'Council has dragged its feet'

9:30am Sunday 11th May 2008

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WORK to build sports facilities on a development in Ealing is still no closer to getting started despite promises by the council and the builders.

Building contractor George Wimpey was supposed to build new cricket and football pitches and a new pavilion on the site of the old Liverpool Victoria ground in Carbery Avenue, when Ealing Council gave the firm permission to build housing there in 2003.

However, five years on and the only part of the section 106 agreement which has been completed is an all-weather pitch, which cannot be used because floodlights around it do not meet health and safety standards.

Councillor Jon Ball (Lib Dem, Ealing Common), has been in contact with the council to ask why the developments have not been pushed through.

Council officers wrote back to say meetings had taken place between the two sides, and they would consider High Court action if negotiations fail.

They also said the council had been unable to take over parts of the ground for community use, as had been planned, because the facilities were not in place for changing.

Cllr Ball said: "I'm very unhappy with the answer. It shows how the council has dragged its feet on this matter over the past year and shows an unwillingness to make a solution happen.

"It's just not acceptable to let this facility lie idle for a year with no demonstrable progress. I'll be discussing with residents and following-up with officers."

Ten months ago Bill Luck, a senior design and planning executive for George Wimpey, told the Ealing Times he was meeting with council officials to sort out the problem, but work has still not begun.

Now Mr Luck has said the developer faced problems in getting the pavilion within budget, and does not want to start work on the playing fields until contractors for London Underground have finished work on the tracks which run alongside the ground.

He said: "Unfortunately it has not been as straightforward as we would have liked to get the designs for the pavilion within budget.

"We have a meeting arranged with Ealing Council to discuss the plans, but we still have to get them agreed and then get them through planning before we can start.

"London Underground will also be using the ground to access the rail lines from late summer - and that work could take up to a year."

He also said the company is working to address the problems with the lights on the AstroTurf, but was having difficulty in reducing the amount of light spilling onto neighbouring buildings.

Verity Adams, a spokesman for Ealing council, said: "Officers are committed to resolving the situation so these facilities can be brought into use for the community to start enjoying as soon as possible.

"The council is considering what enforcement action is appropriate if progress is not made soon.

"The executive director of regeneration and housing is meeting senior officials from George Wimpey next week to continue negotiations relating to the outstanding planning obligations and conditions."