A brand new community centre has opened in Ealing as the latest stage of a multimillion pound regeneration project. On Friday 18 October the Colin Bryant Centre in West Ealing was officially opened by the Leader of Ealing Council Peter Mason.
The centre is part of the Sherwood Close regeneration project, which is being brought forward by the UK’s largest housing association, Clarion Housing Group, alongside Ealing Council. Work on the project began in 2016 and is due to be completed in 2027.
Councillor Mason said: “The opening of the Colin Bryant Centre marks an incredibly important milestone in the partnership between Ealing Council and Clarion Housing Group at Sherwood Close. We have been working for well over a decade to fulfil our ambition to renew Sherwood Close and build genuinely affordable homes.
“Once complete, our partnership will have created 214 affordable homes, and a new facility that will be the heart of the community, where neighbours can come together and residents can find friendship, a sense of belonging and support to develop new skills and secure employment.”
The project is transforming a 1970s estate into a ‘green neighbourhood of high-quality new homes’. In 2008, the council identified that major works were needed to bring the estate and its 209 homes up to the Government’s Decent Homes Standard.
The development is now in its third and final phase, and will see the construction of 362 new homes, with at least a third being affordable. The centre itself is named after a man named Colin Bryant who lived at Sherwood Close for more than a decade. Colin’s input was central to shaping the vision for the estate’s regeneration.
Deidre Costigan, MP for Ealing and Southall who attended the opening, said: “The centre here will be the heart of the community and provide services and guidance to those living here. As a councillor and now as a Member of Parliament I know that centres like this offer hope and help when it is needed. I look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength.”
The council hopes the new community centre on Holbeck Road will provide a place for people to take part in activities and access support. The space will be managed by Nucleus Community Action – a not-for-profit local advice and guidance organisation, in partnership with Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group.
They hope to maintain a close relationship with residents which they say will enable them to provide a variety of activities at the centre. In addition, Clarion Futures’ Jobs and Training Team will be on hand at agreed times each week to provide tailored employability support for local people.
