The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 23 July 2026 to discuss the future of West Middlesex Golf Course, review the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2025-26, and consider the committee's work programme for the upcoming year. The committee upheld the Cabinet's decision regarding West Middlesex Golf Course, reviewed the past year's scrutiny activities, and agreed on the proposed work programme for 2026-27.

The Future of West Middlesex Golf Course

The committee considered a call-in of the Cabinet's decision regarding the future of West Middlesex Golf Course. Councillors Hirsch and Gallant, who called in the decision, argued that the deal was disproportionate, lacked transparency, and had not involved adequate consultation with the golf club members or the wider community. They raised concerns about the council giving away 2.27 acres of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) to developer Greenford Road Limited (GRL) in exchange for regaining the lease on the golf course. David Thomas, representing playing members of the golf club, argued that the proposed deal was not legally executable and could lead to significant litigation due to breaches of the golf club's Articles of Association.

Councillor Steve Donnelly, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Efficiency, defended the Cabinet's decision, stating that it was the best way to resolve a long-standing issue and ongoing litigation with West Middlesex Golf Club without further costly legal battles. He emphasised that no decision had yet been made on the future use of the land, and that a broader community consultation would take place once the council regained control of the lease. He also refuted claims of a lack of transparency, stating that the restricted papers had been made available to councillors and contained no untoward information.

Following extensive debate and questions from committee members, Councillor Tariq Mahmood proposed a motion to uphold the Cabinet decision, which was seconded by Councillor Hitesh Tailor. The motion was carried, with the decision to uphold the Cabinet's decision on the future of West Middlesex Golf Course.

Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2025-26¹. The report detailed the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its various panels throughout the year. It highlighted key areas of scrutiny, including the call-in of the Early Help Offer, local government funding reform, the customer access strategy, and the work of Greener Ealing Limited. The report also summarised the activities of the Health and Adult Social Services, Economy and Sustainability, Housing and Environment, Children's Services, and Strategy and Change Scrutiny Panels. The committee agreed to recommend the Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 for approval.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2026-27

The committee discussed the draft work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2026-27². The proposed programme included items such as the scrutiny of the management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), the Youth Justice Plan 2026-28, a budget update, and the Safer Ealing Partnership's annual report. The committee also considered potential new items for the work programme, including a review of the West London Alliance, the Kerbside Strategy, the Customer Access Strategy, the Digital Strategy, and scrutiny of community consultation processes. Members were invited to suggest further items for consideration.