The population of Southall in 1964 was 57,200. Under the provisions of the London Government Act 1963 the Boroughs of Southall and Acton were to amalgamate with Ealing to become Ealing Borough and become part of Greater London. Two years grace was allowed to assure a smooth take over. The last meeting of the Southall Borough Council was held on the 23rd March, 1965. Prior to the business the Mayor’s Chaplain, Revd M. Rowlestone Jones – Vicar of Holy Trinity — led the Assembly in prayer. We are now a part of Ealing and older residents still feel that we are the poor relations. It only remains for me to record the major events and changes that have taken place in Southall between 1965-82.
Three purpose built Old Peoples’ Homes have been opened by the Council. ‘The Limes’, Bridge Road; opened in November 1966; ‘The Cedars’, Norwood Green, in September 1966; ‘Martin House’, Havelock Estate, May 1977.
‘Phoenix House’, a seven-storey office block built in 1959-60 on the right hand side of The Green. It houses several Government Departments including that of Social Security. There has also been developed a small Trading Estate leading in from South Bridge Way.
In April 1968 a public enquiry was held regarding the proposed construction of the King Street bypass which would go between Norwood Bridge, following the line of the Church Path to Bridge Road, then come out at the Station Bridge. This was ultimately started in 1981 but by the end of 1982 was still far from finished.
The last rate to be levied by the Southall Borough for 1964-65 was 8/-d in the £.
Between 1965-82 the number of children so greatly increased that three large new schools were built. Havelock First School officially opened on Thursday, 8th March 1979 by the Mayor of Ealing, Mrs Lavinia Blake; Wolf Field School opened in 1980 and Hambrough Nursery and Middle School opened June 1981. In 1980 the old Infants School in the School Passage was pulled down and a new wing was added to North Road School on the site. There were also several extensions built on to other schools.
In 1975-76 the new Police Station in the High Street was built and opened by Sir Robert Marks, QPM, Chief Commissioner, on the 25th November, 1976.
More Council houses have been built, quite a lot at the end of Havelock Road. But others have been demolished. Featherstone Terrace, and a block of thirty small flats in Dudley Road, also twenty old cottages (Garping Terrace) Western Road, all pulled down. Premises for Social Services have been built in Bridge Road, and in Western Road the Albert Dane Centre opened January 1974. This is a day centre for the disabled. A Nursery School named ‘Green-fields’ just inside the Recreation Ground on the 3rd November, 1980.
Our new Southallians have been very active in building new, or altering old, buildings to house their various religions. In Havelock Road ‘The Sira Guru Singh’ Sikh Temple has been established and plans have been passed for much larger premises. Another Sikh Temple has been opened in Oswald Road, which has cost £1 million and can seat 2,000. It is also planned to build a Sikh Library in Southall Broadway.
