Two residents challenging Charity Commission's support for council
Campaigners outside Victoria Hall. Picture: Roger Green
Two Ealing residents will be in court later this month to challenge the Charity Commission over its support for Ealing Council’s attempts to sell off Ealing’s Victoria Hall.
The 27–28 September online hearing is the latest development in the campaign against a plan to transfer the town hall, including Victoria Hall, to a hotel developer.
In July 2016 Ealing Council signed an agreement for a 250-year lease on the buildings. However, over 20% of Ealing Town Hall consists of the Victoria Hall, which was built by public subscription and owned since 1893 by a charitable trust set up to run the venue to benefit the local community.
In March 2021, the Charity Commission agreed to let Ealing Council take over the property of the charitable trust including Victoria Hall.
Will French, one of the two appellants against the Commission decision, said, “The Victoria Hall is the only large venue in the Borough that’s easily accessible from Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall. The idea of losing it to a boutique hotel is outrageous.”
Tony Miller will be appearing alongside Mr French at the court hearing.
He said, “We’re now into the seventh year of this sorry saga. If the Council had done its homework at the start it would have discovered it didn’t own the Victoria Hall and might have come up with a better idea for it, such as running it properly as a performance, meetings and exhibition venue.”
French and Miller launched their legal challenge in April 2021 on behalf of the Friends of the Victoria Hall (FoVH), which has raised over £70,000 to pay for legal advice.
The court hearing will take place online and is open to the public. To show the strength of feeling in the Borough, FoVH wants as many people as possible to apply for access to the proceedings. The last opportunity to do this is on 16 September, a week before the Tribunal starts.
To apply to view the court proceedings, email grc@justice.gov.uk before 19 September 2022, providing a name, address and the reason why you wish to watch the hearings.
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September 6, 2022
