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West London Tram: just say no

Save Ealing's Streets

NEWSLETTERS

West London Tram: just say no

 

Say no to the West London Tram  

25 May 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

Thank you

It will be a while before the dust settles after this month’s dramatic local election results. In the meantime, we would like you to know how grateful we are for your support during the campaign. Many people committed much time and effort to distributing leaflets, putting up posters, canvassing opinion, organising meetings and asking questions. Your efforts directly influenced the outcome of the vote. The outgoing Council’s humiliating defeat was a direct consequence of its refusal to respond to our concerns about the tram. They have paid the price. It was a great achievement. Thank you.

Ealing Council votes NO TRAM

On 18 May, at the first meeting after the elections, the new Ealing Council unanimously approved a motion with three parts: to remove support for the proposed West London Tram scheme; to withdraw from being a joint promoter of the scheme (with Transport for London); and to mandate Council officers to draw up the case for active opposition to the tram scheme. Ealing is firmly opposed to the tram.

This also means that all three councils along the proposed route – Hillingdon, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham – are opposed to the scheme. We expect these councils to work together to strengthen the impact of their opposition.

What next?

This is not the end of the story. The tram has not gone away. It is a Transport for London project and therefore driven by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. He has said he intends to continue with the scheme. He has also said that another major opinion poll is due and has conceded that alternatives might be reviewed if this poll shows a big majority against (but if there is a majority in favour, TfL will carry on). Watch out for this poll. If asked, please continue to VOTE NO TRAM.

What we plan to do

We do not intend to go away either. We have already held discussions with Ealing Council and are trying to arrange further meetings with Transport for London. We plan to continue monitoring activity and shall keep you informed of progress.

In the run-up to the election campaign we communicated to SES supporters by e-mail because it is cheaper and easier to organise quickly. During the campaign, some of you very reasonably reminded us that you do not use the Internet and that, having not heard from us for a while, you presumed that we had given up our campaign. We can assure you we have not. We are now using both e-mail and printed mail again (if you do use e-mail, please let us know – it is a lot cheaper).

Continuing the campaign will cost money for printing and postage. We would be grateful for assistance as our only source of income is donations from supporters. Please help. Cheques should be payable to Save Ealing's Streets Association and sent to: Save Ealing's Streets Treasurer, 53 Gordon Rd, Ealing, London W5 2AL.

Thank you again for your support – we’ll be in touch when we have more news.

Save Ealing's Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram  

2 May 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

 

VOTE NO TRAM

 

 

VOTE NO TRAM

 

 

VOTE NO TRAM

 

 

On Thursday 4th May 2006

 

 

You have three votes on Thursday. Don’t forget to use all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

Reminders:

 

Election information:

Link to Ealingtoday.co.uk: Ward by ward analysis of voting in Ealing.

Who is standing? Full list of candidates.

What happened last time? How your ward voted in the last elections.

Statements by three main parties: Party statements.

 

Save Ealing’s Streets material:

Distribute leaflets: THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

Questions for candidates: 20 questions

 

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

 

PS. Earlier newsletters can be re-read on our website: Newsletters

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Say no to the West London Tram  

28 April 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

 

 

*** URGENT… URGENT… URGENT ***

Leaflet distributors wanted in all areas, but especially Acton, Hanwell, Perivale and Greenford.

Please e-mail Save Ealing’s Streets or 8998 7360

 

 

NO OVERALL CONTROL predicted to win Ealing: Untangled web (p. 8)

(Untangled Web is a newsletter providing resources for teachers of Politics and Citizenship courses)

Everything is still to play for: EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

 

THINK NO TRAM and VOTE NO TRAM on 4th May 2006

We are into the last week of the local election campaign. NOW is the time to put up posters. Make sure that voters are reminded of the tram as a key issue when they go to the polling station: Black and white poster.

Local elections are won by very small numbers of votes.

 

 

Disinformation

SES remains non-political, but it has come to our attention that two misleading claims are being made.

 

1) That the tram is going to happen whatever the result of the elections. This claim has no basis in fact. It is the bluster of politicians who have lost the argument.

Our recommendation: in no uncertain terms, inform any candidate who says this that the implied threat has cost him/her your vote.

You might also demand an apology for the contempt of democracy this claim represents. Don’t hold your breath, though.

As the electoral commission says: “Your street, your town, your say”.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS.

 

2) Inaccurate claims about the positions of parties in particular wards. Our recommendation: check for yourself: How your ward voted in the last elections.

Make up your own mind. VOTE NO TRAM.

 

Reminders:

 

Election information:

Link to Ealingtoday.co.uk: Ward by ward analysis of voting in Ealing.

Who is standing? Full list of candidates.

What happened last time? How your ward voted in the last elections.

Statements by three main parties: Party statements.

 

Save Ealing’s Streets material:

Distribute leaflets: THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

Questions for candidates: 20 questions

 

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

 

PS. Earlier newsletters can be re-read on our website: Newsletters

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Say no to the West London Tram  

22 April 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

 

THINK NO TRAM and VOTE NO TRAM on 4th May 2006

Over the past few weeks we have sent out information about the local elections on 4th May. We hope this has been useful and are grateful to those who have supported us with their time and effort. There are less than two weeks left to the elections. Now is the time to put up the posters, distribute copies of the leaflet, and put candidates on the spot by asking basic questions about the tram proposal. Do not give up. Local elections are won by very small numbers of votes.

 

In particular: our leaflet campaign has been very successful, but we want to put in one more effort. It is astonishing how many people still are not aware of the plan to build a tram down Uxbridge Rd. Experience shows that the more people know, the more they oppose the plan, so e-mail us now if you can help distribute leaflets in your area. Please do not put this off: Save Ealing’s Streets.

 

Reminders:

 

Election information:

***New*** Link to Ealingtoday.co.uk: Ward by ward analysis of voting in Ealing.

Who is standing? Full list of candidates.

What happened last time? How your ward voted in the last elections.

Statements by three main parties: Party statements.

 

Save Ealing’s Streets material:

Distribute leaflets: THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

Questions for candidates: 20 questions

 

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

 

PS. Earlier newsletters can be re-read on our website: Newsletters

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Say no to the West London Tram  

10 April 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

 

*** Stop Press…Stop Press…Stop Press…Stop Press…Stop Press ***

EPTUG (Ealing Passenger Transport Users’ Group) is holding an open forum on Wednesday 19 April at St Mary’s Church Hall behind Barclays Bank in Acton High St to discuss transport issues. All major parties have been invited to send a candidate. Your chance to quiz them.

 

THINK NO TRAM and VOTE NO TRAM on 4th May 2006

We promised to send more material for the local elections on 4th May. This week’s election newsletter is a little early to allow for the Easter holidays. Next week’s will be a little late for the same reason.

 

Will you count?

The April edition of Around Ealing, the Council’s newsletter, asks: “Will you count?” and implores you to “Vote on Thursday 4 May because whoever you are, wherever you live, the decisions we make will affect you”. We agree wholeheartedly with the Council and invite you to take them at their word. Your vote will make a difference.

 

Who is standing?

On our website there are two new links to important information about the approaching elections. These links take you to Ealing Council’s website. The first link opens a file which gives you a full list of candidates ward by ward. The list is in alphabetical order of ward (Acton Central, Cleveland, Dormers Wells…). When the file on the Council website opens, scroll down to find your ward. So, click this link, then click the link on our Election Special page: full list of candidates.

 

How did my ward vote last time?

The second link takes you to a page on Ealing Council’s website which shows the votes won by each candidate in the last elections in 2002. You will be surprised at how few votes there were between the candidates! In many cases, councillors are elected with only 1,000-1,500 votes in total. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Once again, click this link, click the link on our Election Special page, then click on your ward to see the full list of results: how your ward voted in the last elections.

 

A reminder of the other material we have circulated over the past three weeks which is still available on the Election Special page of our website:

 

20 questions to ask candidates who support the tram.

When they ask you for your vote, ask candidates who support the tram to answer these questions. Arrange local meetings through Residents Associations and ask candidates these questions in public. There are no trick questions, just good ones. And if your candidates cannot answer these questions satisfactorily, then ask them two more: Why can’t you answer these questions if you support the tram? And why are you supporting the tram if you can’t answer these basic questions? We at SES can support Residents Associations organising meetings where these questions can be put to candidates. Please get in touch if you are interested: Save Ealing’s Streets.

 

THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

 

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

 

Please help:

Remember the relatively small number of votes needed to elect councillors. Every vote counts; every small effort you put in makes a big difference.

1) Arrange group meetings with candidates for your ward. Ask them our 20 questions. Don’t let them put you off with general flannel. Force them to answer the questions or explain why they can’t.

2) Print the leaflet plus poster and distribute it in your area. If you can distribute large numbers of leaflets, we can provide more for you. We are looking for more help in Acton and Hanwell in particular. Please contact us by e-mail to arrange delivery: Save Ealing’s Streets.

3) Print the poster and stick it in your window if you have not already done so.

3) Ask local shops to put the poster in their windows.

4) Forward this e-mail to friends, neighbours and members of residents associations.

5) Ask them to forward it on to their friends, neighbours and residents associations.

6) Write to newspapers to ask the 20 questions on our website publicly. This really helps raise awareness and papers are keen on tram stories. A list of e-mail addresses is available on our website: newspaper e-mail addresses.

 

Remember that these elections will be the last chance for you to have your say on the proposed West London Tram at the ballot box. Save Ealing’s Streets is and will remain a non-political organisation, but we do encourage you to THINK NO TRAM and VOTE NO TRAM on 4th May.

 

In order to help you make your decision, we have asked the three leading parties in Ealing to state their views on the tram. These can be found on our website: Party statements.

 

SES is looking to you to spread this message far and wide so that VOTING NO TRAM will have a clear impact on these elections.

 

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram  

6 April 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

THINK NO TRAM when you vote on 4th May 2006

We promised to send more material for the local elections on 4th May.

20 Questions

This week, we want you to play 20 questions. Click on the link to download a list of 20 questions to ask candidates. When they ask you for your vote, ask them to answer these questions. Arrange local meetings through Residents Associations and ask candidates these questions in public. There are no trick questions, just good ones. And if your candidates cannot answer these questions satisfactorily, then ask them two more: Why can’t you answer these questions if you support the tram? And why are you supporting the tram if you can’t answer these basic questions? We at SES can support Residents Associations organising meetings where these questions can be put to candidates. Please get in touch if you are interested: Save Ealing’s Streets.

 Don’t forget the other election material on our website:

THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

 Please help:

1) Arrange group meetings with candidates for your ward. Ask them these questions. Don’t let them put you off with general flannel. Force them to answer the questions or explain why they can’t.

2) Print the leaflet plus poster and distribute it in your area. If you can distribute large numbers of leaflets, we can provide more for you. Please contact us by e-mail to arrange delivery: Save Ealing’s Streets.

3) Print the poster and stick it in your window if you have not already done so.

3) Ask local shops to put the poster in their windows.

4) Forward this e-mail to friends, neighbours and members of residents associations.

5) Ask them to forward it on to their friends, neighbours and residents associations.

6) Write to newspapers to ask these questions publicly. This really helps raise awareness and papers are keen on tram stories. A list of e-mail addresses is available on our website: newspaper e-mail addresses.

Remember that these elections will be the last chance for you to have your say on the proposed West London Tram at the ballot box. Save Ealing’s Streets is and will remain a non-political organisation, but we do encourage you to THINK NO TRAM when you vote on 4th May.

In order to help you make your decision, we have asked the three leading parties in Ealing to state their views on the tram. These can be found on our website: Party statements.

 SES is looking to you to spread this message far and wide so that VOTING NO TRAM will have a clear impact on these elections.

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram

 

30 March 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

THINK NO TRAM when you vote on 4th May 2006

We promised to send more material for the local elections on 4th May.

This week, we want to draw your attention to a leaflet we have prepared. This can be downloaded from our website: THINK NO TRAM leaflet.

The leaflet presents ten reasons to vote NO TRAM and comes with a repeat of last week’s VOTE NO TRAM poster. These can be printed double-sided for distribution in your area.

Please help by:

1) Printing the leaflet plus poster and distributing it in your area. If you can distribute large numbers of leaflets, we can provide more for you. Please contact us by e-mail to arrange delivery: Save Ealing’s Streets.

2) Print the poster and stick it in your window if you have not already done so.

3) Ask local shops to put the poster in their windows

4) Forward this e-mail to friends, neighbours and members of residents associations

5) Ask them to forward it on to their friends, neighbours and residents associations

6) Write to newspapers. This really helps raise awareness and papers are keen on tram stories. A list of e-mail addresses is available on our website: newspaper e-mail addresses.

 Remember that these elections will be the last chance for you to have your say on the proposed West London Tram at the ballot box. Save Ealing’s Streets is and will remain a non-political organisation, but we do encourage you to THINK NO TRAM when you vote on 4th May.

 In order to help you make your decision, we have asked the three leading parties in Ealing to state their views on the tram. These can be found on our website: Party statements.

The VOTE NO TRAM posters attached to last week’s message are still available on our website:

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

SES is looking to you to spread this message far and wide so that VOTING NO TRAM will have a clear impact on these elections.

Put candidates on the spot

As part of this series of election e-mails, we plan to send questions to put to candidates in your ward. We at SES can support Residents Associations organising meetings where these questions can be put to candidates. Please get in touch if you are interested.

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram  

23 March 2006

Dear Save Ealing’s Streets supporter,

Think tram when you vote on 4th May 2006

Local elections will take place on 4th May. These will be the last chance to have your say on the proposed West London Tram at the ballot box. Save Ealing’s Streets is and will remain a non-political organisation, but we do encourage you to think tram when you vote on 4th May.

We have asked the three leading parties in Ealing to state their views on the tram. These can be found on our website: Party statements.

In preparation for the elections, we plan to send a series of weekly e-mails in which we shall ask for your assistance to persuade more people to think tram when they vote also. Attached to this e-mail is an A4 poster for your window, car, front door, garden fence… anywhere it will make people stop and think. The poster is also available in two versions from our website:

VOTE NO TRAM: Black and white poster

VOTE NO TRAM: Colour poster

Things you can do:

1) Print the poster and stick it in your window

2) Copy the poster and hand out copies to all your neighbours

3) Ask local shops to put the poster in their windows

4) Forward this e-mail to friends, neighbours and members of residents associations

5) Ask them to forward it on to their friends, neighbours and residents associations

SES is looking to you to spread this message far and wide so that voting no tram will have a clear impact on these elections.

Put candidates on the spot

Next week’s e-mail will include questions to put to candidates in your ward. We at SES can support Residents Associations organising meetings where these questions can be put to candidates. Please get in touch if you are interested.

Leaflets

After that, we shall prepare leaflets for you to distribute. Please contact us now if you can help by distributing leaflets straight away.

Thank you for your support

VOTE NO TRAM

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram  

February 2006

Dear SES Supporter,

Hillingdon Council

Great news - Hillingdon council has voted to OPPOSE the tram. This exposes Ealing as the only one of the three councils along the route committed to supporting the scheme, and Hillingdon’s decision will make things tougher for Transport for London as they try to push it forward in the coming months. It’s been obvious for some time that the people of Ealing don’t want the tram because they understand that the scheme proposed won’t solve West London’s transport problems, and it’s good that this message has got through to Hillingdon.

Community involvement

Ealing Council is consulting again on the tram - not that they bothered to inform anyone other than through a public notice at the back of the Ealing Gazette. So they seem to have reverted to their original strategy of getting all the necessary policies in place while doing as little as they can get away with to involve the community.  SES will be objecting in principle to the proposals, which can be viewed by clicking here West London Tram SPD consultation (p75). The document is also available from Ealing Council or in local libraries. Please add your objections to ours by February 10 - they will be noted.

SES will also be objecting to the Council’s failure to observe the principles it has set out for itself in its new policies for community involvement Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).  In dismissing our argument that the Council is falling down in its resolve to “improve the way in which it engages with the community on planning processes in the borough”, the Council claims the tram – the most important planning decision in Ealing for many years - falls outside this commitment!

Construction sites

If you haven’t already done so, have a look at the proposals for the construction sites in your area. Do you know how much disruption there will be? How long it will last? Will the use of the site for construction deprive the community of an important resource? Tell TfL, your local councillors and the press what you think. As SES has shown over more than four years now, the more people who make their views heard, the more word spreads that the tram will not suit this route. We HAVE made a difference, and with your help we will continue to influence the debate.

Council elections

As the local elections in May approach, it’s obvious that the tram will be a big issue. SES has asked the three main parties for their view on the tram, and in due course we will be asking all the candidates standing for election to explain their stand. We will report back through our website. Make sure your councillor knows that his/her view on the tram will be scrutinised – find out what he/she thinks and let us know. E mail addresses for councillors are on our website.

SES website

Our other news concerns our website, which has undergone a major refurbishment. Have a look at it – you’ll find it packed with information and easy to navigate. It’s now regularly updated, often daily, so if you want the latest news about the tram, or want to find out what you can do to help the campaign, check it out: www.ealingstreets.org

Please help us to keep it an excellent resource by sending us any material which you think we should display. We’re happy to include links to other relevant organisations, including residents’ associations, and if you know of anyone who would like to receive our newsletters, let them know they can sign up online. You will also find addresses for people to write to with your thoughts on the tram, and information about how you can donate to SES.

Thank you for your continuing support. We will be in touch again as soon as we have more news. 

Save Ealing’s Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

www.ealingstreets.org

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Say no to the West London Tram

 

 

December 2005

Dear SES Supporter,

A lot has happened in the last month and it’s worth updating you again about the West London Tram scheme.

 Local consultations

As residents and businesses are invited to give their views on revised designs for the West London Tram  route - at the Lido Junction in West Ealing, on Hanwell Broadway, and at the Lady Margaret Road Junction in Southall - and on the sites nominated by TfL for 25 construction compounds and 16 permanent electrical substations along the route, it’s become clear that in many instances TfL has failed to consult with parties who own or use the land they intend to hijack for anything up to four years.

The result is a lot of protest from the interested parties. Even TfL’s buddy, Ealing Council, appears to have been left out of discussions about the proposed sites – the council was not involved in the decision to use its own Dickens Yard as a construction compound site, which is odd as Ealing plans to redevelop this area before the tram is built. So in spite of Ealing’s status as a joint promoter of the tram, it is not being consulted on the details of the scheme and is unable to protect the interests of its residents and businesses. This was the reason it claimed it wished to become a joint promoter. Result: an early public rift between TfL and Ealing Council.

If you have views on any of this, please have your say – your opinions have made a difference in the past and they can do so again.

If you have not been sent a consultation form, you can find the details of the proposals on www.tfl.gov.uk/trams/initiatives/wlt/consultation2005.shtml 

So don’t forget to say what you think by sending your thoughts on the route changes and construction compounds to TfL by December 16.

 The councils

 TfL needs Ealing’s support. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has already voted to object to the scheme, and Hillingdon Council is considering a similar proposal and will vote on this in January. Meanwhile, Ealing Conservatives have committed themselves to becoming official objectors to the tram if they are elected at the local elections next May.

 TfL will next consider the scheme at a board meeting in late spring when it will decide whether to apply for a Transport and Works Order to build the tram.

 So please continue to make your views known by writing to the press, to TfL and to your local council. You may also want to ask your local councillor for his/her views on the tram. Addresses are on our website – please remember that you can make a difference.

Thanks to all of you who have continued to campaign against the tram this year, whether by writing letters, carrying a banner, putting a NO TRAM sign in your window, or explaining the scheme to other residents - we are indebted to all of you for your support. Have a good Christmas and we’ll be in touch again the New Year.

Save Ealing's Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

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Say no to the West London Tram  

November 2005

Dear SES Supporter,

Time to update you again. Transport for London continues to move the West London Tram scheme forward and it’s increasingly clear that it’s going to affect everyone who lives or works in West London. We suspect that few will find it a positive development…

Local consultations

TfL is now consulting residents and businesses on the following proposals:

  • revised designs for the West London Tram route at the Lido Junction in West Ealing, on Hanwell Broadway, and at the Lady Margaret Road Junction in Southall

  • the depot test track in the Minet Country Park between the Grand Union Canal and Yeading Brook
  • the location of the 25 construction compounds along the route - four strategic ones the size of a football pitch, and 21 smaller ones the size of a tennis court; the large ones would be in use throughout the four-year construction period, the smaller ones for a year or more

  • the location and appearance of the 16 permanent electrical substations along the tram route (there would also be a 17th substation at the tram depot)

TfL is sending specific consultation documents to residents in areas immediately affected by each proposal, and only about 6,000 households are being consulted in total. If you’re one of them, you have until December 16 to give your views.

This means that the community as a whole is not being consulted – but everyone can have their say. The documents outlining the proposals are available at:
www.tfl.gov.uk/trams/initiatives/wlt/consultation2005.shtml 

Send your views to Tfl by December 16.

A key concern is likely to be the siting of a construction compound outside Twyford CE School in Acton – surely children and big lorries should be kept apart?

TfL claims that there is no room for manoeuvre on the location of the four large construction compounds and the substations. But if enough people object to the location of a local construction compound, it could be scrapped. This would mean that work due to be based there would be transferred to neighbouring compounds, adding to the work carried out at other sites. So if you object to the location of a local construction compound, please do so for serious and valid reasons - eg safety etc (lorries and children etc).   

If you have views on any of this, please have your say – you can make a difference. Remember that a year ago TfL planned to close the Uxbridge Road to traffic at Acton and Ealing Broadway, and run a new road across Haven Green. All these proposals have been dropped because of public pressure. TfL will decide next spring whether to apply for a Transport and Works order to build the tram.

West Ealing

TfL still plans to close the Uxbridge Road to traffic at West Ealing – one reason is that not enough residents have challenged it. So let’s challenge it now! A Yahoo group has formed to fight the closure: please join on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westealingneighbours

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has now come out as opposed to the tram scheme. Hillingdon Council remains on the fence.

That’s it for now. Please continue to tell TfL, Ealing Council and the local press what you think. Thank you again for your support – we’ll be in touch again when we’ve got more news.

Save Ealing's Streets

020 8998 7360

ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

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Say no to the West London Tram  

September 2005

Dear SES Supporter

We hope you had a good summer.   We’re now gearing up for the next stage of our campaign and this newsletter aims to bring you up to date with recent developments. 

SES contacts

Please note that SES's telephone number has changed.  It is now 020 8998 7360.  The e-mail remains the same: ealingstreets@btopenworld.com

Is the West London Tram going ahead?  

The answer is still yes – subject to a public inquiry. TfL and Ealing Council remain adamant that they believe in the scheme and, as many of you know, on 21 June, Ealing Council voted to become a joint promoter with Transport for London in seeking powers to build the West London Tram. Many thanks to everyone who voiced their opposition to the scheme at the Town Hall – our protest was noted by Councillors and by the press.

Yet the tram is far from being a done deal.  TfL has not yet got funding for it – and it was announced this week that it will not consider the scheme again in a board meeting until March or April. The reason given for this six month delay - it will hold up the application for a Transport and Works Order to build the tram - is that TfL and Ealing Council want to carry out more detailed traffic management studies in response to concerns raised by the community during the public consultation. 

It has been made clear that there will be no further public consultation with the community on the details of the scheme. The delay will give TfL and Ealing Council more time to strengthen the case for the tram before it goes to public inquiry. It also gives the two sceptical councils - Hammersmith and Fulham, and Hillingdon - more time to consider the case for the tram. Or you could say it gives TfL more time to get them on board.

Current proposals

Ealing Council now proposes that tram and traffic will share the road in Acton High Street -the proposals to divert traffic away from Acton High Street have been dropped.  Tram and traffic will share the road on Ealing Broadway - the proposal to route eastbound road traffic up Springbridge Road and across Haven Green has been abandoned.  In West Ealing, the Broadway will be closed to traffic - westbound traffic will be diverted along Leeland Terrace, eastbound along Singapore Road.  Tram and traffic will share the road in Hanwell, and on High Street and the Broadway in Southall.

We believe that sustained pressure from our supporters has forced the Council to abandon the traffic diversions originally planned for Acton and Ealing town centres.  Many thanks to all of you!

Recent events

We have met the new Council Leader, Leo Thomson, to reiterate our concerns about the effects of the tram scheme.  With representatives from Save Shepherds Bush Streets (SSBS), we also met Andrew Slaughter, the new MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush.  He admitted that he has reservations about the scheme.

What happens next?

We shall continue to lobby politicians and Council officials, and we need you to continue to write to the press, the Council and to TfL with your objections.  It still seems likely that once the tram has priority on the Uxbridge Road, other traffic will be held up behind it - causing traffic jams and forcing drivers to use residential streets.  We are still in danger of having gridlock and rat-running dumped on us. We will give you further information as soon as we have it, and we look forward to your continuing support.

What can YOU do next?

It is vital that the ‘No Tram’ campaign remains strong and in the public domain during the next few months and the most effective way of achieving this is by writing letters. Write to local papers and magazines to express your concerns about the scheme, to respond to articles and to support or build upon other letters published. AND, send copies of your letters to your local councillors, the Mayor, GLA members and TfL (some addresses follow at the bottom of this email).

Several pro-tram letters have appeared in the Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith and Ealing papers. They are almost all about trams 'in principle' or the successes of 'other' tram systems. They fail to address many of the major problems associated with 'this particular scheme'. We must concentrate on the major difficulties that will occur if the WLT project goes ahead and how it will affect our communities.

Please make sure you keep your contacts informed of developments. Pass on this correspondence to others that oppose the proposed tram scheme.

Contributions

SES is a voluntary, non political organisation and our efforts are funded by voluntary contributions. If you can offer a contribution towards our costs, it would be greatly appreciated. Please make cheques payable to Save Ealing's Streets Association, c/o SES Treasurer, 53 Gordon Road, Ealing W5 2AL. Thanks.

Addresses to write to include:

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA
email: mayor@london.gov.uk

Christopher Dean, Project Director, West London Tram Project, 3rd Floor South Wing, Parnell House, 25 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LW
email:
westlondontram@tfl.gov.uk

Councillors Leonora Thomson (leader)  and Raymond Wall (responsible for transport) - both at Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing W5 2BY
emails: leonora.thomson@ealing.gov.uk and raymond.wall@ealing.gov.uk

Julian Maw, LB Ealing, Perceval House, 14/16 Uxbridge Road, London W5 2HL
email: julian.maw@ealing.gov.uk

Regards,

Save Ealing's Streets

020 8998 7360  

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