Councillors Reject Motion to Ditch Troubadour Theatre Plans
Council meeting sees protest from Save Walpole Park campaigners
Save Walpole Park protestors ahead of the council meeting this Tuesday
October 14, 2026
Ealing Council’s Labour majority has rejected an opposition motion calling for plans to establish a semi-permanent Troubadour Theatre in Walpole Park to be abandoned, despite protests from campaigners and objections raised by councillors from other parties.
The motion, proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Connie Hersch and seconded by fellow Walpole ward councillor Ksenia Maximova, was debated at the full council meeting on Tuesday 13 October.
It called on the council’s Cabinet to withdraw its proposal to lease approximately one third of the Grade II listed park to Troubadour Theatres, explore alternative locations on brownfield land elsewhere in the borough and reassure organisers of the Ealing Summer Festivals about their future.
The motion was defeated, leaving the council’s plans to proceed to further stages of consideration. However, the decision does not itself grant planning permission or conclude the separate consultation processes.
Save Walpole Park campaigners, who filled the public gallery for the meeting, said they were disappointed but determined to continue their opposition. The group’s e-petition against the scheme closed with 5,250 signatures, while the Liberal Democrats said they had received more than 3,500 signatures on their own petition opposing the project.
Before the meeting, protesters gathered outside Perceval House, the council’s headquarters, to demonstrate against the proposed theatre.
The opposition motion highlighted Walpole Park’s heritage status, its importance as a recreational space and its value for wildlife. The park contains the Grade I listed Pitzhanger Manor and has been used by the local community for more than a century.
Among the concerns raised were the potential effects of noise and light from the theatre, the loss of public access to part of the park if the site were fenced off, and possible impacts on wildlife.
Cllr Maximova presents her motion to the meeting
Councillors opposing the scheme also questioned how the theatre would affect the Ealing Summer Festivals, which currently benefit from shared infrastructure between events. The motion warned that relocating festival activities elsewhere in the borough could threaten the viability of some events.
Other concerns included traffic, servicing and parking pressures in Mattock Lane, possible competition with Questors Theatre, and the risk of financial liabilities for the council if the project were to fail.
The motion also questioned the claimed economic benefits for nearby businesses, arguing that the provision of food and drink within the theatre could limit the amount spent elsewhere in the town centre.
Liberal Democrat councillor Julian Gallant, representing Ealing Broadway, challenged the argument that the theatre would boost the high street, describing the proposal as a gamble rather than an established solution to the area’s economic difficulties
The Conservatives proposed amendments to the Liberal Democrats’ motion including additions that highlighted the potential strain on local electricity, water and drainage supplies, as well as the possibility of long-term damage to the park’s grounds. They argued that the loss of green space could affect the amenity provision associated with planning permissions for nearby developments, including Filmworks and Dickens Yard. The Conservatives also raised concerns about the council’s potential exposure to significant costs if the project failed. They cited the closure of a Troubadour-owned venue in Enfield, which they said had cost the local council money.
Council Leader Peter Mason sought to reassure those present at the meeting that no final decision had been made and that the proposal would be tested through consultation.
Councillor Lauren Wall added that the council was not aware of alternative brownfield sites for the theatre and challenged opposition parties to undertake their own investigations into possible locations.
Campaigners dispute the adequacy of the council’s consideration of alternatives and have called for evidence supporting its assertion that other parks in the borough were explored.
They have also questioned the economic case for the scheme and requested publication of a 50-page pre-planning document, or a redacted version, explaining the public interest justification for the proposal.
The council’s Cabinet agreed in principle on 9 September to grant a lease to Troubadour Theatres for three and a half years, subject to planning permission. The council has said there will be separate opportunities for residents and stakeholders to comment on the proposed theatre through the planning process and a statutory consultation relating to the proposed lease.
Campaigners have argued that the consultation needs to be sufficiently comprehensive to allow residents to assess the proposal, including its environmental effects and the evidence supporting claims about its economic benefits.
They have also raised concerns about delays in responding to Freedom of Information requests relating to the project and questioned why financial information in an appendix to the Cabinet report was withheld from publication.
Save Walpole Parks says it is preparing detailed responses to the forthcoming consultation and planning processes. It has also begun crowdfunding in anticipation of a potential legal challenge. Donations can be made at goodhub.com/go/save-walpole.
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