The Charity Commission has confirmed to EALING.NEWS it is still monitoring progress over the future of Victoria Hall, the historic community venue within Ealing Town Hall, amid claims from campaigners that Ealing Council has done too little to protect the hall’s interests under plans to redevelop part of the building as a boutique hotel.
The Friends of Victoria Hall say little progress has been made since a tribunal ruling in November 2025, particularly over the council’s agreement with hotel developer Mastcraft and which parts of the Town Hall belong to the charitable trust.
Their concerns come after a meeting of the Victoria Hall Trust Advisory Committee, scheduled for 30 September 2026, was cancelled. Ealing Council says an administrative error was responsible and that a meeting with the Charity Commission took place instead.
Roger Green, chair of the Friends of Victoria Hall, said: “We’re delighted that the Charity Commission has opened an inquiry. While not necessarily agreeing with court verdict over the proposed sale of the Hall, we are concerned that Ealing Council is showing no sign of properly complying with the judges’ rulings. The Advisory Committee hasn’t met since December last year and has no further meetings scheduled until May 2027.”
The Charity Commission has not confirmed a new statutory inquiry. It says it is continuing to monitor the implementation of a scheme it authorised in September 2024.
A Charity Commission spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “We made a scheme for Victoria Hall which the appeal court agreed was the only viable way forward for the charity. We continue to monitor the charity’s progress in implementing that scheme, so our compliance case is ongoing.”
Victoria Hall and Prince’s Hall form part of the Grade II-listed Ealing Town Hall but are held in trust for the benefit of local residents.
Victoria Hall has been closed since October 2023, when Ealing Town Hall shut over health and safety concerns. Before its closure, the hall was used for performances, public meetings and other community events.
Ealing Council’s plans with developer Mastcraft would see part of the Grade II-listed Town Hall converted into a 120-bedroom boutique hotel, with restaurants, bars and leisure facilities. The council would retain part of the building for its own use.
Although the council has previously said Victoria Hall would remain available for community hire at discounted rates for eligible groups, the Friends question how those arrangements would work in practice.
Mr Green said the proposed terms would prevent groups from obtaining discounted rates between Friday afternoons and Monday mornings, while local branches of national organisations could also be excluded. He added that the discounts would only apply for a limited number of years.
He also warned that changes to the hall to accommodate the hotel would reduce the space available for larger events, leaving local groups with fewer opportunities to use the venue.
In November 2025, the First-tier Tribunal dismissed an appeal against the Charity Commission’s 2024 scheme for Victoria Hall.
The tribunal confirmed that the regulator had not approved the council’s 2019 agreement with Mastcraft. Under the scheme, the advisory committee has responsibilities for determining the extent of the trust’s property and overseeing the renegotiation of parts of the agreement affecting the charity.
The tribunal also made clear that the trust was not bound by the 2019 agreement in matters governed by charity law. It did not find that the advisory committee lacked independence.
Mr Green said the Friends had seen no evidence of progress in establishing which parts of the Town Hall belong to the trust or renegotiating the Mastcraft agreement. He also questioned how much work the advisory committee could have done when it had met so infrequently, particularly as council officers continued to prepare the reports and recommendations put before it.
He said: “The Advisory Committee must get down to work and recognise the verdict of the court. It is not bound by agreements that the Council has made and it should renegotiate the 2019 lease, especially the limited access that the community would have to the Victoria Hall were it to become part of a luxury hotel along with the rest of the Town Hall.”
The Friends say they raised their concerns directly with the Charity Commission in correspondence between March and May 2026 and met senior officials on 17 August.
EALING.NEWS contacted Ealing Council after the advisory committee meeting scheduled for 30 September was listed as cancelled on the council’s website.
An Ealing Council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “The meeting was cancelled due to an administrative error and to use the time constructively a meeting was held with the Charity Commission.
“A new date will be put into everyone’s diary as soon as possible with the highlights of the Charity Commission discussion presented at the next Victoria Hall Trust Advisory meeting.”
The Charity Commission confirmed that it met with the committee on 30 September but said there was no further update.
Ealing Council has not confirmed a replacement date for the cancelled advisory committee meeting or provided details of what was discussed with the regulator.
