MORE than 100 people packed out a hall in Northfields this evening for the first in a new series of meetings aimed at giving local people more of a voice.

Issues discussed at the Ward Forum, bought in to replace the Area Committees, included ideas like putting in more alley gates, painting double yellow lines around junctions, and ideas to clean up local parks.

Each of the 23 new committees, lead by the three local councillors, will have a budget of £40,000 to help fund improvements, although one resident asked whether section 106 money from developments in the area could be put towards schemes.

After the meeting, Councillor Phil Taylor said: “I think it was great success. We used the money as a way to stimulate debate, and I think we raised a lot of issues we might not otherwise have heard about.”

For a full report from the meeting see the Ealing Times website tomorrow.