Developers Pay Out Thousands After Ealing Public Inquiry Cancelled

Local charities benefit following withdrawal of Benson Elliot from legal process

Developers have paid back legal costs and donated to local charities after a public inquiry into redevelopment plans for Ealing Town Centre was cancelled.

Plans for 9-42 The Broadway, were due to go before the inquiry six months ago but then then owners Benson Elliot withdrew at the last minute.

It's been announced that Benson Elliot and new owners of the site, British Land, have repaid direct costs of more than £27,000 incurred by Save Ealing’s Centre (SEC) in employing a barrister and expert witnesses to help contest the scheme.

Additionally, and in recognition of the huge amount of time freely invested by members of the SEC team in preparing for the inquiry, Benson Elliot and British Land have donated a total of £20,000 split equally among four local good causes nominated by SEC.

These are the Ealing Soup Kitchen at St John’s Church, Mattock Lane, London W13, the Campaign for an Ealing Performance and Arts Centre (CEPAC), the Borough of Ealing Art Trail (BEAT) and the Urban Fox Orchestra, which teaches steelband music to people who are blind and visually impaired.

The Planning Inspectorate has since confirmed that Benson Elliot’s last minute withdrawal from the inquiry was “unreasonable” and that this left them liable to the payment of the costs of the other parties. SEC understands that Ealing Council made no claim for reimbursement of its costs of £74,000, which were paid for out of the public purse. It is now too late for it to do so.

Chairman of SEC, Will French, commented, ‘SEC would rather have presented its case at the public inquiry as it was a strong one, but we are delighted our efforts have meant that we could benefit our nominated good causes.

'This is such an important site in Ealing, but years of neglect have left it a run down eyesore. SEC would love to support ideas for a scheme more sympathetic to Ealing’s character than Benson Elliot’s was, so we look forward to hearing what British Land wants to do with its new investment.’

20th November 2017