Have Your Say Over Controversial Ealing Town Hall Changes

Rooms funded for 'charitable purposes' could be transferred to developer

Ealing Council have been accused of misleading the public and failing to consult properly on changes that could see facilities donated for community use transferred to private ownership.

Ealing Council has appointed Mastercraft to redevelop the grade II listed building turning it into a a 140-bed hotel with a lease for 245 years.

The Council remain freeholders and get to keep the east wing with the Council Chamber and marriage rooms, but Victoria Hall and Princes Rooms form part of the deal with the developers.

Victoria Hall was built in 1893 for 'charitable purposes' and from public donations and since then has belonged to a charitable trust - the trustees being elected councillors.

Now the Council is seeking the Charity Commission’s permission to vary parts of the Trust prior to the disposal or the Town Hall, but before this can be done they must consult 'key' stakeholders about the plans. 

A consultation was launched on the council's website on 3 November, it hasn't been widely publicised and ends on 12 January 2018 ( update -now changed to 9th February) .

The council claim they are merely seeking to vary the current terms because they say, ''The Trustee has obtained legal advice which recommended updating the charitable purposes to more modern wording whilst still maintaining the spirit of the public donations which funded the construction of the Hall.''

Campaigners from 'Ealing Voice' are objecting to the application, they're unhappy with the way the council has gone about the consultation and the wording used which they believe to be 'misleading'. They say ''Ealing Voice believes the aims and purposes of the charitable trust remain as valid now as when the Victoria Hall was built. Furthermore, the Victoria Hall and Princes Rooms appear to generate hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in letting fees which should be enough for them to continue to operate viably.

''Ealing Voice is therefore objecting to the Council's application to change the Trust and dispose of its assets. It hopes others will support them by objecting too."

We asked for clarification from Ealing Council as to why this variation was needed and a spokesperson told us, ''The Council holds the Victoria Hall as the Trustee.  To dispose of the Victoria Hall on a lease, the council needs to vary the ‘objects’ of the Trust, which is subject to consultation. Without it, the Council could still ‘dispose’ via a building license but it makes the disposal more cumbersome and not ideal to the council or the developer. The Council will continue to be the freeholder of the Town Hall and will be the sub tenants of the Eastern wing which we will continue to occupy.  If ‘objects’ aren’t changed, this will not affect the disposal.''

To have your say email  MooreD@Ealing.gov.uk at Ealing Council.

3 January 2018 ( updated)