Ealing Council has voted down a motion aimed at forcing a rethink of plans for a temporary theatre in Walpole Park, a Grade II-listed open space in west London. The council is pressing ahead with proposals to grant a three-year lease to Troubadour, the company behind several large-capacity pop-up theatres, to build a 1,200-seat venue in the park.
Opposition motion defeated
Opposition parties tabled a motion this week urging Labour councillors to abandon the plans, but it was voted down at a full council meeting on Tuesday. Councillors from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Greens argued that allowing a large temporary structure in the park would result in the loss of valuable green space while increasing noise and traffic on Mattock Lane, close to Ealing Broadway station.
They also argued it would harm local wildlife and undermine the financial viability of the longstanding Ealing Summer Festival. Three petitions against the proposal have gathered almost 8,300 signatures.
Council defends proposals
Defending the proposals, the council leadership said the 36-month arrangement has the potential to rejuvenate Ealing Broadway’s high-street economy. It said less than 10% of the park would be affected. The council has confirmed that a full planning process and public consultation will take place before any binding final commitments are formally made.
At the end of the three-year lease period, the theatre would be removed and the area restored to parkland. Cabinet has approved the proposals in principle ahead of the standard planning process, when residents will have their chance to comment.
Theatre operator and concerns
The theatre will be funded and managed by Troubadour Theatres Limited, which also runs theatres in Canary Wharf and Wembley Park. Earlier this year, the firm was given permission to build what could be London’s biggest capacity theatre in Greenwich. Troubadour works with production companies from around the world to host West End and Broadway shows such as Hunger Games, Starlight Express and War Horse.
The firm would pay Ealing Council a fixed fee for a period of three years. The details of the fee have been restricted from public view due to ‘commercial and financial sensitivities’. Construction work could reportedly start as soon as January if the plans are given the green light.
Connie Hersch, a Liberal Democrat councillor, warned of widespread disruption if the theatre is allowed to go ahead. She said: “I would be very keen to have a big theatre in Ealing, but one ideally which is providing performance and not just disturbance. Dispersing [the Summer Festivals] to different parks would not be feasible… Our much loved summer festival might disappear.”
Peter Mason, the Labour council leader, suggested the venue was a temporary test for more permanent cultural regeneration. He said: “Our high streets are dying… in terms of the rise of internet shopping competition and the lack of destination venues… Before a theatre company is going to invest tens of millions of pounds… they will need to understand whether a community like Ealing can sustain it.”
The wording of the failed motion said the proposed structure had “entirely inadequate soundproofing” and would “cause noise nuisance to residents and local businesses, and to The Questors Theatre, and would cause sound issues for filming at Pitshanger Manor and Ealing Studios”. The Conservative Group sought to add a strict condition to the motion that would apply a strict limit on a three-year term for the theatre. That was also defeated.
