In the last newsletter, I touched upon the outbreak of Coronavirus that was beginning to impact countries around the world. Several months on, we continue to feel the effect of this pandemic. It has had a profound impact on every aspect of our lives – social behaviour, mental well-being, job security, local businesses and the broader economy. As we continue to navigate these unprecedented times, please follow guidance issued by the authorities regularly updated on www.gov.uk. Where possible, do offer help and support to the elderly and most vulnerable members in our community.
I want to touch upon a few items of practical relevance which are subject of much recent debate -
Use of Fireworks
With various festivals coming up please remember that by law you must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except for Bonfire Night (Nov 5th) when the cut off is midnight, and Diwali (Nov 14th), New Year’s Eve (Dec 31st), and the Chinese New Year (12th Feb) when the cut off for each is 1am. Please avoid later hours if possible and be aware that some of your neighbours will be asleep. Loud bangs are very distressing to young children and pets.
Security Gates to Front Driveways
Many residents are concerned about car theft. A simple way to protect against this is to install front gates on your property. The Conservation Area rules allow for installation of gates up to 1m in height without the need for planning permission. These are more than adequate for car safety. Larger gates however do require planning permission, so please check with planning if in doubt.
Security
The security situation on the estate has remained stable over the summer. A private patrol operates on a few streets on the estate during the hours of darkness, which has contributed to acting as a deterrent. As we enter the winter months may I urge you to stay vigilant, keep homes and cars secure and provision sufficient lighting outside your houses to deter burglars.
Traffic
There continues to be rat-running traffic navigation apps guiding motorists through our estate. Your committee continues to lobby with the local authorities to introduce traffic calming measures, without putting the residents to inconvenience.
On this topic, it is worth highlighting that under the council’s school street scheme, traffic restrictions are shortly being introduced in the vicinity of Holy Family School, Vale Lane W3, which could affect your car journeys.
The temporary closure will consist of barriers placed across Vale Lane (to the east) and Hanger Vale Lane (to the west). This closure will inevitably have a knock-on effect upon local residents who intend to travel past the school during term-time, which in practice will be between 8:15 and 9:15am and 3:00 and 4:00pm (only Blue Badge holders and immediately local residents will be given permits to pass the barriers). The obvious alternative route for other residents is via Boileau Road or Hanger Lane.
Fly tipping
We continue to actively raise this with our Councillors to bring this to the attention of Ealing Council in order to introduce some enforcement measures. May I encourage you to report all incidents that you see via the Love Clean Streets app.
HHeRA Annual General Meeting 2020
As reported in the last newsletter, following government notification on avoiding large gatherings, your committee was not able to hold the AGM. We were hopeful the situation would change but it appears unlikely that we can hold a large gathering in person for some time to come. We continue to explore options for when/how the AGM can be held and will notify residents in due course.
Lastly, you may have noticed the recent opening of Hampton by Hilton Hotel on Connell Crescent. The site of the old Magnat Pub has been significantly redeveloped to create a property with 162 modern guest rooms, fitness suite, spacious restaurant and lounge for relaxing.
We would welcome views and suggestions from fellow residents – feel free to email mail@hhera.com or post on the HHERA Facebook page or via Twitter. You can also contact me directly on tarun.wasan@hhera.com or by phone on 078 8789 2896.
Stay safe and all the best for the upcoming festive season!
Tarun Wasan – Chairman