Small shop keepers in stand-off with developers over 17-storey tower
Tide Construction have failed to reach an agreement and will build around the shops opposite West Ealing station
Two shopkeepers are refusing to sell their properties to a developer which will impede the company’s construction of a 17-storey tower on the former Majestic wine store in West Ealing.
Tide Construction has planning approval for the project for 412 student “bedspaces” and recently agreed to pay Ealing Council £8 million to alter its original plan to include 144 affordable student bedrooms. Groundwork has taken place at the site, causing some damage to shops, but currently no building is underway.
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The company has acquired shops between 48-54 Drayton Green Road but the owners of Shake and Steak and the Ealing Heel Bar at 46 and 44 Drayton Green Road have refused the company’s offers to buy the shops.
Simon, the owner of the Ealing Heel Bar said that the company’s offer was inadequate. “This is my livelihood. I’m 70 and I need a job to survive. If they offer me enough money, I’ll sell. I have had this business since 1979 but they have offered me peanuts. Not enough to retire,” he said.
He points to damaged brickwork at the front of his shop. “I do not know how they will build the towers around us. They have already damaged the walls from the vibrations and the builders say they will repair it once the work has finished,” he said.
Last month, members of Ealing Council’s planning committee heard that Tide had not managed to negotiate an agreement with the shop owners and would build around the shops.
The owner of Shake and Steak previously objected to the granting of planning permission to Tide during Ealing’s consultation with residents and claimed he had only found out about the development when he was sent a party wall agreement request.
“We have a right to light from our windows that will be blocked out by this development. The development will be overbearing on the shop fronting Drayton Bridge Road,” the owner wrote.
The two shops are very small but would have a major effect on the company’s ease of building. Construction would also restrict the shops’ ability to carry out business.
Simon had also written to the council to object to the granting of planning permission. He said that construction would deter customers from visiting his shop by blocking access by foot and reducing the shop’s visibility and lighting.
“The success of my business is not only crucial for my financial stability but also for my mental well-being. If the proposed development drives away my loyal customers and threatens the future of my shop, it will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on my mental health and overall quality of life,” he wrote.
Ealing Council and Tide Construction have been contacted for comment.