The fight to retain Southall Town Hall is to go to a full judicial review hearing. Campaigners seeking to preserve the Town Hall as a hub for the community had been disappointed when a judge decided that their case should not proceed. However at an 18th April hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, Judge Kate Markus QC ruled the case should go to a full hearing. A large number…
Julian Bell explained to the General Purposes Committee, (at 2.40 minutes in) why he thinks the deal with Mastcraft to convert the Town Hall into a Boutique Hotel is a good one. Is he right? A boutique hotel is unlikely to bring significant economic benefits to Ealing town centre, or achieve much change to its increasingly down-at-heel character. Anyway the deal apparently allows Mastcraft to convert the whole town hall into…
A lot has happened and it’s time for an update on our campaign to retain Victoria Hall as its founding fathers intended when they donated their money to build the place a century and a quarter ago. A big thank you then to everyone – there were 277 of you – who wrote in response to the Council’s consultation on its plans to hand over the hall. A further 1400…
A report on the Victoria Hall Trust consultation is to be discussed by the Council’s General Purposes Committee on 15th March. The report says over 275 people responded to the consultation and it lists the wide-ranging objections to the Council’s plans: Objections to disposal of Ealing Town Hall Objections to changing the Trust Objects Desire for local people to be able to join the Trust Board Further clarity on consultation…
The Council’s consultation on its plans to dispose of the Victoria Hall has now closed. Thanks to everyone for responding to Ealing Voice’s campaign to retain the trust as a charitable asset by objecting to the planned disposal. You can view here the response by by Ealing Voice. We understand the 15th March meeting of the Council’s General Purposes Committee will discuss a report on the consultation before any report…
Ealing Council’s second consultation on the plans to dispose of the Victoria Hall raises further issues affecting the Charitable Trust that manages the Hall. After further discussions with the Council about its plans, Ealing Voice has prepared new guidance for people wishing to respond to the second consultation. The deadline for comments is March 2nd. The Council’s General Purposes sub committee will then consider what happens at…
Bidding has reopened for parties interested in taking over one of Acton’s most prominent buildings, the old Acton Library. Ealing Council had agreed a deal with Curzon Cinemas to take over the vacant library building and convert it as a cinema, restaurant, bar and three flats. But the deal has broken down and the library remains empty and unmaintained. So the Central Acton Neighbourhood Forum (CANForum) are dusting down some…
Around 100 people joined Southall’s Februrary 9th Day of Action and the campaign to retain Southall Town Hall as a hub for the Southall community. Flags and banners made for a highly colourful demonstration which attracted the attention of London ITV cameras and local media reporters ExposureBox. The Town Hall is the home to the Southall Community Alliance which plays a vital role in bringing together groups from across…
You may have heard that the Council issued a second consultation on the Victoria Hall Trust. The closing date is March 2nd. This move took everyone by surprise as it was not explained how the two consultations relate to one another. Many who had responded to the first consultation contacted Ealing Voice asking whether they should respond again. We therefore contacted the Council to ask them what we should do….
Campaigners in Southall are intensifying their opposition to the disposal of their Town Hall which, while surplus to the Council’s needs, is used locally as a crucial resource that provides a centre for community groups supporting those on the margins of the Borough’s society. Southall Town Hall dates from a similar period to the Ealing Town Hall. It was built at a time of civic pride and a belief in…