Hounslow Council's Thomas Layton Collection is exploring new funding options for the Gunnersbury Stables project after an initial bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund was rejected.
The Gunnersbury estate is now managed by a charity, which may make it easier to attract external project funding. This is because charities can often access grants and funding opportunities that are not available to local authorities.
The Thomas Layton Collection had previously expressed interest in relocating its collections to the Gunnersbury Stables. The council submitted an expression of interest to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to seek grant funding for the project, but the initial bid was unsuccessful.
During a previous meeting on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, Mr Simmons reported that the buildings at Gunnersbury Park were vulnerable to damage and graffiti due to the delayed bidding process. He reminded trustees that both the stable block and small mansion were the responsibility of the council.
Mr Simmons suggested it could be time to reconsider the original concept together with the local studies idea. He proposed that, as the museum had NPO (National Portfolio Organisation) status with funding from the Arts Council, this may be an area to pursue. Jon Cotton agreed that this might also address local residents' thoughts for the park.
James Wisdom reflected on the very long time this had taken, adding that it was crucial to ensure that the council was still enthusiastic about supporting the proposals moving forward. He recalled that when Historic England had first been approached, they had considered the use of the buildings as archives to be extremely sensible. He suggested that the Trust had now secured a very good store for the Collection and could, therefore, explore other uses for the buildings at Gunnersbury Park.
Councillor Salman Shaheen acknowledged Mr Wisdom's points and noted his support. He offered his services where there was anything else that could be done to support the proposals, acknowledging that political will was not the only thing required to move the project forward. Councillor Shaheen reported that he had discussed the project with Ben Knowles, the Council's Director of Culture, Communications and Engagement, adding that Ben's expertise could be useful. Councillor Shaheen also expressed his preference to have the Collection available as a physical educational resource, asking what other ideas had already been proposed for the site.
Mr Wisdom appreciated Councillor Shaheen's comments and said that the Trust always needed champions. He explained that previous ideas for the site had included a riding school to a roadside pub. As the Trust no longer needed to see these buildings as the sole solution to its storage problem, he proposed that time was spend thinking about how to develop the Trust. James Marshall agreed that both Hounslow and Ealing local studies collections needed better accommodation than they currently used.
Mr Simmons suggested putting his contact at Historic England in touch with Councillor Shaheen, which Mr Cotton supported.
Mr Wisdom suggested that the project appeared to have stalled at the final hurdle because not enough emphasis had been placed on the sustainability of the project and the fact that it would save money. Mr Simmons agreed that it had not be pitched perfectly either, suggesting that reaffirming alliances and involving all contributors and stakeholders for a much wider proposal could be preferable.
When asked what the deadline was for a further bid, Mr Wisdom stated that he was always keeping an eye out for available funding bids. He noted that the impact on local roads and in particular on the park itself were important factors to consider and stressed the importance of investing in greening the park to promote it as good for health and not somewhere where people would go to breathe in the fumes from the A4.
More information about the Thomas Layton Collection can be found on the council website.
