You no longer need an appointment for council help at Greenford Library: walk in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Opening hours for all eight Ealing community hubs.

Residents can now walk in to the council’s community hub at Greenford Library without booking. The drop-in service runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it started on Wednesday 7 October.

Until then you needed an appointment to see council staff at the Greenford hub. Ealing Council announced the change on 12 October.

The hub is on the first floor of the library on Oldfield Lane South. The council’s own listing says there is no lift at this location, so anyone who cannot manage stairs is better served at another hub.

What the hubs do

Council staff at the hubs help with online applications and give advice about council services. They can also point you to other local organisations for more support.

The council says every hub offers the same level of service.

Opening hours for all eight hubs

These are the hours on the council’s Visit us page, read on 12 October. Every hub closes for lunch.

Hub Address Days Hours
Acton Library Everyone Active, Acton Centre, W3 6NE Mon, Thu, Fri 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm
Ealing Central Library Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre, W5 5JY Mon to Fri 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm
Greenford Library Oldfield Lane South, UB6 9LG Tue 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 4.30pm
Greenford Library Oldfield Lane South, UB6 9LG Wed 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 3.45pm
Northfields Community Library Northfield Avenue, W5 4UA Thu 10am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5pm
Northolt Library Church Road, UB5 5AS Mon, Tue 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm
Perivale Community Library Horsenden Lane South, UB6 7NT Tue 9.30am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5pm
Southall Library The Dominion Centre, UB2 4BQ Mon, Wed, Fri 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm
West Ealing Community Library Melbourne Avenue, W13 9BT Wed, Thu 10am to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5pm

Note the Wednesday afternoon session at Greenford ends earlier than the Tuesday one, at 3.45pm.

Why Greenford matters

The council’s page says Ealing Central Library is the busiest hub, where “you may find you have to wait in a queue”. The other hubs are much quieter. The council says the Greenford change is meant to spare people a trip to a busier hub with a longer wait.

Greenford Library itself became a community-managed library in October 2025. Local volunteers run it with the charity Young Ealing Foundation and the council. Its events are listed on the library’s own website.

What it means for you

  • If you live in Greenford, Perivale or Northolt, you can get face-to-face council help locally on a Tuesday or Wednesday without phoning first.
  • There is no customer service centre at Perceval House, the council’s Uxbridge Road offices, so do not go there for drop-in help. The hubs are the place for that.
  • If you already have an appointment, check your confirmation. The council says appointments can be held at the Acton Resource Centre, the Greenford Service Centre in Ravenor Park or Perceval House.
  • For step-free access, choose a hub other than Greenford.

Many council tasks can also be done online, such as checking your council tax band or your bin collection day.