Oaks - It's Not Over Just Yet

Still hopes that application could be 'called-in'

Campaigners are hoping that the controversial Oaks planning decision could still be halted.

In October, Ealing Council gave the go-ahead to Acton Regeneration Company for 142 homes (nine storey building) a multi-storey car park and new retail space in the town centre.

The scheme has proved unpopular in the area with local celebrities joining residents in an energetic campaign to try and change the current plans.

However, just before Christmas they were devastated to hear that London Mayor, Boris Johnson, would not intervene and was leaving the planning decision in hands of Ealing Council.

Now the Communities and Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, has been asked to look again at the process involved and call it in.

“Calling-in” of a planning application means the Secretary of State can take the application out of the hands of the local planning authority for his own determination.

Ealing Central and Acton Conservative MP Angie Bray has written to Mr Pickles, because she and many others are not happy about the way Ealing Council dealt with the application.

She tells him 'there is a great deal of bitterness locally about the decision and the way the plans were 'whipped' through'.

She writes: '' In my role representing these local residents I feel very strongly that their views have not received proper attention in the planning process...

'' The Mayor of London has been unable to halt the progress of the application as the scheme did not contain enough contraventions of the London plan. Please help if you can by considering their request to call the plans in.''

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government told Acton W3:

''This application is currently being considered in relation to the Government's policy on call-in, and in determining whether or not the Secretary of State's intervention is justified.''

29th January 2014