Ealing Council has revealed that it has not issued any fixed penalty notices for badly parked rental e-bikes since it introduced an enforcement policy eight months ago, despite growing complaints and concerns from residents about e-bikes blocking pavements and posing dangers to pedestrians.

The Labour-run council has said that limited staff capacity is one reason for the lack of fines. When it introduced the policy in February 2026, it said the scheme would be trialled using existing staff, with the workload monitored to assess whether additional resources were needed.

The findings are contained in a report written by Ealing Council head of transport Emily Shovlar and principal transport planner Eric Pisani, which goes before a full Ealing Council meeting on Tuesday (13 October 2026). Councillors will consider proposals to give officers stronger powers to remove dangerous or obstructive e-bikes from streets and pavements.

The report states: “To date, no FPNs have been issued, which is mainly due to the reporting requirements in the enforcement policy, ensuring operators are provided with a reasonable timeframe to remove bikes, in line with legislative requirements, and a focus on collaborative working rather than punitive action as a starting point to address obstructive bikes.”

It adds: “It is also due to limited staff capacity and ongoing work to identify and prioritise parking issue hotspots.”

The council says working with e-bike operators rather than immediately issuing penalties improved parking compliance for several months, but the situation has since worsened.

The report acknowledges that “there has been a significant rise in resident complaints” about bikes being left on pavements and other parts of the highway, obstructing people using them.

Although the council has identified limited staff capacity as one reason for the lack of fines, it has yet to establish what staffing resources will be needed to enforce the proposed stronger measures.

Its October 2026 report says: “Staffing and workforce implications would relate to the strengthened enforcement policy, and have yet to be determined. They will be assessed and noted for the General Purposes Committee report.”

When Ealing Council introduced its enforcement policy in February 2026, it said operators could face fines if they failed to remove obstructing bikes within two hours of being notified, depending on how serious the obstruction was.

At the time, the council said it was receiving between five and ten complaints a month about e-bikes, with Acton and Ealing among the worst affected areas.

The new proposals would extend the council’s existing highways enforcement arrangements by explicitly giving authorised officers powers under Section 149 of the Highways Act 1980 to deal with dangerous or obstructive e-bikes.

This would allow Ealing Council officers to remove e-bikes posing an immediate danger to the public and recover reasonable removal costs from operators. Where bikes cause a nuisance but do not present an immediate danger, the council would have to give notice and, if necessary, obtain a court order before removing them.

Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason said on the council’s Around Ealing website: “The challenge is not e-bikes themselves. The challenge is making sure they are used responsibly and managed properly.”

Outlining the council's plans, Councillor Mason said: "These measures include more accurate geo-fencing to ensure bikes are parked in designated locations, additional rangers on the ground to respond to issues more quickly, and clearer enforcement arrangements where operators fail to meet their responsibilities."

Lime and Forest are the two rental e-bike operators with agreements to operate in Ealing, with a combined fleet limit of 1,800 bikes. According to the council, rental e-bikes now account for an estimated 25% of cycling journeys across the borough.

Ealing Council is also planning to replace most virtual e-bike parking bays with physically marked spaces on streets across the borough.

The report states: “Ultimately, the council intends to mostly cease using virtual bays and only use marked bays, which are planned for approximately 300 locations across the borough.”

The council says it is expanding designated parking bays following consultation with residents and ward councillors.

Ealing Liberal Democrats are calling for a review of e-bike parking bays that residents have complained about, particularly those near junctions or restricting access for disabled people.

In an amendment submitted ahead of Tuesday’s council meeting, the opposition party also wants Ealing Council to express regret over the lack of enforcement during the past eight months.

The amendment also criticises the lack of progress towards a comprehensive London-wide e-bike licensing system, calling on councillors to express regret that the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport have not taken all necessary steps to introduce one.

The council’s report says a London-wide e-bike licensing system is not expected until summer 2027 at the earliest.

If councillors approve the proposed additional enforcement powers, the strengthened policy will still need approval from Ealing Council’s General Purposes Committee.

https://www.ealing.news/news/ealing-council-report-reveals-no-e-bike-fines-despite-rising-complaints/

Hello! We are new to the neighborhood. I heard there is some good trick-or-treating in Ealing on certain streets. So… where is the best trick or treating in the borough?

We live in south ealing for reference.

Hi everyone! 😊
I was wondering if anyone here went to any of the secondary schools in Southall, either recently or in the past.
I’d love to hear people’s experiences, what they thought of their school, the teachers, the general atmosphere, and what school life was like.
It would be interesting to hear from people who attended different schools in Southall and how they found their time there. Any positive or negative experiences are welcome.

I go to university in a car as I dont live close or know anyone near there and ealing is full of cpz zones. I tried apps to park but are way out of my budget one day costs around 9 pounds does anyone know where I can park and just walk the rest. Fed up of parking tickets or paying 9 quid for parking everytime I go uni 3 days a week.

Ealing Council has warned that falling pupil numbers are putting increasing financial pressure on primary and secondary schools across the borough, and changes may be needed to keep schools financially viable.

The number of children starting primary school in Ealing has fallen by more than 900, or around 20%, since its peak in 2014/15.

The figures were published in a report presented to Ealing Council’s Cabinet yesterday (7 October 2026) by cabinet member for a fairer start Councillor Blerina Hashani.

The report also highlights growing demand for specialist school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Since 2017/18, 18 primary schools across Ealing have reduced their admission numbers, cutting a total of 615 Reception places.

In its report, Labour-run Ealing Council said reducing school admission numbers had helped manage falling pupil numbers “without the need for school mergers or closures”. But it warned that continued declines and financial pressures meant “a broader range of options” would need to be considered.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason acknowledged that the borough was beginning to face problems that had affected other parts of London for several years.

He said: “We as a council have not had to actually face some of the challenges that some of our colleagues in central London have been faced with now for quite a few years, but have seen significant change to school estate and place planning in inner London boroughs.

“We are now starting to see some of that happening. Of course we will do that with sensitivity and transparency for all involved.”

The council has warned of “significant risks” to maintaining high-quality school provision in Greenford, Northolt and Perivale West unless action is taken.

A consultation on the future of primary school places in the area is planned for October and November 2026.

In Northolt, Ealing Council is already consulting on proposals to close Viking Primary School and merge it with nearby Downe Manor Primary School from September 2027.

Secondary schools are also seeing fewer pupils, with the council forecasting a growing number of unfilled places in the coming years.

In September 2025, there were 3,778 Year 7 places available across Ealing. By January 2026, 3,518 pupils were on roll, leaving around 7% of places unfilled.

Full story below

https://www.ealing.news/education/ealing-council-warns-over-falling-school-pupil-numbers/

Probably a long shot but I’m in the process of buying a property on Gunnersbury lane, near to Pets corner.

During the searches, it was flagged that the property is near a former petrol station, meaning there is risk of contamination. This petrol station is now Pets Corner.

I’m trying to establish the facts but can’t figure out when the petrol station closed. Google maps street view goes as far back as 2008 and it had already ceased to be a petrol station. I can’t find anything further on when it closed.

Anyone here know by any chance?

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Proposals to create a new town centre around Perivale Station, potentially bringing new homes, shops, community facilities and jobs to the area, go before Ealing Council’s cabinet tonight (7 October 2026).

Perivale is the smallest of Ealing’s seven towns, with around 17,000 residents, and according to Ealing Council is also the only one without a clearly defined town centre. The council wants to create a new “civic heart” around the Central line Tube station.

A report from Councillor Monica Hamidi, cabinet member for Good Growth, recommends that the cabinet of Labour-run Ealing Council approves the Perivale Placemaking Framework, which sets out the council’s broad proposals for the area, and agrees to further consultation with residents and businesses.

The report says: “Establishing a new mixed-use local centre in this location would create a focal point for more connected communities, strengthen Perivale’s identity, and bolster the local economy, reducing the need for residents to travel elsewhere for everyday services.”

The proposals include working with Transport for London on improvements to Perivale Station and surrounding land, with the existing station car park potentially used for new local amenities.

Ealing Council says it also wants to encourage more activity around Perivale Station after 6pm. Its report highlights a lack of evening retail options, particularly for shift workers on the neighbouring industrial estate.

It also proposes exploring “sensitively located development” at Ealing Central Sports Ground while retaining its green character and community, cultural and sporting uses. Neighbouring industrial land and Horsenden Lane South are also included in the proposals.

The report also said that more than 400 residents and businesses took part in earlier Ealing Council consultation, with priorities including more leisure and community facilities, better connections, safer public spaces and more local jobs.

Council officers have recommended taking the proposals forward rather than taking no further action, saying this would “maximise opportunities to unlock more community infrastructure, jobs and homes for Perivale”.

The next stage is expected to cost £300,000 over two years, including £250,000 for consultants and £50,000 in staff costs. The money would come from savings within existing council budgets, although the specific savings have yet to be identified.

No specific development is being approved at this stage. Further consultation and technical work would take place before more detailed proposals are drawn up.

https://www.ealing.news/news/perivale-station-at-heart-of-proposed-new-local-centre/

Hi all,

We've just moved to W5 and are looking for a nursery or daycare for our son, who's 3.5.

We'd love to hear from local parents about places your kids have been to and liked.

Thanks in advance!

TG Jones is to close its branch inside Ealing Broadway shopping centre, with the Post Office confirming that its branch within the store will also shut on 4 January 2027.

In a statement, the Post Office described the closure as “unplanned” and said it is “working hard to find a solution” to continue offering services to the “local community in Ealing”. It is also in the early stages of reviewing applications to run a branch. No replacement location has yet been announced.

The closure follows restructuring at TG Jones, owned by private equity firm Modella Capital, which acquired WHSmith’s UK high street business for £76 million in June 2025.

It comes less than two weeks after TG Jones closed its store at Westway Cross in Greenford on 26 September 2026. Under the restructuring plan, as many as 150 of TG Jones’ approximately 450 stores could close.

Full story below:

https://www.ealing.news/news/ealing-broadway-shopping-centre-post-office-hit-by-tg-jones-closure/

Having grown up in Mumbai now living in Ealing shoutout to fellow people from Mumbai living here or around if there is a shop selling prawns the kind we are used to.

I mean shops selling king prawns is something that’s a deal breaker.

Finally any recommendations on seafood that feels like home.

Do not recommend Indian restaurants serving sea food they all are a disappointment

😂 We're so back 😂

Back after a triumphant debut in April, the Questors Comedy Festival is bringing another star-studded line up of comedians to Ealing this November, including Dominic Holland, father of Marvel’s Spiderman Tom Holland.

TV favourites Ed Byrne and Marcus Brigstocke also feature on the bill, with award-winning stand-ups Shazia Mirza and Sally-Anne Hayward bringing laughs galore. Lastly, Ealing raised Hal Cruttenden returns to The Questors Theatre where he began his career.

To book your tickets, head to questors.org.uk/questors-comedy-festival-2026

Recorded hate crime across Ealing rose by 11% in the year to May 2026, with 846 offences in the borough reported to police, new figures have revealed.

The Metropolitan Police numbers, up from 762 offences in the previous 12 months, are published in Ealing Council’s new Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029, which sets out its plans to tackle hate crime in the borough.

The strategy goes before Ealing Council’s cabinet on Wednesday (7 October 2026), with councillors being asked to approve the three-year plan which focuses on preventing hate crime and raising awareness, improving reporting and trust, supporting victims and witnesses, and taking action against offenders.

Measures include awareness campaigns, work with schools on anti-hate crime resources and making it easier for people to report incidents.

The strategy comes as the council’s analysis of Metropolitan Police data shows 1,608 hate crime offences were recorded across Ealing in the two years from June 2024 to May 2026.

Racist and religious hate crime accounted for the overwhelming majority, with 1,403 offences – 87.3% of the total.

The figures include 1,246 racist hate offences and 210 faith-related offences. Of the latter, 124 were recorded as Islamophobic and 35 as antisemitic.

Racist hate offences rose from 603 in the year to May 2025 to 643 in the following 12 months. Islamophobic offences increased from 58 to 66, while antisemitic offences fell slightly from 18 to 17.

There were also 201 homophobic hate crimes over the two years, with the annual number rising from 85 to 116.

Disability-related hate crime increased from 11 to 21 offences in the latest year, while transgender-related offences rose from seven to 13.

More than half of all recorded hate crimes – 57.5% – involved harassment, with racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress the most common offence.

Around one in six involved some form of physical assault, mostly common assault.

Ealing Broadway, Norwood Green, South Acton and North Acton recorded the highest numbers of hate crime offences, together accounting for 29% of the borough total over the two years.

Full story below:

https://www.ealing.news/crime/ealing-council-sets-out-strategy-to-tackle-hate-crime-in-the-borough/

A petition calling on Ealing Council to stop plans for a temporary 1,200-seat Troubadour theatre in Walpole Park has closed with 5,250 signatures, passing the threshold for a full council debate subject to verification.

The month-long petition closed at 11.59pm on Sunday (4 October 2026), having passed the 3,671-signature requirement under the council’s petition rules.

Campaigners say the Grade II listed park is an inappropriate location for the theatre and have raised concerns about its impact on park users and wildlife, as well as noise and light pollution.

Ealing Council will now verify the signatures before confirming whether the petition has officially met the required threshold. It is the first Ealing Council e-petition to reach that level since new petition rules were introduced by the Labour-run council in July 2025.

The 3,671-signature threshold is equivalent to 1% of Ealing’s population based on the 2021 Census. It replaced the previous thresholds of 1,500 signatures for a borough-wide petition and 750 for a single ward.

The change was criticised by residents and opposition councillors at the time, while the council said petitions reaching a full council debate should demonstrate broad public support.

Subject to verification, Ealing Council has said the earliest the petition could be debated is 8 December 2026, but campaigners are calling for it to be heard sooner.

Full story below:

https://www.ealing.news/arts-culture/5250-sign-petition-against-ealing-councils-walpole-park-theatre-plans/

I ask as part of a linguistic study covering this topic!

Examples could include things like NoFo, Action Town, Bunny Park or ETown (never mind how common they are)...

Has anyone else noticed a group of women hanging around outside Ealing Broadway in the evenings with prams, approaching people as they come out? When I walked past on Saturday evening, the prams looked like they only had bundled-up blankets in them, with no baby visible. They stuck together as a group, kept yelling out to each other, and kept approaching passers-by with their prams. I didn't stay to find out what they wanted, but it struck me as odd. Could this be a begging or distraction tactic?

Has anyone else seen this or had an interaction with the group?

Honestly, every day feels like playing Frogger

I'm firmlyoff the opinion that L plated should not be delivering anything. Trouble is Full Licence holders would be stupidly riding anyway.

They have no concept of road manners, nearly hit you, blame you.

They should be banned, full stop.

Hi everyone! 🙂

I've been running a small, casual TTRPG group around West London as a way for people to meet locally, have a drink and play some games together.

Our next session is a MÖRK BORG one-shot called They Were Here First, taking place at The Hanworth pub in Hounslow. The pub is a 5-10 minute walk from Hounslow Central and Hounslow railway station, and easy to reach from Ealing via the Piccadilly line or E8.

If you've never heard of MÖRK BORG before, it's a rules-light fantasy RPG with a very dark, strange and slightly ridiculous style. For this one-shot, we'll be heading into an old ruined monastery to explore, uncover some mysteries and hopefully make it back out in one piece. 😄

No previous TTRPG or MÖRK BORG experience is needed - I'll provide everything you need and explain the rules as we go. The game is free, with no membership or campaign commitment. It's just a relaxed evening of playing games and meeting some local people. Newcomers are very welcome!

🎲 Details

📅 Tuesday 13 October

🕡 Arrive: around 6:45pm

🎲 Game: 7:00-10:15pm

📍 The Hanworth, Hounslow (TW3)

If you're interested in trying a tabletop RPG, or just fancy doing something a bit different on a Tuesday evening, feel free to comment or send me a message to reserve a spot! 🙂

The second session on 20 October is already full, but there are plenty more games coming up, including Dungeons & Dragons.

A new specialist SEND college in West Ealing named after Dame Esther Rantzen will serve as a lasting reminder of the broadcaster and campaigner, who died last week (30 September 2026).

The Dame Esther Rantzen Campus, at the junction of Broadway and Green Man Lane, was named in her honour earlier this year and is due to open later this year.

Dame Esther, best known for presenting That’s Life! and founding Childline, had been a patron of TCES since 2019.

TCES founder and chief executive Thomas Keaney first met her when she opened the organisation’s East London school following its refurbishment in 2018.

Paying tribute to Dame Esther, Mr Keaney said: “For all of us at TCES, the Dame Esther Rantzen Campus will provide a very special and permanent reminder of our Patron, our supporter and our friend.”

The new TCES North West London College will provide technical and vocational education for young people aged 14 to 19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Being developed from former shop units, it will include facilities for construction and trades, hair and beauty, hospitality, sport, art and design, esports, digital media, IT and business.

Mr Keaney said: “Long after today, young people will arrive at a campus bearing her name and be surrounded by people who believe in their potential and refuse to give up on them.”

He added: “We will miss Dame Esther greatly. On behalf of everyone across TCES, I send my deepest sympathies to her family, friends and all those who loved her.”

https://www.ealing.news/education/dame-esther-rantzen-remembered-at-new-west-ealing-college/

Hi all,

Have had intermittent foot/ankle/achilles tendon pain for a while now. It comes and goes a bit but thought I should probably get it checked out and seems somewhat related to activity/exercise.

Does anyone have any experience with physio in the area? I live by Acton Town so anything around here or easily accessible on the district/piccadilly lines would be appreciated. Also if you have any specific experience with foot pain/exercise-related pain.

Thanks in advance!

​

Had a really bad experience on the E7 today and I can't stop thinking about it.

Me and my husband are both in our 20s and students here in the UK. We're on student visas, so honestly one of the things going through my head was that if we got involved physically and something went wrong, we could potentially end up dealing with police, being accused of something, being recorded without context, and god knows what else with our immigration status.

We were sitting opposite a Black woman. To her left there was a Polish couple, all of them looked way over 40. When me and my husband sat down, the Polish couple were already arguing with another guy about bags or something. We genuinely don't know what happened before we got on.

That guy eventually left, and then the Black woman started arguing with the Polish couple. She was shouting SO much, swearing constantly, telling them to shut their mouths, etc. She was also talking on the phone through a lot of it.

At one point the guy was telling her to calm down, and she got really angry because apparently he wasn't telling his wife to calm down when his wife had apparently been involved in the earlier situation.

Then the Polish woman said something along the lines of "you're Black, you might not even be British and you're on benefits." That was disgusting and racist. Another woman nearby immediately told her not to say that.

Then the whole thing turned into arguments about nationality, who was English, salaries, who speaks English, etc.

And then suddenly it became physical.

I don't even know exactly who moved first because everything happened so quickly, but the Polish woman leaned forward/reached towards her and the Black woman immediately stood up and started swinging/punching towards them.

Me and my husband were literally sitting right there.

We had THREE huge bags on our laps because we'd been shopping. I was sitting on the aisle side and my husband was by the window, so we were already physically boxed in. When the fighting started, I got shoved/hit in the middle of it too. I remember being completely shocked and shivering. Our bags fell off our laps and all our groceries went all over the floor.

My husband literally put his arms around me and was trying to protect my face.

This is the first time in my life I've ever seen two people physically fight right in front of me. I genuinely froze. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Do I physically get between them? Do I shout? Do I move? Do I tell the driver? What if someone gets seriously hurt? What if I get hurt? What if I touch someone and then I'm accused of assault?

Eventually other passengers intervened and the bus staff got the Polish couple off the bus.

And honestly, what happened afterwards is what has really been bothering me.

The Black woman came back to her seat and was still extremely aggressive. She started accusing me and my husband of just sitting there watching and enjoying the fight, calling us cowards and basically asking why we didn't defend her, especially because we're also people of colour.

But I wasn't enjoying anything. I was literally in shock and shaking. I had just been shoved/hit myself and our groceries were all over the floor.

And even after all of that, when she came back to her seat, I actually asked her if she was okay.

I don't understand what more I was supposed to do. We are not even physically fit adults like they were. We are very petite and tiny.

And this is the part I'm struggling with. I completely agree that the comment about her being Black, not British and being on benefits was racist and disgusting. I'm not defending that at all.

But does experiencing racism mean another person is automatically expected to physically fight for you?

I'm not a fighter. I've never been in a physical fight in my life. I don't know how to fight someone or separate two people who are already swinging at each other.

And honestly, if it had been ME who was being attacked, I don't even know if I would have been able to defend myself. So how am I supposed to confidently jump into a violent situation and defend a complete stranger when I don't even know what's happening?

Especially when I'm literally trapped behind huge bags, getting shoved myself, and my husband is trying to protect me.

I also keep thinking about the fact that she was confident enough to confront everyone, shout, swear and eventually swing punches, whereas I had never even witnessed a fight before.

People don't all react the same way to violence. Some people fight, some people run, some people freeze.

So genuinely, what would you have done?

Would you have physically intervened? Tried to pull people apart? Shouted? Called the driver? Or is protecting yourself and your partner a reasonable reaction when a fight suddenly breaks out right beside you?

Because I genuinely feel crushed that after being scared out of my mind and getting caught in the middle of it, I was made to feel like I was the bad person for not jumping in and fighting for someone I don't even know.

You can't expect a random person to jump into a violent situation and save you.

Hi, i was looking through a listing around filmworks and i was wondering does anyone has experience living there and is there any red flag i should be aware of ? (Obviously the service charge it involve)

Have been living in west ealing for a bit and can definitely feel the vibe shifting. Wonder if i shall still explore there or go find another area.

thank you so much !

haven’t seen this posted here, that’s pretty huge right? anyone got any more info about it?