Liberal Democrats Slam Ealing Council’s Priory Centre Decision

At last night’s Council Scrutiny meeting Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Steed presented the case for Ealing Council to review its decision to force the user groups of the Priory Centre from where they have been for decades.

Councillor Andrew Steed said that the 60 or more community groups need to be guaranteed community space in Acton before they move from the Priory Centre whilst the new primary school is built.

The meeting discovered that the Liberal Democrat idea of renting the Magistrate’s Court in the short term had not been investigated. This would allow the current Priory User groups to have an Acton location to move to whilst renovation works occur.

It was also suggested that the Council look at whether it is possible to renovate the Priory Centre into a school whilst some of the building is used for community groups’ activity. The Labour councillors voted not to investigate this possible option.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Steed said: “The Council have backtracked on a previous promise and so they need to show the Priory Centre User groups that they are serious about not causing them future inconvenience. Liberal Democrats believe that it would make sense to delay the overall project so that the school can be built in the short term whilst the current users are housed in Acton Town Hall. If this means that the developments takes a bit longer then so be it – the Priory Centre user groups have given so much to Acton.”