul Coleman reports and property prices can be “an uncertain art” especially in difficult economic times. But Crossrail could attract commuters to live in Ealing, by reducing journey times below that critical one-hour duration. “The project has the potential to awaken previously dormant development areas around Ealing’s stations,” adds O’Donnell. Some 80% of new homes and offices are planned or being built
within a short walk of each Crossrail station, notably at Ealing Broadway station and at the nearby Arcadia and Dickens Yard sites. Crossrail has attracted investment of £4.5 million to improve the area around Ealing Broadway, says O’Donnell. “Crossrail has helped push developers and Transport for London to seriously invest in this part of Ealing.”
West to east at lightning speed Journey times now (minutes) Journey times with Crossrail (minutes) 53
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Crossrail could boost property development, investment, rents and values. Up and coming parts of the borough like Hanwell and West Ealing will become even more attractive as Crossrail – London’s new east-west rail network – nears completion by 2018. Rapid journey times into central London will draw commuters to move to Ealing – with its five Crossrail stations – according to property specialists, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) in its report, Changing Boundaries. Crossrail will bring an extra 33% of Ealing’s population within 30 minutes of central London and 52% within one hour. Ealing Broadway to Bond Street in the heart of London’s West End will take only 12 minutes. Ealing Broadway to Liverpool Street will take 19 minutes, and Canary Wharf and Heathrow 26 and 15 minutes respectively. Existing Ealing businesses will also benefit as Crossrail brings them much closer to commuters who live in more distant parts of London. “Crossrail could revitalise Ealing’s credentials as a business location,” says report author Thomas Leahy, LSH’s associate research director. “Demand for business space could come from a wide variety of occupiers who require access to central London, Heathrow and the M4 corridor, but at cheaper rents,” he says. Leahy’s report says Crossrail could help raise some longer-term Ealing office rents by up to 6% annually. Nick O’Donnell, Ealing Council’s assistant director for strategic transport, knows linking transport improvements
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issue three/spring ‘12
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Creative
Ealing film and Ealing studios are internationally recognised but this London borough’s established creative hub has grown to meet new developments in film, the wider media and other sectors such as fashion. Small and highly specialised creative companies are based all over Ealing, working away to service film and arts industries. Elizabeth Pears reports
Talking pictures
ealing in london
“ The BBC used to produce everything themselves but now they commission everything: a scriptwriter here, some props over there” All the world’s a stage, muses Shakespeare in As You Like It, and all the men and women merely players. Ealing, affectionately referred to as the world’s stage, embodies the Bard’s phrase. In this west London borough, it is entirely feasible for a film or television show to go from idea to finished article without setting foot beyond its borders. Ealing Studios – home to classics like The Lavender Hill Mob and global box office hits such as Notting Hill and the St Trinian’s series – recreated parts of The Savoy for scenes in the remake of the 1966 film Gambit. In production with a Coen Brothers script, it stars Cameron Diaz and Colin Firth (see cover) and is due for release late in 2012. Its charm has lured directors like Woody Allen to British shores and the world’s oldest, continuously running, film studios has been the anchor for the network of creative businesses that have flourished because of it. Couple this with major broadcasters BBC and BSkyB next door, and Ealing became the natural home for the organisations satisfying the industry’s needs, from camera hire to niche services like 3D animation, prop design, film artwork and media consultancy. Though the BBC has since exited stage left and moved to Salford Quays, the evolving nature of the business and high-speed internet means the show in Ealing is destined to go on. “The entire industry is now atomised,” says Frank Wingate, chief executive of West London Business. “The BBC used to produce everything themselves but now they commission everything: a scriptwriter here, some props over there. There is no longer the need for big premises and because of developments in technology, many firms can work from any location in small, flexible office spaces.” But as superbly as it plays the supporting role, Ealing’s creative sector has blossomed into a force of its own
and the borough’s most visible strength – film and television – is only one half of this very positive bigger picture. Ealing is the creative nervecentre for fashion retailer River Island’s in-house design team, the home of publishing giant Random House’s children books, and the HQ of dunnhumby – a leading firm personalising the world’s experience of retailers and brands. Film, television and radio account for 7% of the creative industry, music and the arts represent 11% and fashion dominates with a 27% stake, according to economic research analysts TBR. A key growth area has been leisure software, in layman’s terms, the development of video games and mobile phone apps, expanding by 30% over the past three years. TBR calculates that this amounts to an impressive £2 billion contribution to
the local economy, making the creative sector Ealing’s most valuable industry after retail. Lucy Taylor, Ealing Council’s assistant director of regeneration and planning policy, said: “We recognise this is a very important sector. What we are now doing is making sure core facilities, a high-quality environment and the right support are in place for these companies to flourish. There is a lot of redevelopment that will boost the town centres and lay the foundations of an attractive cultural quarter to attract more creative businesses.” Ealing Studios already boasts Europe’s first digital media village, but also under way is the luxurious Ealing Cross development, mooted as the largest new office space to open in west London. Spanning eight floors, the development promises West End quality in west London but at half the
Testify – "a W3 postcode without paying above the odds." Opposite: Barbara Horne of Printed Word, cutting a print in her studio in a former custard factory. issue three/spring ‘12
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Creative cost. The first floor of Ealing Cross has already been snapped up. One fairytale story has been the redevelopment of the old Elizabeth Arden factory in North Acton, where an undiscovered musician, Elvis Costello, once toiled in cosmetics. The Perfume Factory is a hotbed of creativity at the forefront of new trends and technology. Start-ups like West London Art Factory, a collection of artist studios and screenprinting facilities, the LTD END Agency, whose artists design one-off pieces like watches or iPod accessories for big brand names, are among those who’ve moved in, after identifying Ealing as an affordable and well-connected location. Phase 2 of the Perfume Factory is in the offing. When new firms arrive, they might be pleasantly surprised by the ready-made talent pool they’ll find on their doorstep. Ealing is home to the Delamar Academy, which produces Oscar and BAFTA-winning artists, and the Met Film School, where the faculty is a who’s who of Britain’s film and TV elite. Acton High School is a media arts specialist centre, and the £11.5 million Ealing Institute of Media – part of Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College – houses the UK’s first Bollywood acting school. The University of West London (UWL), formerly Thames Valley University, ensures its creative courses offer best value to both students and local employers. Each year, it places 156 undergraduates in creative companies around the borough, with many staying on to set up their own businesses. On UWL's fashion and textiles course, for example, graduates spend time working with River Island’s design team to gain hands-on experience. “We’re all about practice,” explains Mike Little of Ealing School of Art, Design and Media. “Our courses are geared towards producing professionals who understand the creative sector and how they can fit into it. All of our programmes are linked to real business needs. “The job market has changed. People no longer have a job for life, but portfolio careers working on different projects," adds Little. "The services they offer are not something you can pop in a shop and buy off a shelf. Clustering works because creative people talk to each other, bounce ideas off each other. They have different skill sets that complement each other. It is creativity at its best.”
Testify “A new breed of digital agency”
Creative numbers Ealing’s creative sector represents 23% of west London’s economy 2,275 companies in Ealing are in the ‘creative’ category Ealing’s creative sector provides 15,100 jobs – 15% of the borough’s workforce 86% of creative businesses employ between one and four people
It’s not just lip service. Creative companies really are moving to Ealing and Testify is living proof. The social CRM (customer relationship management) agency was founded in 2011 by digital media experts, Mark Joseph and John Barton, who gave up their jobs as heads of department at leading agency Steak UK, to strike out on their own. In June 2011, they moved into their achingly hip office space in The Perfume Factory where the team of five works its magic. Working with clients like The Mobo Awards, Lebara and The Post Office, Testify manages their digital marketing budgets and use blogs, Facebook and Twitter to report back on levels of consumer engagement, sales and return on investment. Joseph said: “As a digital media agency, we feel we have to be based in west London. After looking around, we chose The Perfume Factory after falling in love with the start-up vibe and newly-furbished environment. It is in a good location for our clients and our staff who commute from north London, south London and Hertfordshire. Best of all, we have a W3 postcode without paying well above the odds.”
ealing in london
Artem “Special effects gurus” Artem is a leader in physical special effects – as opposed to digital visual effects – with a track record of making the seemingly impossible a reality. Since being founded by former BBC staff in Ealing in 1988, the firm has gone from strength to strength: doubling its workshop space after the first three years and then in 1995 opening its purpose built factory, where it remains today. A second workshop operates in Glasgow. Managing director Mike Kelt said: “Our move to Ealing was a result of the various industry suppliers that already existed in the area, as well as the many studios that continue to operate here, most of which the general public would not be aware of.” Artem builds and orchestrates special effects for films, TV shows, commercials, exhibitions and museums. And, “oh yes”, it’s
currently constructing the Churchill dog, a physical electro-mechanical animatronic puppet, for the next series of commercials. The company also creates atmospheric effects like rain, snow, wind, fog, and explosive – as well as pyrotechnic – effects. It was also the brains behind large-scale mechanical builds that appeared at the recent Dr Who Experience held at Kensington Olympia. Kelt added: “Ealing has great communications by train, tube, road and even air, thanks to Heathrow, and as a lot of our work is carried out filming on location, this is important.” He added that their headquarters, on an industrial site in Perivale, “allows a measure of privacy and security which, when working on certain projects, is very important.” Artem has a core team of 25 highly-skilled staff but this year hired approximately 140 freelance specialists for various projects. Individuals are often hard to find, Kelt said, so they work closely with universities and colleges to help with training.
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Left: Artem brings to life Churchill, the canine insurance salesman, who is now a household name.
Complex explosions and pyrotechnic creations are another Artem specialism. Opposite: Digital agency Testify (top) is based in the ice-cool Perfume Factory. Stanley Holloway and Alec Guinness (below) starred in The Lavender Hill Mob, an Ealing Studios classic. issue three/spring ‘12
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Creative
Below: Lofty and lightfilled, Printed Word's workspace at Europa Studios, is a former custard factory in Acton.
Creative fact-file England’s first computer programmer Ada Lovelace lived in Ealing, at Fordhook House, near Ealing Common. She was the daughter of the Romantic poet Lord Byron Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s 4 Minutes video was filmed at Black Island Studios in Park Royal Donatella Versace and her daughter, Allegra, appeared on set at Black Island Studios in Park Royal to film the Versace for H&M 2011 ad campaign Duran Duran’s Electric Barbarella video was shot at Black Island Studios in 1997. While filming there, the group came up with the intro of their hit song Someone Else, Not Me The Rolling Stones formed after meeting each other at Ealing Jazz Club in 1962 With more than 3,000 actors on its books, Ealing is home to The Questor’s Theatre, Europe’s largest community theatre, whose patron is Dame Judi Dench
Printed Word “The last word in graphic props” Ever wondered how period dramas are so convincingly recreated on screen? The devil is in the detail with huge amounts of research and creativity going into everything that appears in a scene, from art work, wallpaper to leaflets or magazines, to breathe new life into days gone by. Printed Word, based in Ealing since its inception in 1989, are masters in designing and reproducing period and modern graphic material for film, television, exhibitions, theatre and museums. The firm is perfectly placed at Europa Studios, in Victoria Road, Acton, in the heart of the so-called square mile of “Prop Land”. Owner Barbara Horne said: “Being in Ealing is ideal for the business – we're just a few minutes away from North Ealing tube station and the bus links are good. Being close to other companies in the prop industry helps. We work
together, refer to or recommend each other. It’s like a family.” Their office, in a former custard factory, has huge windows allowing masses of light to stream through, creates the perfect working environment for the team of four. Printed Word owns an extensive archive of period and modern graphic reference, from Jane Austen letters to modern magazines and flyers, serving as inspiration or source material for new creations. Their work has featured in Hollywood blockbusters like X-Men, Batman and BAFTA-winning Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy. They have won commissions from Visa, Vodafone and Virgin Atlantic. Printed Word also produces replica material that can be handled by the public, on behalf of museums like the National Trust.
Ealing hosts one of Europe’s largest jazz festivals, attracting 40,000 people over a five-day run Queen front man Freddie Mercury studied graphic design at Ealing Technical College, now the site of the University of West London Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood studied at Ealing Art College, as did The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend, who enrolled in 1961 and met his first wife Karen Astley British cinematographer, Remi Adefarasin, who won a BAFTA for his work on history biopic Elizabeth, started his career as a trainee cameraman at Ealing Studios
Develop Connections to help your
business grow... At the University of West London our approach to supporting businesses in Ealing is simple: we combine industry knowledge and academic experience to develop tailored solutions, whether you’re looking to enhance your staff’s skill, access talented students and graduates or simply need conferencing or presentation facilities. Training and development Enhance your personal and organisational development with our tailor-made courses and training solutions. Our courses are accredited, and our range of short courses can help you fit learning around business and personal commitments. Free support from our Careers and Employment Service We help you advertise your vacancies to our students and graduates and target candidates with appropriate skills. We also offer facilities for recruitment events and interviews, and provide access to our talented undergraduate students for work placements.
Conference and facilities hire at competitive rates We have a range of conferencing, presentation and learning facilities, including fully equipped computer labs and specialist facilities such as recording, film and dance studios, a health related simulation suite, and training restaurants and kitchens. As a university, we can offer you an unrivalled suite of staff development opportunities supported by experts, whether at our dedicated education and training facilities or your own ‘in-house’ provision.
Visit our website or call us now to find out more: 0300 123 2244 uwl.ac.uk/ealinginlondon
Group members Community Trust Housing London Strategic Housing Mitali Housing Association Network Stadium Housing Association Riversmead Housing Association Solon Community Network
CHANGING LIVES The award-winning Network Housing Group is a community based housing organisation, passionate about providing better services, better places to live and making a difference by changing lives. We are proud to be working in partnership with Ealing Council, and we’re delighted to be selected as their partner for the regeneration of the Rectory Park Estate.
www.networkhg.org.uk twitter@networkhg
Willow Housing and Care
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Work in progress A guide to the development schemes which will shape Ealing’s transformation. We take a look at who is building and what it will deliver …
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Acton Town Hall A planning application for Acton Town Hall’s first phase of regeneration has been submitted. This council-funded phase will see the creation of a leisure centre – with two new swimming pools, a library, community space and council offices – in the refurbished, Grade II listed town hall and an adjoining new building. At all stages of the project, the council has consulted the Acton Town Hall team, a group of 30 community members, founded in 2009 to explore opportunities for the site. Subject to approval – the planning application will be considered during March – construction will start on site in summer 2012, with completion scheduled for spring 2014. Ealing Council will sell the remainder of the town hall building for development. Vacant possession is due in 2014 – suitable uses would include residential, hotel or office. The building will soon be marketed.
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Investing in business... With a portfolio of 4.4 million sq ft in and around Park Royal, SEGRO can provide the perfect space for your business ■
Business space from 3,000 sq ft
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Build-to-suit opportunities of up to 350,000 sq ft
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Flexible leasing options and expert local knowledge
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Superb range of established, newly built and refurbished units available. Visit www.SEGRO.com/parkroyal for details.
Investing in the community Donating to charities and helping local communities is an integral part of our business ■
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Supported 80 charities in 2011 through the provision of commercial space, business advice and guidance and the donation of cash and equipment. Established a new partnership with Ealing Council to help young people develop employability skills.
SEGRO.com/parkroyal
Marcella Phelan, Assistant Director of Planning, Community and Partnerships at Ealing Council, said, “SEGRO’s support is providing an excellent opportunity for young people to hear directly from employers and gain essential pre employment skills that will help them become the local workforce of the future. Given the challenges young people currently face in the labour market this support is invaluable”.
For more information please contact: Neil Impiazzi 01753 213332 Neil.Impiazzi@SEGRO.com
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Arcadia Since the owners of this hugely important site went bust last year, Ealing Council’s cabinet has agreed to act to ensure its development. Much of the Arcadia site on Ealing Broadway is owned by Glenkerrin, which is now in liquidation, though the council also owns a small ribbon of land on the site and there are a few other properties owned by different landlords. The council has agreed a vision for the site and how it should be developed, to guide any planning applications, and has made assurances that it will not use the council-owned land that lies within the plot to block development. The council has also signalled that, if necessary, it will seek a compulsory purchase order to help ensure the future owners develop the site, in line with the council’s ambitions. Grant Thornton, the administrator handling Glenkerrin’s properties, is seeking to sell the holdings quickly
and is considering breaking it up into smaller parcels to achieve this. The council would like to see the whole site purchased by one developer with a comprehensive plan that supports the council’s existing vision for regeneration of the town centre. Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said: “I want to see a thriving and rejuvenated Ealing Broadway that will be a booming local centre for retail and employment. “I believe that one of the best ways to achieve this is to encourage the whole development of the Arcadia site so that it attracts well-known high street shops and complements the Dickens Yard development. “We want the administrators of Glenkerrin to sell the site as one lot,” says Bell. “They now know that the council is prepared to step in and use its powers to help secure the best outcome for local residents and businesses, which is a comprehensive development of this important site.” issue three/spring ‘12
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Delivering in Ealing Countryside Properties is a responsible developer of new homes and communities. We are also specialists in regeneration. Our vision is to create outstanding places for people to live, work and enjoy. We are proud to be working in a highly productive partnership with L&Q, the London Borough of Ealing and local residents to regenerate South Acton - Ealing’s largest estate. The vision is to transform the neighbourhood into a highly sought after sustainable, residential community that all residents are proud to live in. For further information please visit
www.actongardens.co.uk
Computer generated images of proposals for Acton Gardens
Leading sustainable developments
ealing in london
Former Southall Gasworks At 37.2 ha, the former Southall Gasworks – next to the town centre and Southall station – is the largest redevelopment opportunity in west London. Its owner National Grid gained planning consent in 2010 for 3,750 new homes (30% of which will be affordable), 20,000sq m of retail space, a 4,700sq m cinema, 3,500sq m of office and studio space, a hotel and conference centre, primary school, health centre and landscaping. If National Grid finds a suitable development partner, the earliest
phases could start in 2012, with development continuing until 2027/28. With the arrival of Crossrail in 2018, Southall will be just nine minutes from Heathrow, and only 18 minutes from Bond Street. Phil Edward, head of sales and letting at National Grid, said: “We are trying to get the forgotten part of Southall and integrate it back with the rest of the area. Southall is one of those places that can be incredibly dynamic, with a changing history, and the Gasworks development is just another part of it.” issue three/spring ‘12
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A contractor with pedigree. A developer with ambition.
From its origins over 150 years ago, Willmott Dixon is now a top 10 contractor and major development partner. According to the 2009 Sunday Times Green list, it is also one of the UK's best for sustainable development. KEY AREAS:
> Complete development and construction capability > Seeking partners for development schemes > Focus on estate renewal schemes, private residential sales, commercial, education and mixed-use opportunities
> Strong balance sheet to invest in PFI accommodation and
other income generating property > Keen to joint venture with private and public sector partners as developer, investor and contractor > Experienced in acting as a risk partner in private sales > Experienced team with commitment to deliver > Land opportunities sought > Long term relationships with private and public sector clients such as Ealing Borough Council
Joanna Lucas REGENERATION DIRECTOR Suite 211,The Spirella Building Bridge Road,Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 4ET Mob:07765 155995 Tel:01462 476610 joanna.lucas@willmottdixon.co.uk www.willmottdixon.co.uk
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Green Man Lane The transformation of the huge Green Man Estate has begun, with demolition making way for the first phase. Existing homes at Wigmore Court and a multistorey car park have come down and work is under way on the first phase of new flats and houses. The properties will be for affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale. At the southern part of the development near Talbot Road, 14 additional rented homes are being built, to be completed by summer 2012. The £141 million scheme is by developer Rydon with A2Dominion and architect Conran and Partners. When completed, Green Man Lane will deliver 706 new mixed-tenure homes, a cafe, enterprise units, a community centre, a low-cost gym, children’s play areas, and landscaping. It will include a community heating system with combined heat and power, supplemented by the use of solar photovoltaic panels. A programme of phased decant, demolition and construction will be undertaken to ensure that the majority of residents can remain in the neighbourhood throughout the redevelopment process.
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Dickens Yard Right in the heart of Ealing, the Dickens Yard mixed-use development has been launched. Set around a new town square are 698 new apartments and penthouses, which will look out across private gardens or landscaped boulevards, linking three public piazzas. These public realm areas will host lively markets, street theatre and jazz events, among its cafes and boutiques.
The first phase on the market is the Belgravia Apartments – 130 one-, two-, and three-bedroom flats and penthouses. With Crossrail in the pipeline and the Dickens Yard development situated just 10 minutes from Ealing Broadway Station, links to central London will be improved dramatically, with a journey time of 12 minutes to Bond Street and 19 minutes to Liverpool Street. The developer of Dickens Yard, St George, has opened its marketing suite at the site.
Havelock Estate Ealing Council expects to have a preferred partner for the regeneration of the Havelock Estate by April 2012, and to start on site at the end of 2013, after a masterplan is submitted next year. The redevelopment will see full or partial redevelopment of this estate of 845 homes. Havelock Estate has suffered from construction and design problems, and overcrowding – with replacement of the flats on its northern and southern side a priority. There is the potential for a total of 2,000 new units, and to link the estate to the wider regeneration of Southall including the high street, the Southall Gasworks site, and other sites close by.
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heritage
Born to run
The quest to find a home for an ever-growing collection of motorbikes led to the establishment of one of Ealing’s prized attractions, the London Motorcycle Museum. Bikers from near and far roar up to Greenford to look at Bill Crosby’s extensive collection of the best of British bikes, which sometimes appear in film or TV shows. James Wood reports
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Known as “The Home of the Triumph,” the London Motorcycle Museum is where a growing band of motorbike fanatics from around the globe flock to see the splendid range of exhibits on display at its base in Greenford, Ealing. A quick glance through the museum’s guestbook shows mutual enthusiasm in comments recorded by national and international visitors, from places as diverse as America, Japan and Scotland. Alongside the extensive Triumph
“The BMCT has provided the LMM with £500,000 worth of funding ... It would be very difficult for us to keep the museum running without their help”
collection, enthusiasts will find classic specimens from Norton, BSA, AJS, Matchless, Royal Enfield and Velocette. An exquisite and very rare specimen, a 1939 Sunbeam (pictured left) – marketed as the ‘gentleman’s motor bicycle’ – is thought by its owner, the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust, to be possibly one of only two roadworthy examples left. This Sunbeam – a B24 Sports model – won ‘bike of the show’ at the massive Ally Pally Motorcycle Show in north London in 2009. The museum’s founder and lifelong biking fanatic, Bill Crosby, has been collecting and storing his bikes since the 1960s, with the intention of displaying them for the public’s interest. Crosby’s determination has never wavered, even as he struggled to bring his precious collection to a wider community of two-wheel enthusiasts. The initial problem was a straightforward one. Crosby talks of the enduring frustrations of his long quest to find enough room of the right type
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to display the ever-growing collection of Triumphs and other prized bikes. “We thought we had found the ideal space at Matlock Bath in Derbyshire,” Crosby explains. The setting seemed ideal as the village is a popular destination for bikers, out to enjoy the Peak District’s challenging roads. “The problem was that some of them were left open to the elements and the bikes began to rust,” he says. “We thought we might have to abandon the whole project!” Crosby has run his own business, the motorbike shop, Reg Allen (London), in Hanwell since 1960, and it was here where he would find his answer. “We searched everywhere for a space to display the bikes, but ran into problem after problem,” he says. “It was one day when I was in my shop that the solution arrived. This was ‘97 and the council had sent someone to cut a tree down outside my shop. The chap who was doing it mentioned a spot in Ealing, which might be just the place.” The spot in question was at Ravenor Farm, an old council depot that had previously been used as farmland, back in the 1920s. The premises turned out to be ideal. It was easily accessible by public transport and close to main roads, but it also didn’t suffer from being too cramped in a town centre location. The initial scepticism from residents in the area regarding the potential impact of the museum was an issue that took some time to resolve, but after discussion and negotiation, the museum was finally commissioned. It is now widely regarded as one of the borough’s fine attractions and a local asset. In recognition of the museum’s popularity, Ealing Council has given its full support to the project, agreeing in 2009 to extend the lease on the premises for 25 years, enabling Crosby to look to future expansion. Plans to extend the museum are ongoing. Crosby has ideas and plans to renovate the outside buildings, formerly old stables, which had later been used to store tractors. “One achievable ambition is to open a cafe/restaurant area,” he explains. Crosby grins, clearly relishing the prospect of the museum becoming a place of pilgrimage for groups of bikers from near and far.
Opposite left: The 1939 Sunbeam is thought to be only one of two working models left. Opposite right: Bikers start young.
Also in place are plans for a further 200 bikes to be added to the collection, which will include reaching out to the overseas market. Crosby is unashamedly patriotic about British bikes, but accepts that extending the collection to incorporate bikes manufactured overseas – in Japan, Italy, Germany and the USA – could result in increasing the already impressive number of annual visitors to this niche museum. Besides, there’s already a Harley Davidson among the museum’s exhibits. Funding is available to the London Motorcycle Museum through its partnership with the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust (BMCT), which works in partnership to keep this, and several other UK motorbike exhibits and museums, running. The primary aim of the trust is to uphold the heritage and history of British motorcycling, and to support this, issue three/spring ‘12
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London Motorcycle Museum Ravenor Farm Oldfield Lane South Greenford UB6 9LD 0208 575 6644 thelmm@hotmail.com london-motorcycle-museum.org Open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, from 10am to 4.30pm
“I’ve been around motorbikes all my life, so I live and breathe them” BMCT organises events throughout the year to generate funding that goes towards the preservation and maintenance of bikes in the museums it supports around the country. “There is a certain amount of reliance on membership to keep the trust running,” says Crosby. “The BMCT has provided the LMM with £500,000 worth of funding through the annual events they organise. It would be very difficult for us to keep the museum running without their help.” With a whole room reserved for Crosby’s biggest passion, the collection of iconic Triumph bikes is spectacular –
and it even includes one of the earliest prototypes from 1909. Leather-jacketed, goatee stroking types have spent many an hour marvelling over this example. Other areas are reserved for police bikes and marques such as BSA, Norton, Coventry Eagle and Rudge. The museum runs on the basis of volunteer support, with two-wheel aficionados freely giving their time to keep it running and also to help refurbish spaces such as the barn, to house further expansion of the collection. Supporters who don’t have the time to help out can chip in by sponsoring individual bikes – or even a building.
When Ealing in London visited, the museum was bustling. Retired friends of Crosby busied themselves, looking to pitch in wherever possible. The ambition is to generate enough funding to employ a curator, in addition to involving enough volunteers to keep the museum open seven days a week. Several members of Crosby’s family are actively involved, with his wife, Philippa, greeting visitors and keeping charge of the accounting. The Crosby sons – Sam, James, Mark and Gary – also help out. “I’ve been around motorbikes all my life, so I live and breathe them,” says Sam. It appears there’s nowhere else he would rather be as he proudly demonstrates the substantial range of treasured specimens on show.
Green fo rd Redevelopment
Former GlaxoS mit hKline S it e •
Closed in 2009, the former GlaxoSmithKline site in Greenford was vacant until 2011.
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Purchased by SGL – a company dedicated to the regeneration of the site.
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A redevelopment proposal will be submitted for consideration during 2012.
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A sustainable mixed-use site - comprising residential, retail, leisure and the retention of employment.
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A key opportunity to re-use existing HQ buildings on the northern part of the site. Greenford Square has a website at www.greenfordsquare.co.uk
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Excellent transport links to London, the South East of England and beyond.
Key P artners
SGL has assembled a high quality team including: •
Iceni Projects - planning and consultation for the project. Please contact them with any queries: info@iceniprojects.com
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XLB Property - marketing and management of the site and website: www.greenfordsquare.co.uk
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BFLS - architects and master planners for the site
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Planit - landscape architects for the project
The project team is working closely with Ealing Council and local stakeholders to deliver the proposals. There will be a full programme of community consultation and engagement. A consultation website will be available soon at: www.greenfordredevelopment.com
DIckenS YarD wIll create an excItInG urban quarter In the heart of ealInG, combInInG hIStorIc buIlDInGS wIth cuttInG-eDGe DeSIGn
St GeorGe InveStInG In ealInG The heart of Ealing is undergoing a major change with the Dickens Yard development now under construction and set to breathe life into the surrounding area. The Developer, St George West London Ltd aims to create a vibrant new urban quarter and will link three of Ealing’s Victorian gems the Town Hall, the Old Fire Station and the Parish Church of Christ the Saviour - with traffic-free streets lined with boutique shops and cafés. Surrounded by historic landmark buildings, Dickens Yard is a unique development that blends heritage with sophistication to create an exciting new destination. 698 luxury apartments and penthouses will provide stunning homes, ideally located for Ealing Town Centre and for easy access into Central London. Each home will look out across delightfully landscaped private gardens or pedestrian boulevards, which will link three public piazzas. These will play host to lively markets, street theatre and jazz events and will be lined with cafés restaurants and boutique shops, to create a bustling new destination for Ealing. St George are setting new levels of expectations in modern living at Dickens Yard. On-site amenities such as hotel style concierge management, underground parking and a private residents’ spa, are all designed to complement the urban lifestyle. The Dickens Yard Spa will include a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms and gymnasium all just moments from the resident’s front doors.
for more InformatIon pleaSe call: 020 8568 1100 www.DIckenS-YarD.co.uk
Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies
Advertising feature
Ian Dobie, Managing Director of St George West London commented
“We recognise the need to cater for our customers’ busy lifestyles and to provide cutting edge facilities for residents to enjoy. The Spa is the perfect way for those living at Dickens Yard to unwind; the concept of hotel style living is fully realised here providing a truly five star lifestyle. The addition of ‘The Spa’ will really add a touch of elegance and sophistication to Dickens Yard.” Computer generated images of Dickens Yard are indicative only.
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premises Business world: Park Royal companies major in food and drink; other sectors are drawn by the stability offered by long leases and transport connections.
Park Royal Spanning an expanse of Ealing and two other boroughs, it’s the largest industrial estate in Europe. David Blackman finds out why businesses want to be in Park Royal London has many claims to fame as a world city. But containing Europe’s biggest industrial estate is not one of those most shouted about. Park Royal spans Ealing and the neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Hammersmith and Fulham. The estate, which covers around 500 hectares of prime property in the north-west of the capital, owes its name to its use around the turn of the last century as a showground for the Royal Agricultural Society. However the construction of the Western Avenue meant that during the 1930s, while the UK’s traditional manufacturing heartlands were suffering, west London became the hub of a new industrial revolution.
And Park Royal’s location, at the crossroads of several major trunk roads, remains key. Western Avenue, which runs along the estate’s southern boundary, is now more commonly known as the A40. The elevated Westway section into central London may have been controversial when it was built during the 1960s, but for Park Royal’s occupiers it is a boon, meaning that the city centre is only a 15 to 20 minute drive away. In the other direction, the road turns into the M40, offering motorway access to the Chilterns and the south midlands beyond. And a short drive along either direction of the North Circular Road provides a direct route to the M1, M4 and all points north and west.
ealing in london Mike Cummings, regional director of Park Royal’s biggest landlord SEGRO, says the area’s strong transport links help to explain its appeal for the food and drink industries – the second largest and fastest growing manufacturing sector in London. Approximately 70% of manufacturing jobs at Park Royal are associated with food. As well as hosting the headquarters of international drinks giant Diageo, much of the produce sold at Waitrose is processed on the estate. “If people deliver into central London, they want to be in Park Royal because they can be there quickly,” says Cummings. Park Royal is well served by trunk routes, exempt from heavy goods vehicle restrictions on the capital’s road network, making it attractive for logistics companies seeking to get goods into central London. Six underground stations ring the Park Royal estate, so workers are in walking distance of three separate tube lines. Rail links will receive a further boost later this decade with Crossrail at Acton Main Line station. Great public transport links and its urban location mean that unlike many of its out-of-town competitors, Park Royal has a large labour supply on tap. “Park Royal is surrounded by chimney pots,” notes Cummings. Thirty per cent of the workforce in its catchment area are graduates, while the proportion of local 16-yearolds who decide to remain in education is higher than the London and UK averages. This is the kind of labour force that appeals to the film and TV companies, like recording studio The Soundhouse, which have clustered on Park Royal. Karim Virani, director of Park Royal landlord Cygnet Properties, adds that there are plenty of benefits to being located close to such a wide mix of other businesses. He says: “We are in the largest business estate in Europe. With so much going on around whether you are dealing B2B or B2C, whether you are a catering company or a travel agency, there are benefits to being close to other companies and markets.” issue three/spring ‘12
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Hallmark Property Group
Investing in London Borough of Ealing
46 Great Marlborough Street : London : W1F 7JW Phone : 020 7494 9000 : Fax : 020 7479 4944 Email : dyar@hallmarkestates.com
ealing in london
International drinks giant, Diageo, home of premium brands, is one of Park Royals’ largest employers.
“We are within five minutes of the M40, the M4 and the M1 ... it takes us 15 to 20 minutes to get into the West End”
OCCUPIER CASE STUDY – UNITRUST A humble brick building on Park Royal is a nerve centre for an operation that provides security for high end companies and individuals throughout the capital. Unitrust, which has been based at the business park for nearly a quarter of a century, looks after a range of corporate buildings and headquarters as well as foreign embassies. The company also provides what managing director Paul Griffin refers to as “close protection work for high value individuals”, in other words, bodyguards. Unitrust has been in Park Royal since 1989. The company bought a two-storey brick building just down the road from the famous biker’s hangout The Ace Cafe. “The building was good value for money and Park Royal provides decent amenities,” notes Griffin. But the underlying attraction for Unitrust is the lavish parking provision and its accessibility to the rest of London. Griffin says: “We are within five
minutes of the M40, the M4 and the M1. The North Circular is on our doorstep and it takes us 15 to 20 minutes to get into the West End.” Around 18 employees are permanently based at the Park Royal office, which houses its control room. But the vast majority of around 160 staff are out at locations where the company provides security. Many are working on a ‘lone man’ basis, looking after buildings or clients on their own. Sometimes, an emergency will happen and they will need help fast. The issue can be dramatic – or as prosaic as a water leak, he says. “The guard can contact the control room and get help to deal with a problem so that the client does not come into a disaster.” But the company’s Park Royal location means that Unitrust is able to guarantee back-up for its guards within the hour, wherever they are located inside the M25. “We are able to respond almost instantaneously,” says Griffin, “It enables us to provide support both to the clients and the staff.” issue three/spring ‘12
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OCCUPIER CASE STUDY – THE SOUNDHOUSE For Phil Horne, managing director of The Soundhouse, it was a massive headache when he found out that his Goldhawk Road recording studios were being redeveloped for housing. One of London’s busiest recording and post-production facilities, The Soundhouse had invested heavily in soundproofing its existing building. But at the end of 2011, The Soundhouse signed a 20-year lease on a 680sq m unit belonging to Park Royal’s biggest landlord, SEGRO. For Horne, the estate’s proximity to North Acton station on the Central line was a big selling point, given the Sohocentred nature of the media industry. The Soundhouse specialises in speech
recording so needs to be accessible to actors and the West End’s theatre land. “Somebody will be able to get on the tube at Oxford Circus and get here in 18 minutes,” Horne says. Being on the A40 is a bonus because many of the firm’s clients are in Oxford and Reading. For similar reasons, many media companies have located on Park Royal. “We’re in our comfort zone,” he says. Local facilities check out too, thinks Horne, who has a soft spot for the decent pub nearby and the local tube station’s lovingly tended flower beds. “The local area is well appointed with amenities such as restaurants, hotels and banks – we have all we need on our doorstep and Westfield,
a couple of stops away on the Central line,” he says. Given the investment The Soundhouse had to plough into soundproofing its new studio, security of tenure may have loomed larger in Horne’s thinking than other factors, when he was weighing up where to relocate. “We wanted to be in a location where we would not be caught up in redevelopment, we didn’t want that to happen again,” he says. “Park Royal is a big industrial area and you are always likely to have a place like this, otherwise there would be no employment, so we are a bit more secure here. We are going to be very happy here, I think.”
We carry out the following works: • Road building • Highway maintenance • Hard landscaping • Car park construction • Drainage • Transport and highway construction • Structures • Emergency works • Works management • Winter salting and snow clearing
MURRILL CONSTRUCTION LTD. Civil Engineering & Highway Maintenance Contractor
Murrill Construction Limited Greenford Depot Greenford Road, Greenford Middlesex, UB6 9AP Tel: U K 020 8578 4275 Fax: U K 020 8578 4286 Email: info@murrill.co.uk Visit out website at: www.murrill.co.uk Murrill Construction Limited are providing a wide range of civil engineering, street scene regeneration and highway maintenance works to Ealing Council and other Clients.
Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College
Development and Regeneration Something we do every day. If you are an employer we’d like you to join us. Curriculum design Work placements Mentoring West London Student Trust charity fundraisers “We are delighted with the training courses, the assessor is flexible and reliable and really understands the needs of our business.” Southgrove Ltd Contact us today about our bespoke training courses: cic@wlc.ac.uk
712R
wlc.ac.uk
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West is east
Southall, reputed to be one of the largest Asian markets outside the subcontinent, is established as one of London’s most distinct and characterful town centres. And with £7 million in public funding announced in January, improvements are coming soon. Nirpal Dhaliwal reports
Southall is unique. Nowhere else in the world offers the bustle, energy, vibrancy and variety of the Indian subcontinent outside of India. It’s somewhere that offers all the dynamism of that country without the inconvenience of cows and crowds holding things up. Since the 1950s, the character of the town has been transformed from a typically English suburb into something much more vibrant, as people arrived to seek their fortunes, bringing their own cultures, aspirations and the will to succeed. Southall is home to the largest community of Sikhs in Britain, who came from the north Indian region of the Punjab. They shape its character, with numerous restaurants selling Punjabi cuisine, as well as shops selling their style of jewellery, fashion issue three/spring ‘12
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and music. There are ten gurdwaras, Sikh temples of worship, in Southall, including the magnificent Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha on Havelock Road. The largest in Europe, it cost over £17 million to build – raised entirely through private donations – and reflects British traditions with its stained-glass windows. In addition, there are many Hindu temples and several mosques. Coming from a self-sufficient farming background, Punjabis have brought a spirit of enterprise and adaptability, which is apparent in the range of businesses found in the area. The most high-profile is probably Sunrise Radio, headquartered in the large, purposebuilt Sunrise House. A former pirate radio station founded by the present chairman, Avtar Lit, it has grown, since its legalisation in the mid-1980s, into a group that includes several radio and
television stations catering to Asians throughout the UK and Europe. Businesses in Southall’s town centre face challenges in the present climate. Banwait Bros, a family jewellery and fashion store, has been operating since 1968. Its director, Raj Banwait, noticed a distinct shift in 2011. “The recession didn’t really affect Southall till then,” he says. “Asians are known for saving money and having money to spend, but last year we noticed how much more careful our customers were being. They’re not spending money on treats anymore. They’re looking to get something in particular, like bridal wear or a suit for an occasion.” The entrepreneurial nature of the town means that small businesses are always emerging to provide competition. “There are a lot of mini-markets here, so we have to be price conscious. Their
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“ They come to Southall to shop for special occasions ... The average amount spent here on a jewellery set for a wedding is £20,000”
Two of Southall’s successful businesses: Noon Foods (left) and Sunrise Radio.
pricing is so low,” says Banwait. “But we concentrate on quality products.” Creativity plays a crucial role in giving Banwait’s business an edge. “We go directly to the manufacturer in India and get them to make products in our own colours and designs,” he says. “We know what our customers want from what they ask for. We also do made-to-measure bridal and evening wear. Customers are always telling us what they want.” Though Southall caters to the needs of British Indians, Banwait thinks the Asian culture of haggling may intimidate outsiders who come to the town: “People are always bargaining in India, but here customers prefer fixed prices. That’s what we do,” he says. Though he sees a bright future for Southall with the coming of infrastructure projects like Crossrail, connecting the town to the centre of the city, he thinks Southall could make more of its opportunities, compared to other areas in the capital. “Southall isn’t marketed properly,” Banwait says. “Brick Lane has popularity from being close to the City. Southall needs to be promoted more.” Biljinder Thakhar is owner of Rita’s Restaurant and president of the Southall Trader’s Association. “There is not enough parking in Southall,” he says. “Asians love their cars. And they come to Southall to do their shopping for special occasions, to book weddings, caterers, get clothes and jewellery. The average amount spent here on a jewellery set for a wedding is £20,000. People spend hundreds of pounds on clothes, they want to be able to take it away by car.” Good news then, of Ealing Council’s January announcement of almost £7 million of investment for Southall. The London Mayor’s regeneration fund will contribute £4.35 million, with TfL’s local implementation plan and council funding bringing the total to £6.86 million. issue three/spring ‘12
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The programme aims to improve public realm in the town centre and tackle its acknowledged traffic problems, as well as regenerating the area and creating jobs and training opportunities. The council’s cabinet has already approved the Southall Broadway urban realm project. The three-year, £4.5 million initiative will improve the appearance and safety of Southall Broadway. Plans include improving traffic flow along the Uxbridge Road corridor, creating a safer environment for pedestrians by widening pavements, with improved loading and parking bays along the main road. Southall will also benefit significantly from improved transport links, with its own Crossrail station. When the 74-mile, east-west line is operating in 2018, Southall will be easily accessible from the City, the West End and Canary Wharf, plus towns such as Slough and Maidenhead to the west. Southall’s market will then be open to a much greater population, who may be drawn to sample its famous curries – and find a lot more on offer. Baron Gulam Noon, a life peer since 2011, has witnessed Southall’s changes during his decades there. Lord Noon is proud to say: “I have been in Southall for 42 years with my businesses.” He founded Noon Products, one of the town’s most successful businesses and an important local employer with 1,200 employees. Manufacturing over 500 varieties of ready meals, the company enjoys huge success in bringing Indian food into British households. Despite the current economic slowdown Lord Noon insists that Southall remains a vibrant community with strong consumer demand. “The Asians have
West meets East: Victorian terrace with a colourful makeover.
settled down and are successful, and the new communities from Africa and elsewhere are settling too,” he says. “It’s very harmonious.” Gurmail Dokal is a third-generation Southall dweller whose family run the Dokal and Sons superstore. “Five or six years ago, people came to Southall from all over Europe,” says Dokal. “People came in coaches from Germany and the Netherlands to visit and shop here. Southall needs to be developed into a premier tourist destination, every shop here is unique. When we have our festivals – like Diwali, Vaisakhi and Eid – a lot of businesses would be willing to put their money into promoting it.” Dokal agrees that measures to improve parking are necessary, along with a campaign to market the area, as he sees some businesses moving on. “I’m fully invested in Southall. I live here. My grandad came here in the 1950s with fifty pounds, and our business has been here since 1969,” he says. “I want Southall to thrive and I want to see businesses here thrive, employing the local people, so that the community thrives too.” A town built by pioneers from the Indian sub-continent, Southall is a bustling hub of commerce and enterprising spirit, facing the challenge of fulfilling its yet untapped potential.
Southall traders parking concern Action
£6.85 million investment from the Mayor of London’s regeneration fund, Transport for London’s local implementation plan (LIP) and Ealing Council funding Southall Broadway urban realm project, the three-year, £4.5 million initiative to improve the appearance and safety of the streets: • Improving traffic flow along Uxbridge Road corridor • Wider pavements for pedestrian safety • Improved loading and parking bays along the main road The council has committed £5.5 million for a new car park off Southall Broadway, with a temporary measure in place since 2011. “ It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to secure this funding and can now start to deliver some of our ambitious plans for the regeneration of Southall.” Councillor Julian Bell Leader of Ealing Council
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Community Renewal: reshaping and revitalising whole communities
By focusing on the people who make up a community we believe that we can better deliver the buildings and environment that will ensure they thrive and progress. For example, we know that the right housing mix with good schools, services and employment opportunities, together create the central pillar of stable, prosperous and safe communities where everyone gets a good start in life. Providing this is what we call ‘Community Renewal’. Over the years we have become one of the leading construction and regenerational specialists delivering community focused projects within the London area. We are currently engaged in schemes in the London Boroughs of Islington, Sutton, Lewisham and Ealing; here we are working with our partners, A2Dominion and architects, Conran & Partners, on an exciting community renewal plan for the Green Man Lane estate.
Green Man Lane CGI Green Man Lane CGI
For further information please contact Tom Rigby on 01342 825151
Follow us on Twitter
Rydon House, Station Road, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5DW
@RydonGroup
www.rydon.co.uk
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sustainable transport
London’s popular Barclays bike hire scheme doesn’t benefit all boroughs. But in Ealing, the council’s innovative partnership with Brompton Bicycles will deliver the practical – and stylish – alternative, writes Lucy Purdy
Freedom unfolding As Great Britain’s two-wheeled champions gear up in hope of Olympic victory this summer, Ealing has raced to the forefront of London’s cycling renaissance by joining forces with the UK’s largest bike builder in two innovative projects. With more and more people enjoying the benefits of getting out on their bikes, Ealing Council has announced a timely link-up with Brompton Bicycle – the company behind the revolutionary and distinctive folding small-wheeler. Staff have already been using the speedy, agile and elegant machines to travel to meetings and in April 2012 a unique hire scheme will be launched at Haven Green. This initiative is designed to unlock the convenience of “joinedup travel” as well as having significant health, environmental and congestionbusting benefits. Situated a stone’s throw from bustling Ealing Broadway station, a cycling hub will house 20 Brompton bikes, which will be available to hire by members of the public for as little as £2 per day. As well as being arguably more stylish than the ‘Boris bikes’ of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, portability is perhaps the project’s biggest attraction, as it gives users the freedom of a Brompton bike whenever they need it, accessed by the simple swipe of an electronic smartcard. Commuters will no longer have to lug around heavy locks or worry about storing their bikes because Bromptons can be folded and stashed virtually anywhere, even under the desk.
Whether people want to continue their journey by train or leave the bike in their office or car boot, they now can. Ealing’s Brompton hub will fit neatly into just half a car parking space. Alongside this the existing taxi rank will be refurbished and 150 new cycle parking spaces will be created in a new, pleasant and safe transport centre. Brompton managing director, Will Butler-Adams, oversees the production of the finely-tuned bikes in Brentford, next to Ealing in the neighbouring borough of Hounslow. Butler-Adams says the project encapsulates his company’s founding principles of independence and freedom. “We have one bike which effectively fits all, whether you’re 6ft 4in, like me, or much smaller,” he explains. “People think they can’t ride a bike because they have to take the train or just don’t have space in their flat. Others don’t like riding in the dark or worry about getting a puncture and getting stranded, but none of this matters because the Brompton is so flexible. “You can fold it to get on to the train or simply jump into a cab if the weather’s bad. Cycling for the masses has to be convenient and has to be fun.” Butler-Adams’ first foray into the world of cycling was “mucking about” on his Claud Butler mountain bike while studying mechanical engineering at Newcastle University. He believes many have simply fallen out of the habit. “So many people have forgotten
ealing in london
“ Cycling for the masses has to be convenient and has to be fun”
what it’s like when you’re 15 and feel like the coolest kid because you have a new bike,” he enthuses. “Whether you’re 15, 35 or 55, that sense of freedom is the same.” Butler-Adams readily admits he has never been a “hardcore” cycling enthusiast but believes it is people just like him who will jump to take part in the Ealing scheme. “Most people who ride Brompton bikes just want to do a bit more exercise and are sick of having people’s armpits in their faces on the tube,” he says. Butler-Adams also praises Ealing for being “ballsy” enough to take on such an innovative scheme, which sustainability co-ordinator Joanne Mortensen says was an obvious move. “There is huge demand for cycling in Ealing and, knowing we weren’t likely to benefit from the Barclays scheme, we looked for an alternative,” Mortensen explains. “This ticked a lot of boxes because it is sustainable, the bikes are produced locally and it offers tremendous flexibility. Cycling is great for tackling congestion and air pollution and gets people out exercising in the fresh air, also benefitting their mental health.” And these are philosophies which Ealing has already adopted even closer to home. Since August, council staff have had access to nine Brompton bikes, which they can hire to travel to meetings or site visits. The scheme is very popular, particularly with members of the planning, highways and parks departments. School travel advisor Maree O’Neill snapped up the offer immediately. “I had to use a car or bus to travel to schools but the Brompton is a lot quicker,” she said. “I can fold it up and take it in with me so I don’t have to park. Kids are always very interested to see how the bike folds up.” Nick O’Donnell, Ealing’s assistant director of strategic transport, says, “The feedback from our cycling groups has been positive and the changes at Haven Green will improve things for pedestrians and drivers too. “We are trialling the Brompton scheme for six months but we are already looking at other potential sites where we could roll this out.” issue three/spring ‘12
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Hotels
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS More and more hotels are opening up in Ealing, the west London borough that is bigger than cities such as Cardiff or Belfast. Why do hotel developers have so much faith in Ealing? Why do business travellers and tourists prefer this cool alternative to the capital’s standard destinations? Charlotte Goodworth reports
ealing in london
Ealing acts more like a city than a borough. With the third largest population in London, it incorporates seven town centres. It is home to part of the largest industrial estate in Europe, Park Royal, and already offers superb transport links including nine national rail stations, as well as being just 10 minutes from Paddington and 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport. Ealing is also a popular base for tourists demanding easy access to the major sights, while benefiting from eight square kilometres of parks and open spaces, as well as its leafy streets made famous by films such as About A Boy and Love Actually. Such a well connected, bustling commercial hub and attractive leisure destination requires a supply of hotel rooms, as not everyone wants the hustle of the West End. With the launch of Crossrail in 2018 set to bring even more people to its doorstep, Ealing’s supply is rising to meet the demand. The large hotel chains, such as Premier Inn, Crowne Plaza, Ramada, Holiday Inn and Travelodge all have at least one hotel here if not multiple locations, with even more in the pipeline.
A Travelodge spokesperson explains why the company launched a hotel here just a year ago: “Ealing is a key location for Travelodge in London and since our hotel opened in March 2011, it has brought in almost £1.5 million to the local economy. As the biggest hotelier in the capital, it is vital that we have locations that appeal to both business customers and tourists, which is exactly what Ealing provides. The excellent transport links mean that our customers can easily get to central London for meetings or to visit shops and attractions. The added bonus compared to some other areas of London is easy access to the Thames Valley, with places of interest like Windsor and Henley-on-Thames, as well as the large business parks in Slough and Reading.” Derek Griffin, head of acquisitions for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants in London, which owns Premier Inn, explains why this is such a key area for its hotel brand: “Ealing is an important location. It’s got all of the dynamics we look for – it’s well connected, with a strong underlying economy, has business and night-time economies
Opposite: Frogmore’s distinctive hotel at the Westel development. Below: Premier Inn and Redwire’s development is five minutes from Ealing Broadway.
issue three/spring ‘12
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Hotels
Hotel 55, Ealing’s chic boutique hotel offers guests bespoke accommodation in landscaped gardens.
“ Ealing is an important location. It’s got all of the dynamics we look for – it’s well connected, with a strong underlying economy” too and, overall, brings all of the things we need. “We also find the local authority supportive of growth and inward investment – and that’s important when you’re looking at strategic planning and investment decisions,” adds Griffin. “It’s definitely a growth borough for us.” Premier Inn is due to open a 165-bedroom hotel, alongside the new Redwire Data Centre on the Uxbridge Road. Camran Mirza, CEO of Redwire Data Centres, says: “As long-standing residents of Ealing, we realised many years ago the desperate requirement for a good quality hotel here. Whitbread Plc (Premier Inn) jointly applied for planning permission with us, as it was an ideal spot, just a five-minute walk to Ealing Broadway underground station, offering a pool of people that would easily fill up
the hotel. We were the first hotel to get planning permission in the borough; since then others have sprung up as demand is great.” Saira Mirza, director of Redwire Data Centres, thinks the local authority has been vital in pushing the project through: “Without the support from the council’s regeneration department we would have had more obstacles,” she says. “While the aim is to service the local business community, Premier Inn was also very keen to be up and running before the Olympics begin. “With the regeneration of Ealing – particularly the Arcadia and Dickens Yard developments – and the arrival of Crossrail, more people will be coming here and there will always be a hotel requirement like this,” she says. Another new hotel is proposed for the development of the old Westel House
site, also on Uxbridge Road. Frogmore has been granted planning permission to build a nine-storey, four-star hotel and residential development. Jo Allen, Frogmore’s director of operations, development and asset management, explains the wider benefits new hotels will bring to Ealing: “The incorporation of the hotel into our predominantly residential scheme, The Apex, was to fulfil the local authority’s requirement for commercial space fronting Uxbridge Road and the employment prospects this brings.” Independent hotels are also thriving, such as the refurbished Drayton Court and the stylish Hotel 55. Ealing is well prepared to accommodate its business and leisure visitors. And in the Olympic year, it’s the perfect destination to avoid the crush, both in the West End and out east.
Redwire Data Centres Ltd is proud to be developing the former Ealing Council Building Regulations office site on the Uxbridge Road by working with its development partner Mace Ltd, Hurley Palmer Flatt Ltd, Matthew Allchurch Architects and Christopher Smith Associates LLP who are acting as the Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor to provide a leading data centre co-location storage facility and a 165-bed Premier Inn hotel. Mace Ltd are now coming towards the end of completion with Premier Inn due to take occupation of the Hotel in April 2012. The data centre facility will enable the provision of 1615W/m² of Technical space to a design load density of 1700W/m² and at a resilience of Tier III standards, with 5 MVA of power. The facility is carrier neutral with multiple fibre optic providers. The sleek modern facade of the hotel and data centre will further enhance the newly vamped image of Ealing town centre. Redwire Data Centres worked closely with Ealing Council to deliver the scheme, which is well located to support Ealing’s flourishing economy as one of Europe’s largest industry hubs. The founder of Redwire DC Ltd is looking to strengthen the relationship further within the Borough through his involvement in a variety of other industrial and residential schemes in the area.
22 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, London, W5 2RJ T 0800 376 5030 E enquiries@redwiredc.com www.redwiredc.com
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Ealing in London partners group Joining together to support Ealing
Altair Chris Wood chris.wood@altairltd.co.uk Powerday Mark Bensted mark.bensted@powerday.co.uk Sitematch London Katie Rutherford katie@3foxinternational.com Tesco Tony Fletcher tony.fletcher@uk.tesco.com Thames Valley Housing Guy Burnett guy_burnett@tvha.co.uk 3Fox International Paul Gussar paul@3foxinternational.com
For more information about these companies, visit www.ealinginlondonmagazine.com/links
issue three/spring ‘12
Investing in Ealing’s future How will you be able to exploit TIF and business rate retention?
The A2Dominion Group is one of the country’s leading providers of high quality housing, with over 34,000 homes across London and southern England and thousands more in development.
How can you leverage localism to fund your developments?
The Group offers a wide range of housing options including affordable rented, temporary, student, key worker and care and support accommodation and services. We are also developing a large number of properties for outright sale and shared ownership through A2Dominion New Homes. In Ealing we have over 3,500 homes in management and employ 300 staff in the borough.
How can you best tap into private finance sources?
We are investing more than £100m in Ealing over the next five years to provide over 800 new homes, including the Green Man Lane regeneration project.
Find out more at www.a2dominion.co.uk. issue 2 2011
The answers to these and many other questions of funding and finance are at
SocInvest 12 Church House conference centre, 26 june 2012 n
n www.socinvest.co.uk
The regeneration magazine of the London borough of Ealing/issue 03/spring ‘12 EALING IN LONDON
LONDON
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gambit: REmade in ealing Ealing: where creative industries thrive
- 5 new Crossrail stations - 18 minutes to the City - 8 miles from Heathrow - Over 100 major development sites - 7 town centres
www.ealinginlondon.com
issue 3 2012
- 13,000 businesses