Forum Topics

Noses in the trough?

Interesting to see Ealing's CE gets paid over £325k a year. Maybe he can tell us why the Haven Green works are three and a half months behind the stated finish time - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11988959/Britains-biggest-council-fatcats-100-000-year-revealed.html

Peter King ● 1243d2 Comments ● 1242d

Unsolved West London Murders.

In March 2023, The commissioner of the Met Police Sir Mark Rowley admitted the force has 'racists, misogynists and homophobes' in its ranks – as Home Secretary Suella Braverman blasted 'serious failings of culture, leadership and standards' at Scotland Yard. On 6th April I sent a lengthy email to Mark Rowley pleading with him to review The Hammersmith Nudes' murders of the 1960's. I told him that I am in contact with adult children and other members of 6 of the murder victims.  I told him that many of the victims' family members are convinced that if the victims were police women, doctors, nurses or solicitors there would have been a review. On April 11 I recieved the following."Dear Mr Milkins,My apologies for the delayed response. I have forwarded this matter to the appropriate team for their review and direct reply to you.Kind regards,*****  ********      *********  | Inspector | Staff Officer to the Commissioner."Today I received a a phone call from New Scotland Yard followed by the following email.Dear Mr Milkins "It was good to speak to you on the phone just now, and as promised, I am emailing to confirm my details. I recognise the huge amount of dedication you have put into your investigations and I am sorry that these terrible murders remain unsolved, despite your efforts.There have been various reviews conducted regarding these cases over the years and I know you were in contact with DC Paul Rogers in 2007, and most recently, DC Adam Bailey in 2020. It remains the case as per DC Bailey’s letter that the links between Harold Jones and the victims are not substantive enough to enable a definitive finding that he was responsible for their deaths. I hope you understand that because Jones died in 1971 and there is no additional material further to what has been looked at in the above reviews, we won’t be reviewing the cases again at this time.Having said that, I know you are determined to continue with your work, and if there is something substantive and probative that you find that you would like to bring to our attention in the future, please do so.I wish you all the best."DC *****   ****** | CSC - Major InquiriesSpecial Casework TeamTHE MUST GO ON. AND IT WILL.

Neil Milkins ● 1242d0 Comments ● 1242d

Be careful where you drive in Europe

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/13/eu-motorist-fined-almost-11000-after-visit-to-london-falls-foul-of-ulez-rule-french-hire-car

Peter King ● 1248d0 Comments ● 1248d

Ramadan celebrated in west end of London

Surprise eh, there's old Sadiq whooping it up last night in the west end. I'm hoping he has Sunday 23rd April in his diary so he can celebrate the patron state of this country but I'm not holding my breath.

Peter King ● 1270d16 Comments ● 1250d

New Box Junctions 2023

Saw a sign today at the Junction of Leeland Terrace and Broadway advising new box junction to be implemented soon. Further details here: https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201152/roads_highways_and_pavements/2920/highway_improvement_works

Andy Hamm ● 1276d66 Comments ● 1250d

Khan's  'facts' are anything but.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/deathsinlondonasaresultofcaremissions#:~:text=There%20was%201%20death%20registered,2%20of%20the%20death%20certificate.

N V Brooks ● 1255d7 Comments ● 1253d

Isabella Rocca

Does anyone know how to get in contact with a lady called ISABELLA ROCCA please?  My friend has items that belong to her and would like to make contact so that they can be delivered to her please.

Mari Austin ● 1257d3 Comments ● 1253d

decline of Ealing

The claim that Ealing is the garden suburb is sadly no longer true. Ealing is now the neglected suburbTrees have not been pruned or trimmed it seems for years; drains have not been cleared causing large amounts of water to puddle at various points in the borough;  and why are white lines not being repainted? -  Funding for the yellow lines was found - call me cynical is this because they provide revenue?  I seem to remember that a previous Councillor claimed that the lack of white lines down the middle of the road was a traffic calming  measure! If so this has totally failed.  Instigating 20pmh throughout the borough is an estimable aim but failure to enforce this turns local roads into racetracks.  Definitely not 20mph,  or even 30 mph but more like 40+ mph. In the interests of safety is it time to install some speed cameras?  I assume revenue from the closure of Fishers Lane has dwindled to almost nothing  and this would have a double benefit - increase safety and also boost the Council's coffers 

jill morris ● 1305d47 Comments ● 1255d

Superloopy Nuts are We

Some people under forty might not get the reference. Don't worry if it passes you by. The point is does Transport for London really think we are fooled by a few buses getting a paint job and the creation of a orbital route round London that only ardent bus spotters will ever use. The 607 has already been put under increased pressure by the reduction of the 427 service and a rebranding isn't going to help matters. I'm happy to defend the Mayor from some of the ridiculously intemperate bashing he gets on here but he should be honest with Londoners about what is really happening. The replacement of more polluting buses is very expensive and with revenues down and government funding limited, there isn't any money to meet his pledge of providing improved bus services in areas about to be hit by the ULEZ expansion. There is £6million less now due to this idea that was clearly conceived by the marketing department rather than transport engineers.


Gordon Southwell ● 1263d13 Comments ● 1256d

Ealing Project: kid's crafts

Tomorrow (Thursday) or next Tuesday you can take your little darlings (aged 7+) to the Project between 11am and 1pm to do Easter-type crafts. Free of charge. No booking needed. What an asset to the community this place is.

Susan Kelly ● 1256d1 Comments ● 1256d

Congratulations to Ealing Council & tfl

The Haven Green/Ealing Broadway station works have now over run for 3 months. The green is still not back to where it should be, the turf is poorly laid and there's a big puddle in the middle. The pavement outside Haart estate agent is still not finished after c.4 weeks and the new gents near the District line platforms is unfinished. When I first saw that the PRE & tfl were co-operating on the works, my heart sank. The Devil & Satan in partnership. Anyone wanting a Labour government next year had better hope it works better than this clowns partnership.

Peter King ● 1261d9 Comments ● 1257d

Jim Marshall RIP

Just announced that Jim Marshall, founder of Marshall Amplification, who had shops in Hanwell and Ealing Broadway has passed away aged 88.Jim was a wonderful man, my earliest drum teacher, and the reason that so many rock and pop performers came to Hanwell and Ealing.May he rest in peace.

Nigel Brooks ● 5274d5 Comments ● 1260d

The quiet death of the local 427 service

It seems remarkable to me that there has been so little fuss about the curtailment of this route which is not serving Hanwell, West Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Acton any more.This will mean a big cut for the bus service on the Uxbridge Road and yet more pressure on the already crowded 207.Yet there were no campaigns against it that I saw, no petitions, no angry letters to TfL from local MPs and no press coverage in advance of the move.The decline of the bus service in this part of London seems not to be a culture war issue therefore doesn't excite the passions of people in the way that LTNs or bike lanes do but taking away the 427 will have a bigger impact on more people than those kind of measures do.It is hard to blame TfL for this as they are having to provide a service with costs rising and funding limited so they will need to cut  routes and inevitably will choose ones that people don't seem that bothered about.

Mark Evans ● 1284d28 Comments ● 1263d

Tut tut. Naughty cyclist punches Mayor’s cycling tsar!

I don’t like the Daily Mail but this story has been confirmed by Seb Dance.Cyclist punches Sadiq Khan’s cycling tsar after being challenged for failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing from a floating bus stop. What’s staggering is that only eight percent of cyclists surveyed stop for pedestrians at crossings. Who’d have guessed?https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11903603/Sadiq-Khans-cycling-tsar-punched-face-cyclist.htmlSadiq Khan's cycling tsar was punched in the face by a cyclist after he confronted them for for pedalling through an Amsterdam-style 'floating bus stop' without stopping for pedestrians at a zebra crossingDeputy London mayor for Transport Seb Dance revealed the attack happened while he was on his bike last year, allegedly committed by someone on a hire bike. These floating bus stops, overseen by Mr Khan, see busy cycle lanes wedged between the pavement and a bus stop island and are joined by a zebra crossing.However there have been warnings that cyclists often don't stop at them or even slow down.And Mr Dance, the man responsible for London's cycling, has experienced this first-hand, according to The Telegraph.In a video shared with the outlet, he told blindness campaigners that he was cycling alongside a floating bus stop and there was 'someone like you waiting to cross.''I stopped and two of my fellow cyclists didn’t,' he added. 'I then caught up with them and remonstrated with them, and I was punched in the face for my efforts.' Mr Dance agreed that cyclists not following rules was a 'big problem' and the incident he mentioned was reported to police.A survey of 397 cyclists by the publication looked at how the riders behaved while pedestrians waited at three crossings in central London.It found that only eight per cent (33) of the cyclists gave way to the pedestrians - which is required by the Highway Code - and 91.7 per cent did not.Earlier this week, Mr Khan admitted that more needs to be done when asked about the investigation at Mayor's Question time by Conservative health member Emma Best.He said enforcing of the rules is required rather than just raising awareness, as he revealed a review has been launched by Mr Dance and Tfl.'What we can’t have is a situation where somebody is seriously hurt, or even worse, as a consequence of cyclists not following the Highway Code and running over somebody, so it’s really important we do this before, God forbid, that happens rather than afterwards,' he added.Sarah Gayton, the shared space coordinator at the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, suggested cyclists have number plates and said that Mr Dance's alleged attack highlights the risk the bus stops pose to pedestrians.'But what has Seb done about it since then?' she added, as he stressed the need for building of the bus stop to be halted.Mr Dance insisted he was committed to making London a more inclusive city and communicates with Londoners about road safety and accessibility concerns.

Simon Hayes ● 1265d1 Comments ● 1264d

UK sending Depleted Uranium Ammo to Ukraine

Did anyone else get a flyer through their letter box asking people to write to Rupa Huq MP to reject the use of these weapons? There was no organization mentioned on the sheet so who is asking for this reply? Additionally what is the official opposition stance on the possible supply? If the reports that they are no longer radioactive are true, then why not. Putin can suck it up

Peter King ● 1269d11 Comments ● 1268d

Murder in Hanwell

Please see the front page.http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.aspA tragedy. When will we ever get a grip on knife crime in London.There is, supposedly a mandatory minimum sentence for carrying a knife, is it ever imposed?

N V Brooks ● 1273d15 Comments ● 1269d

Swimming in Ealing

Although it was a bit rough around the edges I liked Gurnell pools and it was so easy to access without using the car.Cross that the site is just going herald more towers and probably take about a decade to complete.So where can one go to swim in Ealing now?Acton - too far, too many school groupsEden - reasonable value but a bit airless David Lloyd - expensive and too farBrentford - any good?Nuffield?Any ideas?

M Powes ● 1276d4 Comments ● 1269d

Will Khan have a proper referendum on ULEZ and other snide proposals?

.... I think that's going to be a 'No Way'He's far to busy propagating his next job and career with global ego  $$$$ in his sights.Last thing he wants is a reality check with his machine of liars being gradually exposed.As for calling lifelong socialists and non Tories Far Right. That exposes him as the deluded megalomaniac has become.

Raymond Havelock ● 1272d11 Comments ● 1271d

Get paid £70 for your thoughts on PCN's

Seriously, People for Research are offering £70 to everyone who gets selected to take part in their research. The market research company wants to hear feedback from all drivers, especially if you are one of those who have ever been given a Penalty Charge Notice or Penalty Notice Charge. They'd be keen to hear from owners of blue badges too. Here's the link: https://www.peopleforresearch.co.uk/opportunity/penalty-charge-for-parking-paid-research-20440

Ben Owen ● 1285d19 Comments ● 1273d

SUPREME COURT - Protecting Public Open Spaces - Statutory Trust

Gerald Moran reports that the UK Supreme Court has today ruled in favour of a challenge regarding land which had for years been part of a Public Recreation Ground at Shrewsbury and which the Town Council had sold off in 2017 for intended development. A revised planning application for 15 new dwellings was approved by Shropshire Council in 2018, despite objections from local residents. Dr Day, a local resident, had not known of the sale but was aware of the planning application. He investigated and found that the Town Council had held the land upon Statutory Trust for the public, either under section 164 of the Public Health Act 1875 or section 10 of the Open Spaces Act 1906, but had sold the land without having followed the Local Government Act 1972 prescribed procedure for removing the land from the Statutory Trust. This procedure involves giving some publicity to that proposal and allowing the public to make objections before the Council resolves that the land is no longer required for the purpose, which incidentally happens to be of financial benefit to the Council in facilitating development and/or sale of the land.Dr Day brought judicial review proceedings to challenge the planning permission on the basis that Shropshire Council ought to have taken into account the material consideration that this had been part of the recreation ground held by the Town Council upon public trust for that use and that there had been failure to follow the prescribed procedure for removing the land from the public trust. The High Court judge was inclined to agree but did not exercise discretion to quash the planning permission, supposing that Shropshire Council would anyway still grant planning permission even taking account of the position. The Court of Appeal (incorrectly) considered that the sale meant that the land was no longer subject to the public trust as it was not for the buyer to be concerned about what procedure the town council ought to have followed regarding the sale.The Supreme Court agreed with Dr Day both on the underlying legal question and that the planning permission should be QUASHED as the material consideration had not been taken into consideration. The statutory provision for protection of the buyer did not extend to removing the land from the Public Trust where the prescribed procedure had not been followed.Lady Rose, towards the end of the decision for the Supreme Court, referred to the advice from auditors that the Town Council should put robust procedures in place to ensure that an oversight such as had occurred here is not permitted to recur. On any future sale of its land the council must be able to demonstrate that it has taken sufficient steps to establish the legal status of the land and act in accordance with all relevant legislation prior to sale. It should consider whether it has the power to proceed with any future disposals and, for the sake of good governance, should formally document the powers on which it has relied when making such decisions. Lady Rose considered that it would be all to the good if, as a result of this appeal, other local authorities/parish councils would decide to follow that advice and take stock of how they acquired and now hold the pleasure grounds., public walks and open spaces that they make available to the public to enjoy.Landmark Chambers presentation of issues on their website mentions that local residents had struggled to finance the legal challenge, for instance with sponsored walks and drag nights. It sounds as if there may be a possibility that the Town Council might repurchase the land for public use, although councils rarely have as much money as they would like.1st March 2023.

Victor Mishiku ● 1291d5 Comments ● 1275d