The future of the borough is in your hands, with a large public consultation under way asking for your views.

Today (Wednesday, 30 November), a consultation opened on Ealing Council’s draft new Local Plan. This sets out how life across all of our seven towns might develop over the next 15 years – from climate and transport to open spaces and homes, and many more things besides.

You have until 8 February 2023 to get involved, whether online or at one of the events planned for each of our seven towns, or by filling in forms by hand. See further down in this article to find out all the ways you can have your say.

Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth, said: “The draft new Local Plan follows Shaping Ealing, one of the borough’s biggest ever public listening consultations. Its results were published in September, after more than 10,600 people and businesses took part by telling us what they thought about local facilities and communities.

“The information gathered from Shaping Ealing helped us put together the draft new Local Plan. And now we want to hear what you think about it.”

WHAT IS A LOCAL PLAN?

The Local Plan will shape planning decisions about homes, infrastructure, climate change, jobs, and how we can address health and inequalities in the borough in the near future.

It also shows what needs to be protected, conserved or enhanced such as green spaces, canals, heritage assets, shopping areas and employment space.

It guides future development and lasts for 15 years.

To help make the proposed policies effective, the council wants to understand how they might impact on you, your family, your organisation, your business or your neighbourhood – whether in a bad or good way. By describing how, and explaining why, you can help to shape the plans.

‘ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION OPPORTUNITY’

Council leader Peter Mason said: “Ealing is changing. It always has. It always will. Our task, together as residents, businesses, and people who care, is to shape it to be the kind of place we want it to be.

“This process is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have a say in how our home will develop over the next 15 years, in ways that touch almost every aspect of everyday life.”

Once the consultation has closed, the feedback will be used to put together an updated version of the Local Plan – which the council will then ask your views on again.

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

• Find details of how to give your views on the draft new Local Plan by 8 February 2023 by visiting the Local Plan page on the council’s website
• You can respond by email at localplan@ealing.gov.uk
• You can respond by letter by posting to: Strategic Planning Team, Perceval House, 14–16 Uxbridge Road, London, W5 2HL
• There are also hard copies of the Local Plan consultation document available at all local libraries, and at the council’s Perceval House offices in Uxbridge Road, Ealing (W5 2HL). At these locations, there will also be forms available for people to submit handwritten comments and to pop them into a secure box to be collected by the council. Find your local library on the council’s website
• Pop-up consultation events are also due to be held in all seven towns across the borough. You can find details of these on the council’s website.