West Middlesex Golf Club fears it could face closure after 135 years under proposals due to be considered by Ealing Council’s cabinet on Thursday (9 July 2026).
An Ealing Council report due before cabinet recommends a series of legal agreements involving the Southall golf club, the council and Greenford Road Limited. While the club believes the proposals would ultimately make it impossible to continue operating beyond September 2027, the council says the report is not seeking a decision on the long-term future of the golf course.
The council owns the freehold of the golf course land, while West Middlesex Golf Club holds a long lease on the site. Greenford Road Limited is described in the report as the golf club’s debt funder, having provided finance that enabled the club to leave administration in January 2022 after it entered administration in December 2019.
If approved, the proposals would see the golf club surrender its long lease before being granted a new short-term lease until 30 September 2027. Greenford Road Limited would then receive an option to acquire 2.27 acres of the site after September 2027.
The council would regain control of the remainder of the land, while a further short-term lease on the pavilion area could also be granted until May 2028 if required.
The report, written by Ealing Council’s assistant director of strategic property and investment, Jessica Tamayao, says the deal would settle ongoing litigation between the council and the golf club and return most of the land to council control after September 2027.
Responding to questions from EALING.NEWS, a West Middlesex Golf Club spokesperson said replacing the club’s existing lease with one lasting until September 2027 would make its future unviable. The spokesperson said there are “76 years remaining” on the current lease.
Explaining why the club believes the proposals would lead to its closure, the spokesperson said: “The lease on offer will be until September 2027. As our annual membership year runs from April, no members would renew in April 2027 and the club would be insolvent.”
They added: “The option leases cover the area used by the car parking, storage and greenkeepers’ areas, making the club inoperable from that point. We would incur large additional costs to remain operable by replacing these areas elsewhere on the leased land.”
According to the report, West Middlesex Golf Club experienced financial difficulties for several years before entering administration in December 2019. It says Greenford Road Limited provided funding that enabled the club to leave administration in January 2022.
The report also says there is ongoing litigation between the council and the golf club relating to alleged breaches of the lease, with the proposed agreement intended to settle the dispute.
On the litigation referred to in the report, the spokesperson said: “Previous management of the club gave sub-leases on small parcels of land that were not properly notified to the council at the time. The club acknowledged that and was seeking to remediate that since the council served notice.”
West Middlesex Golf Club has called on the council to postpone any decision, arguing that members, local residents and other stakeholders have not been properly consulted.
The report states that options for the future use of the land will be considered after the agreement is completed and before the land returns to the council in September 2027. It does not set out what those future options might be.
The spokesperson said the club has around 450 members and would support redevelopment on part of the site provided the golf course itself could continue operating.
The club claims more than 15,000 rounds of golf were played on the course during 2025 and that more than 7,000 golfers used the club over the past year. It also says the clubhouse regularly hosts weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations and fundraising events for charities and community organisations, and claims 27 jobs would be at risk if the club closed.
The spokesperson also disputed the report’s references to money owed to Greenford Road Limited, saying: “The debt was cancelled in return for Greenford Road Limited taking a controlling interest in the club.”
The spokesperson said the club had not discussed alternative proposals with Greenford Road Limited, adding: “Greenford Road Limited informed the club it had no short to mid-term interest in changing our operating practices, so this has been a complete surprise.”
In a statement to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said:
“Cabinet will consider a report relating to the lease arrangements for West Middlesex Golf Course, at its meeting on 9 July. This proposes the surrender of the existing lease and the grant of a new short-term lease until September 2027, alongside an option regarding a small part of the wider site.
“The proposal in the report is intended to resolve ongoing legal issues and address issues arising from the golf club’s financial difficulties. Some aspects of those matters are the subject of ongoing legal proceedings and it would not be appropriate for the council to comment further while those proceedings remain active.
“The report is not seeking a decision on the long-term future of the golf course. Any future proposals for the site would be subject to the appropriate decision-making processes. We recognise the long history of golf on this site and understand there are strong views about any future use. We want to reiterate that no decision has been taken in this regard.
“The report, and its recommendations, are now in the public domain and Cabinet will consider all relevant information before reaching any decision. Interested parties can follow the Cabinet debate and decision-making process.”
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