Ealing Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee has upheld a previous Cabinet decision regarding the future of West Middlesex Golf Course. The decision, which was called in by councillors, was confirmed following a lengthy debate on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Councillors Hirsch and Gallant, who initiated the call-in, had raised concerns about the transparency and proportionality of the deal. They highlighted that many documents related to the case were not made public
and that even after a review of these redacted papers by councillors, many questions have been left unanswered.
Councillor Gallant also noted, It's also very hard to explain why Greenford Road Management stands to obtain metropolitan open land owned by Ealing for the price of a cup of tea. And it may be legally possible, but politically speaking, it looks odd.
The councillors also expressed concerns about the potential loss of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and the closure of the golf club without adequate public consultation.
David Thomas, representing playing members of the golf club, presented legal objections, arguing the proposed tripartite deal was not legally executable. He warned that if the deal were deemed not legally executable, it could lead to litigation. A really quite significant, long-drawn-out litigation, I suspect. There's a matter of really quite significant complexity. And I think we, on behalf of the golf club, and hopefully everyone on behalf of the council, and also myself as a ratepayer, hope that that can be avoided.
Councillor Donnelly, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Efficiency, defended the Cabinet's decision. He stated the primary aim was to regain control of council land and settle ongoing litigation with West Middlesex Golf Club Limited (WMGC). This litigation stems from breaches of the lease agreement, though the exact start date, current status, and likely outcomes are unclear.
West Middlesex Golf Club Limited (WMGC) has experienced financial difficulties, going into administration in 2019. Their debt was subsequently bought by Greenford Road Limited (GRL) in January 2022, giving GRL controlling voting rights. WMGC currently holds a long lease on the Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) owned by the council.
The proposed tripartite deal aims to settle this litigation and regain control of the land. The specific terms involve the council accepting the surrender of the long lease, granting WMGC a new short lease until September 30, 2027, and entering into an agreement for a second short-term lease for the pavilion area until May 2028 if required by Greenford Road Limited (GRL). Additionally, the council will enter into an options agreement to dispose of 2.27 acres of the site to GRL after September 2027, protected by an overage agreement.
Councillor Donnelly emphasised that no decision had yet been made regarding the future use of the land and that broader community consultation would take place. He stated, we will consult, and we said on the night of Cabinet that we'd consult, and the leader said that we'd consult, and I said that we'd consult. And guess what, Chair? We will consult.
This consultation is planned to occur prior to the expiry of the short-term lease in 2027
and will seek the views of the broader community whose views we certainly want to hear in piecing together our own thoughts for plans for the future use of the land.
Councillor Donnelly also refuted claims of a lack of transparency, noting that restricted papers
had been made available to councillors. These papers included information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person and legal professional privilege, as set out in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. They were referred to as exempt appendices
and restricted appendices
in the meeting and were not made public due to commercial in confidence and legal issues related to ongoing litigation.
Following the debate, the committee voted to uphold the Cabinet's decision.
Further details on the public reports pack for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting can be found here. The agenda frontsheet is available here.
