Two restoration schemes for Ealing

Two ambitious schemes to regenerate property in Ealing have been announced, with the first relating to one of the borough's most treasured landmarks.

Pitzhanger Manor in the Walpole Park area, was the 19th century retreat and "dream house" of Sir John Soane, one of Britain's greatest architects. The building is to undergo an £8 million restoration which will turn it into an arts venue, adding concerts to the existing programme of events held in the PM Gallery. Within the house, a new cafe and visitor centre will complement another cafe and classroom in Walpole Park, along with landscaping and conservation work, all of which will be Heritage Lottery-funded to the tune of £5.2 million. The chairman of the new trust spearheading the project is Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, an Ealing resident and former British ambassador to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Meanwhile, a 63-acre site at Warren Farm in the Southall area is the subject of a planning application submitted by Premier League football club Queen's Park Rangers. The scheme hopes to transform a neglected sports facility into a new training complex for the club, with a two-storey building, a three-storey multi-functional operations building, as well as three first-team pitches and seven academy/youth pitches.

Christian Le Gouais, Senior Solicitor of IBB’s Commercial Real Estate team said:

“It is fantastic to see lottery money being used to fund such an ambitious and exciting project; a move which one hopes could inspire others to bring forward restoration projects of a similar scale and ambition. As for QPR's plans for the new training complex in Southall, this sounds very impressive but one would hope that the fantastic facilities proposed would be made available, where possible, to the wider community, particularly the young – considering the Government’s oft-repeated claims to capitalise on the legacy of the Olympics.”

IBB has one of the largest real estate groups in West London and the South East, with expertise in commercial development, residential development, real estate finance, real estate investment and management, construction and real estate dispute resolution. Contact a member of the team by visiting the relevant service page, or call us on 08456 381381 or email enquiries@ibblaw.co.uk.