Local campaigners have questioned whether Labour-run Ealing Council’s Local Plan goes far enough on climate change, despite the issue being listed as one of the council’s core priorities.
Ealing Friends of the Earth (EFOE) said the plan, revised and rewritten over the past two years, will shape development across the borough for years to come, underpinning planning decisions from smaller schemes to major housing projects. The draft, which was submitted to government in November 2024, has been scrutinised through an Examination in Public, the formal process in which independent inspectors test whether a plan is legally sound and fit for purpose.
The group said the document places an overriding emphasis on delivering tens of thousands of new homes, with much of that growth expected in tall buildings, without setting out a clear borough-wide strategy for reducing carbon emissions.
Nic Ferriday, speaking for Ealing Friends of the Earth during the examination hearings last month (10 December 2025), said the draft contained technical guidance on limiting emissions in new housing but lacked a wider strategic approach.
Mr Ferriday said: “The overriding policy in the Local Plan is to build tens of thousands of flats, mostly in huge tower blocks. While there is some detailed policy and advice on how to build flats to minimise carbon emissions, context and strategy are almost entirely missing.”
He added that there was no acknowledgement of the carbon cost of constructing and operating high-rise buildings, arguing that terraced developments of around five storeys could provide similar housing density while being significantly more energy efficient. Research by University College London has previously suggested that high-rise buildings can be far more energy intensive than lower-rise alternatives.
The Examination in Public, overseen by planning inspectors D McCreery and C Dillion, concluded on 18 December 2025. Their report is now awaited and will determine whether the Local Plan must be amended before it can be adopted.
Mr Ferriday also criticised the council’s approach to the climate discussion during the hearings, saying the council’s climate change team did not attend the session focused on climate issues. He said: “Ealing council’s mission shows tackling climate change as one of its 3 core aims. But you wouldn’t know it from the Local Plan draft. Despite the fact that planning policy is a major determinant of carbon emissions, the council’s change team did not even come to the session on climate change. Perhaps the council’s New Year’s resolution should be to take climate change seriously.”
Ealing Council has previously said the Local Plan is intended to meet housing need while supporting sustainable development across the borough.
In November 2024, Council leader Councillor Peter Mason said: “The plan reflects our commitment to tackling the climate crisis, taking decisive action to protect the borough’s future while continuing to deliver the good growth that we need. We are determined to stay ahead in this ever-evolving landscape.”
