Ealing (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A Charity Tribunal ruling has halted Labour-run Ealing Council’s planned sale of Victoria Hall to Mastcraft, raising questions over town hall redevelopment.
The verdict, handed down last week (25 November 2025), dismissed the appeal but added two conditions that prevented the 2019 deal going ahead. According to the tribunal, the 2019 Agreement for Lease with Mastcraft needs to be renegotiated and the boundaries of the Victoria Hall Trust need to be clearly specified.
Roger Green, chair of the Friends of the Victoria Hall, said:
“Although our broader appeal has been rejected, the Tribunal decision contains two important new safeguards for the future of the Hall.”
He added:
“The Advisory Committee must recognise the verdict of the court that it is not bound by agreements that the council has made and it must renegotiate the 2019 lease, especially the very limited access that the community would have to the Victoria Hall if it were to become part of a luxury hotel.”
The Victoria Hall Trust Advisory Committee, established in 2021 to replace a committee of councillors managing the charity, will meet on 11 December. Mr. Green has asked the committee to clarify how it plans to implement the decision and safeguard community use.
Campaigners contend that the hall, which makes up more than 20% of the Town Hall complex and was constructed in the 1890s by public subscription, is held in trust for the benefit of locals.
FoVH alleges the council has acted in its own interests by integrating the hall into the redevelopment plan and claiming years of inadequate investment as reason for transferring the trust’s assets. The group contends that the hall should not be viewed as a commercial asset since it was gifted for public benefit.
In 2014, Ealing Council included the hall in its plans for renovation. Later, a 250-year lease was reached, under which Mastcraft intended to turn the Town Hall complex into an opulent hotel. Parts of the hall would be removed and public access curtailed. According to the council, a Community Use Protocol incorporated into the lease would safeguard community use.
How can local residents challenge or support the new proposed scheme?
Residers should share laboriously in any public sounds or consultations held by Ealing Council or the Charity Commission about the redevelopment scheme. These forums allow citizens to state support or opposition officially.
Local residents may submit detailed written feedback or expostulations to the council’s planning department or the Charity Commission. Well- set cessions addressing community, heritage, or trust enterprises carry weight in opinions.
Coordinated community groups (like musketeers of Victoria Hall) can band together to amplify their voice through desires, media juggernauts, social media, and legal challenges if demanded.
Residents should watch sanctioned notices on the council’s website, original journals, and the Charity Commission’s adverts to stay informed of deadlines and openings to intermediate.
