Ealing Labour ignore calls for review of the West Middlesex Golf Club decision by Lib Dems

Ealing Liberal Democrats called in the decision on WMGC.

Councillor Connie Hersch - Culture, Sport & Communities Spokesperson and Deputy Leader of the Ealing Liberal Democrats challenged Ealing Labour on their decision to de facto close West Middlesex Golf Club (WMGC) at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, 23 July 2026. 

The aim of the proposed deal by Ealing Labour is to sell off 2.27 acres of land to a private developer (Greenford Road Limited - GRL) in return for the ending of a long lease (approx. 75 years left) and returning 130 acres of land to the London Borough of Ealing (LBE), the freeholder of the whole site. 

The terms mean that WMGC will cease to function in about a year's time. It is likely GRL, a property developer, will seek to build on what is currently Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), which is urban green belt. 

While the current litigation between Labour-run Ealing Council and the golf club could end with the deal, WMGC has threatened further legal action at the meeting itself. Many of the details of this deal are hidden due to legal and commercial privilege constraints. 

Councillor Connie Hersch - Culture, Sport & Communities Spokesperson said: “Liberal Democrats say that the deal will cost the council maintenance money for the club land and because they don't know the planned use of the land, they don't know if the benefits to residents from this deal are worth it. The land now is of public use and has many golf players, but the only sure thing is that the golf club will cease to exist once their short lease extension is up. A club representative has spoken about legal challenges to the deal.”

“The lack of transparency, the missing interaction with club members, and the uncertainty of the deal being beneficial to Ealing borough taxpayers has not stopped Labour members of the judging committee to vote in favour of the Cabinet decision.”