Crunch Time for East Acton Snooker Club

---

Council set to decide on plan to convert parade of shops into hotel

Snooker Loopy: Rupa Huq plays a game of pool with a member of London Snooker. Picture: Rupa Huq MP

Plans to knock down an East Acton snooker club and replace it with a multi-storey hotel are set to be considered by Ealing Council this Wednesday (17 August).

London Snooker has 21 pool and snooker table, claims over 8000 members and is one of the few remaining snooker clubs left in West London. It is just one of the businesses that could be affected by the demolition of the 1930s-built East Acton Arcade on 93 Old Oak Common Lane should Council Planning Committee members approve the application to build a hotel in its place.

Avison Young, a global real estate agent, has applied for planning permission on behalf of an investor, to build the hotel on the site. Currently the site is occupied by various family-run businesses in addition to the snooker club: Eye Spy Opticians, Al Manara Butchery and King Kebab.

The proposal includes a commitment to offer the current Arcade businesses the opportunity to have a space within the five-storey hotel building when it is built. But it is not yet clear whether this would be feasible, as rent could be set at a higher rate and they could be offered less space.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq, who met with Arcade business owners last Thursday (11 August), has written to Planning Committee members urging them to ensure that “valued and well-used community facilities are protected for residents of East Acton.”



Graphic of the multi-storey hotel that could replace the existing East Acton Arcade. Picture: Avison Young

In the letter, Dr Huq writes, “I cannot support this development as vibrant businesses within the existing structure who have spent decades building themselves up there face an uncertain future. They have not been given any assurance of where they can relocate to.

“If the council were to assist the businesses, this could be a much more attractive proposal. While I accept that the building is not the most flashy or modern, within it is a well-loved optician with 3000 registered customers and a snooker hall which has unique types of tables unavailable anywhere else in London. Let’s not throw them under the bus in our haste.”

The local MP suggests that if the plan is to be approved, then the Council should offer support to existing Arcade businesses, including “assistance in identifying alternative locations in the near neighbourhood, and financial support if this involves increased rents.”

One of the Arcade business owners the MP met this week is Micky Khan, the owner of Eye Spy Opticians alongside his wife Nazia. The couple said they were “shocked” at the prospect of the site of their business being knocked down, despite the Arcade’s historical significance.

Nazia Khan said, “I and my husband Mr Khan have been running our opticians in East Acton over 15 years [sic], we are currently servicing our patients and providing a valuable contribution to the local community .

“We have over 3,000 patients varying from the young to the old, pensioners and NHS staff ‒ we are the only optician in East Acton parade. We are worried that we will have to relocate and may not be able to find a place in the same vicinity. A lot of our clients are elderly and they find it convenient to visit us so we can service their needs. We need support.”

The facade of East Acton Arcade on Old Oak Common Lane. Picture: Rupa Huq MP

85 people have objected to the proposal on Ealing Council’s website, with just 5 comments in support of the application. Among those to voice their concerns is Mary Hawkins, owner of London Snooker, formerly Hurricane Room.

She said, “The club is not only popular, particularly with young men, but it is also affordable and provides a safe space to socialise, keep out of trouble, and sense the atmosphere of sportsmanship.

“Where else will young men experience this? There are many older regulars who become positive role models to these young men who might not otherwise have the luxury of a positive male role model. If this business closes, where do these young men go? What other opportunities do they have to sway them towards a healthy pursuit and away from a dangerous one?”

Mary added that facilities at the club were vital for the nearby TCES North West London special needs school, which “often brings its neurodiverse children in during daytime for essential occupational therapy activity.”

Ealing Civic Society, which campaigns to preserve and improve the urban landscape in the London Borough of Ealing, also objects to the plans. A representative from the Society said, “We regret the proposed loss of the existing building which, in its original state, would have been worthy of consideration for local listing and which retains a façade that could be restored to its original form. In addition, the loss of daylight to nos. 1 and 3 Brassie Avenue, due to the proposed construction, would be unacceptable. This would result from the increased height and massing of the planned building.

“We note that a partial history of the existing building has been identified but a full history is not known. If the Council is minded to approve this application, we recommend that a condition is included requiring detailed historical research to be carried out on the original building and recorded in the Ealing archives.”

Ealing residents are urged to express their views on the application on the Ealing Council website ahead of the meeting next Wednesday. The Planning Committee will review the application from 7pm, and members are obliged to take into consideration all parties' objections.

 

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

August 17, 2022