Trustee Doug Carnegie updates on latest information from council

Ealing Council has lifted the curtain a little on the future of The Old Library building on Acton High Street.

Responding to questions put by trustees of The Acton Arts Project, Council leader Julian Bell said Ealing was looking to extend the listed building’s status as an Asset of Community Value for a further five years. This, he said, was due to be confirmed by January 25th.

Asked how the Council planned to gauge the relative merits of community and commercial bids, he said it was still finalising its ‘disposal requirements’ but price, deliverability and proposed use would be key.

He said the priority was for uses “that helped activate the High Street,” which provide “an active frontage and add to the vitality and aesthetics of the High Street.”

He confirmed the Old Library’s planning designation as non-residential but said a ‘small amount’ of residential that enabled leisure, employment, retail and community uses may be permissible.

Community and infrastructure funding promised by developers of The Oaks scheme on Churchfield Road also came under scrutiny.

Councillor Peter Mason (Housing, Planning and Transformation) revealed that £482, 000 was earmarked for Acton. It would go on transport calming measures, open space provision, tree-planting, employment and training and energy monitoring. A further £605, 000 would go into education and healthcare projects borough-wide.

Although The Oaks is due to be completed this summer he said none of this Section 106 money (a levy on developers to mitigate the effects of development) had as yet been spent.

He also revealed the Council sold the Churchfield Road car park for £3m.

The full text of the questions put and answers given can be found here

Doug Carnegie

The Trustees are urging supporters turn out for the council meeting to find out more, and sign up on the website  www.actonartsproject.com

January 21st 2019