Ealing Council has released its draft local plan, a) setting out its strategy and related targets for the next 15 years of council planning decisions, and b) inviting feedback. The local plan provides the framework against which the community can hold the council accountable. This is your opportunity to comment on the Council’s priorities and ambitions, supporting the Council, and ensuring that Ealing is urgently and consistently making planning decisions that work towards a prosperous and sustainable future. The deadline for reply is 25 January 2023.

Detailed information about the plan can be found on the council website here, with detailed documents here, and a summary here. The documents are rather long, so we have unpacked aspects of it below.

The report is broken down into four main sections (1) Chapters 1 to 3 – including an Introduction and Ealing’s proposed “spatial strategy”, (2) Chapter 4 – including Specific “Town Plan” proposals for Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall, (3) Chapter 5 – discussing Development Management Policies, and (4) Appendices to the report providing (a) a Monitoring Framework with relevant targets, (2) A Glossary of terms, (3) An Atlas of Change (detailing changes to Green Belt designations and Metropolitan Open Land designations), and (4) specific Consultation Questions.

Although many of the consultation questions refer to the Town Plans, there are a number of general questions on which you may wish to comment including:

• (Chapter 3, page 51) Do you support the vision that is set out in this Local Plan?
• (Chapter 3, page 52 to 54) Do you support the priorities in this tackling the climate crisis policy?
• (Chapter 3, page 58) Do you support the priorities set out in this fighting inequality policy?
• (Chapter 3, page 60 to 62) Do you support the priorities in this creating good jobs and growth policy?

• (Chapter 5, page 484) What are your views on the development proposals on green and open spaces?
• (Chapter 5, page 485) Do you support our ambition to set higher targets for urban greening?
• (Chapter 5, page 486) Do you support our ambition to set higher targets for Carbon Offsetting?
• (Chapter 5, page 487) Do you support the introduction of a CIL?
• (Chapter 5, page 488) Do you have any comments about enabling development?

Ealing Council has identified “Tackling the Climate Crisis”, “Fighting Equality”, and “Creating Good Jobs and Growth” as its priorities. Ealing Transition has provided its comments on the consultation (copy attached here – downloads as a PDF). While we welcome the general ambition, we note the lack of detailed targets in the document, and challenge the notion of the climate and ecological emergency as a “cosy crisis” in which we carry on with the usual assumptions of business as usual. We encourage the Council to be more ambitious and take urgent action now addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, and supporting the shift to a sustainable economy. What do you think? Let the council have your views by 25 January 2023.

Ealing Transition’s Response to the DRAFT Local Plan – here (downloads as PDF)