At long last the Crossrail Construction Compound on Haven Green is being decommissioned and we have been promised it will be removed within the coming weeks. The people of Ealing can begin again to look forward to enjoying this precious area of Common Land once more.

The legislation makes Crossrail responsible for reinstating the Green back to its former glory with Ealing Council having to certify that they do it properly. Friends of Haven Green have been pressing the Council to ensure there is no back sliding on Crossrail’s part. We have drawn up our ‘Agenda for the Restoration of Haven Green’ which we discussed on site with the key officers and our ward Councillors.  

While many of the items on our agenda are the direct responsibility of Crossrail, quite a few will also remedy previous problems on the Green about which FoHG has long campaigned. These include for instance the unlawful bike racks lining the diagonal path across the Green to Gordon Road and the electricity substation which a planning inspector said 7 years ago must be removed. The Council has also agreed to return the bus layby opposite Lewis Pharmacy to common land from where it was unlawfully excised. 

Moving forward, FoHG is urging the Council to work with us on a longer term basis to make sure it makes the best use of this space for everyone. We think there must be a management plan and an organised maintenance programme. This will help build trust between us all and perhaps encourage members of the community living nearby to contribute their efforts to looking after the green space.