| Topic: | Reply | |
| Posted by: | Gordon Southwell | |
| Date/Time: | 19/10/26 16:03:00 |
Not sure how you can make such a categoric statement with such confidence. There are a number of potential sites within the British Land portfolio in central Ealing alone. Given the market it would seem likely they would be looking to switch away from office to mixed use residential. A theatre at the bottom of one of the towers might be used as a planning sweetener. This is obviously speculation but Troubadour has built three theatres in partnership with developers and I don't see how you could rule out the possibility of it happening. If this is what is occurring, we wouldn't be told at this early stage but, as has been pointed out above, a three year residency in Walpole Park would provide a ready made team for a new theatre. Perhaps the council is aware of how this fits into the broader plan for the town centre which is a reason for their enthusiasm for the scheme. As I say, speculation, and it does raise the question why the council wouldn't reveal more at this stage but we may learn more when the application comes to be discussed by the planning committee. The e-bike comparison is not useful — the council has an MoU with some of the operators which gives it relatively little leverage — a planning condition would have the force of law and it would be possible to get recompense through the courts if any commitments were reneged on. |