This area is situated in a suburban region of west London between the districts of Southall and Hanwell. There is a wide range of housing types including flats and semi-detached housing, with many having their own gardens, thus making it a perfect place for families; there are also a plethora of schools, the majority of which serve children of primary school age. The fabulous range of amenities, largely offered by independent businesses, are centrally situated making them very accessible to those living in the area. The district has a rich culture and diversity, with a strong Indian and Pakistani heritage: it is home to the largest Sikh community in London, which is served by the largest Sikh temple outside of Asia.

The strength of this community is especially evident as the Siri Guru Singh Sabha temple, decked with marble, a golden dome and stained-glass windows, was funded by contributions made by local people. Whilst the community actively engage with one another throughout the year, the testament to their unity is especially evident when the area comes alive in late October/early November with the celebration of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights. The community and character of this neighbourhood is further enhanced by its physical situation, as it is beautifully surrounded by large green open spaces and the Grand Union Canal, running centrally through the area.

The history of this area can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times of around 830 AD. Looking to the urban fabric we see today, one building of particular historic importance is the grade II*-listed Southall Manor House, built in 1587, which formed the basis of the soft rural village. The major changes to this area occurred during the 19th century with the opening of the Grand Union Canal, which allowed the area to develop industrially, specialising in brick, flour, and chemical plants. The developments from the industrial boom created rapid population expansion, and called for new ways of classifying the space, with larger agglomerations and connections being made. The most recent event was in 1965 when the borough of Southall (named in 1936) was combined with Acton and Ealing, forming the London Borough of Ealing. One of the most famous and prominent historical landmarks within this area is the ‘Three Bridges’, which allows the canal, road, and railway to cross one another. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and was constructed in 1859; this was his final venture, as he died just two months after it was finished.

Southall Football Club is the local team of the area, and is most famed for player Les Ferdinand, who went on to play for the England national team. A little-known fact about this club however is that Southall FC was once used fictionally in the 2007 Bollywood film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. Despite this, there was no actual linkage between the film and the genuine club! Other film references can be made with this area, as scenes from the 1989 Batman were filmed on the wards of the former Hanwell Insane Asylum (the first of its kind that was purpose built in England).

The area is situated close to Heathrow and sits under one of the airport’s busiest flight paths. This contributes to significant noise pollution that causes issues for a number of residents. Despite this, Ealing Council offer a support website to facilitate locals’ noise complaints, whilst also monitoring noise levels to ensure that they remain within the imposed government limits; where they exceed set limits, fines are issued to the aircraft.

Southall station was selected as one of the stops to benefit from the new Elizabeth Line, formerly known as Crossrail. As a result of this major transport development, the station has seen a number of improvements including enhancements to its customer holding capacity, in anticipation of a significant increase in users, along with three new lifts, which means that the station has step-free access to all four of its platforms.

The area is set for major transport updates with the development of Crossrail, which will directly serve Southall station, better connecting the area to central London. As part of this there are significant planned updates to the station including the introduction of step-free access, and platform extensions. There is also a proposed real estate development, aiming to harness the new capacity and facilities of the transport, whilst regenerating existing industrial buildings. The site up for redevelopment is the old Maypole Factory, and it will provide over 2,000 new homes as part of a mixed-use masterplan. The new homes, that will include affordable housing and Build to Rent, will sit alongside community, work, retail and leisure spaces, all of which will be centred about a new public park. Planning permission was recently granted for the first stages of development, but community groups are concerned that the factory’s arches, which were granted local listed status by the council, may be demolished. Local listing status does not provide protection against demolition or redevelopment but it is a recognition of the structures’ local significance, which has yet to be addressed more properly in the latest masterplan for the site.