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PCA Newsletter 25 - December 2007 |
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Streets
for People Consultation – A Mixed Bag
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As most PCA members will know by now, Ealing Council
have finally launched their public consultation on
the Pitshanger Lane Streets for People scheme. A
questionnaire form and explanatory leaflet were
posted on 30th November to nearly all homes and
shops in the Pitshanger area. Here’s what the PCA
Committee thinks of it.
The Good Points: The Council’s consultants
have acted on some of the recommendations made in
the PCA Streets for People consultation document. In
particular, the depth of the |
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new partly-inset parking bays has been
reduced from 1.5m to just over 1m, there are options
for minimizing the loss of existing trees, and any
trees lost will be replaced nearby with semi-mature
specimens. Safety enhancements for walking routes to
North EalingPrimary School that were absent from the
outline proposals have now been added, and the
Council have promised to monitor traffic speed and
volume before and after the scheme is implemented,
to make sure there are no unfavourable consequences.
The Neutral Points: We’re not going to get
the 20mph zone that was such a popular option in the
PCA Consultation, at least not as part of the
Streets for People scheme. But the PCA Committee is
already in discussion with Ealing Council about a
follow-on 20mph zone to be implemented in 2008/09,
which we accept as good enough given that the 20mph
zone was never part of the Council’s original
Streets for People proposals. The
Bad Points: It’s now five months since we
delivered the PCA Streets for People consultation
document – over 50 pages of thoroughly documented
research with a wealth of useful comments. We
steered away from offering detailed design proposals
of our own, assuming that the Council’s consultants
would apply their own expertise to the specific
problems of the Pitshanger Lane area. But the
Council’s consultation document lacks real local
insight and detail. For instance, how are deliveries
supposed to be made to the Co-op/Post Office and
neighbouring businesses? Where is the pavement
design to support the development of ‘café culture’?
And why aren’t unpopular street installations being
cleared away? We will be asking these questions and
more as part of the PCA’s formal response to Ealing
Council. So what should we do about it?
The PCA Committee believes that the Pitshanger Lane
Streets for People scheme, which started life as
Borderline Acceptable, is now Reasonable and is
capable of improvement to Good or Very Good.
Therefore, the PCA recommends a vote in
favour of the scheme overall. The parking bays,
loading bays, raised junctions and double yellow
lines are all OK in principle, and members should
vote according to their own preference for the
balance between parking spaces and trees. However,
there remains the problem of important details
missing from the Council’s proposals. Here, the PCA
will be pressing strongly for further involvement in
fine tuning the scheme once it has been approved in
principle by Ealing Council. PCA members may, if
they wish, add this recommendation themselves, and
we would encourage everyone to add their own
comments and suggestions when returning the
questionnaire form. Streets for People
resources on the PCA web site are all accessible
from a single page
here, including downloadable versions of the
Council consultation documents and the PCA
consultation report first published in July. |
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Avenue
to Success
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‘Tennis Avenue Academy’ has recently taken over
management of the tennis courts and lodge in the park. The
courts will remain open for ‘Pay & Play’ use, but as from
January a very serious and extensive coaching programme will be
in place. Spokesman Hareen Wasantha says that the company’s
objective is to make high performance ‘elite’ training available
and accessible to all at community level, and states, “we are
aiming to produce champions, right here in Pitshanger Park!”.
He’s looking to meet children with a love for tennis and good
hand-eye co-ordination: get more information at
www.TennisAvenue.co.uk. The company is
completely refurbishing the lodge with new paint, laminated
flooring, a lounge area, gym and treatment room. You’ll be able
to see the results at their official Opening Day on Saturday 5th
January, when Hareen promises “lots of fun, games, prizes, and
free food and drink for all the family”. |
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Recycling
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Many of you will already know that Ealing Council
now collects plastics on your normal bin day, and
garden refuse on a weekly basis. You should flatten
and bag plastics separately, but don’t put out any
large items such as garden chairs. Plastics are
collected separately to your other recycling so
don’t get the grumps as your editor did when he
thought his efforts to save the planet were being
ignored by the collectors. You can get a second
green box to keep plastics separate from other
recycled materials such as newspapers, cans, tins,
bottles, batteries,
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textiles and cardboard – contact
Ealing Council customer services on (020) 8825 6000
or email via
www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling and you will receive
one within 3 days. The bio-degradable pink
plastic bags used for garden waste will soon be
replaced with reusable heavy duty bags - deliveries
of these will start soon if you haven't already
received them. |
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Council
Corner
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Apart from Streets for People, there are two other
items of Council business that may be of interest to PCA
members. The first relates to the toilets in Pitshanger Park.
The October edition of the Newsletter asked for opinions on
whether the toilets should be opened during daylight hours next
summer. The voting amounted to 12 in favour and none against.
Not a huge postbag, but Councillors were persuaded that the PCA
poll would have flushed out any significant opposition, so the
opening should go ahead next summer. The PCA expects to meet
Council Officers in the park soon to discuss the toilets and
other issues such as the section of path nearly undercut by the
river. The Council is also reviewing its Controlled Parking Zone
policy, something the PCA will be contributing to with the aim
of halting the displacement of any more cars into this area. |
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Snow
Business Like Show Business
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It was the look on their faces! Local dignitaries,
including the Mayor and MP Steve Pound, seemed to
shed years of life experience to recapture the magic
of childhood as they stood on the edge of the main
stage, fireworks bursting overhead, with a fine mist
of snow gently falling through the lights before
settling on Pitshanger Lane. This was the promised
10th anniversary surprise at this year’s Light Up
The Lane; a couple of snow machines were hidden
behind the stage, and Lighting Director Andrew
Dixon’s estimates of wind direction and where to
position his lights for best effect were spot on.
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An estimated 5000 people turned out on
a decent evening to stroll the Lane and take in the
comestibles and entertainments on offer. The Buick
Hill Band performed as well as ever on the Duffy’s
Music stage despite guitarist Chris Hill’s fingers
freezing up, and they say the funniest sight of the
night was the stiltwalker trying to get inside one
of the portable toilets.
Special thanks go to event sponsors
John Martin Estates for their generosity and ongoing
support of the PCA, and to our local Safer
Neighbourhoods Police Team, led by Sergeant Steve
Driscoll, whose low-key policing contributed to the
good atmosphere on the night. But it’s not all hard
work policing Light Up The Lane, you know! You get
to hear gems like these:
Motorist – “I need to pass the
barrier. I live in that road.” Officer – “What’s the
road called?” Motorist – “I don’t know. Fair enough,
I don’t live there, you got me!”
Motorist – “Can you let me through, mate, I’ve been
to the park.” Officer – “It’s a bit dark to have
just come from the park!” Motorist – “I’ve been with
the kids” (pointing to the back of the car). Officer
(to the kids) – “Do you know this man?” Kids – “Yes
he’s a taxi driver and we have used him before.”
Officer – “Have you been to the park?” Kids – “No,
it’s dark!” Steve has kindly posted
some similar anecdotes on Pitshanger Voice
here. |
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Newsletter Xmas Present Service
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After
Christmas
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Stuck for Christmas present ideas? We
have a couple of suggestions with a local twist.
Liverpool and England footballer Peter Crouch,
raised in the family home in Meadvale Road, has a
book out, “Walking Tall” (fans will know that Peter
is six foot seven), available from Pitshanger
Bookshop. Bron Buick, singer in the Buick Hill Band,
has recorded a solo CD of his southern-style US
rock, “Just A Thought”, which includes a new take on
the Dwight Yoakam classic, “Fast As You”. Contact
Bron at
www.myspace.com/bronbuicksolo. In both cases
mention the Newsletter and get no discount
whatsoever.
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After the seasonal cheer has receded,
take heart that we’re planning a programme of events
and amusements to get you through to warmer times.
Details are to follow, but in January we’ll be
having our PCA dinner at the Atlantis, a congenial
way of getting to meet your fellow members. Probably
in February there will be a follow-up ‘Police
Meeting’ with our highly effective Safer
Neighbourhoods Police Team. Your committee will be
disgraced once again in our Quiz, scheduled for
March, and the annual Fun Run will take place in
later Spring.
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Donation
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The PCA has agreed to donate £1000 to the
Pitshanger Play Centre to buy a bouncy castle and to help cover
losses sustained during the dismal summer as daily attendances
plummeted. |
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A Dream
Too Far
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Happy
Christmas
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Member Richard Townshend writes with a
comment about Ron Bloomfield's dream of the Lane as
a pedestrian precinct which we carried in the last
issue. “I can imagine lazy summer days and café
society. I can also imagine evenings and nights when
the Lane will be taken over by groups of youths
(mostly harmless, some less so) and not the sort of
place you would want … to walk home through late at
night. Pretty much like any other pedestrianised
area in the country”.
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The PCA committee would like to wish
members a very happy Christmas and New Year. Please
let us have your groaniest cracker jokes – decent
bottle of wine for the worst! E-mail to
dave.wallis@pitshanger.org.uk
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