Forum Topic

Community facilities on South Acton Estate

Some stories have appeared in the Guardian recently about community provision for young and old on the South Acton Estate/Acton Gardens. One story reports the loss of one facility while another features complains about the presence of another. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/24/outcry-residents-london-bollo-brook-youth-centre-gentrification-coffee-shophttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/31/loss-working-mens-club-disaster-west-london-estate-south-actonhttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/17/struggle-space-young-londoners-violence

Peter Evans ● 2286d19 Comments

Libby correctThat's the problem when they don't have room they move outsideWhere the problems start Can't understand why they move to much larger rooms at the other end .

Jon morris ● 2271d

I was on the South Acton Estate yesterday afternoon visiting the TFL consultation.  I had a look at the "youth centre" it is certainly far too small for the size of the estate.

Libby Kemp ● 2271d

Was there ever a petition or was that made up?

Kevin Howard ● 2279d

I live on the road and I see the kids hanging outside and they are generally zero problem.  They are tall and young and they can speak quite loudly and banter, even smoke weed and that can intimidate some people. I understand that. The youth centre should ask them to disperse if they are leaving or stay inside if not. Smoking shouldn't be encouraged of any kind but i'd rather that than drinking alcohol. As for the Guardian article, seems nonsense. What is a tumble dryer facility? DO they mean laundrette? As for coffee shop, well how about in the 2 empty commercial spaces sat empty already or the one that is now a nursery which would've been a fine place for a coffee shop. Completely daft to suggest we should turf kids out of their facility when theres plenty others available.

Tony Mansell ● 2280d

South Acton Ward is just losing the troublesome streets north of the Uxbridge Road, unless Labour Party members vote out the sitting councillors they will be there for ever.

Libby Kemp ● 2281d

The entire ground floor of the Lyra Block 2 in North Acton was supposed to be dedicated to local community use. The council handed it to Acton Community Forum, who renamed themselves as Acton Forum before closing down. I have been told that it has been handed on to a charity based around Notting Hill that is apparently noted for doing nothing. It is still empty years after it was built. With luck, when the new Ealing Council Ward areas come into effect we may get some new councillors who care.

Christopher Bell ● 2281d

The youth centre is critical for youth suport. My mother set up an adventure play ground in the Acton estate in 1967 on a derelect piece of ground . She made a film now on U tube under South Acton adventure play.There are Play areas on the estate but they are not interactive & no area for games.Governor of the South Acton Childrens & Nursery Centre.

clara lowy ● 2282d

"This is the fault of Ealing's Regeneration Team, Planners and Ward Councillors who gifted the land to the developers without including a legal requirement that community provision was included either the same or even improved on the original facilities"And why is no-one in the least surprised? Standard procedure and par for the course at The Ealing Kremlin. "Rotten" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Rosco White ● 2283d

What cannot be disputed is that Youth Centre is a lot smaller than the original one and with almost three times as many people living on the estate, those having been rehoused into often much smaller accommodation  making the necessity of decent youth facilities greater.There is also the loss of the Working Mens' Club, as L & Q do not allow licensed premises on their developments. This has been known from the outset. Older youths used the WMC for snooker and darts. This is the fault of Ealing's Regeneration Team, Planners and Ward Councillors who gifted the land to the developers without including a legal requirement that community provision was included either the same or even improved on the original facilities.

Libby Kemp ● 2283d

Scott Templeton was  a journalist on American crime series the Wire who made up quotes for his newspaper. Don't think the story in the Guardian is completely made up but it does feel like a gross over-simplification of the issue. The notion that the youth club is under threat from the new residents ignores the fact that some people around the club at its old location had problems and that was pre-gentrification of the area. The reporter is keen to press a particular angle but the facts don't quite fit.

Andy Jones ● 2283d

Surely The Guardian only prints facts and the truth?  🤣

Rosco White ● 2284d

The original Guardian report does seem a bit contrived and the quote is clearly bogus but who is Scott Templeton?

Kevin Howard ● 2284d

Barwick house is the problemLots drug dealing etc

Jon morris ● 2285d

Me too. It will be a big loss.The closure was covered on this site a few months ago:http://www.actonw3.com/default.asp?section=info&page=ldrssouthacton002.htm

Andy Jones ● 2285d

I saw something on TV about the loss of the Working Men's Club.  I'm sure that I've been to several functions there in the past.

Philippa Bond ● 2285d

Not sure about the story about the youth centre. Seems very contrived to me.'18-year-old Leon' is quoted as saying “We had our little space and we got hoodwinked. I feel sorry for the people who got tricked into buying a house here for £750k. They have been sold that this is going to be the next booming area when really … there’s still the core problems of South Acton here"Does that sound a bit iffy to anyone else? Think we may have a touch of the Scott Templetons here.

Mark Evans ● 2285d

Looks like - after some twitter activity - that our MP will be talking to the Guardian journo who wrote both pieces. Not sure it will make any difference.

Sara Nathan ● 2286d

"This council is a disgrace." Something that the vast majority of local denizens, of all political persuasions, can easily & unanimously agree upon!But how to turf them out? Perhaps, whilst it has no legal viability, something like a huge, concerted Campaign Vote on Facebook of "No Confidence in BellEnd and His Cronies" might at least severely embarrass them?Shame the piss poor local Conservatives seem to be doing FA. Conspicuous as usual by their total absence of any profile whatsoever.

Rosco White ● 2286d

Working Men's Club - I am not sure the final paragraph rings true.  At a South Acton Ward Forum meeting some time ago a Ward Councillor, Yvonne Johnson, pointed out that the developer  L & Q did not allow licensed premises on their developments, but she would see what she could do.  The position of the WMC should have been part of the agreement between Ealing's Regeneration Directive and the developer before the land was gifted to the developer by Ealing Council as a condition of the gift of land. The young have been left with a centre half the size of their previous one and we must ensure that the youths are not turned out of their space. This council is a disgrace.

Libby Kemp ● 2286d