Ealing Council is set to sell part of the 135-year-old West Middlesex Golf Course while taking back control of the site from the current operator, following a prolonged legal dispute. The council will sell a 2.27-acre plot to Greenford Road Limited (GRL), the debt funder that financed the club's recovery from administration in 2022.
Background of the golf club
West Middlesex Golf Club, originally known as Ealing Golf Club, first opened in 1891 on Greenford Road in Southall. The course was redesigned in 1910 by five-time Open Champion James Braid. However, according to council documents, the club has faced financial difficulties in recent years and went into administration in 2019.
In January 2022, GRL acted as a debt funder to finance the club's recovery. The company is now seeking to recover its investment, while Ealing Council has been engaged in active litigation with the club over alleged breaches of its lease.
Proposed settlement terms
To resolve the ongoing dispute, the council has proposed a three-way settlement between the council, the golf club, and GRL. Under the plan, the club will surrender its current long lease back to the council. The council will then immediately grant a short-term “excluded lease” allowing the club to remain on the land until September 30, 2027. An excluded lease means the tenant does not have an automatic right to renew or remain in the property when the contractual term expires.
After this, the council will sell a 2.27-acre plot of land to GRL for an undisclosed amount. If required by GRL, the council will enter an agreement to grant a second short-term excluded lease for the pavilion area, running from October 1, 2027, until May 2028.
Future use and financial implications
The council has not yet decided what the future use of the reclaimed land will be. All options will be considered between the conclusion of this deal and the return of the land in September 2027. Other options included progressing with litigation against the golf club, but this was not recommended by officers due to significant cost, uncertainty, and risk.
Despite the deal saving the council from further legal costs, it will incur legal and surveyor advice fees to finalise the agreement. Once the land is returned to the council after September 2027, the council will be responsible for its maintenance costs, which are yet to be fully assessed. The specific financial figures are commercially sensitive and subject to legal professional privilege, and therefore have not been made publicly available.
The Cabinet will discuss the proposals on Thursday, July 9, at 5pm before making a decision.
