Peel House Developers granted planning Permission.

The Ealing Council Planning Committee met on Wednesday the 6^th January and granted permission for Peel House, in Mandeville Road, Northolt, to be adapted for use as a Medical Centre.

The plan, which was promoted as a solution to future heathcare needs, by Ealing Primary Care Trust has been the subject of several heated Public Consultation Meetings. A number of local people, including myself, spoke at the meetings, and suggested alternative solutions that would enable three of our Mandeville GP surgeries to stay in their present premises. Ealing PCT were determined to enforce their strategy for Community Heathcare and pressed ahead with their plans. This planning permission was the last hurdle, and they are now free to go ahead with the Project.
I have previously raised a number of points concerning the need for Patients to travel further to see their GP, and the loss of contact with an individual Doctor if the surgeries were relocated into Peel House. I arranged to speak at the Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday to point out that the volume of Patients arriving at Peel House by car to visit the GP’s and the other healthcare professionals based in one of the fourteen Consulting Rooms, would create additional parking problems around Mandeville Road. Our local traders could also be harmed by the resulting lack of short term parking in the service roads outside the shops.

 Unfortunately, permission was granted, and the only remaining possibility is that the Ealing PCT may withdraw from the Project before contracts are signed, and building work commences.

Candidates launched!

On October the sixteenth, Mandeville Conservatives held an event to officially launch their 2010 election campaign in Mandeville Ward.

I was introduced as one of the Candidates. I am standing for election as a Ward Councillor with Councillor Hazel Ware and Councillor Eileen Harris who both currently represent Mandeville Ward.

Councillor Ian Gibb is the Ealing North Parliamentary Candidate. Ian is the Deputy Leader of the Ealing Conservative Group, and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services. He has worked on a large number of projects in Ealing North, and understands the importance of having good local knowledge through working and living locally, when representing a constituency in Parliament.

Keep the Peace.

The sun was shining and many hundreds of local people took advantage of the chance to see RAF Police Dogs, Metropolitan Police Horses and a Police Helicopter at the Northolt Mandeville Peace Day last Sunday.

The free event, held in Northolt Park was extremely well attended, with representatives from Ealing Council’s Safer Communities Team on hand to give advice on personal safety and a huge Inflatable bouncy castle for the younger guests.

The finale was the arrival of the Police helicopter, with a large crowd waiting to go forward to hear a very interesting talk by the crew on their role in the Police Service.

Northolt Park is a great space that we should all use more often. The event was part of the London Peace Week that was originally intended to encourage co-operation in a way that will bring communities together in a safe and peaceful setting. This event succeeded in every respect, and was a credit to the organisers, the Mandeville Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

I hope that we will be able to ‘Keep the Peace’ again next year.

Controlled Drinking in Northolt?

At a recent community meeting, it was suggested that Ealing Council should be asked to introduce a Controlled Drinking Zone in Mandeville Ward as a way of preventing the consumption of Alcohol in parks and public spaces.

Is this the answer to the problem? What are the unintended consequences?

Conversations with Police Officers have confirmed that these Controlled Drinking Zones do solve the problem of Public Drinking. If Officers repeatedly confiscate Alcohol the Drinkers do tend to move to another area. In effect, we pass our problem to the nearest Ward where there are no restrictions.

What are the consequences for those of us that live in Mandeville?

 Although the Police are able to exercise some discretion, if the control is introduced, they could, for example, insist that there is no alcohol with family picnics in public parks and no Mulled wine for the Christmas carol singers at the Clock Tower. Drinkers outside our two remaining Pubs could be warned not to stray onto public land, or they too may have their drinks confiscated.

Is this the result that we want?

What we are actually trying to do is to resolve a problem with anti-social behaviour that may sometimes become a Public Order issue, or result in an arrest for Drunkenness. Whilst we cannot accept the presence of groups of drinkers acting badly in our parks and open spaces, we should be asking whether or not a controlled drinking zone is the best solution.

Unfortunately, the Police have very limited resources available to deal with the problem, and view this form of control as an easy solution. The long term consequence of this policy is that as more and more areas are designated as Control Zones, the whole of Ealing and eventually most of Greater London could eventually be affected by these restrictions.

For the moment, I am reluctantly obliged to accept that this is probably the only control method that can be introduced without an increase in Police resources. However, I do hope that The Metropolitan Police will consider this area of policing as a priority for action, and look for new solutions.  

Anti-social behaviour of any sort is a serious blight on our community. But residents should not face the possibility of unnecessary restrictions as the result of rules introduced to curb the actions of a disruptive minority.

Peace in Northolt

On Sunday the 27^th September, Northolt Mandeville Ward will be the location for a Free Peace Day Event organised by our local Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

They have arranged for RAF Police Dogs, Metropolitan Police Horses, and a number of Youth Uniform Organisations to attend. There will also be a display of Classic Police cars and a Rainforest Roadshow. The Ealing Council Community Safety Unit will be available to offer advice on personal safety. For younger Visitors there will be a Bouncy Castle and a Mobile Animal Farm.

The event is part of the London Week of Peace. A movement that started in North London to encourage co-operation in joint activities that bring communities together, and promote safety and peace. The idea has since spread to many London Boroughs.

 The Peace Day event will be held at Northolt Park in Newmarket Avenue. A great location, where you may also be able to witness a Police helicopter landing.

 The fun starts at 1200 noon and finishes at 4PM.

This is a good opportunity to meet your friends and neighbours in a safe local setting. Why not bring a Picnic?

A New Health Centre for Mandeville?

The local Primary Care Trust (PCT) has plans to replace three of our local GP surgeries with a Health Centre at Peel House in Mandeville Road. Northolt.

I have criticised this scheme, because I believe that those of us that are patients at these practises will lose contact with our own Doctor when the services are re-arranged to provide medical cover seven days a week for up to 12 hours each day.

The PCT plan is to offer a range of treatments and procedures at the Health Centre, some of which are currently only available at local hospitals.  The ground and first floors of Peel House will accommodate fourteen consulting rooms, together with a central reception desk and patient’s records area that will serve all three surgeries. The remaining two floors will be used by the PCT.

The scheme is designed to enable the practise to operate during and outside the traditional working hours. It is promoted as a move to provide a ‘Modern’ service that will use additional Doctors, either specially recruited or from one of the other two surgeries, to provide cover.

One of the surgeries that will be affected is very close to the proposed development. The other two are some distance away. The benefits to patients of having extra treatments on offer may be lost on those who currently have a short walk to see the Doctor, if they are instead obliged to take one or two buses to reach the Health Centre.

For those travelling by car, the area around Peel House is already busy with commuter parking for Northolt Station. There is little chance of Patients from three surgeries finding a parking place near the new centre where there is very limited off-road parking, with just fourteen spaces available.  Two of these spaces are currently allocated to the shops on Mandeville Road. Two more will be designated for disabled drivers. Presumably, some or all of the others will be used by the many Doctors, Practitioners and Community Nurses that will be using the Site, and will also wish to travel by car. The new centre will initially have around 10,000 registered patients and will also offer treatments to patients from other surgeries.

I have suggested that the PCT retain the three existing GP Surgery premises and provide a local Clinic that would offer the additional services. The PCT cite the difficulty of modernising the existing GP practises based in local houses, as a reason for pursuing their policy of centralising local services. There are already similar schemes in preparation that will affect other GP’s in our area.

Whilst I welcome the convenience of access to additional treatments, and the extended opening hours, I am not convinced that the PCT’s plan is the best arrangement for patients in Mandeville. The three practises that would be affected by the proposal are; The Church Road Surgery, The Mandeville Medical Centre and Dr Latif’s practise.

The Property Owners and Developers have recently applied for planning permission, which if granted, would enable them to begin conversion work on the interior of Peel House and start building a new rear extension.

Rebuild the Plough?

I do hope that Fullers Brewery will rebuild The Plough in Northolt, which was almost completely destroyed by fire on the 16th August.
The thatched- roofed building at the Junction of Mandeville Road and Eastcote Lane was a well known local landmark, and it’s prominent main road position and easy car parking would continue to attract passing customers, and be well supported by local residents, if it was restored to it’s original design.

With other forthcoming changes that are expected to bring more people into the area, such as the range of new facilities on the former Swimarama site, demand should increase for local pubs. A building in the original style would also help to preserve the character of the area.
A Campaign to rebuild the Plough, (The Plough Pledge Campaign) led by members of the Northolt Village Residents Association is already underway, and Petitions to the Brewery asking them to rebuild the Plough, are being circulated in the area.
There is a precedent for rebuilding; I have seen a very sad picture of the premises taken during the Second World War after a fire bomb attack, when a very similar level of damage occurred. The decision then was to rebuild, and I do hope that Fullers will take the same view again.
I support the Campaign, and I hope that you will also lend your support by signing the Petition. Copies will be in some local shops, and campaigners will also be calling door-to door around Northolt.
If you would like more information, please email the campaign  at theploughpledge@googlemail.com

Selected!

On the 12th June I attended a Conservative Party selection panel meeting in Mandeville Ward, and I am delighted to report that I was chosen as a Candidate to stand for election as a Ward Councillor.
This is my opportunity to have a say in local events. To make changes in the area where we live. To help to influence events around Ealing. I am proud to be selected, and I intend to work hard to win a seat in Mandeville.
The three standing Councillors have done an excellent job during the past three years, with many local changes and improvements. I am keen to find out what changes local people would like to see in Mandeville in the future. For example, do you want more facilities for sport or young people? Better facilities for older people? What other changes should we consider?
We are building our local Action Team during the summer, and in the Autumn we plan to ask every resident in Mandeville Ward what developments they would like to see in the area.
However, there is no need for you to wait until the Autumn. Tell me now. Post your ideas here so that other residents can also add their comments.

I would like to know what you think of the local Healthcare provision. Any views on that?

Or what about Commuter Parking near Northolt Station? Do you have a solution?

I would like to know your views on any subject that affects Mandeville residents, so please write soon