CEPAC has objected to the application by Mastcraft Ltd to demolish a section of the Victoria Hall as part of its plan to convert Ealing Town Hall into a boutique hotel.
 
The plan would conflict with the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Plan, adopted by the Council only a year ago, says CEPAC's submission to the Council. It also ignores the existence of the charitable Trust which owns the Victoria Hall, and whose objects would be severely affected by the proposals.

In its detailed objection, which can be seen through this link, CEPAC points out that the proposal would involve damaging and unwarranted changes to the existing Grade II listed structure, and reduce rather than enhance community cultural use. It should therefore be rejected. 

12 February: Ealing Council Cabinet voted last Tuesday to continue with the sale of a lease of the whole of the Town Hall to hotel developer Mastcraft. This was despite warnings from both CEPAC and Ealing Voice that it would not be legally permissible for the Council to receive either a capital sum or a share of future revenue from a disposal of property belonging to the Victoria Hall charitable trust.

On behalf of Save Ealing’s Centre, the alliance of local Residents' Associations and Community Groups in Ealing, Chair Will French pointed out that the Council and their partners Mastcraft were incurring significant costs in pressing on with the attempted sale of property which the Council does not own. This was being done despite that the fact that a ruling was still awaited from the Charity Commission about proposed alterations to the Victoria Hall Trust, and whether the property could be sold at all.
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Will appealed to the Council on behalf of both CEPAC and Ealing Voice to recall the spirit the Victoria Hall’s original benefactors, and co-operate to look for an alternative future for the Halls that everyone agreed could work for everybody. So far however this appeal has not been answered.

15 January: Mastcraft, the Council’s development partner for Ealing Town Hall, today submitted a detailed planning application to convert the Grade II listed building into a hotel, restaurant and bar.

The submission has been made despite challenges over who owns the Victoria Hall, a significant element in the development plan.

Last year, local group Ealing Voice discovered that the Hall and related area are held in a charitable trust. The council is now seeking approval from the Charity Commission to change the conditions of the Trust and allow them to dispose of it to Mastcraft.

The same day, Tony Miller, Secretary of CEPAC, asked the Council’s General Purposes Committee, which acts as Trustee, to set up a small group to discuss with all interested parties the best way to fulfil the intentions of the original donors of the property which it now holds in Trust. 

​“Unfortunately, the Committee rejected this request,” said Tony. “Remarkably, it had not even been informed of the planning application,” he added.  “It has not considered any of the plans, which involve demolishing a significant part of the Victoria Hall. Nor has it had any indication of what compensation the Trust would get for surrendering control of its principal asset. Yet it agreed to the plan to sell the Hall without waiting for Charity Commission decision.” 

The Central Ealing Neighbourhood Plan was today (20 March) recommended for adoption by Ealing Council, subject to some minor changes.

CEPAC’s ambitions for a central Ealing arts facility received a major boost by being given a prominent place in the Plan, which strongly supports CEPAC’s aim that Ealing should have a multi-purpose performance and community space with modern facilities.

The report just published by the Council’s independent examiner recommends some minor alterations the Plan which will be reviewed by the Council in preparation for the it to be put to separate referendums of local people and businesses later this year.

Research commissioned by CEPAC in 2013 and 2015 showed that there was both demand and a business case for a performance and arts centre to complement the Borough’s existing limited facilities.

​The Neighbourhood Plan not only back our view but also paves the way to release funding to develop it,
If the Neighbourhood Plan is approved in the referendum, from then on all large development projects in the Borough will incur a £100-per-square-metre Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charge. At least 15% must be spent on community facilities of the type called for in the plan – notably the performance and arts centre.

Because of the amount of large-scale development likely in Ealing over the next few years, the CIL charges could generate a multi-million pound fund.

The next step is for Ealing Council to decide on whether to accept the examiner's recommendations and to confirm the date of the referendums.  

Work has at last started on the Ealing Filmworks development. St George, who bought the site earlier this year, confirmed this week that they have begun construction. However, despite the Council’s publicity puff, it’s clear that the long-awaited cinema will not be opening until 2019. It will not be on New Broadway behind the old preserved frontage (shown below), but is planned to be in a pedestrian precinct behind the old Walpole House in Bond Street. 

St George also want to increase the number of flats on the site, and reduce the amount of commercial space. They will be submitting an application in the new year to vary their planning permission, and before that will have a public exhibition to explain their proposals.

This week’s submission (7 October) to Ealing Council of a finalised Neighbourhood Plan by the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum kicks off a process that could be worth millions of pounds of support for community projects -- in particular a performance and arts centre.

Back in March we reported that that CEPAC’s ambitions for a central Ealing arts facility received a boost by being given a prominent place in a draft of the Neighbourhood Plan.
The Plan strongly supports CEPAC’s aim that Ealing should have a multi-purpose performance and community space with modern facilities.

Following a period of public consultation, the Plan the plan now has been finalised and submitted to Ealing Council.

The next stage of this process is for the Plan to be scrutinised by an independent examiner to assess it and make a recommendation (or not) to the Council for its adoption. If successful at examination, the plan will be subject to a public referendum likely to take place in the second half of 2017.

If approved in the referendum, from then on all large development projects in the Borough will incur a £100-per-square-metre Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charge of which at least 15% must be spent on local facilities of the type called for in the plan – notably the performance and arts centre.

​Because of the amount of large-scale development likely in Ealing over the next few years, the CIL charges could generate a multi-million pound fund. 

CEPAC’s ambitions for a central Ealing arts facility received a boost this month by being given a top spot in the draft Neighbourhood Plan now out for public consultation.

The Plan, which is being prepared by the Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum, has as one of its key objectives the provision of new leisure and recreational facilities to serve the large increase in population projected for the town centre.

It identifies as a priority need for the area “an arts and community leisure facility providing a multi-purpose venue”. This would accommodate a 250+ seat auditorium/sports hall with a minimum of two indoor sports courts, gym and dance facilities, changing rooms, storage, meeting rooms and associated administration with disabled parking facilities.

​Supporters of CEPAC’s vision are urged to comment on the Forum’s plan by taking part in the public consultation. Details can be seen at the web site www.centralealingfroum.com, where there is a link to a survey. The views expressed there will influence the final plan, which will be put to a local referendum later this year.

CEPAC has welcomed the news that the government has approved the compulsory purchase of the central Ealing cinema site.  This follows the Inspector’s report of his findings after the public Inquiry held in May

This clears the way for the replacement of the old Empire cinema, which closed in 2008.  It also allows us to move on with positive discussions about how we can achieve our aim of providing a multi-purpose performance arts venue in the town centre.

Only this would fulfill the objective of an Ealing cultural quarter which is not just a “film quarter”.

Ealing Council has agreed to back CEPAC’s campaign for a performing arts centre in Ealing.

The move follows the publication by CEPAC of an extensive feasibility study which details the business case for such a centre.  The study was jointly funded by CEPAC, the Council and the major developers active in Ealing town centre - Benson Elliot, British Land, Land Securities and St George.

Lucy Taylor, Ealing Council's Director of Regeneration and Planning, will help convene a round table discussion with the main stakeholders with interests in the town centre, to consider options for the creation of a community-based arts space.

John Hummerston, chair of the Campaign for an Ealing Performance & Arts Centre added: “I am encouraged that the recent comments from the Council show a willingness to fulfil its stated aim for Ealing to be a ‘leading West London centre for the arts’, which has long been our target”.

 Following the success of last year’s Demand Survey in highlighting the lack of purpose-built performance and arts facilities in Ealing, we have approached eight of the UK’s leading arts consultants with a view to commissioning a feasibility study into the establishment of such a centre.

 We expect to be meeting a number of these companies in the coming weeks.
 
​Ealing Council has agreed in principle to help fund the feasibility study. However this support is dependent upon us securing the participation of Land Securities, the Council’s development partner for the cultural quarter around the old cinema site. Land Securities is currently considering our proposal.

CEPAC believes that a Performance and Arts Centre in Ealing would engage with the whole community and complement the wider regeneration taking place in the Ealing Broadway area. Even with Council support we’ll need to raise money to pay for the feasibility study.

Please continue to give us your support. Lobby your candidates in the coming local elections and help fund our campaign by making a donation through our web site at www.cepac.org.uk/appeal.html..