Despite more than 200 complaints, Ealing Council planning committee has approved a new development from British Land in the centre of Ealing Broadway that will see a new 21 storey office building being built, additional retail and leisure space offered as well as a live music venue for a new The Ealing Club.
One resident warned that many parts of Ealing Broadway including Dickins Yard and FilmWorks have many vacant spaces for retail and leisure, the new Ealing Connection could end up similar. They said it could become “another White Elephant to our town centre”.
On Wednesday (26 April 2023), British Land’s Broadway Connection project which will be located at 9-42 The Broadway was given the green light with 10 Ealing Labour councillors voting for and three councillors Liberal Democrat Jon Ball, Labour Dee Martin and Conservatives Anthony Young voting against.
In a tweet, Councillor Ball hit out at the Ealing Labour councillors who approved it. He said: “At Ealing Planning Committee. Application for redevelopment of Ealing town centre at 9-42 Broadway for retail and office use including 21-storey tower APPROVED by 10 votes to 3. I voted against as the tower will be very intrusive all around the town centre and from Haven Green.”
British Land also owns the Ealing Broadway shopping centre which it bought in 2013 and is across the road from the planned Broadway Connection land which was bought in 2017.
On its website explaining the development, British Land said: “British Land is proposing to deliver an office-led development at The Broadway Connection (formerly known as 10-40 The Broadway) opposite Ealing Broadway station. It would feature a new office building rising from 10 to 21 storeys including affordable workspace, and ground-floor retail, which upon completion could be home to 2,800 employees.”
It added: “As part of the proposals, British Land are committed to retaining and improving 12 existing buildings along the Broadway and providing a new, bigger and better venue for the historic Ealing Club to relocate to.”
There will be no homes on the development as British Land said Ealing Council did not require any housing. It said: “There is a great need to focus on delivering jobs in Ealing Broadway to help improve the wider prosperity of the borough. The Council recognises the potential here and so have identified Ealing Broadway as a major location for new jobs and businesses, rather than homes.”
It further explained how it envisaged the new Ealing Club. “We are proposing to relocate the Ealing Club within the site through the delivery of a new, purpose-built and larger venue for the Ealing Club in the same location as it is today. We are working closely with the Ealing Club and as part of this we are exploring with them the option of creating some new recording space within the venue, something that it lacks at present, which could support local artists. This new space would be designed to meet modern standards for a facility of this type, helping to rectify a number of issues that the current venue suffers from, including issues around access and inclusivity, and inadequate sound insulation.”
Residents in submitting their comments about the proposal, spoke out and more than 200 raised concerns including:
“The scale of this proposal at 21 storeys is completely over the top and will completely dwarf the neighbouring Haven Green as well as shadow this park and the Ealing residents who use it. Ealing does not need more tall buildings.”
“Whilst I am in favour of leisure and community venues in Ealing Broadway, there are still a large number of these spaces sitting empty in both Dickens Yard and Filmworks. The council should be investigating how to ensure best community use of existing developments, rather than adding another White Elephant to our town centre.”
“Another insane proposal which seems to be aimed at ruining the character of the local area. It’s far too tall, completely out of character with the area, and would be visible and ruin the views from multiple conservation areas. Please stop these ludicrously high tower blocks, you will ruin Ealing. I’m not against development but it should be in keeping with the area. 8 storeys is plenty.”
