Forum Topics

B.B.C. Documentary.

Dark Son – The Hunt for a Serial Killer will be aired on BBC Wales on January 12, and on BBC Four on January 22. This documentary, 15 months in the making will be spectacular. It deals with the unsolved murders of 8 women in the Hammersmith, Chiswick and Brentford areas of London between 1959 and 1965.(Google South Wales Argus for full story.)

Neil Milkins ● 2867d1 Comments ● 2859d

police tape at Market place

Just went past and policed taped the road at both ends of Market place, anyone have the info on what happened?

Jay Bower ● 2868d0 Comments ● 2868d

Goldsmiths Arms Freehold back on the market

We received notice today of the owner's intention to dispose of the Goldsmiths Arms. As it is protected as an Asset of Community Value they need to notify the community and give them an opportunity to bid. We are supposed to have 6 weeks notice but the council have just informed us. Deadline for expression of interest is 31st December. In the meantime the owner can still proceed with the planning application to demolish the pub and build 72 new homes.  If the owner gets the planning permission he seeks he will then sell the freehold to Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing but first he needs to comply with the ACV and offer it to the community.A community group can make a bid to buy but the owners do not have to accept.  It just gets another obstacle to planning permission out of the way.  In line with the draft Mayors Plan for London the owners need to show that they have marketed the asset as a pub.  So this offer to us might be used to show that they have offered it as a pub.We can accept this as an opportunity to keep the Goldsmiths Arms a pub. We need to email the council before the 31st December to register our interest.  We need a meeting to agree this.  We then have 6 months to develop and submit our bid.St Dunstans Church is available for use Thursday and Friday evenings  I know this is not ideal re xmas.  If you can make one or both of these evenings can you let me know.  I will arrange the meeting for the evening that most people can make.  Please tell people about this.  The owners may not market this offer widely but we can.

Jacqueline Davis ● 2870d6 Comments ● 2870d

The Old Library.

Doug Carnegie has written an engaging update on this final attempt to keep the Old Library for community use. Do see the front page. We hope that there will be space for all sections of the community and it will be good to have your thoughts here on the forum. Sign up as a supporter the website: www.actonartsproject.com.

Maire Lowe ● 2917d27 Comments ● 2870d

Goldsmiths Arms Special General Meeting Thursday 20th Dec 6.30pm

I write to invite you to a Special General Meeting of the Goldsmiths Residents Association at 6.30pm Thursday 20th December at St Dunstans Church Hall, Friars Place Lane, W3 7AW.This will be a one item agenda to consider the owner of the Goldsmiths Arms' notice of intention to dispose of the Goldsmiths Arms. The deadline is very tight owing to Ealing Borough Council giving us the notice yesterday.We will look at options available to us and agree a way forward.

Jacqueline Davis ● 2870d0 Comments ● 2870d

Badminton

Hi, would anyone like to play singles badminton. I used to play to a relatively decent standard in my 20's and would like to get back to it now but all the clubs only play doubles?Thanks

David Powers ● 2918d6 Comments ● 2871d

No doubt when the new 40+ storey Towers go up in North Acton

there'll be a cacophony of squealing as their sheer scale and enormity finally dawns on people.But it'll be a bit late by then won't it.Apathy reigns as usual, you get what you deserve.

Rosco White ● 2881d16 Comments ● 2873d

Paul Abbott RIP

A Just Giving page has been set up for the tragic death of the refuse operator, Paul Abbott.  Please dig deep to aid his family at this hard time of year.  The story is on the front page of this site.  So sad - what a brave man.https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/eddie-oreilly?utm_id=107&utm_term=mKwm3YVA8&fbclid=IwAR13ld0IQL1ztDwO3ral1TVNRsNvtPG1aumsPKzC7Bz7VqVRtJeU_Z48MQg

Eileen Francis ● 2879d1 Comments ● 2874d

Car break in

Beware thieves on Perryn Road. I booked a taxi for pick up this morning at 815am and the driver went to get a coffee - when he came back the driver window had been smashed in and they stole his phone and some cash.  In broad daylight as well!

Tom Fowler ● 2876d1 Comments ● 2875d

Ealing Council proposes abolishing Ward Fora (Forums?) to save money. Money, fora, or both to go?

Dear Peeps,Ealing Council is mulling over the proposal that Ward Fora(Forums?) could be abolished to save money. Does it intend to abolish the political operation of the fora or just remove their budgets, or both? Is there to be an alternative?See Councillor Jon Ball's Titter feed‏ @JonBallDec 11"The news from Ealing Council tonight is that the Labour administration want to axe ward forums and the local projects they find like zebra crossings and playgrounds. I see the need to save money but it would be better to cut same amount from Councilwide budgets. #EalingHour"

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2877d7 Comments ● 2875d

Lost Tabby Cat

Our gorgeous tabby cat, Fizzy, has been missing since yesterday after managing to get out  of the apartment block that we are temporarily living in whilst having building work done. We are on Ravensmede Way just off Chiswick High Road near Stamford Brook. He doesn't know outside the apartment block or the area. I guess there is a slim chance he might try to make it back to our house in Poet's Corner. He is a pretty, young Tabby. And is chipped. He wears a collar but he has a habit of slipping them so he might have lost it.  We are all so sad he's gone - particularly the children so any sightings would be comforting.

Amanda Steimberg ● 2879d3 Comments ● 2875d

The Oaks development - a bigger monstrosity than you could have imagined

So I noticed today a lot of the scaffolding and tarpaulin has come down on the corner over looking the graveyard - it looks worse than I first imagined. The windows and red brick finish looks hideous and very cheap- almost old council block looking. The scale of it was alway going to be an issue, but unlike the Acton Garden development which actually looks aesthetically pleasing and considered this looks serverly out of place, cheap and nasty. A HUGE mistake in the centre of Acton. Don’t be surprised to see DSS tenants housed here as I can’t see who in their right mind would pay to live in such a carbuncle.

Lee Harding ● 2906d48 Comments ● 2877d

Acton lane by the bridge dug up again 3 times now

Long delays due to traffic lights , hopefully the get it right this time.

John Kennedy ● 2877d0 Comments ● 2877d

David Lloyd membership increased

Hi, any other couples at a David Lloyd get the email tonight saying their partners membership is effectively no longer discounted from January 1st 2019?Was looking for my original contract, was sure it was a price for life.Regards, Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 2886d5 Comments ● 2878d

Lost Tabby Cat

Our gorgeous cat, Fizzy, has been missing since yesterday after managing to get out of the apartment block that we are temporarily living in whilst having building work done. We are on Ravensmede Way just off Chiswick High Road near Stamford Brook. He doesn't know outside the apartment block or the area. I guess there is a slim chance he might try to make it back to our house in Poets Corner,Acton. He is a pretty,young Tabby. and is chipped. He wears a collar but he has a habit of slipping them so he might have lost it.  We are all so sad he's gone - particularly the children so any sightings would be comforting. thank you

Bernardo Steimberg ● 2879d0 Comments ● 2879d

Goldsmiths Arms

Looking at the council website this morning it appears that permission was granted on Friday to prune the tree in the garden of the Goldsmiths Arms.We want to thank everyone who was able to register their objection.  The council received 64 comments of which 62 objected to the pruning and two supported it.  Reading the two that supported the application I'm inclined to think that they meant to object as in one there was no comment and the second was an objection.This shows that we are not seasoned campaigners and there is a need to help each other as we stand up against greedy property developers and council bureaucracy.At least we have brought it to the planning committees attention that this is part of a larger plan to demolish the Goldsmiths Arms and replace it with 72 flats.As you probably know Homebase are adding an additional 3 storeys to provide 31 extra flats.  This is a warning to us that  developers can change their plans at any time as many times as they want.  We need to keep focussed on keeping the Goldsmiths Arms a pub.  Once it's gone it's gone.  My feeling is that the application from the proposed developer to prune a tree might have been to test the strength of opposition.  We must do better than 62 objections next time.  62 people wanting the pub to stay a pub is not strong against 72 new homes.  We have over 2,500 signatures in the petition. So we know the strength of opposition is there.  We must stand together and be seen and heard in our objecting.The developers have told us that they intend to submit their plans next week to go to the planning meeting scheduled for the 16th January.  They have deliberately chosen to do this over the xmas holidays.  They are hoping that we will be distracted and not put a strong case forward.  We need to step up to ensure that the Goldsmiths Arms remains a pub and a community facility.  If we all do a little bit we can show the strength of feeling in our community. A community working together is powerful.  Many thanks for all the support we have received so far.

Jacqueline Davis ● 2881d3 Comments ● 2880d

Acton Park Market - 2nd November

Walking past Acton Park yesterday on the East Churchfield side, noticed a banner stating that Acton Park Market is starting every Saturday as of 2nd November from 10am-2pm on the West side of the park by the station, selling groceries, street food and crafts.I think it's a wonderful - if chilly! - idea!

Helen New ● 2921d5 Comments ● 2881d

Neighbourhood Watch

Dear Residents If you would like to receive updates from us regarding crime figures etc please sign up on www.owl.co.uk. Sarah - Acton Central Police

Sarah Kearney ● 2881d0 Comments ● 2881d

Westminster's blitz on freebies to restore trust in planning process.

Shame LBE's Standards Committee (do we even have one?) are on permanent holiday. Anyone for MIPIM? More Towers Vicar? :-Westminster council is clamping down on hospitality after admitting accepting “excessive and unnecessary” freebies from planning applicants has become “normalised”.The local authority’s standards committee said staff and councillors should ideally “retain a distance” from applicants and land owners in order to “maintain trust” in the service.The new directive comes after the high-profile resignation of councillor Robert Davis who accepted gifts and hospitality 893 times over six years. These included tickets to West End shows, dinners in top restaurants, and trips to the south of France — and included entertainment provided by property developers.Mr Davis, formerly deputy leader of the Conservative-run council and, until last year, the chairman of its planning committee, denies any wrongdoing but stepped down on October 10 after a town hall inquiry ruled he had breached the authority’s code of conduct.Fake robes: Robert Davis wore replica Lord Mayor’s garb at an event at a school in Georgia, despite the trip not being sanctioned by Westminster council (Lindsay Moscarello/North Fulton Neighbor)The new report, by the council’s monitoring officer Tasnim Shawkat, is set to be discussed at a meeting tonight. It states it would be “good practice” for staff and councillors to keep meetings strictly about planning applications, pre-applications and local plans.It follows an independent review by the Planning Advisory Service, part of the Local Government Association, which found in October that although there was no impropriety regarding hospitality among staff, their accepting of it from planning applicants was “excessive and unnecessary”.It also said the way Westminster councillors accepted hospitality was unlike other planning services in the country. Westminster sources said the new rules were to “remind councillors how to behave” as part of a “culture change” needed in the planning department.The rules say that any gifts or hospitality packages costing more than £25 have to be declared.Westminster rejects plans for 24-hour casino next to churchMr Davis had referred himself to the council’s monitoring officer in February, who concluded that he did not act unlawfully but that he had breached the councillors’ code of conduct.The case prompted a number of internal reviews, resulting in the monitoring officer now calling for members to act with increased caution and rigour.The report warned councillors to consider how the public would perceive the acceptance of any gifts or hospitality offered.Adam Hug, opposition leader at Westminster, said he welcomed the “long overdue recognition” that the council’s approach to hospitality was excessive.The council called the review the start of a “new era of openness”, with further measures “to increase transparency in planning decisions” coming next year. A spokesman said: “We’ve already made significant changes, opening up our decisions to more scrutiny and making sure all meetings councillors have about planning applications take place in council offices with officers present.”SOURCE: Evening Standard 6/12/18 - Benedict Moore-Bridgerhttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/westminster-clamping-down-on-freebies-to-restore-trust-in-planning-process-a4010186.html?amp#click=https://t.co/lhmR1abCrD

Rosco White ● 2883d5 Comments ● 2882d

HEALING IN CHISWICK ON MONDAY

Healers will be available between 11am and 12.45pmHealing is given for any illness, stress or injuryYou don’t have to be sick to come for healing - it will make you feel good and there are no side effects.  It is complementary to any other therapy and It is completely naturalALSO:  You don’t need to believe in the healing - it will help youDonations are welcomeAll healers are members of the British Alliance of Healing Associations.  We are not associated with any religion, -ism or -ology.  The word “spiritual” in the title refers to that quality of spirituality implicit in the healing process.  Members of the Association are bound by a strict Code of Conduct.

Pat Smith ● 2883d0 Comments ● 2883d