Green Light for QPR's Plans for Warren Farm Training Ground
Club 'delighted that all legal avenues to frustrate this process have been exhausted'
The Supreme Court rejected an application by Hanwell Community Forum seeking permission to appeal the order made by the Court of Appeal on 23 March 2018.
Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal had previously confirmed that Ealing Council acted appropriately in granting QPR planning permission for the new development.
QPR CEO Lee Hoos says the club is 'delighted' at this latest development, following a five year battle against the plans by local residents.
He says: "We’re delighted that all legal avenues to frustrate this process have now been exhausted.
"A new training ground, which brings together the first team and the academy, is an important part of a strategic long-term plan for the club.
"The delays have been very frustrating. Not only have they delayed us securing a new training ground for the club but they have delayed the huge community benefit to residents from improved sports facilities and the programmes that QPR in the Community Trust will run at Warren Farm.
"We look forward to engaging with Ealing residents, sports clubs and the council about those facilities and programmes as construction gets underway."
QPR is investing millions of pounds into community facilities and a comprehensive community sports programme on the 61 acre site, which is being leased to the club by the council for 200 years at no rent. It says these facilities will significantly improve local people’s access to sport.
Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said: "The plans for Warren Farm will see millions of pounds invested in community sports facilities.
“The delays to this project have been disappointing, particularly as the challenge had previously been turned down by the High Court and the Court of Appeal before the Supreme Court found in our favour this week.
" We remain committed to working alongside QPR to ensure that these plans go ahead.
" I am confident that we have secured the best deal for local people at no cost to local council tax payers save for the legal costs spent defending the council’s decisions.
“Once the site is up-and-running, QPR will implement a significant community sports development programme which focuses on encouraging local people, particularly young women, older people and people with disabilities, to get involved in sport."
However, Ealing Liberal Democrat Councillor, Jon Ball, said: '' lt’s deeply disappointing that the supreme court has allowed Ealing Council to get away with robbing the public of this land for private gain. The public will lose the use of the sports fields. QPR will make millions out of this scheme. The Ealing taxpayer will get no benefit.''
His view was backed by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. Alice Roberts from CPRE said: ''This is London’s open green space and Ealing Council should not be enabling this large development, so damaging to the landscape. Leasing the land rent-free to a private company for 200 years is astonishing.
"The alternative vision is to build a modest new community pavilion to service all the pitches for schools and sporting clubs, and keep the entire site for community use, thus protecting London’s green space. This is feasible, but we have to stop the Council from giving away public land to private owners first."
November 7, 2018