Ealing (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ealing Council’s plans to sell Victoria Hall as part of a redevelopment face an appeal hearing next month, with the venue’s future hanging in the balance.
On behalf of the Friends of the Victoria Hall (FoVH), two local people have filed a challenge, which will be considered at the online hearing on November 19, 2025. The group is contesting the Charity Commission’s ruling that permitted Ealing Council to lease the hall, which is officially owned by a charitable trust, to private developer Mastcraft for 250 years.
In addition to demanding that the hall continue to be a completely accessible and reasonably priced community facility, the Friends organization has donated more than £125,000 to support its legal case.
FoVH chair Roger Green said:
“This appeal was first lodged more than four years ago. The Hall has been closed down for more than two years and it’s high time that things were brought to a proper conclusion, with Ealing Council’s sell-off deal not being allowed to stand.”
Mr Green added:
“We have constructed a very strong case, which will include some important new and compelling evidence. It shows beyond any doubt that the Council acted in its own interests, not those of the Ealing community who are the beneficiaries of the charity which owns the Hall.”
The Friends contend that the Victoria Hall Trust’s governing body, which consists of members of the current administration’s council, has frequently disregarded the law’s mandate to work in the best interests of the charity’s beneficiaries.
The Victoria Hall, which was constructed in the 1890s thanks to donations from the general public, has long been a center of civic life, hosting everything from concerts and religious festivals to community gatherings and support groups. Protesters claim that if it were to disappear, the borough which is among the most populous in London would be left without its sole sizable and reasonably priced public space.
In 2014, Ealing Council originally suggested renovating the nearby Town Hall, and they eventually reached an agreement with a developer to build a high-end hotel on the property. Parts of the hall would either be removed or converted into spa facilities as part of the plans.
In 2023, the Friends achieved a major win when the High Court declared that the first Charity Commission plan authorizing the sale was invalid because it did not adequately safeguard the trust’s interests.
How would the redevelopment affect community use of the Hall?
The redevelopment of Ealing Town Hall, which includes the trade and revision of Victoria Hall, would significantly affect the community use of the Hall. Victoria Hall is presently a major and important public space used considerably for community events, artistic conditioning, and gatherings.
The redevelopment plan proposes leasing the utmost of the Town Hall to a hostel investor, performing in corridors of the structure, including Victoria Hall, being altered, reduced in size, or incompletely demolished. Contenders and community members fear this would reduce public access, limit the size and felicity of the available event spaces, and compromise the Hall’s major status as a community venue.
Although a lower venue, the Prince’s Hall, is proposed to replace some functions, critics argue it would not adequately substitute the current space and inflexibility offered by Victoria Hall. The implicit loss of a large, intimately possessed hall would significantly impact community events, trades, and artistic programming.