Summer 2019 Welcome to Our Summer 2019 Newsletter, My First for the Listed Building and Conservation Area Caused by in the Society
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From the (Acting) Chairman Summer 2019 Welcome to our Summer 2019 newsletter, my first for the listed building and conservation area caused by in the Society. As many of you will know, at the recent particular the demolition of part of the Victoria Hall is AGM our chairman Robert Gurd stood down from the outweighed by the ‘public benefit’ of the scheme. The position that he had held for 21 years. I had already alleged benefits include such things as provision of stepped into his shoes as acting chairman and it fell to (another) gym and access to the hotel’s bars and me to chair that meeting. However, what concerns me restaurants. The now is that no-one has been nominated, self-nominated ruling from the or been persuaded to accept this important role so I am Charity Commission for now continuing to act up (no clever comments on the status of the please). A more detailed AGM report follows later in Victoria Hall Trust this newsletter but I would like to mention that I am remains outstanding delighted that the appointment of Sir Sherard Cowper- and they did not Ealing Town Hall with proposed Coles as our president was ratified by the membership. respond to Save hotel extension We were also treated to an enlightening talk by architect Ealing’s Centre’s urgent request to require a condition Harbinder Birdi on John Soane’s influence on on any planning permission that no demolition may contemporary architecture. take place until their decision is issued. Without this, Elsewhere in the newsletter, we have articles featuring there is nothing to prevent demolition of the eastern this year’s ECS John Delafons lecture, the opening of end of the publicly funded Victoria Hall going ahead. the restored Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, details of our upcoming events and, as always, updates on key planning matters. I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and find it Perceval House informative. If there are things you would like us to The Society, along with other local amenity groups, has include going forward, please let me know through been contacted by Galliford Try with an offer to meet [email protected]. with them, their architects and communications consultants as part of early stakeholder engagement. Ealing Town Hall This is a welcome move and one we have been pushing Mastcraft’s application for planning approval for their for some time. Unfortunately, the practicalities seem proposed development of Ealing Town Hall went to more difficult and confirmed dates are still awaited. committee for determination, with a recommendation We understand that GT have changed their architects for approval, in mid-May. In an entirely predictable and are proposing some unspecified changes to the decision, planning permission was granted. The scheme previously outlined. We look forward to committee debate was very disappointing, with hearing about these and will pass on details as soon as questions and contributions from committee members they are available. limited in both quality and quantity. The legal officer seemed out of her depth and we cannot endorse the planning officer’s repeated assertion that any harm to Coming Events 22 June Civic Day: Join us on a walk ‘In the Footsteps of Soane’. Details on page 4 24 October Civic Society Awards. Presented by Sir Sherard Cowper -Coles. Details to be confirmed. The Hoover Building, Perivale Filmworks As reported in the Spring newsletter, the Society Visible progress is now being made on the site with the responded to a local consultation on redevelopment of first residential block rising up adjacent to Barnes Pikle the rear of the Tesco car park currently occupied by a and a sales office open for those looking to invest. We petrol station. The proposals for a residential have been pursuing detailed design issues, in particular development of around 300 flats included the erection for the Walpole Picture Theatre arch currently on the of a part 10-storey and part 22-storey tower block wall of 2 Mattock Lane (to be retained and incorporated (called The Wiltern). We responded to the consultation into the development), and the retained former Empire by suggesting that at a minimum the tower element (ex-Forum) Cinema façade. We have asked several should be omitted entirely so that the new buildings detailed questions of developers St George and await would be in scale with the listed buildings and would their response. Of particular interest to us is that the not dominate views of them. Sadly, it seems that our cinema operator Picturehouse have, after much concerns fell on deaf ears and a planning application prompting, shown some interest in retaining some of has now been submitted which seems unaltered from the salvaged items from the old cinema, including some the initial proposals ‘consulted’ on. The tower certainly light fittings, to incorporate into their new complex, but there are no detailed interior designs as yet. Ann Chapman Annual General Meeting This year’s AGM took place in the Liz Cantell Room of the Town Hall on 2nd April. It was opened by Ann Chapman, Vice- Chairmain, standing in for Robert remains and as can be seen from these views from the Gurd, our Chairman who was unwell and unable to application, would be highly visible from surrounding attend. She reminded us that last year Robert stated his residential streets although, it is claimed, not intention of standing down as Chairman, and this year dominating the existing buildings when viewed from illness had forced the issue. Ann is acting as Chairman the A40. We are considering what to include in an ECS in a temporary capacity but the search for a new Chair objection to the application. is earnest and candidates are eagerly awaited. In a similar vein new young blood is needed in the Crossrail and Ealing Broadway station membership and on the Executive Committee. There has been some limited progress here. The Our President Charles Mynors has also resigned promised consultation on the revised canopy design because of pressure of other commitments and Ann and proposed public realm improvements in front of thanked him warmly on behalf of the Society. An Ealing the station has resident, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, has agreed to not yet started, become President and he was duly voted in by AGM the latest attendees. He took the floor and said that he was delays possibly looking forward to the role and is deeply concerned being about the issues championed by the ECS and with us attributed to regrets the inevitable failures in saving the built the Council environment. The other members of the Executive having gone Committee agreed to continue and were duly re-elected. into ‘purdah’ We were delighted that Harbinder Birdi, one of our 2018 in the run-up Awards judges, agreed to speak after the AGM. Harbinder Singh Birdi RIBA is an Ealing to the Ealing Broadway Station the latest unexpected resident and Senior Partner at Hawkins/Brown European elections. We hope that with these behind us, Architects. He is the principal architect leading the we will soon see this consultation. Slightly more design for the Crossrail stations at Tottenham Court encouraging is that the new contractor to build the Road, Liverpool Street and Bond Street, where he has redesigned station entrance (and also the new Acton collaborated with artists such as Daniel Buren, Richard Mainline and West Ealing stations) has been selected – Wright and Douglas Gordon. He is a trustee of Graham Construction. We are not aware of any Pitzhanger Manor House and Gallery, which has timetable for the works, and it seems unlikely that they recently reopened after refurbishment, and the London will be completed before trains start running through to School of Architecture. His theme was how Sir John Ealing next year. Soane’s design for Pitzhanger Manor has influenced contemporary architecture. Ealing Civic Society 2 Summer 2019 John Delafons Lecture: Ada Lovelace Ed. If you have a 9th May Liz Cantell Room passport issued after The annual John Delafons lecture this year was both a 2016 turn to page 30-31 celebration of the life and work of Ada Lovelace, and you will see the daughter of Lord Byron and Annabella Milbanke, and face of Ada Lovelace and her hair lodged the occasion for unveiling a plaque to Ada that will be between Charles placed near her former home in Ealing at a later date. Babbage and his Our speaker, Professor Ursula Martin from Oxford analytical engine, University, is co-author of a book Ada Lovelace: The computer screens and a watermark of William making of a computer scientist written with Christopher Shakespeare. She keeps good company. Hollings and Adrian Rice. She outlined the early life of Ada, her education and her contribution to the science of Robert Gurd, Chairman of Ealing Civic what we would now call computing. Professor Martin Society 1998 – 2019 shared some of the discoveries she made going though A huge thank you is due to Robert for his dedicated the papers of Ada Lovelace now housed in the Bodleian chairmanship over the Library in Oxford. past 21 years. He has Ada was born in 1815 shortly before the breakup of her worked tirelessly to parent’s marriage after only one year. Lady Byron improve public moved to Ealing in 1822 when Ada was seven years old. understanding of our Lady Byron was known for her passion for education – built heritage and the setting up an industrial school for the poor in Ealing, importance of its commemorated by a plaque on the University of West conservation, and London. She tutored Ada herself in maths and science embodies the Society’s and ensured that she had other foremost tutors.