Ealing town centre Spatial Development Framework Conservation Areas Fig. 2.5: Conservation areas. Listed Buildings Locally listed buildings Building of group or facade value Fig. 2.6: Buildings of historic value. Pitzhanger Manor. Locally listed buildings on Bond Street. Christ Church. Locally listed buildings in West Ealing. 15 Context and Issues 2.3.3 Topography and Building Heights 2.3.4 Key Views and Vistas Much of the land in Ealing is flat, rising gently from the Thames to reach 30m The flat topography of the area does not allow for any natural vantage point near Ealing town centre Conservation Area. The ridge of higher ground being from which to obtain a comprehensive vista of the town centre. There are, at Castle Bar Hill, northeast of the town centre and reaching Hanger Hill to the however a number of important local views into and within the area: north of the town centre. • South-east across Haven Green towards Ealing Broadway station. Building heights vary, although the predominant building height is 2-3 storeys • South along the northern arm of The Broadway. (figure 2.7). There is a cluster of taller buildings focused on the office quarter • North across Ealing Green towards the southern end of Bond Street. along Uxbridge Road. Here building heights are generally between four and • East along New Broadway towards the Arcadia Centre. seven storeys, with the exception of 97-107 Uxbridge Road (11 storeys), Cavalier House (12 storeys) and Westel House (16 storeys). Each of these buildings is • West along The Broadway towards the corner of High Street and New clearly visible, forming distinct elements on the skyline. Broadway. • Approaching the Mall from Ealing Common. Within Ealing Broadway, The Broadway Centre rises to 6 storeys, while Villiers • View across Dean Gardens. House above Ealing Broadway Station rises to 12 storeys. • Views from the west towards the beginning of West Ealing Centre. Within the retail core of West Ealing, heights generally range from 1-3 storeys. • Views from the east towards the beginning of Ealing Broadway Centre. Only the new flats to the east of Dean Gardens (6 storeys) and the flats on • Views of the new housing development at West Ealing Station from Uxbridge Melbourne Avenue (6 storeys) exceed this. Buildings under construction at the Road. former Daniels site (7 storeys) and West Ealing Station (10 storeys) will however exceed this height. The majority of these views terminate in unattractive built frontages. However, there are several positive landmark elements in the townscape: Most of the surrounding historic residential areas consist of 2-3 storey development of Victorian family housing. Notable exceptions are the 8 storey • The Town Hall clock tower, visible from Castlebar Road and a number of tower blocks of Green Man Lane and Northfield Road estates interspersed with 4 adjacent streets to the north. The Town Hall itself performs an important role in the townscape, marking a point of transition between the town centre storey maisonette accommodation. conservation area and the more modern office quarter, characterised by large free standing modern buildings, set back from pavement edge. • The Church of Christ the Saviour and its spire acting as a visual point of reference from most places along the main thorough fares. • The spire of the Polish Catholic Church, Windsor Road and the Old Town Hall act as gateway elements approaching the town centre from the east. • The Town House pub and No 35 The Broadway both provide good corner features. Key issues for the town centre strategy: • The barriers created by the railway line. • The presence of a number of historic buildings and groups of buildings that give the area a strong and distinctive character. • The distinctive character and appearance of the Conservation Areas. • The presence of a number of statutory protected buildings which by virtue of their listings and settings will be retained. • The scale, grain and character of existing buildings/streets within the town centre. • The presence of a number of mega-blocks within Ealing Broadway Centre, West Ealing and along the Uxbridge Road which are impermeable, provide barriers to pedestrian movement and are detrimental to the overall legibility of the centre. • The negative impact of exposed rear service yards upon a number of streets. • The presence of a number of buildings that have a negative impact on the character of the area. • The existing topography. • The existing view corridors to and within the town centre. • The presence of a number of positive landmarks that help orientation and establish a sense of place. • The lack of high quality contemporary buildings in the town centre. • The poor quality of a number of shopfronts and the negative impact they have upon the character and appearance of a number of shopping parades. 16 Ealing town centre Spatial Development Framework 1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-10 11-15 16+ Fig. 2.7: Building heights. Key landmark Important views New Housing Westell Town Hall Pitzhanger Christ the Villiers Polish Catholic - ‘Luminosity’ House Manor Saviour church House Church spire Fig. 2.8: Key views and landmarks. The town hall. The Polish church spire. Villiers House. Pitzhanger Manor. 17 Context and Issues 2.4 Open Spaces and Quality of the Public Realm using these roads and the High Street. • The quality of paving and the proliferation of signage and street furniture A key asset of the town centre is its open spaces, which make a significant further impede pedestrian movement and disorientate the user. contribution to the character and quality of the environment (Figure 2.9): • The streets and spaces that comprise the public realm of the town centre are of a poor quality. High volumes of through traffic, fumes and noise has a • Walpole Park - The largest green space located immediately to the south of negative impact on the shopping environment. The use of utilitarian materials the town centre. Residential properties enclose the park on three sides, with such as concrete slabs do not reflect the character and setting of the different the exception of the north, which is enclosed by Mattock Lane. This gives parts of the town centre. Levels of maintenance are also low. the park a secluded feel. The park includes areas of formal landscaping, large open areas for recreation, children’s play facilities, and an animal enclosure. • In addition the streets are cluttered with signage, redundant railings and Walpole Park however, feels detached from the main town centre due to the service boxes. lack of clear and direct links to Uxbridge Road. • There is a lack of variety and diversity in the public realm when moving along • Ealing Green - A more urban green space, Ealing Green is nevertheless an Uxbridge Road. attractive open space, providing an attractive focus for shops and cafes • Uxbridge Road provides the primary focus of retail activity. The high volumes located at the southern end of High Street and Bond Street and forming of slow moving traffic on this route, however creates an unhealthy and an integral part of the wider setting of Pitzhanger Manor , a Grade I listed unpleasant environment for the pedestrian and acts as a barrier to north- building. The space is dissected by two roads (Bond Street and Mattock Lane) south movement. and flanked by High Street to the east. These form barriers to pedestrian movement, make the space feel somewhat disjointed and create the feel of a • The presence of a number of pavements that cannot accommodate the traffic-dominated environment. volumes of pedestrian users. This is particularly noticeable on the pavements along eastern and southern Broadway. • Haven Green - A formally-landscaped open space, located to the north of • There is a lack of pedestrian only or pedestrian priority spaces within the Ealing Broadway centre. It is dissected by a road accommodating a one-way town centre within which to linger and relax. The only significant areas can bus route and surrounded by roads on the north, east and west sides, with a be found within Ealing Broadway Centre and along Oxford Road. The area car park situated along the southern boundary. Along with Ealing Broadway along the former Oxford Road is an open area with opportunities for shops to Station, Haven Green forms part of a public transport interchange for the spill out into the pedestrian environment. The Broadway Centre space is open centre, accommodating bus stops and standing facilities along the dissecting to the elements. It is, however not on any significant desire line and has a road and the eastern side. A taxi rank and cycle parking facilities are also feeling of a private area that is similar to a covered shopping centre. located in the south-eastern corner. • In certain locations - High Street/ Bond Street, Springbridge Road - the • Dean Gardens - Dean Gardens is the only area of green open space within pavements are too narrow. West Ealing. It performs a functional role and enhances sense of place through providing residents with space for interaction, recreation and play • Bus stops are crowded and on narrow pavements bus shelters do not provide within the centre, while contributing to townscape character, through the adequate protection from the rain. provision of a softer green space within an otherwise hard-landscaped • In West Ealing the pedestrian environment is also of a poor quality: environment. However, the high boundary railings create a barrier to - There is a general lack of pedestrian crossings over the Broadway and those accessing this vital open space and the southern boundary lacks an edge. that are provided fail to align with the north-south routes. • Ealing Common - While Ealing Common is not located immediately adjacent - Pedestrian access into the town centre from surrounding residential areas to the Centre, as the largest open space, it still performs a valuable role for is poor, obstructed by a lack of crossings over Leeland Terrace to the south the town centre in further adding to the network of green spaces located or Singapore Road to the north.