The future of Ealing town centre was considered at a seminar on Wednesday last week.

Joe Valente, director of DTZ Debenham Thorpe, spoke about the role of e-commerce in town centre development.

'People no longer need to go into the supermarket ,, what makes Ealing different?' he asked the audience.

Ealing Studios manager, Simon Mallin, who is also on the forum's board of directors, said after the seminar he was hoping the planned redevelopment of the studios could play a key part in shaping the future identity of the town.

'Ealing has the potential to be an alternative to the West End but it needs to decide what type of town it wants to be,' he said.

He added that a commercially viable development project was needed for the studios, as well as involvement with the community to help release the site's educational and cultural potential for the town.

'We're aware of our Shakepearean heritage but we aren't as proud or aware of our film heritage.'

Accessibility was highlighted as a vital factor in a town centre's survival. Phillip Goodwin, director of Planning and Development for Croydon, said the introduction of the Tramlink system there had boosted retail by 25 per cent.

Last month, Ealing Times reported a tram route linking Uxbridge and Shepherds Bush could be given the go-ahead as early as October.

Chairwoman of the Ealing Town Centre Forum which organised the meeting, Shirley Kenworthy Wright, said no development had yet been decided for the town centre. 'It's not just about shopping, but how to make Ealing sustainable,' she said.

The seminar was held at the Jarvis international in Ealing Common.

The forum conducted a survey earlier this year to see what developments residents wanted to see. The results are expected in August.