Anger at Green Light for Latest Stage of Acton Gardens
Allotment holders say towers will lead to loss of light
A visualisation of Acton Gardens Phase 9. Picture: L&Q Group
Some South Acton residents are angry after Ealing Council approved plans to build more than 200 homes that they say could jeopardise an allotment site.
Under plans for the continued redevelopment of the South Acton Estate by housing association L&Q, 215 homes are due to be built.
The tower blocks range between three and nine storeys and a further eight town houses in Enfield Road will be refurbished.
The Jerome Tower Allotments, which back on to the building site, will be re-configured to create micro-plots and communal outdoor spaces.
Residents have expressed anger and dismay at the approved development and say the shade cast by the blocks will severely affect plant growth on the allotments.
The plans were opposed by ten people, with one saying, “Any further increase in height of these houses on Enfield Road would adversely impact the allotments in particular, and also the houses on Heathfield Road which back onto them, by reducing sunlight and increasing shade – which would affect plant growth – and by invading privacy.”
Another resident raised concerns that the reconfigured allotments would lose their intended purpose under the plans, and said, “The allotments seem more likely to become just a picnic area, especially if seating areas are provided.”
A third allotment user was particularly angry about the height of the proposed tower blocks, and wrote, “I’m shocked that Ealing Council has so little consideration for the fact that I have worked hard on a productive plot for 12 years and it is now in jeopardy (along with several others) because of the height of the proposed blocks which will rise up to the south.”
Work on the development is due to begin this summer and completed by 2024.
CGI showing aerial view of Acton Gardens Phase 9. Picture: L&Q Group
Darren Parker, L&Q Director of project management and Development, said, “This was a wonderful way to cap off 2021 at Acton Gardens, and we’re excited to start works later this year.
“With new and affordable homes, open spaces and improved community allotments, the latest phases showcase our commitment to creating beautiful places where people can thrive.”
A spokesperson for Ealing council said, “The development approved by the planning committee on December 15, 2021 would see the demolition of the Jerome Tower, a 17-storey building, replaced by new buildings of varying heights from three to nine storeys.
“The committee, in making the decision, considered the impact on the allotments, including sunlight and ability to grow plants and security to existing homes.”
A spokesperson for Ealing council said, “The development approved by the planning committee on December 15, 2021 would see the demolition of the Jerome Tower, a 17-storey building, replaced by new buildings of varying heights from three to nine storeys.
“The committee, in making the decision, considered the impact on the allotments, including sunlight and ability to grow plants and security to existing homes.”
L&Q has been contacted for a comment on the residents’ concerns.
Lisa Haseldine - Local Democracy Reporter
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January 10, 2022