Ealing has long been known as the "Queen of the Suburbs" due to its many parks and tree-lined streets; the term was coined in 1902 by borough surveyor Charles Jones.[4] This is reflected by the tree emblem on its council logo and its coat of arms.[5][6] Within the borough are two garden suburbs, Brentham Garden Suburb and Bedford Park. 330 hectares within the borough are designated as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt.
The London Borough of Ealing was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Ealing, Acton and Southall. The area was transferred from Middlesex to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs.[11]
The local authority is Ealing Council, which meets at Ealing Town Hall and has its main offices in the adjoining Perceval House on Uxbridge Road in Ealing.[12]
There are four fire stations within the London Borough of Ealing. Southall and Northolt have similar-sized station grounds and both house two pumping appliances. Southall attended[clarification needed] some 700 incidents more than their Northolt counterparts in 2006/07. Ealing, with two pumping appliances, and Acton, one pump and two fire investigation units, are the other two appliances in the area. The ward of Northfield had over forty malicious calls made from it, more than twice as many as any other ward within Ealing.[13]
Ealing has a total of 91 state-run schools and nurseries. There are 13 high schools under the domain of the local education authority, 12 of which are either comprehensive, foundation or voluntary-aided, and one city academy.
Population pyramid of the Borough of Ealing in 2021
The borough of Ealing is ethnically diverse. In 2011, 49% gave their ethnicity as white, 30% as Asian, 15% as Afro Caribbean and 4.5% as of mixed or multiple ethnicity, the remaining identifying as Arab or other ethnicity.[15] The main religions of the borough's population in 2011 were Christianity (44%), Islam (16%) Hinduism (9%) and Sikhism (8%); 15% stated they had no religion and a further 7% did not state any religion.[16]
The borough has a long-standing Irish community which is particularly visible through the number of established Irish pubs in the borough and the popularity of Gaelic games in the community. Country flags for example can be seen flown on the outside or hung inside of various pubs in the area, especially on St Patrick's Day. St Benedict's School has also had a long term affiliation with the Irish community in Ealing, as it is a Catholic school. Many Irish members of the Ealing borough attend Ealing Abbey which is linked to St Benedict's School.
Ealing has a large British-Polish community that owes its origins to the World War II refugees and Polish armed forces
finding both cheap accommodation and work in the Acton area, which then had a high proportion of London's light engineering companies involved with government war contracts. This community has grown considerably including more shops with authentic Polish food since Poland joined the European Union and its migrant workers have been able to come to the UK freely; in 2011 the borough had the UK's highest proportion of Polish speakers at 6% of the population.[26] This has also led to an increase in Polish social centres in the borough. The population is highly concentrated in Acton, Greenford and Perivale.
Southall in the west of the borough is home to one of the largest South Asian communities in the UK, the majority of whom are Sikhs.[27][28][29] The community first developed in the 1950s. The Asian population makes up 80% of Southall Broadway ward as of 2011, a contrast compared to the 8% of Southfield ward in the borough's east.
The most noticeable Afro-Caribbean populations in the borough are in the areas of Northolt and Acton. Of the residents in the Northolt West End ward (as of 2011), 19.4% of them were of Afro-Caribbean heritage, with a relatively large proportion of these being Somali. 16.1% of the South Acton ward was black, whilst 15.9% of the East Acton ward was black. The Caribbean population of Ealing Borough is also mostly concentrated in these two wards of Acton.
In a speech to mark the 70th anniversary of the Indian Journalists' Association and of Indian independence on 15 August 1947 North Ealing MP Stephen Pound said: "There is North Ealing, South Ealing and Darjeeling" referring to the relatively large Asian population.[30]
There are also churches and centres for London's Hungarian[31] and Assyrian communities in South Ealing.
Other demographics
As of the 2011 census, Hanger Hill had, at 13%, the largest proportion of people aged 65 and over. The lowest were East Acton and Southall Green, at 8% each.[32]
Sport and leisure
Ealing is home to Ealing Studios, and was a major centre of the UK film industry. Brentford F.C. draw a large amount of local support from the borough, although Griffin Park is situated just outside the borough, in the neighbouring London Borough of Hounslow.
The borough is also home to one of the country's top athletics clubs, with Ealing Southall and Middlesex AC based at Perivale Athletics Track.
The club has a successful history, with many national and international honours, including the double Olympic gold medallist, Kelly Holmes.
In 2020 the club celebrated their 100th anniversary.
In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: driving a car or van, 21.8% of all residents aged 16–74; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 18.0%; bus, minibus or coach, 9.2%; on foot, 4.7%; train, 4.0%; work mainly at or from home, 3.0%; bicycle, 2.0%.[33]
