Bedford Park Society Urges Rethink on E-bike Parking Plan

Says bay duplication on Woodstock Road unnecessary

The proposed location of Ealing Council e-bike bay on Woodstock Road

March 14, 2026

The Bedford Park Society is calling for urgent, co‑ordinated action to address mounting problems around E‑bike parking near Turnham Green station. It is warning that competing borough policies are creating congestion, safety risks and unnecessary pressure on residents.

Ealing Council recently consulted on plans to install a new e-bike parking bay at the top of Woodstock Road, only a few metres from Hounslow’s existing bay beside the church. The consultation closed on 25 February. Southfield ward councillor Andrew Steed has questioned whether more capacity is even needed, saying he is waiting to see evidence that demand justifies additional bays. Yet Ealing officers have told him they are reviewing potential bay locations near Turnham Green station for their next batch of bays in 2026.

Unlike Hounslow, Ealing Council has, up until now, not set up many designated parking bays within its boundaries opting instead for a system which excludes e-bike parking from certain areas.

The Bedford Park Society says the proposed Woodstock Road bay would worsen an already congested pedestrian route used daily by commuters, parents with young children and visitors to the church and hall.

Residents have raised a series of concerns about the proposal. Many point to the considerable safety risks of placing two bays only a few metres apart in an area where pedestrians already struggle to navigate narrow pavements, particularly young children entering and leaving the Church Hall throughout the day. Others highlight the noise and disturbance already experienced by nearby homes, with late‑night drop‑offs and early‑morning collections becoming a regular feature of life around Priory Avenue.

There are also worries about the impact on Sydney House, where disabled parking bays are already under pressure and where residents fear increased noise and obstruction. Heritage concerns are equally prominent. The existing bay already affects views of the Grade II* listed Norman Shaw church and hall, and the Society argues that a second bay so close to the entrance of the Bedford Park Conservation Area would significantly harm the setting experienced by visitors from around the world.

The current Hounslow Council bay on Priory Avenue is just a few metres from the proposed bay

The Bedford Park Society has been working with councillors in both boroughs to press for the Woodstock Road plan to be withdrawn. Chair Helen Jameson says the Society supports cycling but believes the proposed bay is not the answer. The Society has suggested that if more space is needed, Ealing should consider enlarging the parking area on the corner of Acton Green opposite the station, where there is unused space near the railway embankment that has previously served as a Christmas tree collection point. It is also urging Hounslow to renegotiate its operator contracts so that Lime bikes — widely used in Ealing — can be legally parked in the existing Priory Avenue bay, reducing the need for a second bay only metres away.

Problems have escalated in recent weeks after Ealing Council banned the operator Forest from using bays within its boundaries. Because Forest remains permitted in Hounslow, more of its bikes are now being deposited in bays just over the border, including those closest to Turnham Green station. This has added to the already heavy use of the Hounslow managed bay beside St Michael & All Angels Church on Priory Avenue.

Hounslow currently prohibits Lime from using its bays because of contracts with Voi and Forest. The Society argues that this rigidity is now actively undermining efforts to manage bike parking sensibly at the borough border and Lime bikes are regularly seen obstructing the pavement particularly around Bedford Corner.

The dispute comes as London continues to operate without a unified, city‑wide rental bike contract — not expected until autumn 2027 — leaving individual boroughs to manage different operators under incompatible rules.

With the consultation now closed, the Society is encouraging residents who remain concerned to contact Ealing Council directly at trafficnotices@ealing.gov.uk.