What next for West Middlesex Golf Course? Council regains control of the land – but the future of the golf course remains open

Ealing Council has agreed a three-party deal concerning West Middlesex Golf Course. After the Cabinet decision on 9 July and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee upholding that decision on 23 July, the Council will regain control of most of the site. The club has been granted only a short lease until the end of September 2027, while 2.27 acres may pass to a private investor. Here’s exactly what has been decided – and what has not.

What was decided
West Middlesex Golf Club has for many years held a long lease from the Council on around 130 acres of Metropolitan Open Land. The Council is the freeholder.

The agreement includes four main elements:

The club surrenders its existing long lease (dating from 4 April 2001).

The Council immediately grants the club a new short-term lease until 30 September 2027.

After that date, Greenford Road Limited (GRL) – the club’s debt funder – receives an option to acquire 2.27 acres of the site (including the area around the clubhouse and car park).

There is also provision for a possible second short-term lease on part of the land until May 2028 if required.

The Cabinet decision of 9 July was called in by opposition councillors. On 23 July the Overview and Scrutiny Committee debated the call-in and upheld the original decision. The agreement therefore stands.

Why this deal was made
The club has faced serious financial difficulties for several years. It entered administration in December 2019. In January 2022 Greenford Road Limited provided funding that allowed it to exit administration and took a controlling position. At the same time the Council was in legal dispute with the club over the terms of the lease. The Council concluded that a negotiated three-party settlement was more certain and less costly than continuing protracted litigation.

The club’s and residents’ position
The club and many members argue that a lease ending in September 2027 effectively ends the club’s ability to operate. Membership runs on an April-to-April cycle – few people will renew in April 2027 for a season that finishes only a few months later. They believe this will lead to insolvency and the closure of a club that has existed for 135 years.

A petition gathered several thousand signatures. The club is also seeking Asset of Community Value status. At the Scrutiny meeting, representatives of playing members argued that the deal raised legal issues and that proper consultation with members had not taken place.

What the Council says
The Council has repeatedly stated that this decision does not determine the long-term future of the golf course. Once the majority of the land returns to Council control, any further decisions about its use will follow the normal decision-making processes, which can include public consultation. No decision has yet been taken on whether the land will remain a golf course, become other open space, or be considered for any form of development.

What this means in practice

The club can continue operating until the end of September 2027.

After that date the bulk of the land returns fully to the Council.

2.27 acres may transfer to Greenford Road Limited under the option agreement.

The longer-term future of the site (golf course, open space, or anything else) has not yet been decided and remains open.

The issue remains live because it involves a large area of Metropolitan Open Land and one of the older golf clubs in the area. Attention will now turn to whether the club takes any further legal steps and how the Council approaches consultation once it has regained full control of the majority of the land.

Sources
Ealing Council Cabinet report – Future of West Middlesex Golf Course land (9 July 2026)
Call-in documents and Overview and Scrutiny Committee papers (23 July 2026)
Public statements issued by Ealing Council
Statements and campaign materials from West Middlesex Golf Club