CEPAC has launched an appeal to help fund a survey into the cultural and leisure facilities people want in the town centre.

In July, CEPAC agreed with the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum that it will commission an independent inquiry to produce evidence for the new Neighbourhood Plan. 

CENF was successful in winning a government grant to go towards the cost of the survey, but CEPAC needs £4,000 more to cover the total cost. This is a crucial step forward to getting the facilities that a borough the size of Ealing should have. 

"We are confident our supporters will rally round to ensure we raise the balance," said John Hummerston, CEPAC Chair, "as more and more people realise that this is the best chance we have had for years to get a multi-purpose arts performance facility in the town centre."

In the meantime, details should soon be available of the outline planning application that Land Securities are preparing for the area between the old Empire Cinema site and Mattock Lane.  This will be a further step in preparation for potential compulsory purchase as part of the Council’s broad plan for the Cultural Quarter.

CEPAC has agreed with the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum to run an independent inquiry into what cultural and leisure facilities people want in the town centre. Last month CENF won a £7,000 government grant towards the cost of a survey, which will be part of the evidence needed to support the Neighbourhood Plan it is creating, and it has commissioned CEPAC to do the work. 

“We know that Arts and Culture are a key part of planning the Ealing’s future, but what do people really want to see in the new Cultural Quarter?” said Nick Woolven, CENF Chair. “We need firm evidence of what will help bring visitors back into central Ealing, and what will
 be commercially viable.”

The survey will be run by Purple Market Research, which is based in west London. Trevor Wilkinson, its Joint Managing Director who will be responsible for running the survey, lives in Ealing and has worked here, so he already knows the area well.

"This is a significant step forward for CEPAC," said John Hummerston, CEPAC's chair, "and something we have been working towards for some time." 

The report will be available to all.  Ealing Council is currently planning what should go into the Cultural Quarter, an area which lies between the old Empire Cinema site and Mattock Lane, and has already encouraged the running of a survey.