Ealing Council has outlined a vision for its seven towns, aiming for residents to live within a short walk or bike ride from essential services like shops, doctor’s surgeries, and parks.
The strategy, detailed in ‘Our 7 Towns – guidance on 20-minute neighbourhoods in Ealing,’ focuses on residents’ needs and promises numerous benefits. Accessing services without driving or using public transport could boost local economies, improve health and wellbeing, enhance quality of life, and reduce air pollution. This initiative also aims to combat climate change by cutting emissions.
The guidance supports key ideas in the new Local Plan, reflecting the council’s ambition to create a better-connected borough with town centres and high streets that meet modern needs. Council leader Peter Mason stated: “Through 20-minute neighbourhoods, we want to create communities where your daily needs are all within a short walk or cycle from your home, whether that’s your local GP surgery, supermarkets and corner shops, or green and open space, we want our local neighbourhoods and communities to be truly accessible.”
This approach will also reduce traffic, fostering a more welcoming environment. Although the guidance is new, the council has already applied its principles in local regeneration projects. The South Acton estate rejuvenation is one of the borough’s largest projects, eventually providing around 3,500 new high-quality, safe, and energy-efficient homes, with 40% offered at genuinely affordable rents. Community facilities, including a new community centre, Bollo Brook Youth Centre, a health centre, café, barber, and supermarket, are within easy walking distance of the new homes.
Residents’ real-life experiences and specific barriers have shaped the council’s approach to 20-minute neighbourhoods. Feedback from thousands of responses gathered via the Shaping Ealing, Your Voice Your Town, and 20-minute frameworks consultations will guide priorities for each town. The guidance acknowledges that each of the borough’s seven towns has distinct needs and will be updated periodically to stay relevant and effective, incorporating feedback from ‘Your Voice, Your Town’ events.
Councillor Mason added: “We want to continue fighting the climate crisis through promoting walking, cycling, and scooting, creating a greener and cleaner borough for our residents. This work is key to building strong communities, filled with identity, pride, and purpose, where residents can enjoy and experience their neighbourhoods together.”
Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, emphasised: “We are an ambitious borough focused on growth, but we’ve always been clear that it must be the right kind of growth – the type that delivers the social infrastructure and amenities that our communities need.”
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