Developer to look again at the plans

Latest proposals for the redevelopment of the Oaks shopping centre are being reviewed by the developer.

The Acton Regeneration Company wants to transform the centre with 150 new homes in an 11 storey tower, but the plans - and the revised ones - have all proved hugely unpopular.

Ealing Council say the planning application for the Oaks development is still pending and has not yet been determined.

However, a spokesperson added: ''Meanwhile, in light of comments made about the application, the developer is currently reviewing their plans. If any substantial changes are made, the public would be consulted before a decision is made.”

Local MP Angie Bray has welcomed the latest news. She supports local residents opposition to the scheme because of its 'unsuitability' and 'lack of ambition for Acton High Street'.

She has called the plans a ‘disappointment’ and a ‘wasted opportunity.

Ms Bray says:

'''I’m pleased that the developers have had a change of heart and have now withdrawn what was proving to be a very unpopular planning application as far as local residents were concerned.

''If the developers want to win local support for a new application, they should surely engage with the community to find out how it can meet their needs and they should also pay more attention to the local environment to make sure the plans blend more effectively – the 11 storey tower would have been an eyesore, the congestion where the HGV delivery lorries would have been turning into the supermarket would have jammed up Churchfield Road, and the shopping centre itself would not have benefited from an imaginative regeneration – which, crucially, is what those who shop in Acton are asking for.

''My message to the developers is please think long and hard about what Acton really needs.''

12th November 2012