| Topic: | Reply | |
| Posted by: | Christine Mulligan | |
| Date/Time: | 19/10/26 08:32:00 |
The cinema was always to be at the heart of the Filmworks development that was a condition of approval for the housing — I don't think any of the other units could have accommodated a theatre. It is likely that whatever masterplan for the town centre was drawn up didn't include a theatre because, unlike many town centres in London, Ealing already had one. The council probably didn't initiate the Troubadour proposal so it has to be considered in isolation. It is for this company to determine whether or not a permanent theatre would be viable at another site in Ealing. Although development on some of the bigger schemes has been paused it has to be presumed that as some point building activity resumes and there will be opportunities — it may be that the Haven Green squash club scheme could provide one. There is an ongoing consultation where people could suggest this. For Troubadour a three year tenure at Walpole Park would allow them to develop both a front of house and backstage team plus test for demand. Ealing is now a short trip from the West End thanks to the Elizabeth line and so the potential market is huge. The town centre urgently needs to increase footfall — Filmworks and Dickens Yard have massive potential but they are failing so something needs to be done to stimulate the local economy. If this is the first step on providing a major draw to the area then it is a sensible policy. If, and only if, there are guarantees on biodiversity impact, full restoration of the park and no extension of the tenure, then I see no good reason not to give this proposal a chance. |