At their meeting on 22nd January, Ealing’s Cabinet considered the outcome of the marketing of the Small Mansion.
They were being asked to award the Alpha Plus Group Ltd the status of “preferred bidder”. The next stage would be to negotiate a development agreement.
This company runs 15 schools and six colleges, including Falcons School for Girls. This is a school for girls between the ages of 3 and 11, and it would move from its current site – a Victorian house on Gunnersbury Avenue.
The report to the Cabinet notes that, if company can meet all the requirements, including planning permission, it would receive a 200 year lease. In return, Ealing and Hounslow would no longer have to pay for the restoration and maintenance of the building, and would receive an unspecified ground rent (referred to in para 3.1.2) which may be the same as the on-going lease income referred to in para 6.3. The other public benefit referred to in the report is possible community use of school rooms out of school hours.
The report states that there will be a detailed programme of consultation once the preferred bidders have been appointed.
The same report will be submitted to Hounslow’s next Cabinet meeting on 5th February for approval.
At the inquorate meeting of the Gunnersbury Park Joint Advisory Panel meeting in September 2012, the members were informed that four expressions of interest had been received. In the Project Update report to the same committee’s meeting on 25 January 2013, it states that the expressions of interest proposed residential, schools and a venue for catered events and banqueting.
For such an important building, to have only four expressions of interest must be disappointing. I put to the GP Joint Advisory Panel meeting in May 2012 that the value and desirability of this building would be significantly increased if we won both the Lottery bids, and that it was worth waiting until these decisions were known.
Nine flats for the Stables?
The report to Ealing’s Cabinet also reports the outcome of marketing the Stables.
The only outcome has been proposals for residential units. The best of these would require major changes to the inside and outside of the buildings, and significant new building.
Ealing’s Cabinet have been asked to allow further negotiations with the bidder(s), English Heritage and Transport for London to see if an acceptable scheme can be devised.
James Wisdom
25 January 2013
Comments
A notice by the Cafe says:
“”PARK IN DANGER AGAIN
The Councils want to turn the Small Mansion into a private school which would require blocking access to a chunk of the Park. Come to the meeting at the Museum on 19 April at 6.30 and express your opposition to the Councillors.”
greg.mcgrath@btinternet.com on 19th April 2013 at 15:38 PM
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I really hope the council should make a wise decision because things surely will get affected. – Kavin Austin Blake
on 10th October 2013 at 02:45 AM