Press Releases
Great news for Northolt residents (PR 1158)
There's good news for Northolt residents as Ealing Council presses ahead with two major projects to improve infrastructure and facilities in the north of the borough.
The Council has this week agreed to release cash so work can start to widen Petts Hill railway bridge, getting rid of a bottle neck that’s been causing misery for Northolt drivers.
The narrow bridge, which carries the Chiltern Line across the junction of Northolt Road and Alexandra Avenue, restricts traffic which creates jams and delays buses. There’s insufficient room for cyclists to pass safely through the tunnel, which lies on the boundary between Ealing and Harrow, the pavement is poor and tall vehicles have occasionally struck the low bridge.
Ealing Council will contribute up to £1.85million towards the cost of widening the tunnel and increasing its height to relieve congestion, with £1million of that provided through a grant from TFL. Harrow Council will pay the same amount, Network Rail is putting in £1.3m and TFL is stumping up a further £4m for the improvements, which are expected to get underway during the school Easter holidays.
Work's also already speeding ahead on another major project to improve leisure facilities in the north of the borough. All asbestos has now been safely removed from the old Northolt Swimarama building and demolition balls have arrived on site. The ageing pool is being knocked down and replaced with a new state-of-the-art leisure centre, including a 25-metre competition pool, dance studio, gym with more than 120 fitness stations and an additional library and community hall. Construction work is expected to start this summer and the multi-million pound centre is set to open at the beginning of 2010.
Council Leader, Councillor Jason Stacey, said: "We're committed to improving facilities and services across the borough. We're pleased to invest in these two projects, which will have a real impact on the quality of life for people in Northolt."