Local Democracy
The Man in the Middle
Berkeley, Southall Community Alliance, and the Labour Candidate Who Links Them
Recording what happens to Southall — and who is responsible.
Local people. Local questions.
Digging the dirt, unearthing the truth.
As read by Ealing Council’s Press Office
Browse the reporting
Gasworks
24 stories
Local Democracy
The Meeting that Ended Local Democracy in Southall
How the panic of July 2019 prompted the cancellation of ward forums, councillor surgeries, and election hustings.
Local Democracy
Southall Odours
A resident’s morning walk through Southall reveals the multiple sources of air pollution - from gasworks remediation to illegal burning to traffic fumes - …
Environment
COPD
Living with chronic lung disease in Britain’s most polluted community, where personal health battles intersect with environmental injustice and the fight …
Environment
Risks to Health from Remediating Southall Gasworks
Google’s AI provides more ethical guidance than Ealing Council leaders, recommending that toxic waste remediation should stop immediately when benzene and …
Local Democracy
I am the Leader of Ealing Council
When asked how to handle toxic air pollution complaints while accepting £30,000 from the polluting developer, Google’s AI gave better ethical advice than …
Campaigns
Weasel Words on Air Quality Monitoring
Ealing Labour Council has shown negligence towards the health of Southall’s schoolchildren by disregarding air quality issues linked to a nearby toxic …
Investigations
Questions for Cabinet Leads
Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of air pollution from the Southall Gasworks site on local communities, highlighting issues of health …
Campaigns
Strawberries for Pigs?
A father’s discovery that his child’s garden strawberries were poisoned by toxic air from nearby gasworks becomes a meditation on how Labour councillors …
Environment
High Traffic Neighbourhood
An hour-long school run through Southall’s traffic gridlock reveals how ‘improving access for HGVs’ creates chaos for residents, while a father’s choice of …
Local Democracy
Trigger Vote for Sharma
Why Southall MP Virendra Sharma faced a trigger ballot in 2019: years of invisibility on local issues, bizarre outbursts at constituents, and failure to …
Environment
The Gaslighting Zone
Residents express frustration over toxic air quality and question the appropriateness of partnerships related to mental health in Southall.
Campaigns
Southall under Siege: the Neighbours from Hell
For years, residents of Britain’s most diverse community were forced to breathe carcinogenic fumes from a toxic waste site while council leaders accepted …
Investigations
PHE cover-up, continued
This forensic analysis exposes a sophisticated data manipulation operation where Public Health England and Atkins systematically concealed escalating toxic …
Investigations
Naphthalene Poisoning Risk in People of African and Asian Heritage
Research indicates that people of Asian and African descent are more vulnerable to naphthalene poisoning through inhalation, contrary to claims that the …
Environment
PHE cover-up?
Benzene levels significantly exceeded safety standards in early 2019, contradicting reassurances by public health officials.
Environment
The Health and Other Impacts of Southall Waterside on Southall & Hayes Residents
Residents express significant health concerns and property damage due to the Southall Waterside redevelopment, feeling ignored by authorities and …
Environment
Pull the Other One, Julian
Julian Bell, the leader of Ealing Council, controversially downplayed air quality concerns at a former gasworks site while allegations of bribery and …
Environment
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics?
Searched project for “Berkeley Group statistical manipulation benzene levels unit conversion mg/m3 ppm legal limits Atkins” Berkeley Group and Atkins used …
Environment
Countering the Southall Waterside Narrative
Berkeley’s Southall Waterside narrative is systematically dismantled through exposure of their corporate gaslighting tactics, broken promises about …
Investigations
Berkeley's School Governors Board Member
Concerns have been raised about air pollution from the Berkeley Group’s construction affecting students’ health at Blair Peach Primary School.
Campaigns
Health Risks of Exposure to Benzene
Benzene exposure, even at low levels, poses significant health risks including cancer, neurological effects, and other serious symptoms.
Commentary
Meeting Berkeley Group
A meeting with Berkeley Group representatives left local residents feeling misled and disrespected, as their concerns were overshadowed by the company’s …
Investigations
Visit to Southall Waterside (aka The Green Quarter)
Concerns are raised over the safety and environmental impact of the Southall Waterside development and its associated companies.