Volunteers are bringing back to life a neglected canal walkway in Northolt renowned for litter and antisocial behaviour.
Housing group A2Dominion is working with people in the area to renovate the public footpath, running between Leander Road and Western Avenue, to make it a safer and more attractive route.
Ealing Council leader Julian Bell joined nearly 70 residents on March 28 to make a start on the six-month project, which will replace years of rubbish and overgrown foliage with new landscaping, lighting and public bins.
Adults and children from nearby neighbourhoods worked with grounds maintenance contractors Amey in March to remove litter, weeds and old tree roots.
Heather David, A2Dominion’s Head of Community Investment, said: “We have been managing homes in Northolt for over two decades and are committed to improving the quality of our local neighbourhoods where we can.
“This project is not only bringing the Northolt community even closer together, but it is giving a neglected public strip of land some much-needed care and attention to better the safety and wellbeing of our residents.”
A2Dominion, which manages nearly 3,500 homes in the borough, is using £10,000 funding from the government and £500 from the Bubble Springtime Community Fund to renovate the route.
The footpath, which runs for 250m along the Grand Union Canal, is a popular shortcut with locals but has become a common ground for fly tipping over time and an area where young people congregate during the evenings.
A2Dominion staff will meet with members of the Northolt Residents Association and other helpers in the last weekend of each month to continue the project.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Deb Alldis of the Northolt Residents Association on 07986 050742 or by emailing: nortoltra@gmail.com.
